DC Comic’s ONLY gay superhero character comic series Midnighter will end next month as the company readies for its new “Rebirth”.
Midnighter, recounts the adventures of a kick ass gay vigilante superhero and while some believe like Dan Avery of NewNowNext that is not just another in a long line of recent a #BuryYourGays situation many disagree.
Fans of the character and comic claim that DC Comics itself is to blame for not really caring about the comics run. While the reviews for Midnighter have been nothing but positive, the company itself was the brunt of quite a bit of homophobic backlash online when they first announced the gay superheroes run last summer and afterwards did nothing to promote the comic. Not even in the LGBT and gay-geek community.
The character of Midnighter first appeared in Stormwatch (vol. 2) No. 4, in 1998 before appearing in various other comics before getting his own title in June of 2015.
Warren Ellis described Midnighter as “The Shadow by way of John Woo”. Midnighter is rarely seen without his costume and mask. With recurring themes in Midnighter’s adventures being about his love of violence and killing, as well as comments on his sexuality.
In his 2015 stand alone comic run, Midnighter having broken up with (husband) Apollo, has to come to terms with being newly single, as well as tracking down a thief who stole exotic technology from the God Garden and is openly selling it to different individuals. Amongst the items stolen are files containing the origin of who Midnighter really was before the Gardener abducted and created him. After teaming up with Spyral agent Dick Grayson (yes Robin gone rouge) to track down Russian vampire thrill-killers.
It’s reported that in the last issue of comic will reunite Midnighter with his superhero ex, Apollo, and together they will battle his evil creator, Henry Bendix.
In 2013, ComicsAlliance ranked Midnighter as #17 on their list of the “50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics”.
#BuryYourGaySuperheroes
Having bought & followed the MIDNIGHT series, I doubt it was a specific decision by DC, but just part of their desperate need to find some way to recapture their whole product line as they have failed badly now twice with all their re-issues.
In really good news, ONI Press is issuing a new series, MERRY MEN, based on a very rational rereading of medieval outlawry and sexuality and casting Robin as the betrayed lover of King Richard(Remember him & Phillip of France & Blondel?)! It’s scheduled for release 6/1 in time for Pride month and the pages I’ve seen are both homoerotic and historically tenable. That promises to be a great read!
PLEASE correct your “”it’s” only gay superhero comic series” to “ITS.” Good gracious…only myopic conservatives should be making such egregious grammar errors.
Thank you James for pointing this out. This website is a work of love and I do in what little spare time I have and do no not get paid for it. If you would like to volunteer to be an unpaid copywriter and editor please let me know. Till then…..
I’m sad to see it go. I got every issue 🙁