I didn’t originally want to mention this on the site. Not because I’m ashamed of it; far from it, I just feel that DC hyping up a gay character and then making it Alan Scott felt like a cop out, an incredibly safe decision on their part with little to no risk and still getting a ton of credibility.
It’s just kind of a crock. Alan’s got the name power of a top tier DC character without being THAT top tier character, so the Green Lantern they feature prominently every month stays straight. Furthermore, he’s got enough exposure to have a solid fanbase and awareness, but not enough that he can’t be ratcheted out of the limelight immediately if things go poorly or the company gets cold feet. And my biggest peeve by far is that by making Alan gay, you eliminate his romance from the prior 52 with his nemesis Harlequin, the offspring of which was Todd Rice, aka Obsidian…who is a very well known gay character from the prior 52, and now has his chances of existing in the New 52 reduced significantly.
But I can’t deny that we’ve got a pretty solid couple here. They only receive 4 of the books 21 pages of story, but you do get a feeling that Alan’s a really great, down to Earth guy, and that his boyfriend, Sam, is completely smitten with him. In short, they seem like fairly real people, and it’s nice to see that kind of portrayal.
So we get some nice moments with Alan and Sam. They’re portrayed as normal people with feelings. DC doesn’t try and ram it down your throat, they don’t spend every panel saying “OH BTW HE’S TOTALLY GAY LOOK AT HIM”, and I have to give them props for that. After all the hype and spectacle, they seem to play this fairly low key.
So, yeah, I think they did a pretty solid job introducing the revamped Alan Scott. I don’t feel like it’s overblown, or a publicity stunt, or anything. I’m pleasantly surprised with the work DC did here, especially in the doom and gloom world of The New 52, where no one is allowed any joy. They’ve introduced a classic character with a new dimension and given him just enough happiness to make it feel like it’s a lasting change, something that…
…uh, Alan? Alan, what are you doing?
Oh no, Alan, don’t…don’t do what I think you’re going to do. This is comics, and you’re not allowed to be that happy.
SHIT MAN! Put that back in your pocket!! If Dan DiDio catches wind of this, he’s going to–
Train explosion, taking place literally two seconds after he’d been proposed to and a mere moments before Alan’s origin begins (note the green glow in the window)? By comics law (and the standards of The New 52), he’s dead so as to give Alan a tragedy to inspire him. Yes, DC Comics just introduced their landmark gay character, a much hyped major play for the company…and then immediately killed his lover. What the fuck DC?