- Title: USA: X-Men makes history with the first gay wedding in superhero comic book
- Date: 26th May 2012
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) THOR PARKER, MIDTOWN COMICS SOCIAL MARKETING EVENTS DIRECTOR, SAYING: "I think it's bringing in a level of acceptance to the comic book world and showing the rest of the world that, you know, we're just as open-minded as everyone else."
- Embargoed: 10th June 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA1C4GUDMT3W31TE20BFBJ4A5LT
- Story Text: Marvel comic book crime fighters, X-Men, have put down their weapons and picked up wedding rings for the first same-sex marriage in the superhero world.
In the "Astonishing X-Men" #50 which hit stands on Wednesday (May 23), Jean-Paul Beaubier, aka Northstar, a Canadian with piercing blue eyes and silver-streaked black hair who can move and fly at superhuman speeds, proposed to his longtime and non-mutant boyfriend, Kyle Jinadu, in the issue that just made history in the mainstream superhero comic book industry.
Thor Parker, Midtown Comics' Social Marketing Events director shared: "It's the first gay marriage in a mainstream superhero comic. It's been done before in the Archie books too, but for a book this big where characters are well-known, it's the first time and it's exciting."
"X-Men is always a popular title with just standard comic book fans, but then when you get this kind of attention for something that's borderline controversial, you get a lot of people that come in that aren't the standard comic book fans who are equally interested in the books," he added.
The pair will marry in the next issue of "Astonishing X-Men" #51, on sale June 20, and Midtown Comics will join the bandwagon by hosting a grand wedding ceremony on that day.
"We're actually looking to host a wedding for some same-sex couples that the day the wedding issue comes out, which is June 20th. So if anybody out there is looking to tie the knot in a comic book store, we'd be happy to have you," Parker said.
Northstar and Kyle have been a couple since 2009, but Marvel is not promising the pair will live happily ever after. While the future is unknown for the characters, fans and readers alike are still curious.
"There was a lot of talk on Twitter and Facebook and things like that about it. A lot of people were excited to hear, cause they've sort of been, hinting it, this idea for a while. Something like this was going to happen and so when it finally came out, everyone was really excited to hear about it," said Parker.
Although the real world and that of in X-Men has its obvious differences, the mutant world does not forget it has a human side as well. According to Parker, this particular series will bring "a level of acceptance to the comic book world and showing the rest of the world that we're just as open-minded as everyone else".
Female X-Men fan, Nicole Vieu, is thrilled to read the issue.
"I think it's great… I think we need more diversity in comics. I love it," she said.
There have already been other superheroes who have admitted their sexual preference. Avid comic book reader Stephen Hartman is thrilled to see Marvel stepping out of the box.
"It did not take away from the character; it did not take away from the storyline. So Marvel jumping on the bandwagon is a good thing," said Hartman.
On the other hand, other comic book readers, like Daniel Fitzpatrick, still prefers the 'old school X-Men' but will take a peek with what's yet to come in the particular episode.
"I think I'd look on a website and read the synopsis," he said, opting not to buy the issue.
Amidst the drama and the fight against evil, an anonymous comic book reader summed up the buzz around the story: "I think it's just fine. What I like about reading comics is the reality that they have and how it translates towards everyday life. And so it's very normal I think to have something like that in a comic." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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