Entries for January 2003:
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I don't often write about superhero comics, mainly because I don't have anything to say about the more-or-less minor queer characters and the way they're portrayed in those comics. But Gotham Central, a continuing series published by DC for the past year, is an exception.
Firstly because it's not really a superhero comic, since it's the story of a group of cops in Batman's city. Secondly, because the character I want to write about, Renée Montoya, is as much a main character as the other cops. Montoya has been around for some time now, but as far as I know, no hint of her being a lesbian had been given. The continuity-minded readers will surely be relieved that, on the other hand, nothing in her previous history contradicted that.
In 'Half a Life', the recently-concluded arc running through issues 6 to 10, Montoya, who was completely in the closet, gets outed and then framed for murder -after all, this is a crime comic. The identity of the culprit is not a big secret, since it's revealed at the end of the first issue. For reasons a bit unclear to me (I haven't read the Batman titles for years), Two-Face, the former lawyer turned big-time criminal, is behind all that. But I felt that not knowing their past relations did not hinder my enjoyment of the story. I can thank Greg Rucka's sharp writing and Michael Lark's unsentimental art for that.
Rucka makes all characters believable, and the scene where Captain Maggie Sawyer, another lesbian character who's completely out, vainly tries to discuss her private life with Montoya is a very interesting example of how a good (straight) writer can handle two queer characters and treat them as characters, not as queers per se.
As I said before, the fact that kind of scene works very well owes a lot to Lark's remarkable command of storytelling and body language. He's as good with quiet, intimate scenes as with more tense scenes, as when Montoya and Two-Face finally face each other. Without revealing too much, I want to say I was impressed by the integrity of the characters, and the way the personal path to unclosetedness of Montoya is portrayed throughout the arc.
Responsibility for one's actions seems to be a common thread of all the stories in Gotham Central, and one of the most endearing aspects of the series is that it never forgets to show those cops as people with lives, fears and dreams.

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Update June 2005: A collection entitled Gotham Central : Half a Life has just been published (you can find it at Mars Import).

I've got another contributor to the gallery: Joe Fludd has sent me a a delightful drawing by John Romita Jr. I've also added two other drawings by Jackson Guice and Dean Ormston from my regular contributor.

Here's something else to warm the winter nights. 12 new scans at once, including a mini Wolverine festival! You can't say I don't spoil you.
As usual, most come from my partner in crime, with the latest two from me. Have fun.

Well, somebody threatened to cut off my supply of drawn flesh (you know who you are, Xavier) if I didn't finish this review, so here it is.
I hope you'll all understand that I'd love to write those reviews more often, but I need a certain state of mind to do it, and it's not always easy to get to it.
Anyway, James Asal's Adam & Andy is a charming strip which deserves a bigger audience, and it's great that there's a printed collection at last.

Coming up next: Chelsea Boys. Very, very different from James Asal's work.

After publishing for some years the openly gay P. Craig Russell's works - and publishing the totally queer How Loathsome (more about that mini-series when I've read the last issue), NBM will propose in November a gay graphic novel in their Eurotica collection.
Vacation in Ibiza is written by book writer Lawrence Schimel and Catalan artist Sebas, about whom I know absolutely nothing. It's about two friends vacationing in, well, Ibiza, one sleeping with every guy he can, the other beginning a relationship, and the two finding themselves envious of the other's life.
We'll have to read it to see whether there's any depth to that album, but NBM can already be commended for publishing very varied gay/queer comics.

Annnnd... here are 3 new images from the Marquis de Scans (the Infantino picture is from me).

I swear I'm working on a new review, but I'm too busy right now to finish it.

Okay, I should be ashamed to use that title.
But it seems my pimp in unclothed men is spending his time scanning his Marvel comics for, hm, interesting pictures. Here are four more.
Thanks be to him.

I think I have unleashed a monster.
My gallery is quickly becoming the "Male Body in Xavier Lancel's comic books" art gallery. But I guess you won't complain.
Five more today!

And here are five more images in the gallery, all from my dealer in undressed characters, Xavier Lancel, except the Paul Cuvelier image which is from my own stash.

I hope that will help you end the week-end on a pleasant note.