It's part of the degeneration into fanzines (now official, if the "write like fanfic" quote is for real!) that writers and artist layer the work with such things. Fine and dandy in their own creator-owned stuff. But in Marvel Universe, DC Universe books?

I went to the nearest Barnes & Noble last night. In front of me in line was a Muslim couple with a little boy of about 8. They were buying the new Green Lantern issue. The little boy looked excited, kept opening the cover and peeking at the first page, looked like he was trying to wait until he got home to read it but was tempted to read it right there in line. It was the only thing they were buying, which made me suspect that they had made the trip to the store just for that.

I haven't read it myself and have no intention of doing so. Current DC doesn't appeal to me at all and I don't care for the constant creating of new versions of old characters and most of what the current creators have been doing. But I do hope, if that issue is that child's first exposure to comics and it was the media coverage of the new character that made him want to read it or his parents want to buy it for him, that it was written as if the issue might be somebody's first and that it will lead that kid to love superheroes and discover other great characters that he can enjoy regardless of their ethnicity or religion.

Yesterday I took my new pup to the vet for a follow-up visit, and as promised took a "sample of my wares". Out of the stack of freebies I grabbed what turned out to be the trades of JURASSIC PARK and ANGLE: BLOOD & TRENCHES. When I gave them to the vet he said "Something for my kids to read tonight!"

"Don't give those to kids," I said -- and wondered if there was any chance he would have check the contents before handing them over to young children, if I hadn't forewarned him.

A message there. One of the main reasons Gay characters and the like can still get attention from the Press is that civilians still think comics are for kids.

That crossed my mind too, JB. Hopefully the parents flipped through it before buying it.

What a mess that it's even necessary to have to worry about that.

Is it that the comic readership has shrunk to a level that the comics themselves are irrelevant so the powers that be use them as a hype machine? 

"Look!  We are progressive thinkers!  We made Green Lantern gay!" (but not really)  "We made Green Lantern Muslim!" (but not really)

IF, they make another GL movie, guess who GL will be...Hal Jordan.

Maybe they are just grasping at straws--doing something even if it's wrong.

Maybe editorial is more interested in making heavy handed social statements than selling comics.

Who knows?   The Shadow?

It's obvious that at the big 2 the characters are not important anymore.