Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Coming out in Comics: Runaways

It's another coming out post.  I have quite a few of these lined up and not a lot of energy to think of other topics.  I'm manically busy at work trying to finish everything before I leave and start my new job.  Arrggh!

Here are some scenes from Runaways where we see that Karolina is gay.

We have seen hints seeded throughout the previous 4 volumes that Karolina may be gay, however the first 2 scans are where she officially comes out.  We see Karolina, an alien, hitting on Nico, a witch:


 



It is unclear whether Karolina thinks she is a freak because she is gay or because she has just been turned down by Nico.  Note also that Nico is unconcerned as to Karolina's lesbian status.  Then think how this is a book aimed at teenagers and featuring teenagers!

Skip forward a few pages and we have a strange new visitor named Xavin.  He is a super skrull, but a good guy, who is betrothed to Karolina and has come to Earth to find her to arrange the marriage and start working on putting their worlds back together.  This could come off as really creepy and forced, but it doesn't.  Karolina is asked simply to join Xavin and to get to know her fiancee before any sort of romantic relationship is formed.  Before this can happen however, Karolina says she can't mary Xavin because she likes girls.  To which Xavin, as a shapeshifter, simply morphs into a female form:



Note Chase Stein's reaction and Gert's comlete lack of a reaction.  It is very cool that Xavin doesn't give a stuff about the gender s/he presents as, but then as an alien, presenting as human would probably be the main issue.  At any rate we have a gender swapping person added into the mix.  Later volumes look at what it means for Xavin's identity to present as female vs male and human vs skrull.  It is made clear that Xavin wishes to learn how to be human and that she identifies as female first, so she is not a male masquerading as female and therefore tricking Karolina.

Runaways is an awesome set of books.  How I wish I'd has these as a confused teenager!

Scans taken from Runaways Vol 5 Escape to New York.


[And don't forget about my poll!  More than 3 of you must know who Supergirl is and have an opinion, c'mon, make your voice heard!]

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