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[Royal☭]

To clarify, it's the latest issue of Saga, issue #12; I'm sure you didn't mean to imply it was the entire series but your comment could be read that way.

Yeah, you're right. Didn't notice that I'd accidentally dropped the issue number. Corrected.

You know, the first time I ever used the iTunes Music Store, the fucking thing censored the title of Bitches Brew?  Apple is a company that has trouble with the idea that Serious Art can target adult audiences.

Anyway.  Probably did 'em a favor.  I love the hell out of Saga and if this makes more people go out and see what the fuss is about, then that's great.

Apple's policies seem to come from that special place where only marketing and legal departments can exist. They seem reluctant to implement an actual parental lock function of any sort on there so parents can have the illusion of control, and that way we don't end up with stupid decisions like how we can't have political cartoons because making fun of politicians is wrong.

[Mazian]

Today, ComiXology's CEO posts to say Apple didn't ban it, ComiXology did it themselves (and now that they've reversed that, it'll be up on the store soon).

[Büge]

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/batgirl-19-reveals-transgender-character.html

While DC refers to her as the first transgender character, Newsarama pointed out in November 2012 that the heroic DC character Shining Knight was outed as transgender in Demon Knights #14.

However, the Demon Knights issue was published without any fanfare about the character's admission of being transgender. In fact, the hero's "outing" was so accepted and unremarkable to comic book fans that the issue's writer Paul Cornell stated, "It's great that a DC character can come out as transgender and it not excite much comment. Very refreshing."

So then why does this one merit some kind of press release? She's not the first, not even in a mainstream comic.

[Zaratustra]

The ways of DC press releases are mysterious and vaguely understood.

Also, I heard they're introducing the first black character in a mainstream comic next month.

[Royal☭]

Today, ComiXology's CEO posts to say Apple didn't ban it, ComiXology did it themselves (and now that they've reversed that, it'll be up on the store soon).

Yeah, just coming here to post about BKV and Fiona Staple's correction to the whole thing. Though, it's coming across as incredibly weird. To read Comixology's response, it sounds like they didn't even try to submit #12 to the App Store. Which is strange in itself, but even stranger that it telephoned to Vaughan and Staples as being Apple's fault. Add to that, Comixology waited until the next day to issue a correction, even as the story was going viral. How, exactly, did this story get so out of hand?

Either way, it brings up the nature of gatekeepers to content, only in this case we're dealing with two of them. It's a reminder that Apple has (in the past) made some dicey decisions about content (and still forbids some explicit content. Their guidelines are the reason given by Instagram for why you can't post nudity), but also brings up the issue that Comixology i still, at their core, a gatekeeper as well, and their decisions must be examined and criticized as well.

So then why does this one merit some kind of press release? She's not the first, not even in a mainstream comic.

 DC is releasing a press release to announce the first transgender character to get a DC press release.

[Thad]

Now, I'll grant those shots in #12 are more graphic than last issue's sex scene.  But they're also a lot smaller and not on the first page.

I stand corrected; one of them is in fact on the first page.

Anyway, damn, this mostly derails my planned blog post.

I guess it can STILL be about Comixology and Apple's dominant market positions and the vagueness of Apple's submission guidelines.

[Thad]

Picked up Batgirl.  And y'know, it probably shouldn't have to be said, but DC's press releases are one thing and Gail Simone's writing is another.

I haven't been reading Batgirl ('cept one issue a couple months ago).  I don't really know Alysia Yeoh.  I knew enough to know she was who everybody was figuring would be the trans character.

But y'know, coming into it as a new reader, I think Simone really nailed it.  It's the wonderful little moment of "this is a big deal to this character but it doesn't really change anything".  It's that peculiar mix of something that really matters and simultaneously doesn't matter at all.

That's Simone's strength: these little human moments.

(And yeah she totally acknowledges Ystin on her Tumblr, too, and says she was misquoted in claiming Alysia is the first trans DC character.)

The rest of the book -- well, it's more of the "Barbara's brother is a sociopathic serial killer" arc that I don't care much for.  I think Gail does a fantastic job with it but it is so very much not my cup of tea.

She's promised things are going to get lighter in the coming months, but next month's cover has a super-creepy new version of the Ventriloquist on it and I'm not holding my breath.

[Zaratustra]

Stormwatch has changed writers and been rebooted. Apparently, the new DC policy with conflicting canon is FUCK YOU.

Jim Starlin is the sort of writer that I hate but DC really likes: the kind that writes ensemble books where everyone talks exactly the same, in a sort of stilted exposition-speak that betrays no personality or emotion. Geoff Johns is exactly the same but adds occasional reminders of a character's profession or single background event as excuses for a personality. (Did you know Barry Allen is a chemist and a cop? He'll make sure to tell you.)

[Thad]

BC alleges DC's Digital First books don't pay royalties.

Fuck. I was really looking forward to Little Gotham and Batman '66.

[Büge]

It's a hard road, being principled.

[Ted Belmont]

It's interesting how every portrayal of Wonder Woman lately seems to be trying to make her into some kind of man-hating dominatrix, like the typical idiot man-child's idea of what feminists are like.

And by "interesting", I mean, "god am I glad I quit reading cape comics".

[Royal☭]

As Buge pointed out, today is the 75th anniversary of the debut of Superman and Lois Lane. Kurt Busiek used the opportunity to drop this nice note about how Superman should be in the public domain by this point.

Happy Birthday, Supes.

[Ted Belmont]

ComicsAlliance is being shut down.

Damn shame.

[Mongrel]

Huh. That seems weird given that it had good traffic and was well-liked. Why not sell the property?

[Thad]

I DO love Rich Johnston's observation that the site hadn't updated in 3 days as evidence of impending doom, no reference included to the fact that two of those three days were a goddamn weekend.

Oh, Rich, even when you report things that are true you can't get basic details right.

Anyway, hoping the writers land on their feet. CA had some of the smartest articles (and some of the dumbest comments) on the comics internet.

Fuckin AOL.

[Büge]

Interesting. This coming on the heels of DC blacklisting The Outhouse:

http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/121832-editorial-mandate-what-to-do-when-a-publisher-blacklists-you-3.html

ComicsAlliance is owned by AOL-Time-Warner, which also owns DC. Are the two things connected?

Okay, my out-of-date information is out-of-date, invalidating the possibility of conspiracy.

In a move that surprised no one, Scott Kurtz took the opportunity to gloat: https://twitter.com/pvponline/status/328964117161472000

[Thad]

Time Warner divested itself of AOL years ago (and Warner spun off Time just this past month or so).

[Healy]

Well, you know what they say: you either die a hero or... Fuck, this is making me mad.

On a more serious note, I was out of the comics scene for a long time, stopped visiting all the big websites and everything, but I still regarded Comics Alliance as fondly as I did when I was still reading it. I just sorta naively assumed it would stick around forever, but... well, you know.

If nothing else this is getting me to check out my favorite articles again. It's like madeleines laced with arsenic!

[Lottel]

This was my friend. And it wasn't Trix, it was Fruit Loops. Which is far funnier.



In other news, I went to my LCS for Free Comic Book Day. They recently moved to a new location so everything's really unorganized. On top of that, he doesn't actually buy any new comics anymore. He has a tiny box of New52 stuff and that's it.

His store would be shut down if he didn't take commissions and paint Muppets or supervillians for people. It's bizarre.

[Thad]

The Movement is off to a pretty solid start.  Interesting new characters and setting, good premise (gang of misfit superheroes kicks the corrupt police force out of the Bad Part of Town and tells them they'll be taking care of it from here, thanks), real potential.  It's also a lot less grim and nasty than Simone's last couple Batgirl issues.

And because it IS Simone, we've got one immediately-prominent character representing an underrepresented-in-superhero-comics demographic: [spoiler]Burden, a character who initially appears to be possessed by demons but who later turns out just to be a superpowered paranoid schizophrenic who hasn't received the compassion and care he needs to cope with his illness.[/spoiler]  As Simone herself puts it: "talks with readers over the past couple years have made me realize that people with mental illnesses need a better representation in comics than the Joker."