Quote Originally Posted by J. D. Guy View Post
In a sense, I see Dick Grayson like Johnny Storm. Johnny would make a stronger case, though (and Johnny would be more poly or pan than just bi).
Dick *could* be. He's definitely confident, compassionate, and self-aware enough. But just because he's emotionally honest with himself and isn't intimidated by male friendship, that alone isn't a lot to go on. Some of us straight guys aren't scared to hug another dude yknow?

I dunno, it just seems like saying Dick Grayson, DC's resident male sex symbol, is queer is.....it feels obvious, and a little lazy, to me. If we must accept character bending (and we do, because new characters struggle so much) then at least make it an interesting choice that isn't a cliche, and preferably a character who hasn't spent much of his/her publication life dealing with straight relationships. Dick's love life has been a big part of his character. Pick someone who's love life hasn't been much of a focus. Allan Scott works for this reason, and so would others.

Quote Originally Posted by lemonpeace View Post
if that's the case then the solution is simple, they are gonna have to nut up and start telling that demo that they aren't the priority any more.
I won't defend the industry's inability to break into new audiences and demographics to get the kind of readers who would support the kind of modern storytelling we want here, because publishers have half assed that effort since before I started reading nearly 30 years ago, and that's part of why we're in such dire straights now. But that's not exactly a simple thing you're asking either. I mean, let's put aside the social considerations and look at production and distribution; newer audiences aren't going to support a $4 twenty page floppy that only ships once a month, which they can only find at specific hobby shops that don't sell much of anything else. Everything about the floppy format is out of step with today's world. Prices are higher than a lot of people will pay too. Even if the content was exactly what we want, the way it's packaged would keep newer readers from getting on board.

In order to get those new fans the industry has to change everything about how it does business. Distribution, production models, pricing, scheduling, everything. The entire industry has to be taken apart and rebuilt from the ground up. That's a lot of jobs on the line, and characters that have helped define American pop culture for almost a century. No wonder publishers aren't anxious to take such drastic action; instead of saving comics it might finally kill them. Granted, they'll have to take this kind of action eventually if they want to stay alive, but I can understand why they're afraid to.