The Alan Scott/EARTH-2 Brouhaha

As much as DC's reboot has left me with a general feeling of "so what", I have to admit that creatively, they've taken a huge gambit. It may be that they're driving sales with events and controversy, but at least they're willing to make some major changes.

As you may have read from many an outlet (including the New York Times), Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, is going to be "outed"...or at least, rebooted as gay.

As a straight, white, heterosexual male...I have to admit, I commend DC - oh, sure, they created/revamped Batwoman as a lesbian, but that was a bit different....the character was, at best, a long forgotten relic from a different time. In all regards, she may as well be a newly-created character.

Many a fanboy will be making the obvious homophobic jokes (at least, along with the characterization of their female counterparts as "feminazis" and urging them to "go back to the kitchen"), but the fact that DC is willing to revamp a character like this - and to not dwell on his sexuality (like, say, Marvel's infamous "outing" of Northstar in Alpha Flight)...but it's time the medium grew up a little bit.

I'm also heartened by the fact that James Robinson - who I admit I've had issues with in terms of his more recent work - is handling the character. Robinson has a way of handling characters in a way that doesn't seem forced, and that has a very poetic, nuanced quality to the work. This may be a "stunt" on DC's part, but the fact that they're handling this stunt with care speaks volumes.

Oh, sure, we'll have the obvious protests and cries from more conservative organizations (as well as less-educated fans), but in all honesty....I think this is a good thing. It shows that DC's recent reboot may have been a creative gamble...but it's not the only creative gamble they're willing to take.

And if it means a superhero universe that looks more like our own (except without Rob Liefeld's involvement), so much the better.