PHILADELPHIA — Green Lantern, one of DC Comics’ oldest and most enduring heroes, is serving as a beacon for the publisher again, this time as a proud, mighty and openly gay hero.
The change is revealed in the pages of the second issue of “Earth 2,” out next week, and comes on the heels of what has been an expansive year for gay and lesbian characters in the pages of comic books from Archie to Marvel and others.
Purists and fans note: This Green Lantern is not the emerald galactic space cop Hal Jordan. Instead, he is a parallel-Earth Green Lantern. James Robinson, who writes the new series, said Alan Scott is the retooled version of the classic Lantern, whose first appearance came in “All-American Comics” No. 16 in July 1940.
In May, Marvel Entertainment said super speedster Northstar will marry his longtime boyfriend in “Astonishing X-Men.” DC comics has other gay characters too, including Kate Kane, who is the current Batwoman, and married characters Apollo and the Midnighter.
