New York Comic Con is over, the third season of The Walking Dead has premiered and Comic Book Men is back! So much to go over and get up on the site. Expect a packed week of stuff!

Around the Blogs

Bonner County Daily Bee – Linked website offends parents – Yay free speech!, Ugh.

Comics Alliance – Guardians Of The Galaxy And Nova Make A Cosmic Comeback At Cup O’ Joe – Could be cool.

TowleRoad – Gay Marriage In Comic Books Mixes Business And Pressure – An entire panel covered this at NYCC. Great to see adult discussion about the topic.

VentureBeat – Former AdMob team launches an iPad app store for self-published comic books - Interesting.

Around the Tubes Reviews

Talking Comics – Harvest #3

Talking Comics – Popeye #6

Talking Comics – Think Tank #3

Talking Comics – Valentine, Vol. 1: The Ice Death

This has to be one of the strangest press releases I’ve gotten in a while. Hobby Lobby International has decided to make a statement regarding Chik-Fil-A‘s stance on gay marriage. Hobby Lobby was founded in 1964 and is another company that’s identified as being founded on “Christian values.” Here’s their statement that comes from Debra Love, the President of Hobby Lobby International:

After numerous calls asking for comment, we believe that we need to clarify our position, especially since we are known as a Christian-based company. Our core values call for respect for each other, our customers and our suppliers and for us to treat others as we would best like to be treated ourselves. We believe that we must demonstrate love for our fellow man as we are called upon to do as Christians. We respect our employees by offering a workplace that is free of judgment and bias, and one that gives everyone an opportunity to succeed and grow.

The press release ended with

Hobby Lobby does not discriminate with regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, sexual preference or any other basis protected by state or federal law.

Well, glad that’s cleared up….

Yesterday say the latest episode of Graphic Policy Radio.  We chatted about Astonishing X-Men #51, where Northstar and his boyfriend Kyle get married.  We chat about the importance of the issue, some history of Northstar and how comic book companies are treating gay characters compared to real world gay entertainers.

It’s new comic book day, what’s everyone getting?

Around the Blogs:

Bleeding Cool – A Very Gay Orbital Party For Astonishing X-Men #51 – Awesome to see.

CBLDF – Artistic Censorship Continues to Plague Post-Revolutionary Tunisia – Sad to see.

MTV Geek – ‘Before Watchmen: Comedian’ Rewrites History In Controversial First Issue…But Did It Go Too Far? – Very bad taste.

Around the Tubes Reviews:

CBR – Avengers Vs. X-Men: Infinite #6

The weekend is almost here…. so happy!

Around the Blogs:

Bleeding Cool – Thirteen Gay Weddings In Four Comic Stores For Astonishing X-Men #51 – Mazel Tov!

The Beat – The Kindle app updates to carry comics and kids books — and DC is there – Interesting….

Bleeding Cool – Archie Comics Reprints Gay Marriage Issue As A San Diego Comic Con Exclusive – Awesome to see this.

Around the Tubes Reviews:

CBR – Batman #10

Tuscon Citizen – Batman, Inc. #1

CBR – X-Men #30

Hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day and after a day off, back to work!

Around the Blogs:

Wallstreet Journal – Worst Comic Book Ever! – An absolute must read that rightly condemns the comic book industry for it’s own failures.

Mashable – Nokia to Launch Batman-Themed Lumia 900 – Interesting product tie-in.

GayStarNews – Will Green Lantern be gay? – Some outside coverage of DC’s news.

Bleeding Cool – Keeping Your ComiXology Comics (UPDATE) – Shocked this didn’t happen sooner.

Bleeding Cool – An Alternate Storyline For The Walking Dead? – Pretty interesting stuff here.

Refinery29 – Mazel Tov! Marriage Equality Comes To Comic Books – Some outside coverage of Marvel’s news.

Bleeding Cool – Could We Get A New Justice League Of America? – Can’t tell if this is a plan or throwing shit against the wall to see what sticks.

Bleeding Cool – Iron Man From Gillen And Land To Follow Avengers Vs X-Men? – Can’t wait to see what Marvel does.

Bleeding Cool – Yes, America, It’s Alan Scott – Bleeding Cool says it knows who the DC gay icon is.

Around the Tubes Reviews:

Talking Comics – Clint Magazine #1

Bleeding Cool – G.I. Joe: Cobra #13

CBR – Secret Avengers #27

The Founding Fields – Watchmen

Not a whole lot of news, but two interesting articles.

Around the Blogs:

The Times of India – Comics on rent no longer hold charm – An interesting article giving some insight into the comic industry of India.

CBS Denver – Gay Storyline Latest Controversial Move By Comic Books – Only controversial to bigots.

In stark contrast to bigots here in the United States, Scottish Labour Party member representing West Scotland Mary Fee filed the following motion which is supported by eight other members:

That the Parliament welcomes the news that the Marvel comic, X-Men, will feature its first same-sex marriage, which will feature Northstar, believed to be the first openly gay comic superhero; understands that, in 1992, Marvel was the first comic publisher to reveal a gay superhero; notes that Northstar is not the first gay character to have had a same-sex marriage in the comic book world, and agrees that same-sex marriage should not be restricted to the world of literature and fantasy.

Great to see the progressive efforts of comic book companies being acknowledged and that equality is being championed.

(via Robot 6)

Marvel Unveils Marko Djurdjevic’s ASTONISHING X-MEN #51 Variant!

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at superstar artist, Marko Djurdjevic’s stunning variant cover to Astonishing X-Men #51! This June, get ready for the wedding of the year as Djurdjevic masterfully captures one of the happiest moments in X-Men history.  It’s the story that has everyone talking, and this June –  witness the landmark marriage of Northstar and Kyle, in style, with the Astonishing X-Men #51 Djurdjevic Variant!

ASTONISHING X-MEN #51 (APR120665)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #51 DJURDJEVIC VARIANT (APR120666
Written by MARJORIE LIU
Art by MIKE PERKINS
Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER
Variant Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Create Your Own Wedding Variant also available
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—5/28/12, On-Sale—6/20/12