Midnighter #1
Steve Orlando (w), Aco (a)
DC Comics

Liz says: This week DC introduces the first round of a fresh new batch of titles, and the freshest so far is Midnighter. A very strong first issue is made all the more significant for the fact that it is the first mainstream solo series to focus on an openly gay male character.
First appearing in 1998 in Warren Ellis’s Wildstorm series Stormwatch and playing a central role in it’s follow-up The Authority, Midnighter began as a (more ruthless) Batman facsimile engaged in a long-term relationship with the Superman-equivalent character, Apollo. Enhanced with superhuman strength, speed and the trademark ability to predict the outcome of a battle before it starts, Midnighter has most recently been seen menacing
Dick Grayson (AKA Agent 37) in Grayson.

Openly queer series writer Steve Orlando makes clear from the get-go that the character’s sexuality is not his only defining characteristic, but that it is still a central component and will not be shied away from. One of the gems of the issue is that throughout the general mayhem going on around him, a newly single Midnighter is trying out dating via gay hookup app Grindr. It’s great to see DC taking a confident, realistic approach to their LGBTQ characters and to finally see Midnighter get his own book.