Excalibur #117
“Amendments”
Writer: Ben Raab
Pencils: Mel Rubi
Inks: Rob Hunter
Colours: Kevin Tinsley
Letters: Richard Starkings & Kiff Scholl
Editors: Kelly Corvese & Jason White
Original publication date: February 1998
This week, we’re doing what we do every week, which is celebrating the most unique bond any two beings can possible share—the bond of FRIENDSHIP. But it’s an especially wet form of friendship in Excalibur #117, “Amendments,” featuring part 2 of Kurt Wagner’s epic showdown with his iconic arch nemesis, the Sidri, this time, with 100% more Colossus. Comics scholar Dr. Lee Easton helps us untangle this epic tale of brothers in arms thrusting, parrying, and sploorching their uniquely friendly love across the page.
On representation:
“I really wanted to spotlight what was, in 2010, an underrepresented voice—a gay male perspective on reading superhero comics.” -Lee
On gazes:
“Growing up in Sudbury in the 1970s—I was reading superhero comics for the stories, but also the rare pleasure of being able to see idealized male bodies on display.” -Lee
On readings:
“Gay male readings of superhero comics meant a lot to me because here I was, as a female feminist academic, saying this genre is full of beautiful men, loving men, and thinking that was so exciting, but people kept telling me I was wrong.” -Anna
On brothers:
“Nightcrawler and Colossus are described as ‘brothers in arms.’ But that’s an expression that’s queer in and of itself.” -Lee
On plausible deniability:
“The point of Meggan in this comic is to remind everybody they’re straight. Things getting ‘too gay’? Here’s Meggan’s boobs.” -Mav
On physiognomies:
“There are so many sequences throughout this issue where you can’t tell where Kurt, Colossus, and the Sidri’s bodies begin and end, or who might be embracing or penetrating who.” -Anna
Want more Lee Easton?
Dr. Lee Easton is a Professor of English Literature and current President of the Faculty Association at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. His research includes work in Comics Studies, focusing on representation and identity in comics. Among his publications: He is the co-author, with award-winning poet and scholar Richard Harrison, of Secret Identity Reader: Essays on Sex, Death and the Superhero, published by Wolsak & Wynn 2010.
And as usual:
You can find Anna on Twitter (@peppard_anna) and at Sequential Scholars (@seqscholars).
You can find Andrew on Twitter (@ClaremontRun) and at Sequential Scholars.
You can find Mav on Twitter (@chrismaverick) and on his podcast, VoxPopcast (@VoxPopcast).
Enjoy!
-GGW Team