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Kevin Feige did not dress up to meet the X-Men

Man, they’ll give out Hellfire Gala tickets to ANYBODY

Susana Polo is an entertainment editor at Polygon, specializing in pop culture and genre fare, with a primary expertise in comic books. Previously, she founded The Mary Sue.

This month, all the X-Men storylines came together for the Hellfire Gala, a big political-fete-slash-Met-Gala event where exquisitely dressed superheroes rub elbows with political ambassadors and guests from around the galaxy. Plenty of real-life celebrity cameos have attended, drawn into the books by Marvel artists. But this week’s appearance was ... a little more jarring.

What’s more hilarious, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige getting invited to the Hellfire Gala and asking internationally known superhero-slash-former-terrorist Cyclops what his story is? Or wearing a baseball cap and no tie to the Hellfire Gala like it was just another San Diego Comic-Con panel?

What else is happening in the pages of our favorite comics? We’ll tell you. Welcome to Monday Funnies, Polygon’s weekly list of the books that our comics editor enjoyed this past week. It’s part society pages of superhero lives, part reading recommendations, part “look at this cool art.” There may be some spoilers. There may not be enough context. But there will be great comics. (And if you missed the last edition, read this.)


X-Men #21

Jean Grey introduces the rest of the X-Men, consisting of Cyclops, Rogue, Laura Kinney/X-23/Wolverine, Sunfire, Polaris, and Synch, in X-Men #21, (2021). Image: Jonathan Hickman, Russell Dauterman

I mean, look at this brand new team of X-Men, the heroes of Krakoa. Kevin, you’re letting the entire human race down by being so underdressed.

DC Pride

“You crashed the wrong party, Eclipso! My JLQ kick line is going to send you back to oblivion!” calls Gregorio de la Vega. “JLQ, Gregorio? Really?” his husband, a were-Tasmanian Devil sighs, in DC Pride #1 (2021). Image: Andrew Wheeler, Luciano Vecchio/DC Comics

DC don’t you dare tease me with the idea of a JLQ (Justice League Queer). Do it. Give it a miniseries. Just give me the battlin’ gay superhero team. Or at least let someone do something regular with Gregorio de la Vega, aka the DC Universe’s Gay Doctor Strange Who is Married to a Tasmanian Devil werewolf.

Batman: The Detective #3

Henri Ducard tells a young Bruce Wayne that he can tell he’s trying to make up for some tragedy by learning his trade. “You think you can stop every bullet?” he asks. Bruce crosses his arms grumpily. “Working on it.” From Batman: The Detective #3, (2021). Image: Tom Taylor, Andy Kubert/DC Comics

In many respects Batman: The Detective is a pretty standard globetrotting Batman action story, but every now and then, Tom Taylor and Andy Kubert turn out an exchange that puts me right into my Batman feelings. The thing about Batman is that he has tremendously altruistic goals that he set for himself when he was a child, and he has never allowed any part of the world to get in the way. The contract of A Batman Story is that though it will never be easy, he will always live up to those goals.

And that’s why Batman is ultimately a part of the hopepunk genre, in this essay I will—

Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1

“STUNTMAN WAR,” shouts a retreating stuntman in giant letters. “What’s a stuntman war?” Miles asks. “It’s like a regular war but with stuntmen, idiot,” replies Terry. “We don’t have time for a war,” Miles says nervously, “we’ve got a murder to solve.” in Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1, Image Comics (2021). Image: Kyle Starks, Chris Schweizer/Image Comics

Folks, do not sleep on Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer’s new book, Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton. The plot is: Hollywood’s most successful asshole, the Chuck Norris-alike Trigger Keaton, has been murdered. And it’s up to all of his estranged kung-fu actor sidekicks — from shows like Marshal Art, Frankenstein & Frankenstein, and Spaceboat 3030 — to figure out who did it.

Far Sector #12

Green Lantern Ro Mullein makes out with her lady love interest at the end of Far Sector #12, (2021). Image: N.K. Jemisin, Jamal Campbell/DC Comics

N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s Far Sector wraps up with a victory kiss, and if you’ve been waiting for the trade on this one, don’t forget to keep an eye out.

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