(input wanted) crafting a comic

I'm planning a coming to be get kick started, and I wanted some input from some readers about the characters

It's a 50% superhero & 50% slice-of-life, with it focusing on a cast of 2 older teenager boys (they'd be in 11th or 12th)

I want to make the 2 leads gay (it's planned) 1 is a bit more open, while the other slowly admits to liking the other (it's a build up, since this one has dated women, and has never shown interest in men)

As is, I'm already planning to make them far from the gay stereo-type (where they act flamboyant and very girly), I just want to craft "normal" people

I wanted to know, what would make it less awkward for you (the reader) to read a comic with a homosexual relationship as a main focus point? Keeping in mind, I already have no plans to show sex, maybe imply it, and not over-do it on the more "cute" stuff

I think doing as you described it is probably the best way to handle it. Make it as naturalistic as possible. I would say let it be an element of the book and an open one but perhaps not the constant focus of the plot (there can of course be sub-plots where it crescendos more into the spotlight), but that's just my opinion. I would also say focus more on the relationship part than the homosexual part. Not that it should be ambiguous that they're gay but that it should just be a given and the growth and development of the relationship, the same as a heterosexual pairing might get, should be what's focused on. The audience will know the leads are gay, they won't need repeated painstaking reminders.

Anywho, that's my two cents. I hope it helps. Best of luck.

Yeah, when I KickStart the project, I would tell people the direction of the character development (the homosexuality that's planned). But I feel it's not something that should be shoved in your face, because someone might find the plot & characters interesting, but you don't want to ruin that by making it awkward for them...if that makes since

If I had to compare my project to a series along on the market, would be close to Young Avengers and Teen Titans. In fact, I like how they wrote Wiccan & Hulkings relationship

If you're having trouble with crafting try levelling up a few times and adventuring in new areas to get the necessary materials.

(That's probably the stupidest joke I've ever made).

Gays and gay sex don't bother me in the slightest. Just write the story in a way that you would want to read it.

@vata_raven: This sounds like it could be quite interesting, hope you'll be keeping us up to date as the project progresses :)

I giggled :D

@vata_raven:

If you are going to create a gay characters, do as you said and don't make them stereotypes.

I hope so. I plan to do stories in arcs, so you can read each on their own, but character progress would move along with each arc. I came up with the idea because I'm a fan of Japanese boy-love (not the 1-shot, instant love BS), and I read some American comics. I got into X-factor because of Rictor and Shatterstar, and Young Avengers for Wiccan and Hulking, but I was annoyed that they seem to shove them into the background (not so much with Young Avengers). I know the writers don't do it on purpose, but that's the issue when you have a comic with larger casts, they do a character rotation and each issue can focus on a different member of the team.

So, I started to think of ways to fix that, and the simple thing was this, just make a comic that focuses on 2 characters and not a large cast. And maybe add a few more along the way (which I am doing, I think the total will be 5; 3 guys and 2 women, with the women being a lesbian couple), but make sure I don't stray from main 2 characters

In general, stereotypes annoy me. Fire Emblem from Tiger & Bunny, while I like him as a characters (he's not my favorite), they could've toned down

I have a feeling Midnighter and Apollo would be a good source to take inspiration from but then I haven't read anything on them, just a hunch.