Upon reading Michael's comments on his sales and the effect/reaction of the orientation change of a DC character, I am very much reminded of much of a microcosm each store lives in.  He saw his Earth 2 sales plummet from #1 to #2 while we saw the numbers hold, a nearly unprecedented move for any comic from #1 to #2.  Usually there's always a significant drop off but we sold as many #2s as #1s and had an increase in subscribers.

 

Our overall sales are up, month to month, year to year, largely due to the press-generating actions of the Big 2.  It drives people in to see what the fuss is about and if they don't like the look or feel of the comic that brought them in, once they see the massive selection of material available, they ask for a recommendation of something else.

 

And we are able to sell a fair amount of Kevin Keller comics.

 

It may be that we are located in place where comics are just entertainment and when they reflect the "real world" by balancing the gender and sexual orientations of characters, few people are offended by it.  Why should they be?  Comics have always reflected, to a degree, what the world we live in is like from war to poverty to various political positions.  It's what keeps the readership grounded to stories of men who can leap tall buildings in a single bound and women who can bounce bullets off their bracelets.

 

Could things be better or done better?  Maybe.  There seems to be different answers from everyone and it largely depends on where you live and what you believe in.  Ultimately for us and our customers, it seems that comics are stories to just be enjoyed and shared with others.  If it leads to civil, intelligent discussions above and beyond "Who's stronger?," than that's just a bonus in our eyes.