DC Pride: To the Farthest Reaches

DC Cultural Anthologies

by Phil Jimenez, Nicole Maines, Al Ewing

DC's Eisner and Ringo award-winning Pride comics anthology returns in the form of a universe-spanning travelogue like you've never seen!

This volume celebrates how the LGBTQIA+ community is everywhere and belongs anywhere--even the very furthest reaches of the universe.

In this volume, Dreamer makes a first-time pilgrimage to her ancestral planet, Naltor! Poison Ivy and Janet from HR go spore-hunting on Portworld! Superman (Jon Kent) gets the boys together for a night out in A-Town, but things go sideways when The Ray vanishes into thin air! Steel (Natasha Irons) works up the courage to face Traci 13 at the Oblivion Bar's Pride party for the first time since they broke up! Aquaman (Jackson Hyde) catches an unexpected ride to the Fourth World just in time for their annual Love Festival!

All this and more in a volume celebrating how the LGBTQIA+ community is everywhere and belongs anywhere--even the very furthest reaches of the universe.

The fourth iteration of DC's multiple-award-winning Pride celebration in this universe-spanning travelogue collection like you've never seen before! In its pages, DC's beloved queer characters take readers on a raucous tour through the Fourth World, Naltor, A-Town, the Phantom Zone, Portworld, the Oblivion Bar, and more in a volume that celebrates how the LGBTQIA+ community is everywhere and belongs anywhere--even the very farthest reaches of the universe. This hardcover collects DC Pride 2024 #1 and additional stories spotlighting queer characters as realized by DC's vast stable of queer and allied creators!

Plus, this new anthology features a special preview of young adult graphic novel The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley, as well as an unmissable autobiographical story written by industry legend Phil Jimenez (Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons) about the fantastical worlds that shaped him, brought to life by Giulio Macaione!

Genres: Graphic Novels, LGBT, Queer, Graphic Novels Comics, Comics, Dc Comics, Fantasy

152 pages, Hardcover

First published May 27, 2025

About the author

Philip Jiménez is an American comics artist and writer, known for his work as writer/artist on Wonder Woman from 2000 to 2003, as one of the five pencilers of the 2005–2006 miniseries Infinite Crisis, and his collaborations with writer Grant Morrison on New X-Men and The Invisibles.

Reviews

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. Pretty standard for an anthology, some stories are better than others. I personally enjoyed the Superman and friends story, the Poison Ivy story, the Green Arrow story, and then Phil Jiminez's autobiographical story.

The rest were take it or leave it. And again, I think the issue is that a number of the stories really really rely on you having outside context, and I think that's a bad way to tell a short story for an anthology even if it does connect more broadly to the larger universe.

However, this is the first pride collection where the stories were all more than like 5 pages, and I think that is a deeply beneficial thing and I would like to see that in any future pride collections as well.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very good, tbh. None of the stories are that memorable, although the art is very nice at times. I like the character Circuit Breaker, but it's clunky with more of the "they/them" stuff that just reads strangely. Circuit Breaker's stories had the best art, though. I thought the stories featuring DC's more out male characters to be extremely bland.

The emotional highlight was a story by Phil Jimenez that recounts his childhood and how he looked to Wonder Woman and her stories as a magical place where a gay kid could dream he would be welcomed and allowed to thrive. Telling his triumph at finally being able to write Wonder Woman's comic, then having to shoehorn things into a DC-wide megaevent, was poignant because is shows how we often have to shoehorn our identities into preconceived notions. Jimenez didn't draw his own story, much is the pity, but the artist was great, although I can't remember the name.

I'm interested to see where the DC Pride anthologies go in the new Trumpian era.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very mid compared to previous years. I don't vividly remember any of these stories as being standout. It was just okay this year, but I bumped it from 2 to 3 stars because I still very much appreciate that DC is making a concerted effort to highlight and celebrate their LGBTQ+ characters. I read these every year.

[Amit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really was hoping for some new stories

[Finnley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mid

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 weakly rounded up. It's nothing against the stories in here. I'm just normally not a fan of anthologies. Although these ones do offer more page space per story which is massively appreciated (think 10-20 than 5-7 pages). It also collects some non-DC Pride stories that feature queer characters in more action cape stories compared to the more queer-focused stories in the DC Pride collection. It's still a solid collection of anthology stories and someone more liking of them would probably rate this a solid 4 or 4.5. These ones feel a lot more overt when talking about certain issues or topics surrounding queerness that have been deemed political which is interesting to see instead of more corporate-friendly queer anthology stories. It's not a bunch but it is there and it makes it feel like editorial really let them go for whatever they wanted and gave the writers freedom which is lovely.
Individual reviews below. Overall average is 3.45/5. The best ones to me were Steel’s story and Circuit Breaker’s stories.
Starman - 3.5/5 I've never heard of this guy before but his situationship with the last of his kind is some real enemies to lovers shit that I fell for.
Jackson Hyde - 2.75/5 This was a neat tale that mostly explored Jackson struggling to belong both due to his origins and his queerness.
Poison Ivy and Janet from HR - 3.5/5 This feels almost like a weird DC version of Rick and Morty. I really enjoyed it. The plot is a bit loose with human anti LGBT protesters but it's still a fun romp as Janet and Poison Ivy traipse along a sci-fi plant world.
Steel (the daughter Natalie) with some of Traci 13, Xanthe, and Constantine - 4.5/5 Damn what an iconic lineup of fun DC characters to use. Steel's braids having one side of the part being dyed the lesbian flag is iconic. The setup is fun and the post break up drama was juicy and done up in a nice slice of life manner that I really enjoyed.
Jay Nakamura and Jon Kent- 2.5/5 I normally enjoy this couple though it's funny this is happening while in current comics they're splintered in a bi love triangle iirc. The art might not be my cup of tea. It's very American How To Draw Manga style which can have merit but isn't my personal fave. The story itself is alright though sorts of run things for its page count as it tries to keep the big ending until the end. I think the idea of The Ray feeling uncomfortable as he's had a worse past with being openly queer was nice but I wish it was focused on more than three or so pages as we slowly crawl to that. The rest is just sort of fluffy uwu gay friends getting along which I can enjoy but dragged a bit. Also Nakamura is very mischaracterized here. He's a lot less reserved and calmer than he really is.
Dreamer - 3.5/5 I nice trans validation allegory going back a bit Dreamer was just learning her powers even more. This is definitely one of Nicole Maines’ quieter, more allegorical works. I've enjoyed her writing style and this here is no different.
Circuit Breaker - 3/5 - Asjfhfiskd I love Circuit Breaker so much. He's so peak. I love his personality and his powers. And the artsy theater major cowboy deal makes it a hundred times better. Please please please DC give him a miniseries or ongoing. The story itself here is fine with some connection to the ongoing Flash story. Sadly I have no real connection to Flash and its lore so this one was a tad lost on me aside from the absolute god that is Circuit Breaker.
Kate Godwin - 3/5 - This is just a reprint from the DC Pride Rachel Pollack special. It made more sense there where there were a couple stories collected to help teach Kats Godwin since she is pretty unknown. Still good but a little confusing if you don't know her lore about being stuck in someone's mind and the journey through the mind sort of just shifts around her making it confusing if she is trying to leave or if the mind is making her leave. I don't blame them putting it here though as it does mention this would collect other stories from outside DC Pride 2024. And honestly I don't know where else they would collect this in paperback or trade with the Doom Patrol miniseries done.
Green Arrow's Son- 4/5 - This was from the Beast World tie-ins and I remember liking it a lot. But as a part of a Pride story collection? I don't know. It highlights a queer character true but does nothing with his queerness which is odd considering the main DC Pride is ALL about highlighting the queerness of characters. It's still good with oodles of action and good character moments as a son and Dad come back together but have to hold back talking to each other as Beast World shenanigans ensue. Very fun.
Circuit Breaker- 3.75/5 - Another Beast World tie-in with the absolute goat Circuit Breaker. It's fun to see his powers at play and rodeoing a Garro'd Speedster gecko is fun but it's sadly too short as I just. Want. More. Mostly because Circuit Breaker is awesome. But if it leaves you wanting more that means it can't be bad then can it? Just means it's too good lol.
Spaces / Phil Phimenez autobiographical - 4/5 _ This is from a DC Pride comic but with its placement I'm unsure if this is from DC Pride 2024 or a later on. Maybe they put it later past other collect cape stories since it's autobiographical and not cape? It's a strong ending full of touching looking back at how media was used to find queer belonging and escape and his efforts as a creator to take part and help do so for others with others. Considering the collection is in its just a beautiful ending.

[Eva B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun! My main critique with the DC Pride anthologies is that they focus a little too much on the newer and younger queer characters, and like...okay, yeah, those characters rock (Circuit-Breaker and Kid Quick my beloveds!) but as a massive fan of Kate Kane, Renee Montoya, and Alan Scott, is is really tiring to see the older queer characters overlooked. While I was a bit annoyed that last year's Pride issue was too heavy on the hip new youths (also too much Harley and Ivy), this year's dipped into the past with an issue focusing on Coagula (the first trans woman superhero! decades ago! with an appearance by my beloved Doc Magnus!), a story about Starman, and some fun appearances by Pied Piper. I also really liked the autobiographical comic by Phil Jimenez!
All this being said, I still really wish that the Pride anthologies would dig into the DC characters who are queer and DON'T have an ongoing. Like yeah, I love Poison Ivy and Dreamer and Superboy and Red Robin, but they've been in the spotlight for a while (still not over TWO Harley/Ivy stories in last year's Pride anthology WHILE THEY BOTH HAD ONGOINGS) and either have or recently had ongoings or prominent supporting roles in major comics, whereas Thunder, Grace Choi, Comet, Nightmare Nurse, Lightning Lass and the rest of the queer Legionnaires, Savant, Creote, Blue Snowman, Glacier (who, iirc, has literally not appeared since they came out!), Space Case, Anima, all of the Catwomen, Fauna Faust and Syonide, Catman, Ghost-Maker, Tempest (especially since Jackson Hyde shows up so much! are we all forgetting Garth is also queer?), Donner and Blitzen, Extrano, Air Wave, Bluebird, Hero Cruz, Virtue, Rainmaker, Tasmanian Devil, Firebrand, Power Boy, Jenny Sparks and Jenny Crisis, Jinny Hex, Jericho, Kaja Dox, Knockout and Scandal Savage, Negative Man, Lucy Lane, Cannon and Saber, Maxima, Harlequin's Son, Obsidian, Madame Xanadu, Mother Panic, Captain Metropolis, Fleur-de-Lis, Ragdoll, Thorn, Tremor, Ystin, Sprout, Silhouette, and more I'm probably forgetting have been overlooked even in the Pride specials. Idk, I just think they need to strike a better balance of hyping up the current queer stars and honoring the ones who paved the way for them, and also fucking include Batwoman and Renee again.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has stopped reading DC regularly, I thought this would be an easy enough place to dip my toe back in. Boy was I wrong. I think I knew maybe three of the characters featured in these stories. While that's a testament to DC's efforts to expand their roster of LGBTQIA+ characters, it did also serve as a bit of a turn-off in that there weren't many familiar faces to offer an entry point into the stories.
Aside from that, the stories were interesting, the new (to me) characters definitely have potential, and everything seemed to be moving in a good direction. It'll be interesting to see how this year's book compares.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix of short features showcasing DC's LGBTQ characters. Unsurprisingly it's a mixed bag, but Phil Jiminez' autobiographical piece on what Wonder Woman means to him is amazing. The other stuff was harder to get into but that's mostly not my fault. I'm not up on current comics so I'm not familiar with new characters like Circuit Breaker, nor why Raven is suddenly ... perky.
Then again, some of the stories are tied in to current Big Events or story arcs. I don't have the context for them and tie-in stories never work for me detached from context. All self-contained stories might have been better.
The art is uneven. Some of it I love, some of it not so much.

[Steven desJardins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed and admired previous volumes, but instead of being stand-alone shorts, many or most of the stories in this collection are tie-ins to contemporary DC storylines taking place in other books. Editorial heavy-handedness has turned what should be a showcase for diverse sexualities into a crass advertisement for the rest of the line.

[Cazadora De Mundos · Rating 2 out of 5]

No fue de mis favoritos, pocas cosas relevantes, pocas historias que puedan entenderte sin leer otro comic antes, la verdad si me gustó lo relacionado al evento de mundo bestia y al personaje Circuit breaker ya que fue la primera vez que lo ví en acción.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

the last one did make a couple tears roll down my cheeks so you got me there