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The Pride (Collections) #1-3
The Pride Omnibus
Joe Glass's
The Pride
in a full omnibus trade paperback, collecting volumes 1 and 2 as well as the collection of self-contained stories,
The Pride Adventures
!
In The Pride, FabMan is sick of being seen as a joke. Tired of the LGBTQ+ community being seen as inferior to straight heroes, he thinks it's about damn time he did something about it. Bringing together some of the world's greatest LGBTQ+ superheroes, the Pride is born to protect the world and fight prejudice, misrepresentation and injustice--not to mention a pesky supervillain or two.
The Pride Adventures brings a whole host of extra, self-contained stories and adventures starring the heroes of the Pride! See the team members face down crazed shooters, invasions, and even a sixty-foot-tall drag queen! Featuring a slew of incredible artistic talent, plus stories from writers Mike Garley, Sina Grace and PJ Montgomery too! Follow the LGBTQ+ heroes into whole new stories and meet even more characters in the world of The Pride!
Join the Pride as they work to change the world and show just what they can do!
Collects the original digital series The Pride and The Pride Adventures in print for the first time.
[F]or readers hungry for queer superheroes. Joe Glass' The Pride introduces a superhero universe built on LGBTQ+ inclusion, following a team that is explicitly created to show the range of the queer experience. The Pride features superheroes who are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, non-binary, and children of gay parents. Glass blends modern queer issues with classic superhero storytelling to tell narratives that classic superhero comics haven't touched. . . . The Pride excels at using queer struggle and joy to show a different side of the superhero genre.--AV Club
I highly recommend this smart, charming, wonderful book to anyone who likes good comics. It's absolutely a pleasure to read and a clear labor of love.--Gail Simone, Batgirl, Leaving Megalopolis, Clean Room
Old-school and progressive at the same time. Classic, high-energy superhero action that gives the queer community the heroes they've always deserved.--Steve Orlando, Midnighter, Virgil
The Pride is the modern, inclusive, and compelling superhero epic the world needs today.--Alex Segura, co-writer of The Black Ghost and author of the acclaimed Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery novel series.
In The Pride, FabMan is sick of being seen as a joke. Tired of the LGBTQ+ community being seen as inferior to straight heroes, he thinks it's about damn time he did something about it. Bringing together some of the world's greatest LGBTQ+ superheroes, the Pride is born to protect the world and fight prejudice, misrepresentation and injustice--not to mention a pesky supervillain or two.
The Pride Adventures brings a whole host of extra, self-contained stories and adventures starring the heroes of the Pride! See the team members face down crazed shooters, invasions, and even a sixty-foot-tall drag queen! Featuring a slew of incredible artistic talent, plus stories from writers Mike Garley, Sina Grace and PJ Montgomery too! Follow the LGBTQ+ heroes into whole new stories and meet even more characters in the world of The Pride!
Join the Pride as they work to change the world and show just what they can do!
Collects the original digital series The Pride and The Pride Adventures in print for the first time.
[F]or readers hungry for queer superheroes. Joe Glass' The Pride introduces a superhero universe built on LGBTQ+ inclusion, following a team that is explicitly created to show the range of the queer experience. The Pride features superheroes who are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, non-binary, and children of gay parents. Glass blends modern queer issues with classic superhero storytelling to tell narratives that classic superhero comics haven't touched. . . . The Pride excels at using queer struggle and joy to show a different side of the superhero genre.--AV Club
I highly recommend this smart, charming, wonderful book to anyone who likes good comics. It's absolutely a pleasure to read and a clear labor of love.--Gail Simone, Batgirl, Leaving Megalopolis, Clean Room
Old-school and progressive at the same time. Classic, high-energy superhero action that gives the queer community the heroes they've always deserved.--Steve Orlando, Midnighter, Virgil
The Pride is the modern, inclusive, and compelling superhero epic the world needs today.--Alex Segura, co-writer of The Black Ghost and author of the acclaimed Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery novel series.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
12 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Joe Glass
38 books54 followersJoe is a GLAAD Award winning writer from the deepest, darkest South Wales Valleys in the UK. He is mostly known for his ComiXology Originals, LGBTQ+ superhero series, The Pride (now published in print by Dark Horse Comics as The Pride Omnibus). He’s also the writer behind various self-published and crowdfunded comics work such as Acceptable Losses, Glitter Vipers and The Miracles. He won his GLAAD Award for the m/m romance anthology he co-edited for A Wave Blue World, Young Men in Love.
Joe has worked in the past a comics news reporter and critic and has previously worked with Bleeding Cool, Gay Times, WhatCulture and more. Joe remains a staunch advocate of LGBTQ+ representation in media.
He lives in Wales to do his writing, and is a very soft boi.
Joe has worked in the past a comics news reporter and critic and has previously worked with Bleeding Cool, Gay Times, WhatCulture and more. Joe remains a staunch advocate of LGBTQ+ representation in media.
He lives in Wales to do his writing, and is a very soft boi.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 28, 2021
The idea of a LGBTQIA+ superteam is pretty great. But this is a pure indie comic warts and all. (Season One was released over something like 7 years.) Artists change willy-nilly as does the story from issue to issue (and sometimes multiple times in the same issue.) The book also feels like it dips into a PSA at least twice each issue. Season One and The Pride Adventures feels like it's put together with spitball and tape. Season Two has both a more coherent story and one consistent artist and is far superior to the other content in this. For pure story and art this is probably more of a one or two star book, but I've upping it to three just for the sheer guts of putting this together and the messages it puts out.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss.
September 17, 2021
A cheesy but ultimately enjoyable take on LGBTQ+ superheroes. A lot of the drama comes from confronting extremely homophobic people and the trauma they cause. Big issues are given a shallow comic book solution with much fighting and dramatic declamation. Most of the characters aren't deep, but they're easy enough to root for.
The first third of the book has an ongoing storyline but new artists every chapter or so. The middle third is all self-contained short stories with a whole lot of artists. The quality of the artwork by these many hands varies wildly from page to page as can the writing. The final third goes back to an extended story but settles in with one good artist and increasingly polished scripts by writer Joe Glass.
The first third of the book has an ongoing storyline but new artists every chapter or so. The middle third is all self-contained short stories with a whole lot of artists. The quality of the artwork by these many hands varies wildly from page to page as can the writing. The final third goes back to an extended story but settles in with one good artist and increasingly polished scripts by writer Joe Glass.
June 28, 2021
Overall I did enjoy The Pride. There were portions that were somewhat cliche and made me groan a little, but it was still decently executed and the messaging was fantastic. Some parts also seemed a little out of order chronologically, then it would come back to the larger overarching plot.
My one “complaint” if you can even call it that was the varying art styles throughout. I understand that it was likely to showcase varying artists, but it was somewhat jarring at times with how different the shift was.
My one “complaint” if you can even call it that was the varying art styles throughout. I understand that it was likely to showcase varying artists, but it was somewhat jarring at times with how different the shift was.
March 20, 2022
This was really great but I sadly have to deduct a star for the constant art changes. Every single issue had a different artist, until the second volume I think had the same artist. But it was so difficult to figure out who was who sometimes as the art changed so drastically. The changes really pulled me out of the story and kind of ruined some of the experience for me.
I do adore these characters, Wolf and Frost are my favourites, and I love what they represent. As a queer person it's always great to see queer representation, especially in superhero roles. I loved that the team fought for LGBTQIA+ people and really taught a bunch of lessons along the way.
The representation was a little lopsided. There were FIVE gay men characters (one is HIV positive), one pansexual drag queen, one lesbian, and one trans woman. It's really outnumbered here, which they do bring up and try and recruit more diverse heroes but that felt a little weird. It did feel like ticking off queer bingo.
I gotta say, as a nonbinary asexual person I'm a little offended by the rep. The only non-binary character is a literal alien. The only asexual character is depicted more alien-like than human, lives alone on the moon, and speaks in a very robotic way. This is the harmful stereotype, especially when these characters are only background characters.
I do love the plot and the mini stories and the characters and their relationships. It's a great comic series if you can handle art changes.
I do adore these characters, Wolf and Frost are my favourites, and I love what they represent. As a queer person it's always great to see queer representation, especially in superhero roles. I loved that the team fought for LGBTQIA+ people and really taught a bunch of lessons along the way.
The representation was a little lopsided. There were FIVE gay men characters (one is HIV positive), one pansexual drag queen, one lesbian, and one trans woman. It's really outnumbered here, which they do bring up and try and recruit more diverse heroes but that felt a little weird. It did feel like ticking off queer bingo.
I gotta say, as a nonbinary asexual person I'm a little offended by the rep. The only non-binary character is a literal alien. The only asexual character is depicted more alien-like than human, lives alone on the moon, and speaks in a very robotic way. This is the harmful stereotype, especially when these characters are only background characters.
I do love the plot and the mini stories and the characters and their relationships. It's a great comic series if you can handle art changes.
March 22, 2023
The concept for this is really exciting. The execution was less so.
It’s a bit all over the place in terms of storyline, artistry, and dialogue. The art itself changes so often that it’s really hard to feel like it’s all cohesive. Sometimes the art changed in the middle of a storyline which was quite jarring.
The dialogue left a lot to be desired. It was often times preachy and a little to on the nose and then other times felt completely opposite.
There were some great tropes dark elements and typical comic book additions while always adding some queer campiness to it. However, I felt like the authors shied away from being both too campy and also too dark. I felt like the comics would’ve benefited by taking things further in either direction. Either full camp, as this is a staple of queer culture, or going super dark with it, exploring queer narratives in a dark and deep way. As it is, the comic stays wholly in the middle.
There were a lot of characters that they really could’ve dived deep into that they just just never did. Fabman specifically is the catalysts for the entire thing and he essentially just fades into the background the moment the team is put together. He vary talks, acts, or get involved in anything like a story arc after. It felt like a let down.
The comic collection was fine. I didn’t hate it, but I just felt like it could have been so much more.
It’s a bit all over the place in terms of storyline, artistry, and dialogue. The art itself changes so often that it’s really hard to feel like it’s all cohesive. Sometimes the art changed in the middle of a storyline which was quite jarring.
The dialogue left a lot to be desired. It was often times preachy and a little to on the nose and then other times felt completely opposite.
There were some great tropes dark elements and typical comic book additions while always adding some queer campiness to it. However, I felt like the authors shied away from being both too campy and also too dark. I felt like the comics would’ve benefited by taking things further in either direction. Either full camp, as this is a staple of queer culture, or going super dark with it, exploring queer narratives in a dark and deep way. As it is, the comic stays wholly in the middle.
There were a lot of characters that they really could’ve dived deep into that they just just never did. Fabman specifically is the catalysts for the entire thing and he essentially just fades into the background the moment the team is put together. He vary talks, acts, or get involved in anything like a story arc after. It felt like a let down.
The comic collection was fine. I didn’t hate it, but I just felt like it could have been so much more.
May 5, 2023
The Pride (Series 1) - This was fun. A little light on the tension and some elements felt a bit forced, or fan-ish, or maybe just written so it came across as pre-determined, but on a whole this was a well executed and entertaining series. The one aspect that didn’t quite work for me was that some of the art contributions didn’t seem to fit as well with the tone of that particular part of the story. Nothing major, just a bit distracting and it would occasionally pull me out of the narrative (3/5).
The Pride Adventures (Series 1) - Loved this series. Really enjoyed all the different art styles and take so the characters (3/5).
The Pride (Series 2) - While this series was a little heavy handed at times, it was still a lot of fun and endlessly entertaining (3/5).
The Pride Adventures (Series 1) - Loved this series. Really enjoyed all the different art styles and take so the characters (3/5).
The Pride (Series 2) - While this series was a little heavy handed at times, it was still a lot of fun and endlessly entertaining (3/5).
November 8, 2021
2 stars boosted up to 3
I obviously appreciate what they were going for here and the cheesiness has its charm at times, but the disjointed stories and the frequent (not always great) artist changes do hamper the enjoyment of the cheese. Some of the PSA monologues feel like they were written by a high school GSA in 2008, and while I get the intent I also, you know, already heard it all back in 2008 lmao.
I obviously appreciate what they were going for here and the cheesiness has its charm at times, but the disjointed stories and the frequent (not always great) artist changes do hamper the enjoyment of the cheese. Some of the PSA monologues feel like they were written by a high school GSA in 2008, and while I get the intent I also, you know, already heard it all back in 2008 lmao.
September 7, 2025
"This team... As well as righting wrongs and fighting for justice. We celebrate what's different."
I enjoyed the characters in the Pride so much, the overarching story and their origins how they all come together as a team. There are so many beautiful, heartbreaking and real moments throughout that were handled in a way that felt true.
Lovely quotes and discussions, the LGBTQ+ inclusivity and diversity throughout. The troubles go through in various areas, how each individual and the importance of finding your people. Got those found family feels and the support shown is wonderful, some heavy and important topics too.
While the constant change of artists was difficult at times with how different some characters looked between issues. I did enjoy the variety of styles, how they captured the story and unique yet still continuing story.
I enjoyed how came full circle for Fabman, his return to discuss with kid after team had their first success. Twink reuniting with his family, Wolf finding his tribe, Bear and Cub! WT, Angel, Frost & Muscle Mary every character has their moment to shine.
The romances and relationships developed were great to see explored, yet didn't take over the story. I adored the various dynamics of the team, how they worked together and their growth throughout. How their powers work together in battle, it was action packed and fun from start to finish.
If you're a fan of superheroes, a lot of these may feel similar as clear inspiration is obvious for some of them but honestly it worked for me. As exciting how made into their own and still different, the LGBTQ+ aspect is stunning and such a fun concept.
Overall I was entertained by this read and loved getting to see the Pride grow, fell in love with the team and it's a fitting finale. Showing how much they have grown and that team spotlight in the end was perfect ✨
"We can show people we're unafraid and that's an important message to get out there. For everyone."
I enjoyed the characters in the Pride so much, the overarching story and their origins how they all come together as a team. There are so many beautiful, heartbreaking and real moments throughout that were handled in a way that felt true.
Lovely quotes and discussions, the LGBTQ+ inclusivity and diversity throughout. The troubles go through in various areas, how each individual and the importance of finding your people. Got those found family feels and the support shown is wonderful, some heavy and important topics too.
While the constant change of artists was difficult at times with how different some characters looked between issues. I did enjoy the variety of styles, how they captured the story and unique yet still continuing story.
I enjoyed how came full circle for Fabman, his return to discuss with kid after team had their first success. Twink reuniting with his family, Wolf finding his tribe, Bear and Cub! WT, Angel, Frost & Muscle Mary every character has their moment to shine.
The romances and relationships developed were great to see explored, yet didn't take over the story. I adored the various dynamics of the team, how they worked together and their growth throughout. How their powers work together in battle, it was action packed and fun from start to finish.
If you're a fan of superheroes, a lot of these may feel similar as clear inspiration is obvious for some of them but honestly it worked for me. As exciting how made into their own and still different, the LGBTQ+ aspect is stunning and such a fun concept.
Overall I was entertained by this read and loved getting to see the Pride grow, fell in love with the team and it's a fitting finale. Showing how much they have grown and that team spotlight in the end was perfect ✨
"We can show people we're unafraid and that's an important message to get out there. For everyone."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2024
so goodreads combined the three volumes of this series into one omnibus, with each volume now being a different edition rather than a different book. since i had each volume marked as read, it now says i’ve read the omnibus three times. and i can’t have that, so i’ve combined my reviews into one and deleted the other two. @ goodreads: why
review for pride season one, ★★★☆☆:
enjoyable, sweet, cheesy stories of queer people saving the world. some notes: while the scene where fabman refers to the group as slgb (super lesbian, gay, bisexual union) and angel tells him to add a t for trans people and he’s like “ugh why are making a big deal about this, the t is implied, you don’t see allies getting mad they don’t have a letter” is true to many gay folks stance on trans inclusion, it feels out of place in this comic, which is supposed to be about inclusion and representation and making people feel seen and less alone. to kick it off with transphobia from within the queer group is more than a little disappointing. also disappointing is that for a story that pats itself on the back for its representation (there’s literally a scene where one of the mcs calls out the lack of diversity in other superhero groups), out of the 8 queer characters, 5 are cis white gay men. lastly, the constantly changing art styles is a bit jarring.
as always, pan quote: “ha! actually, i’m pansexual, owen. gender doesn’t really come into it for me.”
content/trigger warnings; homophobia, f slur, transphobia, violence, physical child abuse, blood, hate crime, attack on a gay bar, fire, lesbophobia, death, grief, kissing,
rep; fabman is gay. bear is gay and hiv positive. wt is gay. twink is gay. wolf is gay. muscle mary is a black lesbian. angel is a black pansexual drag queen. frost is bisexual and transgender.
review for pride season two, ★★★☆☆:
i’m just here for the characters and rep honestly. and to see what kind of conversations about queerness and representation are being had. super glad the action doesn’t take up a lot of time and resolved relatively quickly.
some commentary: i wish it truly challenged (or just had a nuanced conversation about) the idea that queer people, especially those in the public eye, have a responsibility to be “role models” or “set a good example for the community” or “educate the masses,” considering several characters are told that’s how they should be and what they should do throughout this collection. the whole “we need to include allies in the team because otherwise we’re looking for more segregation and no better than queerphobes” argument is ridiculous and feels like the author is pandering to nonqueer readers, just like plenty of queer folks pander to allies, as if we need to center them in order to gain support. what’s the point of a queer superhero team if being queer isn’t one of the defining aspects of it? i’m completely with angel on calling this out. especially when it comes from fabman, who would sooner make room for allies than trans folks.
i understand addressing fabman accidentally outing hyperon, but the whole “how dare you reduce him to his sexuality and treat him like he’s just a box to check off” scolding doesn’t feel warranted. fabman wasn’t like “we need an asexual” then asked the only one he knew or the first one he saw. hyperon saved their asses spectacularly and fabman asked him to join, while noting his asexuality. i don’t see anything wrong with that. fabman created the team to be inclusive and representative of queer people, him taking note of who his team doesn’t represent and making an effort to change that is good. i feel like this scolding was used to kind of reflect the criticism of media that includes queer (and other marginalized) people “just to check off a box for diversity points” (something that honestly doesn’t cross my mind because it’s too close to thinking queerness needs to serve a purpose or be the storyline to exist in a narrative), but fabman created this team by seeking out badass queer superheroes. not great superheroes whose queerness is an afterthought or irrelevant happenstance. the point is them being queer. it’s like when people think casting directors should focus on the best actor overall instead of the best actor who is actually part of the marginalized group the character belongs to. fabman can recruit queer superheroes specifically and still care about whether or not they’re skilled or have the same goals or work well with the team. it’s not one or the other. idk it’s just weird to write a whole comic about a team of queer superheroes and then denigrate them for recruiting queer superheroes specifically. now that’s enough serious thought about a silly comic lmao.
content/trigger warnings; violence, outing, homophobia, aphobia, blood, transphobia, misgendering, coming out,
rep; fabman is gay. bear is gay and hiv positive. wt is gay. twink is gay. wolf is gay. muscle mary is a black lesbian. angel is a black pansexual drag queen. frost is bisexual and transgender. (new transgender, asexual, and intersex side characters we see like once each)
review for pride adventures season one, ★★★☆☆:
a lisa vanderpump reference?! this collection is alright, i like the shorter individual stories format. it feels less like purposeful stories about these characters’ adventures and more like a way to just get certain messages out there, which isn’t a bad thing, really, just not what i was expecting.
content/trigger warnings; suicide attempt, suicide, bullying, homophobia, physical child abuse, f slur, hate crime, murder, death, grief, alcohol consumption, ableism, mental illness, white supremacy, coming out,
rep; fabman is gay. bear is gay and hiv positive. wt is gay. twink is gay. wolf is gay. muscle mary is a black lesbian. angel is a black pansexual drag queen. frost is bisexual and transgender.
review for pride season one, ★★★☆☆:
enjoyable, sweet, cheesy stories of queer people saving the world. some notes: while the scene where fabman refers to the group as slgb (super lesbian, gay, bisexual union) and angel tells him to add a t for trans people and he’s like “ugh why are making a big deal about this, the t is implied, you don’t see allies getting mad they don’t have a letter” is true to many gay folks stance on trans inclusion, it feels out of place in this comic, which is supposed to be about inclusion and representation and making people feel seen and less alone. to kick it off with transphobia from within the queer group is more than a little disappointing. also disappointing is that for a story that pats itself on the back for its representation (there’s literally a scene where one of the mcs calls out the lack of diversity in other superhero groups), out of the 8 queer characters, 5 are cis white gay men. lastly, the constantly changing art styles is a bit jarring.
as always, pan quote: “ha! actually, i’m pansexual, owen. gender doesn’t really come into it for me.”
content/trigger warnings; homophobia, f slur, transphobia, violence, physical child abuse, blood, hate crime, attack on a gay bar, fire, lesbophobia, death, grief, kissing,
rep; fabman is gay. bear is gay and hiv positive. wt is gay. twink is gay. wolf is gay. muscle mary is a black lesbian. angel is a black pansexual drag queen. frost is bisexual and transgender.
review for pride season two, ★★★☆☆:
i’m just here for the characters and rep honestly. and to see what kind of conversations about queerness and representation are being had. super glad the action doesn’t take up a lot of time and resolved relatively quickly.
some commentary: i wish it truly challenged (or just had a nuanced conversation about) the idea that queer people, especially those in the public eye, have a responsibility to be “role models” or “set a good example for the community” or “educate the masses,” considering several characters are told that’s how they should be and what they should do throughout this collection. the whole “we need to include allies in the team because otherwise we’re looking for more segregation and no better than queerphobes” argument is ridiculous and feels like the author is pandering to nonqueer readers, just like plenty of queer folks pander to allies, as if we need to center them in order to gain support. what’s the point of a queer superhero team if being queer isn’t one of the defining aspects of it? i’m completely with angel on calling this out. especially when it comes from fabman, who would sooner make room for allies than trans folks.
i understand addressing fabman accidentally outing hyperon, but the whole “how dare you reduce him to his sexuality and treat him like he’s just a box to check off” scolding doesn’t feel warranted. fabman wasn’t like “we need an asexual” then asked the only one he knew or the first one he saw. hyperon saved their asses spectacularly and fabman asked him to join, while noting his asexuality. i don’t see anything wrong with that. fabman created the team to be inclusive and representative of queer people, him taking note of who his team doesn’t represent and making an effort to change that is good. i feel like this scolding was used to kind of reflect the criticism of media that includes queer (and other marginalized) people “just to check off a box for diversity points” (something that honestly doesn’t cross my mind because it’s too close to thinking queerness needs to serve a purpose or be the storyline to exist in a narrative), but fabman created this team by seeking out badass queer superheroes. not great superheroes whose queerness is an afterthought or irrelevant happenstance. the point is them being queer. it’s like when people think casting directors should focus on the best actor overall instead of the best actor who is actually part of the marginalized group the character belongs to. fabman can recruit queer superheroes specifically and still care about whether or not they’re skilled or have the same goals or work well with the team. it’s not one or the other. idk it’s just weird to write a whole comic about a team of queer superheroes and then denigrate them for recruiting queer superheroes specifically. now that’s enough serious thought about a silly comic lmao.
content/trigger warnings; violence, outing, homophobia, aphobia, blood, transphobia, misgendering, coming out,
rep; fabman is gay. bear is gay and hiv positive. wt is gay. twink is gay. wolf is gay. muscle mary is a black lesbian. angel is a black pansexual drag queen. frost is bisexual and transgender. (new transgender, asexual, and intersex side characters we see like once each)
review for pride adventures season one, ★★★☆☆:
a lisa vanderpump reference?! this collection is alright, i like the shorter individual stories format. it feels less like purposeful stories about these characters’ adventures and more like a way to just get certain messages out there, which isn’t a bad thing, really, just not what i was expecting.
content/trigger warnings; suicide attempt, suicide, bullying, homophobia, physical child abuse, f slur, hate crime, murder, death, grief, alcohol consumption, ableism, mental illness, white supremacy, coming out,
rep; fabman is gay. bear is gay and hiv positive. wt is gay. twink is gay. wolf is gay. muscle mary is a black lesbian. angel is a black pansexual drag queen. frost is bisexual and transgender.
June 16, 2022
I am not a super hero / comic reader, but this was fun. All queer super hero team is exactly what I want! It was cheesy and corny a lot, but in a good way. It’s pretty basic but there are A LOT of different heroes with a lot of different representations. The artists changed a lot and the stories were very choppy, but I liked it. I really liked all of the different art styles, that was probably my favorite part!! Overall, big fan and I’d love more of this series!! This Omnibus has 3(?) of the stories and would love to see more.
December 8, 2022
Did not finish. I skimmed through it and tried to catch on to a couple stories but nothing really clicked. Wasn't a huge fan of the artwork either. But it's still great to see queer stuff out there 🌈
June 17, 2021
The Pride is a small-press comic series written by Joe Glass and revolves around an LGBT superhero team consisting of FabMan, Angel, Bear, Frost, Sapphire, Twink, White Trash, Wolf and Cub – it was originally published under Queer Comix and later under Dark Horse Books. The Pride Omnibus collects all three series: The Pride: Season One (1–6), The Pride: Season Two (1–6), and The Pride Adventures: Season One (1–5).
The Pride: Season One (★★★☆☆) is a six-issue miniseries (#1–6) and has Stephan Wainright as Fabman wanting to create a superhero team of LGBTQ+ superheroes to prove to the world that they were just as capable as other superheroes. He recruits Evangelin Isobella Ryder III as Frost, Wayne Mathers as White Trash, Kele Amos as Angel, Harvey Castro as The Bear, Queen Sapphire of Labrysia as Muscle Mary, and Brian Wilde as Wolf, who was kicked out of the Justice Division, because of his sexuality. Owen Mercury as Twink crashes the meeting, hoping to join and Jake Castro, the son of Harvey Castro, would eventually join the team as Cub. There is a back story for each member of The Pride team in the first four issues.
The response to The Pride were mixed, some were accepting, many found it pointless as there were many superhero teams, some with indifference, and even some were outright hostel to them – even the Justice Division didn’t think it was a good idea for them to team up. They were put to the test when Reverend sends Brutal Basher to kidnap Jake Castro in order to lure out his father Harvey Castro as The Bear to use him in an experiment to control all X-Cel Positive humans (mutant), who the Reverend considers unholy.
The Pride Adventures: Season One (★★★★☆) is a five-issue miniseries (#1–5). It is a collection of twenty-one short stories that centers on one or two of the members of the team in various situations and fighting various evils from humanity to the super-powered. A tad preachy in some place, but rounds out the team significantly.
The Pride: Season Two (★★★★☆) is a six-issue miniseries (#1–6) it has The Pride taking up a case from Siren – a music star, who has her LGBTQ+ fans being attacked. It is revealed that a shadow entity – an extraterrestrial named Glorannica who feeds on memories and those that worship it. However, Glorannica needs a host and The Pride almost finds out a tad too late that Glorannica has taken over Siren.
Meanwhile, with Harvey Castro as The Bear convalescing and his son by his side, The Pride is two members down and they sought out auxiliary members across the world, which helped in the final fight against. Doctors used Jake Castro’s healing powers to try to heal his father, but before that could happen, Brutal Basher returns.
Joe Glass was the main writer for the series with several guest writers and for the most part, it was written rather well. The Pride: First Season introduced each member of The Pride rather well – it helped that there were back-up stories that cover each superheroes' backstory and how they became the heroes they became. The Pride Adventures: Season One rounded off the characters and universe a tad more and The Pride: Second Season expanded the universe and team. Narrative wise it addresses many issues that the LGBTQ+ people go through, which could be a tad preachy at times, but not overly so.
However, the superheroes introduced are not really original, but built on tropes that have already been invented. Stephan Wainright as Fabman is a parallel to Superman, Queen Sapphire of Labrysia as Muscle Mary is a parallel to Wonder Woman, Brian Wilde as Wolf is a parallel to Batman, and there are many more on both heroes and villains, but twisted just enough to be original, but recognizable to their original source.
The series have several pencilers and the artistic flow was uneven at best. The Pride: First Season had a plethora of pencilers with really distinct artistic styles, which made the flow rather chaotic and distracting – even to the point of changing pencilers mid-issue. The Pride Adventures: Season One also had a plethora of pencilers, which was so bad as each penciler took a story. However, the break from one story to the next could have been handle better as at times I was surprise that I started a new story. Fortunately, The Pride: Second Season had one penciler in Cem Iroz mad the artistic flow wonderfully.
All in all, The Pride Omnibus is a wonderful series about a superhero team, who just happens to be all inclusive and largely LGBTQ+.
The Pride: Season One (★★★☆☆) is a six-issue miniseries (#1–6) and has Stephan Wainright as Fabman wanting to create a superhero team of LGBTQ+ superheroes to prove to the world that they were just as capable as other superheroes. He recruits Evangelin Isobella Ryder III as Frost, Wayne Mathers as White Trash, Kele Amos as Angel, Harvey Castro as The Bear, Queen Sapphire of Labrysia as Muscle Mary, and Brian Wilde as Wolf, who was kicked out of the Justice Division, because of his sexuality. Owen Mercury as Twink crashes the meeting, hoping to join and Jake Castro, the son of Harvey Castro, would eventually join the team as Cub. There is a back story for each member of The Pride team in the first four issues.
The response to The Pride were mixed, some were accepting, many found it pointless as there were many superhero teams, some with indifference, and even some were outright hostel to them – even the Justice Division didn’t think it was a good idea for them to team up. They were put to the test when Reverend sends Brutal Basher to kidnap Jake Castro in order to lure out his father Harvey Castro as The Bear to use him in an experiment to control all X-Cel Positive humans (mutant), who the Reverend considers unholy.
The Pride Adventures: Season One (★★★★☆) is a five-issue miniseries (#1–5). It is a collection of twenty-one short stories that centers on one or two of the members of the team in various situations and fighting various evils from humanity to the super-powered. A tad preachy in some place, but rounds out the team significantly.
The Pride: Season Two (★★★★☆) is a six-issue miniseries (#1–6) it has The Pride taking up a case from Siren – a music star, who has her LGBTQ+ fans being attacked. It is revealed that a shadow entity – an extraterrestrial named Glorannica who feeds on memories and those that worship it. However, Glorannica needs a host and The Pride almost finds out a tad too late that Glorannica has taken over Siren.
Meanwhile, with Harvey Castro as The Bear convalescing and his son by his side, The Pride is two members down and they sought out auxiliary members across the world, which helped in the final fight against. Doctors used Jake Castro’s healing powers to try to heal his father, but before that could happen, Brutal Basher returns.
Joe Glass was the main writer for the series with several guest writers and for the most part, it was written rather well. The Pride: First Season introduced each member of The Pride rather well – it helped that there were back-up stories that cover each superheroes' backstory and how they became the heroes they became. The Pride Adventures: Season One rounded off the characters and universe a tad more and The Pride: Second Season expanded the universe and team. Narrative wise it addresses many issues that the LGBTQ+ people go through, which could be a tad preachy at times, but not overly so.
However, the superheroes introduced are not really original, but built on tropes that have already been invented. Stephan Wainright as Fabman is a parallel to Superman, Queen Sapphire of Labrysia as Muscle Mary is a parallel to Wonder Woman, Brian Wilde as Wolf is a parallel to Batman, and there are many more on both heroes and villains, but twisted just enough to be original, but recognizable to their original source.
The series have several pencilers and the artistic flow was uneven at best. The Pride: First Season had a plethora of pencilers with really distinct artistic styles, which made the flow rather chaotic and distracting – even to the point of changing pencilers mid-issue. The Pride Adventures: Season One also had a plethora of pencilers, which was so bad as each penciler took a story. However, the break from one story to the next could have been handle better as at times I was surprise that I started a new story. Fortunately, The Pride: Second Season had one penciler in Cem Iroz mad the artistic flow wonderfully.
All in all, The Pride Omnibus is a wonderful series about a superhero team, who just happens to be all inclusive and largely LGBTQ+.
July 6, 2021
Fab Man is sick of being the only superhero like himself. He brings together one of the most diversified classifications of Super Heroes ever, to help protect the world and rid it of some bad guys too.
The art and writing of this delightful 33 story filled graphic novel is fun, sexy, heartfelt and full of adventure...featuring tons of superhero and villain tropes, as well as complicated relationships and activist attitudes.
I may have to go back, but I'm pretty sure every LGBTQ+ person is represented, whether in the principal cast or in certain stories. The racial and cultural diversity is there too.
Whether you can shapeshift into a bear, are a drag queen who has confusing powers, turn into metal, be indestructable, fly or control ice, there are so many great and wonderful moments featured in this Super Heroes I wish I had...Their names are also great....but I'll let you find out for yourself.
The art and writing of this delightful 33 story filled graphic novel is fun, sexy, heartfelt and full of adventure...featuring tons of superhero and villain tropes, as well as complicated relationships and activist attitudes.
I may have to go back, but I'm pretty sure every LGBTQ+ person is represented, whether in the principal cast or in certain stories. The racial and cultural diversity is there too.
Whether you can shapeshift into a bear, are a drag queen who has confusing powers, turn into metal, be indestructable, fly or control ice, there are so many great and wonderful moments featured in this Super Heroes I wish I had...Their names are also great....but I'll let you find out for yourself.
April 11, 2022
Definitely a LGBTQ+ comic book read for anyone just wanting to relish in an all queer hero team. I honestly enjoyed reading through their adventures and it wasn't afraid to tackle some issues faced by the community today. Yeah, it got cheesy and at times, but the voices being heard here were important.
As many people have written, the art style did change quite often, however I found it really interesting. I enjoyed seeing the varying artists depiction of these characters through their own eyes. I wasn't a fan of some of the art styles, but I took a step back and digested it as someone's expression.
Definitely something I'm going to go back to and read from time to time. It's nice to hear some queer voices here.
As many people have written, the art style did change quite often, however I found it really interesting. I enjoyed seeing the varying artists depiction of these characters through their own eyes. I wasn't a fan of some of the art styles, but I took a step back and digested it as someone's expression.
Definitely something I'm going to go back to and read from time to time. It's nice to hear some queer voices here.
July 1, 2021
A good way to end Pride Month! This omnibus encompasses three volumes of The Pride graphic novels. I'm not going to describe the story arcs too much, because I don't wanna spoil any details- nobody likes spoilers, amiright? The first book gives us the origin story of the team, introduces the heroes, and covers some well-known and not as well-known issues of the LGBTQA+ community. There are some things I've seen mentioned that bothered some readers: some characters are obviously based on other superheroes -Wolf is essentially Batman, for example. I didn't have a problem with this, it's not the first time it's been done, and it won't be the last, but it bugged some readers, so it's possible it might bug anyone reading this review as well. Also, the artists and art style changes frequently, sometimes in the middle of a chapter. I'm cool with a different artist per chapter, but switching in the middle was a bit disconcerting; it was cool seeing the different styles though. Some people complained that for a group that's supposed to be inclusive, representing everyone, there wasn't that much diversity. A fair point, but this is just the set-up, that can be changed. Overall, I had fun. The story kept me interested, and I'm learning/adding to knowledge I already have about issues within the LGBTQA+ community, which is a good thing!
In the second and third books, the creators seem to be taking criticisms of the first book into consideration- the art style still switches up, but the switches flow better. We get to know the characters better, which is always good, and get some surprises. The team is coming together more, getting the hang of working with each other instead of being solo. They also decide to add some new team members, realizing they need more representation and also more help sometimes, while the creators remind us they can't possibly represent everyone. Plus, new costumes, and a new hero name for one member! There's a good balance between action scenes and more quiet moments, with more issues covered. This really brought the feels, all of them, so much going on, and it's all such important stuff! And omg, did the storytelling grow as this progressed! The first volume was a bit wobbly, and readers raised some issues, and wow, the creators actually listened. You can see the story "grow up," as it were, and it became a really great story, with characters I felt truly invested in. Some of the issues touched on I knew about, but many I didn't, and by reading this book, I feel I will be a better ally now. Just, wow, so good.
tl;dr: This book is fabulous, and y'all should read it!
In the second and third books, the creators seem to be taking criticisms of the first book into consideration- the art style still switches up, but the switches flow better. We get to know the characters better, which is always good, and get some surprises. The team is coming together more, getting the hang of working with each other instead of being solo. They also decide to add some new team members, realizing they need more representation and also more help sometimes, while the creators remind us they can't possibly represent everyone. Plus, new costumes, and a new hero name for one member! There's a good balance between action scenes and more quiet moments, with more issues covered. This really brought the feels, all of them, so much going on, and it's all such important stuff! And omg, did the storytelling grow as this progressed! The first volume was a bit wobbly, and readers raised some issues, and wow, the creators actually listened. You can see the story "grow up," as it were, and it became a really great story, with characters I felt truly invested in. Some of the issues touched on I knew about, but many I didn't, and by reading this book, I feel I will be a better ally now. Just, wow, so good.
tl;dr: This book is fabulous, and y'all should read it!
June 29, 2024
This was fine. Superheros, but make them gay.
And as a gay superhero fan and comic fan, I had high hopes but unfortunately was immensely let down because this doesn't feel FOR ME. It feels like it's a Sesame Street PSA for people who aren't queer about what queerness is all about. And while that's admirable in its own right, and probably good for some people... It just feels like not what I want. I want a queer superhero team being just as badass as normal superheros and being sexy and witty and all that jazz. And this is just very paint by numbers intro to queerness.
It's also worth noting that this is a satire. So there's so many stand-ins for actual superheros, which part of me appreciated. But... Like... Let's write beyond the satire. Okay, you wanna have a Batman type character and a Wonder Woman type character and a Superman type character. Design them the same, give little cheeky nods to who they're supposed to be representing, but like come ONNNNN. How am I supposed to care about any of these characters when they're literally nothing but parodies (and make it queer). And OMGGGG if I had to hear one more character unironically refer to someone casually as "honey" I was actually gonna scream.
But where this like REALLY loses me as a comic is that there's simply no consistency. Apart from Volume 2, the rest of the series has a different art style every issue AND there was at least one issue that changed art style every couple pages for seemingly no reason. And I am biased towards a series having one artist, I don't mind seeing different art but when there is SUCH a discrepancy in the quality of styles and also just generally how the characters are conceptualized, it just leaves me with a feeling of supreme disconnect.
As much as I want to recommend a finished(?) series about gay superheros, this just like truly wasn't it. It had moments where I thought it was good but for 2 volumes (2nd volume is miles better than the first) and an anthology across 450 pages....the good moments were far outweighed by the bad.
I will say the Pride Adventures Anthology was actually pretty good though. Some misses, but a lot more successes.
And as a gay superhero fan and comic fan, I had high hopes but unfortunately was immensely let down because this doesn't feel FOR ME. It feels like it's a Sesame Street PSA for people who aren't queer about what queerness is all about. And while that's admirable in its own right, and probably good for some people... It just feels like not what I want. I want a queer superhero team being just as badass as normal superheros and being sexy and witty and all that jazz. And this is just very paint by numbers intro to queerness.
It's also worth noting that this is a satire. So there's so many stand-ins for actual superheros, which part of me appreciated. But... Like... Let's write beyond the satire. Okay, you wanna have a Batman type character and a Wonder Woman type character and a Superman type character. Design them the same, give little cheeky nods to who they're supposed to be representing, but like come ONNNNN. How am I supposed to care about any of these characters when they're literally nothing but parodies (and make it queer). And OMGGGG if I had to hear one more character unironically refer to someone casually as "honey" I was actually gonna scream.
But where this like REALLY loses me as a comic is that there's simply no consistency. Apart from Volume 2, the rest of the series has a different art style every issue AND there was at least one issue that changed art style every couple pages for seemingly no reason. And I am biased towards a series having one artist, I don't mind seeing different art but when there is SUCH a discrepancy in the quality of styles and also just generally how the characters are conceptualized, it just leaves me with a feeling of supreme disconnect.
As much as I want to recommend a finished(?) series about gay superheros, this just like truly wasn't it. It had moments where I thought it was good but for 2 volumes (2nd volume is miles better than the first) and an anthology across 450 pages....the good moments were far outweighed by the bad.
I will say the Pride Adventures Anthology was actually pretty good though. Some misses, but a lot more successes.
June 19, 2023
Happy #pridemonth, y’all! My next #pride book is The Pride Omnibus, written by Joe Glass and illustrated by a bevy of talented artists and colorists.
Fabman, openly gay superhero, is tired of being made fun of because of his sexuality and is tired of the queer community as a whole being seen as less than just because they’re queer. He decides to form a team of fellow queer superheroes, who are out to help everyone and discriminate against no one, and prove to the world that queer people are just as valid as anyone else.
Portraying riffs on several other comics’ teams (DC’s Justice League in particular), The Pride takes many of your typical superhero tropes and turns them on their head, creating something new yet familiar, told through a queer lens. While sometimes the message can be a little heavy handed, Glass’ story handles many of the issues that the queer community struggles with every day: acceptance, both within our families and our own community itself; prejudice; body shaming; hate crimes; thoughts of self-harm; religious persecution; the list can go on and on. The team finds positive ways to overcome these obstacles and prove that being queer is not something bad and we can all be heroes in our own ways.
This omnibus edition collected the first two series of The Pride and the first series of The Pride Adventures, one-off stories set in The Pride universe. The frequent jump between artists almost every issue was a little jarring when reading this in a collected edition, but may not have been as noticeable when read as a monthly. I hope that someday we’ll get some more adventures from those queer superheroes. The Pride can be read via @comixology as separate series, or purchased as this print omnibus from @darkhorsecomics.
#queer #queerbookstagram #thepride #gay #lesbian #nonbinary #trans #transgender #comicbooks #graphicnovel #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookreview #queerart #darkhorsecomics #comixology #frommybookshelf #frommybookshelfblog
Fabman, openly gay superhero, is tired of being made fun of because of his sexuality and is tired of the queer community as a whole being seen as less than just because they’re queer. He decides to form a team of fellow queer superheroes, who are out to help everyone and discriminate against no one, and prove to the world that queer people are just as valid as anyone else.
Portraying riffs on several other comics’ teams (DC’s Justice League in particular), The Pride takes many of your typical superhero tropes and turns them on their head, creating something new yet familiar, told through a queer lens. While sometimes the message can be a little heavy handed, Glass’ story handles many of the issues that the queer community struggles with every day: acceptance, both within our families and our own community itself; prejudice; body shaming; hate crimes; thoughts of self-harm; religious persecution; the list can go on and on. The team finds positive ways to overcome these obstacles and prove that being queer is not something bad and we can all be heroes in our own ways.
This omnibus edition collected the first two series of The Pride and the first series of The Pride Adventures, one-off stories set in The Pride universe. The frequent jump between artists almost every issue was a little jarring when reading this in a collected edition, but may not have been as noticeable when read as a monthly. I hope that someday we’ll get some more adventures from those queer superheroes. The Pride can be read via @comixology as separate series, or purchased as this print omnibus from @darkhorsecomics.
#queer #queerbookstagram #thepride #gay #lesbian #nonbinary #trans #transgender #comicbooks #graphicnovel #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookreview #queerart #darkhorsecomics #comixology #frommybookshelf #frommybookshelfblog
March 4, 2021
Fabman is tired of lgbtq+ heroes being pushed aside and not getting the recognition that they deserve, so he forms his own team of lgbtq+ heroes called the Pride. The public and many straight heroes question the need for such a team of heroes, but the team soon proves their worth and why they are needed. The main adventure features the Pride defeating a villain known as the Reverend. He uses his powers and hate speech to turn other heroes against the Pride and kidnaps a member of the team called Bear. The Pride defeats him and gains the respect of other heroes. The rest of the book focuses on short stories of the Pride fighting gay bashers, learning about themselves and their identities, learning about others' identities, and finding love in their own ways.
December 7, 2021
I never read superhero comics, but I was so drawn to this idea (and to the writer at thought bubble) and I’m really glad I went with my gut and got myself a copy.
I particularly liked how inclusive it is, like the discussion about the T in the name, all the discussion of HIV, and Fabman saying “don’t be ridiculous” when the media suggested they’ll only save lgbt people. The treatment of the superheroes was just exactly how it would go! Very real. And finally the villain being religious was *chefs kiss*.
My one complaint, and one others have made, is the switching art styles, sometimes mid chapter.
I particularly liked how inclusive it is, like the discussion about the T in the name, all the discussion of HIV, and Fabman saying “don’t be ridiculous” when the media suggested they’ll only save lgbt people. The treatment of the superheroes was just exactly how it would go! Very real. And finally the villain being religious was *chefs kiss*.
My one complaint, and one others have made, is the switching art styles, sometimes mid chapter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2024
Overall a fantastic read, with great messages- very inspirational, and I honestly wish there was more!
My main criticism is that I think the second half needed a longer and more overarching plot, including a couple more stories to bulk out some character moments and story points.
However, all the characters are fully formed with rich personalities- interactions between the characters are very believable (including some personality clashes).
The comic can be a little preachy in places, but very well intentioned.
Awesome book, highly recommended!!!
My main criticism is that I think the second half needed a longer and more overarching plot, including a couple more stories to bulk out some character moments and story points.
However, all the characters are fully formed with rich personalities- interactions between the characters are very believable (including some personality clashes).
The comic can be a little preachy in places, but very well intentioned.
Awesome book, highly recommended!!!
December 27, 2022
The concept of a LGBTQ+ superhero team is an intriguing concept. So many of the varieties of sexual expression are involved. The story has its weaknesses, i.e. Fabman is a a bit more effeminate than is necessary, but the stories are interesting. The art seems to fluctuate too much as a variety of artists get to try their hands at the stories. Some of the artists are pretty good, some are less so, unfortunately.
August 8, 2021
Trigger warning: homophobia, transphobia, being outed, suicide, HIV
I like seeing representation in comics. This book didn’t feel as cohesive as I wish it had, as it jumps back and forth a lot and there are a bunch of little stories that only take a page or so to read.
I like seeing representation in comics. This book didn’t feel as cohesive as I wish it had, as it jumps back and forth a lot and there are a bunch of little stories that only take a page or so to read.
October 27, 2021
Yes it is a little on the nose for stereotypes but also very real incidences of cishets not understanding the struggles that the lgbtqa+ community faces and how those affected by this react. Also, superheroes. But gay.
December 22, 2021
Standard superhero fare with a rainbow twist. Reads a little worthy at times but also standard for the genre. Cynicism aside, it was fun to see stereotypes made power and classic hero types reimagined through a queer lens.
January 9, 2022
Was harder to get into and story takes pauses to give some information necessary for changes.
I wish that they had a more consistent art style because it switched during story arcs and individual comics which was distracting.
I wish that they had a more consistent art style because it switched during story arcs and individual comics which was distracting.
August 9, 2022
Yes to more diverse characters, yes to more queer voices, yes to more representation - but you also need good characters, good voices, and good story(ies). This omnibus is not it, even the art style was a huge let down.
July 4, 2021
Having read the series on comixology, it was great to have them in a physical book. I loved the series. I makes me happy to see LGBT representation in comics and super heroes.
October 8, 2021
Delightful
January 1, 2022
When the asexual alien showed up...I screamed
February 5, 2022
Great idea, cool characters.
A bit difficult to recognize the characters sometimes and the stories are quite simple and obvious even if they are pinpointing real life situation!
Overall enjoyable!
A bit difficult to recognize the characters sometimes and the stories are quite simple and obvious even if they are pinpointing real life situation!
Overall enjoyable!
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