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DC Cultural Anthologies
DC Pride 2021 #1
DC Pride #1 will feature LGBTQIA+ characters from all corners of DC’s ever-expanding Universe, including cameos by fan favorites Batwoman, Renee Montoya, Alan Scott, Midnighter, Apollo, Extraño, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Constantine, and more.
The DC Pride creative teams, and the characters they’re developing stories for, are:
- Batwoman (Kate Kane) by James Tynion IV & Trung Le Nguyen
- Poison Ivy & Harley Quinn by Mariko Tamaki & Amy Reeder
- Midnighter by Steve Orlando & Stephen Byrne
- Flash of Earth-11 (Jess Chambers) by Danny Lore & Lisa Sterle
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) & Obsidian by Sam Johns & Klaus Janson
- Aqualad (Jackson Hyde) by Andrew Wheeler & Luciano Vecchio
- Dreamer by Nicole Maines & Rachael Stott
- Renee Montoya by Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridge
- Pied Piper by Sina Grace, Ro Stein & Ted Brandt
Additionally, DC Pride #1 will include full-page profiles of DCTV’s LGBTQIA+ characters and the actors who play them, and fans of The CW’s Supergirl will be thrilled to see the first comic book appearance of Dreamer, a trans woman superhero, in a story written by actor Nicole Maines, who plays Nia Nal/Dreamer on Supergirl.
Rounding out the DC Pride anthology is a forward by Marc Andreyko (Love is Love), single-page pin-ups by artists Kris Anka, Sophie Campbell, Mildred Louis, Travis Moore, Nick Robles and Kevin Wada, with more surprises to come!
The DC Pride creative teams, and the characters they’re developing stories for, are:
- Batwoman (Kate Kane) by James Tynion IV & Trung Le Nguyen
- Poison Ivy & Harley Quinn by Mariko Tamaki & Amy Reeder
- Midnighter by Steve Orlando & Stephen Byrne
- Flash of Earth-11 (Jess Chambers) by Danny Lore & Lisa Sterle
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) & Obsidian by Sam Johns & Klaus Janson
- Aqualad (Jackson Hyde) by Andrew Wheeler & Luciano Vecchio
- Dreamer by Nicole Maines & Rachael Stott
- Renee Montoya by Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridge
- Pied Piper by Sina Grace, Ro Stein & Ted Brandt
Additionally, DC Pride #1 will include full-page profiles of DCTV’s LGBTQIA+ characters and the actors who play them, and fans of The CW’s Supergirl will be thrilled to see the first comic book appearance of Dreamer, a trans woman superhero, in a story written by actor Nicole Maines, who plays Nia Nal/Dreamer on Supergirl.
Rounding out the DC Pride anthology is a forward by Marc Andreyko (Love is Love), single-page pin-ups by artists Kris Anka, Sophie Campbell, Mildred Louis, Travis Moore, Nick Robles and Kevin Wada, with more surprises to come!
84 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2021
23 people are currently reading
420 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Wheeler
90 books43 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Andrew Wheeler is a Shuster and Eisner-winning writer and editor. His credits include Another Castle at Oni Press, Love and War at Comixology, the Dungeons & Dragons Young Adventurers Guides, and the Prism-nominated all ages LGBTQ anthology Shout Out.
Andrew Wheeler is a Shuster and Eisner-winning writer and editor. His credits include Another Castle at Oni Press, Love and War at Comixology, the Dungeons & Dragons Young Adventurers Guides, and the Prism-nominated all ages LGBTQ anthology Shout Out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
June 9, 2025
By no means is my four star review intended to be a reflection of the importance of this comic from DC. As a bisexual woman, (sideboard: I’m nearly 40 so pansexual I might be but I have no basis to know and pansexual wasn’t a term I knew as a teen) this is a HUGE step in the right direction by DC (yes Marvel is doing stuff too). But having the comics exist isn’t good enough for me anymore. I want the characters, stories, and art to be top-notch. I want to know that this isn’t just lip-service. And so I give four stars because the reality is these stories are much too short to be good, solid character introductions.
If, like me, you don’t watch the relevant DC TV shows then it’s highly possible (again like me) these are your first encounters with about half the characters featured in DC Pride. That in and of itself is certainly not an issue. Instead it’s that 6-8 pages of very brief story introductions is just not enough for me to feel like I really know any of these characters. In fact some of them it was not obvious what their sexual orientation was from the story!
So I’d have preferred a couple amendments to this book:
- Not assuming everyone knows the tv shows and ensuring longer stories with more content (even at the sacrifice of less characters featured),
- I had to look up the sexual orientation of some of the characters I wasn’t as familiar with. Seems a little silly not to state it or make it obvious in each story, especially for the non-Harley, Ivy and Constantine characters that are lesser known. Don’t make me work so hard to know about these new characters DC,
- I know from the promotional talk that many (all?) of these writers and artists are direct members of the LGBTQ+ community. I’d have much preferred to hear Q&A from the real people behind the comics; than the Q&A feature from the tv show celebs,
- Finally, I wanted more integration into the core, ongoing universe. I’m assuming Harley & Ivy’s story will be deemed canon, maybe original Green Lantern’s coming out too(?); but otherwise it’s tough to know if we are in canon throughout this book. As these special editions aren’t always ‘true’ canon it’d be great for DC to make it more obvious and/or even connect to current storylines and titles in the same week or month of publication.
At the end of the day I acknowledge that it’s a huge step in the right direction to have this artistic literature even exist. Yet a part of me really craves for the day that not every pride story or feature is called out this way. The day when it’s just another character going about their superhero (or villain) lives combating arch-nemesis, struggling with identity (mask or no mask?), confronting ethical and moral dilemmas, and just living on the page next to Batman, Superman, Joker, and the other classics.
So I have challenged myself here, and the societal expectation, to hype DC Pride as five stars ‘just because’ it exists. Instead I give it four stars; knowing inherently, that there’s more to do and a lot more integration needed to truly feel like the LGBTQ+ community is in the multiverse.
BUT, don’t let that take away from the confirmation of Ivy and Harley’s relationship, Constantine talking about male conquests (and not just his usual female ones!), or the introduction of Dreamer to the inked page.
This will still be a treasured book in my collection; partially because I will be gifting it my 19-year-old cousin who just announced her transition from he to she. And partially because my girl Harley is on the page out and proud. The Harley Quinn whose insecure, nervous, afraid of commitment, and (most importantly) loves girls as much as she loves boys. And because the variant cover with Harley and Ivy may be some of the best comic art ever.
Thank you DC for making me feel like Harley’s ‘girl time’ with Ivy of the past (thank you Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti for making that happen 10 years ago!!) wasn’t just a fad or gimmick to sell comics. But that there is now a commitment to Harley & Ivy’s relationship and confirmation there is more to it than a ‘hot lesbians’ art opportunity to sell comics to boys/men.
A timid, afraid to speak-up or admit anything 12-year-old girl (inside of me) is smiling knowing her favourite gal Harley really did love Joker (in her own twisted way) and really does love Ivy (in a mature long-term way). Both loves exist in the same universe, as canon, from the same character. There aren’t multiple Harleys this time around; instead there is one girl who likes boys and girls equally. It just came down to which gender stumbled across her path at the right moment in time. This Harley is me in so many ways and I’m grateful to continue to read about her, no matter how crazy she may be.
A (out of character) romantic/mushy side note:
I’d like to call-out my amazing common-law partner, a cis male, for never degrading my bisexuality to only a threesome opportunity (he’s still patiently waiting for it I think, lol). Instead he’s always embraced the truth when I say that I honestly don’t care the gender of my partner. I really only care about their personality, devotion, and love towards me. Not a lot of straight men are secure enough (I know I’ve met many of them) to comment on how hot a girl is after their wife called it out first. Or at least not without making a crude three-way or ‘can I watch’ comment.
For those still looking for that perfect person; they are out there. Somewhere and sometime soon you will find them. Time only moves forward in this reality; so you can only get closer to having that love in your life. And to those, like myself, fortunate enough to have found that partner; don’t forget to let your partner know how important they are. Spend time listening, understanding, acknowledging, supporting and loving them. For we are not immortals, like many of our beloved heroes (or villians), and only have this one chance to live our lives openly, genuinely and proudly.
Happy Pride 2021
If, like me, you don’t watch the relevant DC TV shows then it’s highly possible (again like me) these are your first encounters with about half the characters featured in DC Pride. That in and of itself is certainly not an issue. Instead it’s that 6-8 pages of very brief story introductions is just not enough for me to feel like I really know any of these characters. In fact some of them it was not obvious what their sexual orientation was from the story!
So I’d have preferred a couple amendments to this book:
- Not assuming everyone knows the tv shows and ensuring longer stories with more content (even at the sacrifice of less characters featured),
- I had to look up the sexual orientation of some of the characters I wasn’t as familiar with. Seems a little silly not to state it or make it obvious in each story, especially for the non-Harley, Ivy and Constantine characters that are lesser known. Don’t make me work so hard to know about these new characters DC,
- I know from the promotional talk that many (all?) of these writers and artists are direct members of the LGBTQ+ community. I’d have much preferred to hear Q&A from the real people behind the comics; than the Q&A feature from the tv show celebs,
- Finally, I wanted more integration into the core, ongoing universe. I’m assuming Harley & Ivy’s story will be deemed canon, maybe original Green Lantern’s coming out too(?); but otherwise it’s tough to know if we are in canon throughout this book. As these special editions aren’t always ‘true’ canon it’d be great for DC to make it more obvious and/or even connect to current storylines and titles in the same week or month of publication.
At the end of the day I acknowledge that it’s a huge step in the right direction to have this artistic literature even exist. Yet a part of me really craves for the day that not every pride story or feature is called out this way. The day when it’s just another character going about their superhero (or villain) lives combating arch-nemesis, struggling with identity (mask or no mask?), confronting ethical and moral dilemmas, and just living on the page next to Batman, Superman, Joker, and the other classics.
So I have challenged myself here, and the societal expectation, to hype DC Pride as five stars ‘just because’ it exists. Instead I give it four stars; knowing inherently, that there’s more to do and a lot more integration needed to truly feel like the LGBTQ+ community is in the multiverse.
BUT, don’t let that take away from the confirmation of Ivy and Harley’s relationship, Constantine talking about male conquests (and not just his usual female ones!), or the introduction of Dreamer to the inked page.
This will still be a treasured book in my collection; partially because I will be gifting it my 19-year-old cousin who just announced her transition from he to she. And partially because my girl Harley is on the page out and proud. The Harley Quinn whose insecure, nervous, afraid of commitment, and (most importantly) loves girls as much as she loves boys. And because the variant cover with Harley and Ivy may be some of the best comic art ever.
Thank you DC for making me feel like Harley’s ‘girl time’ with Ivy of the past (thank you Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti for making that happen 10 years ago!!) wasn’t just a fad or gimmick to sell comics. But that there is now a commitment to Harley & Ivy’s relationship and confirmation there is more to it than a ‘hot lesbians’ art opportunity to sell comics to boys/men.
A timid, afraid to speak-up or admit anything 12-year-old girl (inside of me) is smiling knowing her favourite gal Harley really did love Joker (in her own twisted way) and really does love Ivy (in a mature long-term way). Both loves exist in the same universe, as canon, from the same character. There aren’t multiple Harleys this time around; instead there is one girl who likes boys and girls equally. It just came down to which gender stumbled across her path at the right moment in time. This Harley is me in so many ways and I’m grateful to continue to read about her, no matter how crazy she may be.
A (out of character) romantic/mushy side note:
I’d like to call-out my amazing common-law partner, a cis male, for never degrading my bisexuality to only a threesome opportunity (he’s still patiently waiting for it I think, lol). Instead he’s always embraced the truth when I say that I honestly don’t care the gender of my partner. I really only care about their personality, devotion, and love towards me. Not a lot of straight men are secure enough (I know I’ve met many of them) to comment on how hot a girl is after their wife called it out first. Or at least not without making a crude three-way or ‘can I watch’ comment.
For those still looking for that perfect person; they are out there. Somewhere and sometime soon you will find them. Time only moves forward in this reality; so you can only get closer to having that love in your life. And to those, like myself, fortunate enough to have found that partner; don’t forget to let your partner know how important they are. Spend time listening, understanding, acknowledging, supporting and loving them. For we are not immortals, like many of our beloved heroes (or villians), and only have this one chance to live our lives openly, genuinely and proudly.
Happy Pride 2021
October 17, 2021
I love that DC made this book even if the contents are oh so very so-so. Either the stories were nowhere trifles or they assumed a lot of knowledge about the characters. While I don't want every story to be an origin, it's a missed opportunity in a book like this which may reach an audience beyond DC's usual fanbase to not introduce these characters more effectively in the stories or with cheat sheets between chapters.
As of 10/16/2021 this comic and many more are available for free at DC's FanDome website:
https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2021/08...
As of 10/16/2021 this comic and many more are available for free at DC's FanDome website:
https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2021/08...
August 13, 2021
DC releases their first and ongoing Pride anthology and it's so much fun and the art is so diverse and beautiful! Each story features Own Voices LGBT+ authors and artists; a few of my favorites: Trung Le Nguyen, Vita Ayala, Sina Grace, and Mariko Tamaki. I enjoyed some stories more than others; my ratings go as follows:
- "The Wrong Side of the Looking Glass" by James Tynion IV and Trung Le Nguyen: 4/5
- "By the Victors" by Steve Orlando and Stephen Byrne: 2/5
- "Try the Girl" by Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridge: 4/5
- "Another Word For A Truck To Move Your Furniture" by Mariko Tamaki and Amy Reeder: 5/5
- "He's The Light of My Life!" by Sam Johns and Klaus Janson: 2/5
- "Clothes Makeup Gift" by Danny Lore and Lisa Sterle: 5/5
- "Be Gay, Do Crimes" by Sina Grace and Ro Stein & Ted Brandy: 5/5
- "Date Night" by Nicole Maines and Rachael Stott: 1.5/5 - for racism; I'm sick of seeing stereotypical "ninja" Asian people as villains, especially when violence against us is at an all-time high. Trans character and creatives absolutely deserve representation but white people beating up Asian people within an inch of their lives while talking casually on the phone? Distasteful and ugly. Stop it.
- "Love Life" by Andrew Wheeler and Luciano Vecchio: 4/5
Besides the stories, there are some wonderful art pieces and Q&A segments from DC performers like Nicole Maines (trans actress who plays a trans superhero in Supergirl), Javicia Leslie (Black queer title superhero in Batwoman), Matt Bomer (Negative Man in Doom Patrol which I cannot recommend enough!), and more. I'm only upset that these comic books only show up once a year and it's where DC lets their LGBT+ creatives shine the brightest, whereas with every other IP under their belt, their representation is extremely limited in scope. LGBT+ characters are mentioned and featured for maybe a page or two before they die or disappear from the story. The steps DC is taking are great, especially in regards to their TV shows (which is more than I can say for Marvel), and I hope they keep this momentum going.
October 9, 2021
Harley & Ivy are life and that was the best story in this entire comic.
June 8, 2021
3.5 stars
While the idea was great it was a little underwhelming what we got here since it was an unique opportunity to showcase characters that are usually sidelined or ignored.
From the 9 stories featured I only was impressed by 3 of them, the others were meh, the pin-ups some good, some ok. And the DCTV interviews could have been cut for an extra story.
While the idea was great it was a little underwhelming what we got here since it was an unique opportunity to showcase characters that are usually sidelined or ignored.
From the 9 stories featured I only was impressed by 3 of them, the others were meh, the pin-ups some good, some ok. And the DCTV interviews could have been cut for an extra story.
August 11, 2022
These were nice comics with good LBGTQ representation. The art is beautiful. But they are short, without room for much background or resolution. I'm not familiar with most of the characters, so there was a lot that I didn't understand. I'm sure it's much better for people who follow the comics.
May 23, 2022
I enjoyed that! (I'm writing the reviews in an altered order bc I already put the comic in its plastic cover and so I'm taking the names off wikipedia)
"The wrong side of the looking glass": It was a pleasant surprise to see Trung Le Nguyen's art! I really want to read "The secret fish". I found the ending a bit too corny but it was a good story.
"He's the Light of My Life!": I was very confused with this one, I did not understand who was who and the relationships among them, I'm sorry kaljdf
"By the Victors": The nazi homophobic vampire... qué decir.
"Clothes Makeup Gift": Really liked the Flash character hehe
"Try the Girl": My favourite one!!!!! I was so intrigued by Question, I hate that it's this thing where she's not her own character but rather the reiteration of another previous one (I don't know how that works but, you get me, there are several Questions etc) but I would definitely read more from her !! I love the design and I love that she's Renee Montoya from Birds of Prey aaaaa I loved that one so much
"Be Gay, Do Crimes": I agree, the "queer talk" was a choice.
"Another Word for a Truck to Move Your Furniture": That was cute! It did have the bonus points of me being invested in their relationship already, but I enjoyed the themes it talked about.
"Date Night": I was a bit confused with this one too, even though I should know by now my Supergirl facts aklshd
"Love Life": I thought this one was cute too!
So, in general, I would say this one did its purpose because it did get me interested in reading more about some characters and I saved some tv shows on HBO (even though, lets face it, I'm not watching them anytime soon, but it's the intention that counts!)
"The wrong side of the looking glass": It was a pleasant surprise to see Trung Le Nguyen's art! I really want to read "The secret fish". I found the ending a bit too corny but it was a good story.
"He's the Light of My Life!": I was very confused with this one, I did not understand who was who and the relationships among them, I'm sorry kaljdf
"By the Victors": The nazi homophobic vampire... qué decir.
"Clothes Makeup Gift": Really liked the Flash character hehe
"Try the Girl": My favourite one!!!!! I was so intrigued by Question, I hate that it's this thing where she's not her own character but rather the reiteration of another previous one (I don't know how that works but, you get me, there are several Questions etc) but I would definitely read more from her !! I love the design and I love that she's Renee Montoya from Birds of Prey aaaaa I loved that one so much
"Be Gay, Do Crimes": I agree, the "queer talk" was a choice.
"Another Word for a Truck to Move Your Furniture": That was cute! It did have the bonus points of me being invested in their relationship already, but I enjoyed the themes it talked about.
"Date Night": I was a bit confused with this one too, even though I should know by now my Supergirl facts aklshd
"Love Life": I thought this one was cute too!
So, in general, I would say this one did its purpose because it did get me interested in reading more about some characters and I saved some tv shows on HBO (even though, lets face it, I'm not watching them anytime soon, but it's the intention that counts!)
August 28, 2021
DC Pride #1
DC Pride is an anthology comic, which collects 9 superhero stories that are, in one way or another, related to the lgbtq community. Some of the stories are written by very well known writers, like James Tynion IV and Mariko Tamaki, but the majority of the stories are by writers I've never heard before and are honestly not great. Unfortunately, most of the stories are very forgettable. I'm writing this review a day after I read the comic and if I didn't have it next to me right now I would've forgot the existence of half of these stories. My favorite story is the first one and it's written by James Tynion IV. This story features Batwoman and it's about discovering your sexuality, accepting it and learning to love yourself. It's a very nice and sweet little story, with an interesting plot and a good message. This story also has very good artwork. Both the art and the coloring are done by Trung Le Nguyen. His style has an innocent that fits perfectly with the story and thanks to his use of purple for the majority of the comic, everything has a very sad and melancholic vibe which I love and works perfectly. Unfortunately, after this story, the comic goes downhill. The second story was nice and although the allegory in its plot was absolutely obvious, it was fun and enjoyable. It was about a vilain who's trying to straight-wash history and two homosexual superheroes stop him and beat him up. It was very fun, with nice action and artwork, but it wasn't as powerful as someone would expect. After this story I'd say that there are zero stories worth reading. Fortunately, some of these stories, like "Try the Girl" and "Date Night" have very nice artwork, but the writing is forgettable at best. The most disappointing stories were "Another Word for a Truck to Move Your Furniture" (what kind of title is this?) and "He's the Light of My Life". The first one is written by Mariko Tamaki and it features the iconic couple of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Admittedly, other than a short story in another anthology comic, I haven't read anything else superhero related by Mariko, but having read two of her great graphic novels, I expected much more from her. This story is very mediocre at best and it's trying as hard as it can to be funny, but it fails horribly. Harley Quinn is written very realistically and it makes sense for her to be afraid of relationships, but other than that there's nothing else good in this story. Even the artwork isn't good. It's fun and bright, but it has many problems, like the very badly drawn faces of the characters. The other disappointing story is written by Sam Johns and has artwork by Klaus Janson. I'm not going to focus on the story, because that's not what disappoined me. I've never heard of this writer before, so I didn't have any high expectations from her, but it's worth to note that the idea behind the story is very good and powerful, its execution though is weak and it falls flat. But as I said, I didn't know the writer, so I had no reason to expect something better. What disappointed me was Klaus Janson's artwork. Knowing him from his work with the legendary Frank Miller, I expected much more from Klaus, probably something close to the level of artwork we got to see in the Daredevil issues he drew. Unfortunately, his artwork in this feels very awkward and rushed and it reminds me a lot of some of Frank Miller's worst artwork, in DKIII.
Although this comic has many flaws, I'm still glad it exists. It's very nice to see a title like this released by a huge company like DC. I just wish that it'd be better and if you think about it, it really could, but DC made some stupid mistakes while making this. First of all, I think it was a very bad idea trying to fit 9 stories in a 84 pages long comic. Every story is extremely short, which leads to all the threats being extremely weak, every problem being resolved in a couple pages and almost all the stories staying at the surface of their subject, because they have no time to dive a bit deeper into anything. If there were only 4 or 5 stories in this comic, I think that it would have worked much better and that everything would have been paced in a more correct way. Another thing that I consider a mistake of the book is that most of the writers aren't top tier. DC currently works with some of the biggest comic writers in the industry, if they had assigned some of them in this comic, I'm sure it would have been at least a bit better. It's not a coincidence that the best story in this comic is the one by James Tynion IV and that in every anthology title they've released in the last few years, the best stories are ones by writers like Grant Morrison, Scott Snyder, Tom Taylor etc.
6/10
DC Pride is an anthology comic, which collects 9 superhero stories that are, in one way or another, related to the lgbtq community. Some of the stories are written by very well known writers, like James Tynion IV and Mariko Tamaki, but the majority of the stories are by writers I've never heard before and are honestly not great. Unfortunately, most of the stories are very forgettable. I'm writing this review a day after I read the comic and if I didn't have it next to me right now I would've forgot the existence of half of these stories. My favorite story is the first one and it's written by James Tynion IV. This story features Batwoman and it's about discovering your sexuality, accepting it and learning to love yourself. It's a very nice and sweet little story, with an interesting plot and a good message. This story also has very good artwork. Both the art and the coloring are done by Trung Le Nguyen. His style has an innocent that fits perfectly with the story and thanks to his use of purple for the majority of the comic, everything has a very sad and melancholic vibe which I love and works perfectly. Unfortunately, after this story, the comic goes downhill. The second story was nice and although the allegory in its plot was absolutely obvious, it was fun and enjoyable. It was about a vilain who's trying to straight-wash history and two homosexual superheroes stop him and beat him up. It was very fun, with nice action and artwork, but it wasn't as powerful as someone would expect. After this story I'd say that there are zero stories worth reading. Fortunately, some of these stories, like "Try the Girl" and "Date Night" have very nice artwork, but the writing is forgettable at best. The most disappointing stories were "Another Word for a Truck to Move Your Furniture" (what kind of title is this?) and "He's the Light of My Life". The first one is written by Mariko Tamaki and it features the iconic couple of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Admittedly, other than a short story in another anthology comic, I haven't read anything else superhero related by Mariko, but having read two of her great graphic novels, I expected much more from her. This story is very mediocre at best and it's trying as hard as it can to be funny, but it fails horribly. Harley Quinn is written very realistically and it makes sense for her to be afraid of relationships, but other than that there's nothing else good in this story. Even the artwork isn't good. It's fun and bright, but it has many problems, like the very badly drawn faces of the characters. The other disappointing story is written by Sam Johns and has artwork by Klaus Janson. I'm not going to focus on the story, because that's not what disappoined me. I've never heard of this writer before, so I didn't have any high expectations from her, but it's worth to note that the idea behind the story is very good and powerful, its execution though is weak and it falls flat. But as I said, I didn't know the writer, so I had no reason to expect something better. What disappointed me was Klaus Janson's artwork. Knowing him from his work with the legendary Frank Miller, I expected much more from Klaus, probably something close to the level of artwork we got to see in the Daredevil issues he drew. Unfortunately, his artwork in this feels very awkward and rushed and it reminds me a lot of some of Frank Miller's worst artwork, in DKIII.
Although this comic has many flaws, I'm still glad it exists. It's very nice to see a title like this released by a huge company like DC. I just wish that it'd be better and if you think about it, it really could, but DC made some stupid mistakes while making this. First of all, I think it was a very bad idea trying to fit 9 stories in a 84 pages long comic. Every story is extremely short, which leads to all the threats being extremely weak, every problem being resolved in a couple pages and almost all the stories staying at the surface of their subject, because they have no time to dive a bit deeper into anything. If there were only 4 or 5 stories in this comic, I think that it would have worked much better and that everything would have been paced in a more correct way. Another thing that I consider a mistake of the book is that most of the writers aren't top tier. DC currently works with some of the biggest comic writers in the industry, if they had assigned some of them in this comic, I'm sure it would have been at least a bit better. It's not a coincidence that the best story in this comic is the one by James Tynion IV and that in every anthology title they've released in the last few years, the best stories are ones by writers like Grant Morrison, Scott Snyder, Tom Taylor etc.
6/10
June 24, 2021
DC Pride is a collection of nine comic vignettes that celebrates Pride Month. This anthology collects eight vignettes written and illustrated by a myriad of writers and pencillers with seven pin-ups and interviews with the actors that play LGBTQ characters on the live action shows.
This anthology is divided into nine vignettes with each story centering on a specific LGBTQ+ superhero. It starts off with a wonderful forward by March Andreyko and then delves into the stories. Characters focused on are: Katherine Kane as Batwoman, Gregorio de la Vega as Extraño with Midnighter with John Constantine, Renee Montoya as The Question, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, Alan Scott as Green Lantern and Todd Rice as Obsidian, Jess Chambers as The Flash, Hartley Rathaway as Pied Piper, Nia Nal as The Dreamer, Jackson Hyde as Aqualad and the Justice Leauge Queer.
Additionally there are seven pin-up posters: Aqualad, Crush, Bunker & Traci 13 by Travis Moore with Alejandro Sánchez, Apollo & Midnighter by David Talaski, Green Lantern by Brittney Williams, John Constantine by Kevin Wada, Scandal Savage, Knockout & Jeannette by Kris Anka, Catman by Nick Robles, and Harley & Ivy by Sophie Cammbell.
Furthermore at the end, there are interviews and profiles of actors that play LGBTQ+ character on the various DC Comics television shows that they play. Included are Nicole Maines who plays Nia Nal as the Dreamer (Supergirl), Javicia Leslie who plays Ryan Wilder as Batwoman (Batwoman), Caity Lotz who plays Sara Lance as White Canary (DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow), Matt Ryan who plays John Constantine (DC's Legends of Tomorrow), Nafessa Williams who plays Anissa Pierce as Thunder (Black Lightning), and Matt Bomer who plays Larry Tranior as Negative Man (Doom Patrol).
With nine vignettes and seven pin-ups, a scores of writers, graphic artists and colorist it is extremely difficult to rate this hefty anthology. For the most part, I liked most of the vignettes with writing and penciling that range rather wildly and a wonderful addition to any who are interested in superheroes who just happens to be LGBTQ+. However, I find it rather odd having the actor interviews, which felt more like advertising their respective television shows. I would have preferred another vignette or two staring those particular characters.
All in all, DC Pride is a wonderful collection of vignettes that celebrates LGBTQ+ superheroes and Pride Month.
This anthology is divided into nine vignettes with each story centering on a specific LGBTQ+ superhero. It starts off with a wonderful forward by March Andreyko and then delves into the stories. Characters focused on are: Katherine Kane as Batwoman, Gregorio de la Vega as Extraño with Midnighter with John Constantine, Renee Montoya as The Question, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, Alan Scott as Green Lantern and Todd Rice as Obsidian, Jess Chambers as The Flash, Hartley Rathaway as Pied Piper, Nia Nal as The Dreamer, Jackson Hyde as Aqualad and the Justice Leauge Queer.
Additionally there are seven pin-up posters: Aqualad, Crush, Bunker & Traci 13 by Travis Moore with Alejandro Sánchez, Apollo & Midnighter by David Talaski, Green Lantern by Brittney Williams, John Constantine by Kevin Wada, Scandal Savage, Knockout & Jeannette by Kris Anka, Catman by Nick Robles, and Harley & Ivy by Sophie Cammbell.
Furthermore at the end, there are interviews and profiles of actors that play LGBTQ+ character on the various DC Comics television shows that they play. Included are Nicole Maines who plays Nia Nal as the Dreamer (Supergirl), Javicia Leslie who plays Ryan Wilder as Batwoman (Batwoman), Caity Lotz who plays Sara Lance as White Canary (DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow), Matt Ryan who plays John Constantine (DC's Legends of Tomorrow), Nafessa Williams who plays Anissa Pierce as Thunder (Black Lightning), and Matt Bomer who plays Larry Tranior as Negative Man (Doom Patrol).
With nine vignettes and seven pin-ups, a scores of writers, graphic artists and colorist it is extremely difficult to rate this hefty anthology. For the most part, I liked most of the vignettes with writing and penciling that range rather wildly and a wonderful addition to any who are interested in superheroes who just happens to be LGBTQ+. However, I find it rather odd having the actor interviews, which felt more like advertising their respective television shows. I would have preferred another vignette or two staring those particular characters.
All in all, DC Pride is a wonderful collection of vignettes that celebrates LGBTQ+ superheroes and Pride Month.
June 21, 2021
Exactly what's needed, representation in the mainstream and of course the Harlivy sections where my favourite ❤
June 15, 2021
It makes you feel like you have to conform to what the world wants for you to be because the rules that work for the other children, they don't work for you.
You feel like you're living on the other side of the looking glass, that you're backwards and wrong looking at all the other people who fit like you don't.
And you lash out and you try to control yourself, and control the world, but you can't do either, and sometimes it feels like that's going to break you.
But then you find the other people on the wrong side of the looking glass.
And you find YOURSELF in them.
You feel like you're living on the other side of the looking glass, that you're backwards and wrong looking at all the other people who fit like you don't.
And you lash out and you try to control yourself, and control the world, but you can't do either, and sometimes it feels like that's going to break you.
But then you find the other people on the wrong side of the looking glass.
And you find YOURSELF in them.
June 2, 2023
ok ok. not bad for first pride issue but you can do even better dc
July 9, 2023
Super cute! Each story was great, some even made me tear up.
June 22, 2021
As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community I was delighted when I read DC was releasing a Pride anthology. When I saw the price tag I was rather shocked. However the sheer quality of these stories makes it worth every cent.
1) Batwoman: The Wrong Side of the Looking Glass
A beautiful story celebrating the queerness of Kate Kane. Filled with deep subtext and metaphors and analogies. The best work I’ve ever read by James Tynion IV
2) Constantine/Extrano/Midnighter
Steve Orlando returns to these characters and I realised how much he really gets how to write queer men. Includes open relationships and lots of flirtatious Constantine.
3) The Question/Renee Montoya
Vita Ayala writes this great story that I hope is a setup for something further. It was a joy to read Renee again as Question
4) Harley & Ivy
Mariko Tamaki takes on this tale of Gotham’s other dynamic duo. She does a far better job than Stephanie Philips does in her current main run. This makes me hope Tamaki writes more of these two down the line. Hilariously bonkers as it should be.
5)GL Alan Scott & Obsidian Todd Rice
This is by far the standout story. The gay men who come out later in life are not at all represented in media of any kind so this was a great move keeping this element of the defunct Earth 2 version. There are some gorgeous character moments. Sam Johns makes an exceptional job of this story.
6) Jess Quick & Andy Curry
Set in the future this tale of the new non binary Flash and Aquaman’s daughter is possibly the weakest in the anthology because they are the least defined. This could have taken a more focused path narratively. It’s still 4* however. Story by Danny Lore
7) Pier Piper
Sina Grace brings this tale of an unknown to me version of Pied Piper. Harley Rathaway also features. This is okay but not amazing. Sina Grace has done better
8) Dreamer/ Nia Nal
Nicole Maines takes on the comic book debut of her version of the character from the Supergirl tv show. I have a great love for the character and Nicole Maines. It is a joy to see Dreamer as part of this
9) Jackson Hyde
Andrew Wheeler writes Aqualad’s first Pride Parade since his coming out. This is a diverse story. All body types and sectors of the community are captured by artist Luciano Vecchio.
This is a truly beautiful story filled with the true spirit of Pride. By the time I reached the lasts page I was crying. This is an amazing collection.
There’s also a gallery of various characters in the book and a who’s who index at the back.
1) Batwoman: The Wrong Side of the Looking Glass
A beautiful story celebrating the queerness of Kate Kane. Filled with deep subtext and metaphors and analogies. The best work I’ve ever read by James Tynion IV
2) Constantine/Extrano/Midnighter
Steve Orlando returns to these characters and I realised how much he really gets how to write queer men. Includes open relationships and lots of flirtatious Constantine.
3) The Question/Renee Montoya
Vita Ayala writes this great story that I hope is a setup for something further. It was a joy to read Renee again as Question
4) Harley & Ivy
Mariko Tamaki takes on this tale of Gotham’s other dynamic duo. She does a far better job than Stephanie Philips does in her current main run. This makes me hope Tamaki writes more of these two down the line. Hilariously bonkers as it should be.
5)GL Alan Scott & Obsidian Todd Rice
This is by far the standout story. The gay men who come out later in life are not at all represented in media of any kind so this was a great move keeping this element of the defunct Earth 2 version. There are some gorgeous character moments. Sam Johns makes an exceptional job of this story.
6) Jess Quick & Andy Curry
Set in the future this tale of the new non binary Flash and Aquaman’s daughter is possibly the weakest in the anthology because they are the least defined. This could have taken a more focused path narratively. It’s still 4* however. Story by Danny Lore
7) Pier Piper
Sina Grace brings this tale of an unknown to me version of Pied Piper. Harley Rathaway also features. This is okay but not amazing. Sina Grace has done better
8) Dreamer/ Nia Nal
Nicole Maines takes on the comic book debut of her version of the character from the Supergirl tv show. I have a great love for the character and Nicole Maines. It is a joy to see Dreamer as part of this
9) Jackson Hyde
Andrew Wheeler writes Aqualad’s first Pride Parade since his coming out. This is a diverse story. All body types and sectors of the community are captured by artist Luciano Vecchio.
This is a truly beautiful story filled with the true spirit of Pride. By the time I reached the lasts page I was crying. This is an amazing collection.
There’s also a gallery of various characters in the book and a who’s who index at the back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2022
This was perfect!!!! I loved every short story in this!!!! I def need more Queer Superheroes in my life!
June 11, 2021
The Review
Some of my favorite heroes in the DC Universe are proud members of the LGBTQ community. From the incredible story of Alan Scott trying to bond with his son Obsidian in an attempt to recognize how far the world has come since the days of gay men having to hide in secret bars, to the heartfelt romance of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, and even the promise of a future league within the DC Universe that celebrates the wide range of LGBTQ heroes that the comic book company has to offer, this collection celebrates a wide range of stories and heroes that showcase not only their PRIDE but of the power and rich stories that they embody.
However, my personal favorite story within this collection comes from the Arrowverse, which focuses on one of my favorite new heroes and favorite actresses, Dreamer, played by the lovely and incredible Nicole Maines. Her story of fighting for peace and allowing people’s dreams to become a reality was beautifully brought to life with rich artwork and a story that felt both fresh and unique to the character dynamics established in the Supergirl corner of the Arrowverse. Nia is a truly great hero to embody the future of the DC Comics universe, embodying both powerful heroics and in-depth and emotional character development, making her story feel like the future so many of us comic book fans have been waiting so long for.
The Verdict
A memorable, heartfelt, and action-packed comic book anthology comic, DC Comics’s “DC Pride” is a must-read anthology for not only PRIDE month, but for the future of DC Comics. Engaging characters and emotional storytelling make these stories both entertaining and resonate with fans around the world. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Some of my favorite heroes in the DC Universe are proud members of the LGBTQ community. From the incredible story of Alan Scott trying to bond with his son Obsidian in an attempt to recognize how far the world has come since the days of gay men having to hide in secret bars, to the heartfelt romance of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, and even the promise of a future league within the DC Universe that celebrates the wide range of LGBTQ heroes that the comic book company has to offer, this collection celebrates a wide range of stories and heroes that showcase not only their PRIDE but of the power and rich stories that they embody.
However, my personal favorite story within this collection comes from the Arrowverse, which focuses on one of my favorite new heroes and favorite actresses, Dreamer, played by the lovely and incredible Nicole Maines. Her story of fighting for peace and allowing people’s dreams to become a reality was beautifully brought to life with rich artwork and a story that felt both fresh and unique to the character dynamics established in the Supergirl corner of the Arrowverse. Nia is a truly great hero to embody the future of the DC Comics universe, embodying both powerful heroics and in-depth and emotional character development, making her story feel like the future so many of us comic book fans have been waiting so long for.
The Verdict
A memorable, heartfelt, and action-packed comic book anthology comic, DC Comics’s “DC Pride” is a must-read anthology for not only PRIDE month, but for the future of DC Comics. Engaging characters and emotional storytelling make these stories both entertaining and resonate with fans around the world. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
June 25, 2021
I don't usually review graphic novels, despite the fact I do read a few (particularly DC) but I decided this one was worth reading and reviewing for a couple of reasons: primarily because it's a pride anthology and I think representation matters, but also because it is an anthology, it can easily be read as a standalone.
I loved it. The stories were all short (my one issue) but it was to be expected from an 80 page anthology containing 9 different stories, so it was hardly unexpected. The variety of characters were fantastic: gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, non-binary, and trans-gendered characters. People of colour. Representation across the board. The stories were all beautifully drawn in their various styles, the tales all concise but covering a variety of (to me at least) relatable issues.
All I can say is if you're a DC fan, and identify as LGBT+ or even an ally, I would definitely recommend checking this anthology out!
I loved it. The stories were all short (my one issue) but it was to be expected from an 80 page anthology containing 9 different stories, so it was hardly unexpected. The variety of characters were fantastic: gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, non-binary, and trans-gendered characters. People of colour. Representation across the board. The stories were all beautifully drawn in their various styles, the tales all concise but covering a variety of (to me at least) relatable issues.
All I can say is if you're a DC fan, and identify as LGBT+ or even an ally, I would definitely recommend checking this anthology out!
June 8, 2021
Just in time
Beautifully written and illustrated. The stories were just right for all ages,races,and cultures. I was especially pleased with the CW/DC LGBTQ+character cast interviews. This was so needed after such a trying year, and the ending of our CW favs such as Blk Lightning and Supergirl. This issue offers new readers a chance to see their favorite OG heroes and villains but also meet the new/next gen hero.
Beautifully written and illustrated. The stories were just right for all ages,races,and cultures. I was especially pleased with the CW/DC LGBTQ+character cast interviews. This was so needed after such a trying year, and the ending of our CW favs such as Blk Lightning and Supergirl. This issue offers new readers a chance to see their favorite OG heroes and villains but also meet the new/next gen hero.
July 18, 2022
Well-intentioned, message-heavy cotton candy. A little heavy on the L part of LGBTQ+ with one weird (but ultimately sweet) story that gives off a few bestiality vibes that hopefully were unintentional. Most of the stories here are pretty slight and I'm not sure any of them do much to elevate the community (the Aqualad tale at the end comes closest), but it's cool the book exists. My favorite part? That hunky Tarzan (I guess) artwork by Nick Robles in the art gallery at the end. Where's THAT comic?
June 15, 2021
This was so cute <3
(Also, after that Justice League Queer tease at the end I NEED DC to actually make that series happen, the team lineup is so good)
(Also, after that Justice League Queer tease at the end I NEED DC to actually make that series happen, the team lineup is so good)
Read
June 16, 2021I need solo comics for all these characters. These stories were way too short!!!
July 1, 2021
4.5
Of course the Harlivy was AMAZING but I honestly loved most of them, especially the batwoman one and the renée one!
Of course the Harlivy was AMAZING but I honestly loved most of them, especially the batwoman one and the renée one!
September 9, 2021
It's hard not to compare this to the Marvel one, but it just had way more heart. Including the interviews with real people.
November 27, 2021
4.2/5
You know, this was far cuter and significantly less ham-fisted than I feared it was going to be.
You know, this was far cuter and significantly less ham-fisted than I feared it was going to be.
June 1, 2022
While the stories in this weren’t the most groundbreaking, I am so happy DC is at least acknowledging these characters. Representation matters and I have hope the 2022 book will be even better 🏳️🌈
June 17, 2022
good, good dc
Read
June 15, 2023alice in wonderland, greek mythology and degrading men this was made for me <3
July 3, 2023
I wish I had this when I was younger. That's all
June 11, 2024
I just finished the 2024 DC Pride comic book, and I felt the need to go back and read the other releases. I preferred this one (the first, I think?) to the 2024 issue because everything in this one is so short and condensed. The stories know how to be brief, quick, and leave an impact.
June 7, 2025
Really, very sweet. The artwork is better than I thought it would be, all in all. The love these creators have for these characters is evident on every page.
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