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Pride Month is fast approaching, and DC and Marvel are celebrating ahead of June, with the announcement of a stream of LGBTQIA+ variant comic covers.
The exclusive covers will be featured on brand new stories created especially for Pride, while the companies are also releasing special covers for classic fan-favourite superheroes.
What can we expect from DC Comics?
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Image credit: DC Comics – Son of Kal-El #12 by David Talaski
As part of their new content created for Pride, DC will be issuing a second queer anthology, which is a collection of stories featuring their LGBTQIA+ characters, following suit from the one they released last year. The 104-page anthology comic, called DC Pride 2022, will drop on 31 May.
Image credit: DC Comics – Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #1 Pride variant cover by Kevin Wada
The covers feature some familiar superhero faces, such as Harley Quinn, Aquaman, and Robin, as well as brand new queer characters.
Image credit: DC – Harley Quinn #16 Pride variant by Olivier Coipel
The release comes as DC announced that “new comics [are] launching during June to continue DC Pride all year”. This includes Multiversity: Teen Justice; Nubia: Queen of the Amazons; as well as a brand new Poison Ivy comic. They are also publishing a new young adult graphic novel called Galaxy: The Prettiest Star.
Image credit: DC – DC Pride: Tim Drake Special #1 Pride variant cover by Travis G. Moore
The image above is from DC’s upcoming 64-page special DC Pride: Tim Drake Special, which takes off from the 2021 anthology Batman: Urban Legends, and follows Robin’s journey as he realises he has romantic feelings towards his friend Bernard.
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Image credit: DC – Pride variant cover by Joe Phillips (Aquamen #5)
What can we expect from Marvel?
Marvel’s Voices: Pride is due to make a comeback this June, and they have released colourful comic covers made especially for the celebratory month.
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Image credit: Marvel
They have also revealed a number of vibrant comic covers which feature some of their LGBTQIA+ characters including Somnus, Destiny and Iceman.
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Image credit: Marvel
Marvel’s Pride variant comics will be available from 15 June, but you can expect a super(hero) month filled with action as the comic company has planned a plethora of brand new content.
For example, Grace Freud, a comedy writer whose work includes Rick and Morty, has written a story about the power of responsibility featuring LGBTQIA+ character D-Man. Marvel has also said that Danny Lore, who wrote CHAMPIONS, will revisit “the legacy of two characters long left in the closet in a tale of love and redemption.”
Prior to releasing the exclusive covers, DC and Marvel have both been increasing LGBTQIA+ representation in their worlds. For example, Marvel confirmed that beloved starlord Peter Quill is bisexual in Al Ewing’s Guardians of the Galaxy #9 comic.
Last October, DC introduced its first transgender Amazon in their new Wonder Woman comic Nubia & The Amazons.
It’s exciting to see the comic giants finally being more inclusive – we can’t wait to see these colourful Pride covers in print.
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