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DC Pride 2024 #1
DC’s Eisner and Ringo award-winning Pride anthology returns in the form of a universe-spanning travelogue like you’ve never seen! In its pages, Dreamer makes a first-time pilgrimage to her ancestral planet, Naltor! Poison Ivy and Janet from HR go spore-hunting on Portworld! Superman (Jon Kent) gets the boys together for a night out in A-Town, but things go sideways when The Ray vanishes into thin air! Steel (Natasha Irons) works up the courage to face Traci 13 at the Oblivion Bar’s Pride party for the first time since they broke up! Aquaman (Jackson Hyde) catches an unexpected ride to the Fourth World just in time for their annual Love Festival! All this and more in a volume celebrating how the LGBTQIA+ community is everywhere and belongs anywhere—even the very furthest reaches of the universe. Plus, this year’s anthology features a special preview of the upcoming YA OGN The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley, as well as an unmissable autobiographical story written by industry legend Phil Jimenez about the fantastical worlds that shaped him, brought to life by Giulio Macaione!
99 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 2, 2024
I would’ve brought tissues had I known how it was gonna end.
4 stars cause it isn’t perfect. But it’s paradise.
4 stars cause it isn’t perfect. But it’s paradise.
Read
June 30, 2024Before I say anything else I'm just here to complain about another DC Pride issue without any kind of meaningful Batwoman presence. She didn’t ever make it into the book at all. Not on the cover, or any of the pin ups. It's great that DC has an increasing amount of LGBTQIA+ characters so there’s variety of who they feature but it's also clear nobody at DC cares about Kate Kane.
This aside, I have mixed feelings about the comic. Some stories I really liked (Hello, Space Boy, Marasmius and spaces) and some were fine, but many of them felt too short and/juvenile. At least half of the stories were setting up actual ongoing series or a graphic novel, it felt like this whole thing is a promo for other stuff. They did the preview thing before and it’s fine but there has to be a balance where the actual Pride story is enjoyable too on its own. Last year's Connor Hawke story was a part of a book he's in but it worked by itself.
This year, "Phantom Rodeo" is clearly part of some Flash book and you could really tell, in a bad way. It wasn’t giving me a lot as someone who isn't up to date with these characters. Meanwhile, the very first story (Hello, Spaceboy ny Al Ewing) is about characters I don't know but still managed to convey the basics of who they are.
I think the Nia story is good and I'm glad Nicole Maines gets the chance to write it, but it was very short and tells you nothing new if you already know the character. Would've been nice to see some hint of what kind of adventure we can expect for Dreamer.
The Poison Ivy story (Marasmius by Gretchen Felker-Martin) was good, it’s nice to see Ivy on an adventure of her own. Harlivy is my favourite DC ship but both of them need to exist outside of the pairing too. Speaking of, the "Strange case of Harleen and Harley" was cute but clearly only a short preview of the upcoming YA book.
I liked Steeling Time (by Jamila Rowser), which was also following up on a story from other comics of the aftermath of a breakup. Thankfully, it was also giving enough of the situation and the characters that it can be enjoyed on its own. I mostly liked it because of the queer bar setting and because John Constantine was in it.
The Aqualad story (The Rivers and Lakes that You're Used to by) was cute and the New God book it sets seems interesting so I might check it out.
Some more negativitiy: on the whole this issue felt very targeted towards a younger demographic. Like young-young. I'm 29, so not soo outside of the YA target audience age but I would like to see a variety of ages and experiences. Almost all stories feature teenagers or young characters and some of them read that young too. I didn't touch upon 'Bros Down in A-Town" because honestly I couldn't get through it, the cutesy art and tone really isn't my cup of tea. It's the best example of this and in general it's a good thing we aren’t afraid of LGBTQIA stories aimed at young readers. Just also aim at older readers too.
To end more positively, the autobioghapical Phil Jimenez story, Spaces was absolutely beautiful and it's worth getting the issue just to read it.
This aside, I have mixed feelings about the comic. Some stories I really liked (Hello, Space Boy, Marasmius and spaces) and some were fine, but many of them felt too short and/juvenile. At least half of the stories were setting up actual ongoing series or a graphic novel, it felt like this whole thing is a promo for other stuff. They did the preview thing before and it’s fine but there has to be a balance where the actual Pride story is enjoyable too on its own. Last year's Connor Hawke story was a part of a book he's in but it worked by itself.
This year, "Phantom Rodeo" is clearly part of some Flash book and you could really tell, in a bad way. It wasn’t giving me a lot as someone who isn't up to date with these characters. Meanwhile, the very first story (Hello, Spaceboy ny Al Ewing) is about characters I don't know but still managed to convey the basics of who they are.
I think the Nia story is good and I'm glad Nicole Maines gets the chance to write it, but it was very short and tells you nothing new if you already know the character. Would've been nice to see some hint of what kind of adventure we can expect for Dreamer.
The Poison Ivy story (Marasmius by Gretchen Felker-Martin) was good, it’s nice to see Ivy on an adventure of her own. Harlivy is my favourite DC ship but both of them need to exist outside of the pairing too. Speaking of, the "Strange case of Harleen and Harley" was cute but clearly only a short preview of the upcoming YA book.
I liked Steeling Time (by Jamila Rowser), which was also following up on a story from other comics of the aftermath of a breakup. Thankfully, it was also giving enough of the situation and the characters that it can be enjoyed on its own. I mostly liked it because of the queer bar setting and because John Constantine was in it.
The Aqualad story (The Rivers and Lakes that You're Used to by) was cute and the New God book it sets seems interesting so I might check it out.
Some more negativitiy: on the whole this issue felt very targeted towards a younger demographic. Like young-young. I'm 29, so not soo outside of the YA target audience age but I would like to see a variety of ages and experiences. Almost all stories feature teenagers or young characters and some of them read that young too. I didn't touch upon 'Bros Down in A-Town" because honestly I couldn't get through it, the cutesy art and tone really isn't my cup of tea. It's the best example of this and in general it's a good thing we aren’t afraid of LGBTQIA stories aimed at young readers. Just also aim at older readers too.
To end more positively, the autobioghapical Phil Jimenez story, Spaces was absolutely beautiful and it's worth getting the issue just to read it.
June 5, 2024
Some great pieces in here, but it really falls off in quality towards the end of the book.
May 30, 2024
Not my favorite of the DC Pride anthologies in recent years, but still enjoyable. The Phil Jimenez story was the highlight, I almost cried. I am biased to enjoy anything Ngozi Ukazu puts out right now so I also enjoyed Jackson’s story a lot. I hope she continues to pop up in DC Comics! It’s good to see Jackson happy and in a relationship again. The story with Natasha and Traci (specifically the input from Xanthe and John Constantine) was entertaining. I also liked the Dreamer story. Despite being my favorite character of the bunch featured this year, I didn’t love the story focusing on Jon Kent. The art was super cute and the concept was fun, but I think I just found the characterization of Jay Nakamura a little jarring compared to his other appearances. Overall, this was a fun read with lots of great art.
June 19, 2024
As long as they keep putting Dreamer in these issues I'll keep buying them.
I am a simple man. Emphasis on "simp."
I am a simple man. Emphasis on "simp."
July 1, 2024
This is a weak 5 stars and probably my least favorite DC Pride yet. I really found much of it too cutesy, cartoony and childish to enjoy like past issues. The start and end stories are the strongest for me with "Spaces" being a strong enough 5 to save the whole issue for me.
"Hello, Spaceboy" is a cute and fun way to kick off this year's collection. Starman, Mikaal Thomas, and fellow last of the Tradlavians, Komak, fight an activated weapon from their home planet that had been planted on Earth long ago and then enjoy some post battle release. While it's a fun story, there's a lot here that I would love explored further, especially the angsty bits of their complicated past. Not sure if there's more of them written or planned, but I would absolutely devour a series dedicated to them.
"The Rivers and the Lakes That You're Used To" is a cutesy Aquaman story with a Jackson Hyde and Ha'Wea conversation interrupted by a celestial sea creature and Orion. It's quick and cute with a message about finding your place in the world. The story was fine, but I was most excited to see that it's by Ngozi Ukazu whose Check, Please! webcomics I absolutely loved. I'm very excited to see that she'll be doing more with DC.
"Marasmius" is a Poison Ivy jaunt to an a deep-space trading hub in search of the marasmius enamus, the dreamer's mushroom, long extinct on Earth. She finds the viable spores she was looking for and hate spewing Earthlings that she did not expect. It's a fine story, but lacking Harley so just kind of lacking for me.
"Steeling Time" has lots of fun cameos, but focuses on the bad breakup between Natasha Irons and Traci 13. I honestly don't know either of those characters or what series they're connected to, but I'm pretty sure the purple-haired Raven is THE Raven I mostly know from Teen Titans, so I'm related this story to that series which I haven't followed in years. I need to revist it, though, because I have heard that Beast Boy finally got Raven and I kind of need to confirm that that is canon and how.
"Bros Down In A-Town" is...Jon Kent Superman? Is this art common because I do not remember anything so childish from what I've seen in this series before. Is it a new cartoon or anime art style? Because I think I'll pass. It's too distracting for me to enjoy the story, which comes across as completely unserious due to the art. The food talk did make me hungry, though. I feel like Ray a.k.a. The Ray had a more serious story that deserves to be told somewhere else.
"Lessons In Astral Projection" is a nice addition to Nia, The Dreamer's, growing story through these DC Pride releases.
"Phantom Rodeo" is from Flash-verse with Jules Jourdain a.k.a. Circuit Breaker and a Pied Piper a.k.a. Mica? The art is nice and it's an easy enough story to follow with Jay Garrick, The First Flash, baiting a monster to follow him to Jules' territory. Apparently it continues in The Flash #10, but I honestly haven't been into The Flash comics since Flashpoint, so ok.
"The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley" is an adorable little romp with young Harley and Ivy liberating some caged animals. I'm very glad to see my girls together because Janet from H.R. had me worried in "Marasmius."
"Spaces" is the best piece included in this year's collection by far. It is the deeply personal story of Phil Jimenez specificallyrelating to his work on and connection to the Wonder Woman series. It's about paracosms. The beautiful, imaginary places that we make for ourselves as children and, some, are lucky enough to keep building for us as adults. I have a greater appreciation for his work and him having read this and these really are the inclusions that make DC Prides something special.
"Hello, Spaceboy" is a cute and fun way to kick off this year's collection. Starman, Mikaal Thomas, and fellow last of the Tradlavians, Komak, fight an activated weapon from their home planet that had been planted on Earth long ago and then enjoy some post battle release. While it's a fun story, there's a lot here that I would love explored further, especially the angsty bits of their complicated past. Not sure if there's more of them written or planned, but I would absolutely devour a series dedicated to them.
"The Rivers and the Lakes That You're Used To" is a cutesy Aquaman story with a Jackson Hyde and Ha'Wea conversation interrupted by a celestial sea creature and Orion. It's quick and cute with a message about finding your place in the world. The story was fine, but I was most excited to see that it's by Ngozi Ukazu whose Check, Please! webcomics I absolutely loved. I'm very excited to see that she'll be doing more with DC.
"Marasmius" is a Poison Ivy jaunt to an a deep-space trading hub in search of the marasmius enamus, the dreamer's mushroom, long extinct on Earth. She finds the viable spores she was looking for and hate spewing Earthlings that she did not expect. It's a fine story, but lacking Harley so just kind of lacking for me.
"Steeling Time" has lots of fun cameos, but focuses on the bad breakup between Natasha Irons and Traci 13. I honestly don't know either of those characters or what series they're connected to, but I'm pretty sure the purple-haired Raven is THE Raven I mostly know from Teen Titans, so I'm related this story to that series which I haven't followed in years. I need to revist it, though, because I have heard that Beast Boy finally got Raven and I kind of need to confirm that that is canon and how.
"Bros Down In A-Town" is...Jon Kent Superman? Is this art common because I do not remember anything so childish from what I've seen in this series before. Is it a new cartoon or anime art style? Because I think I'll pass. It's too distracting for me to enjoy the story, which comes across as completely unserious due to the art. The food talk did make me hungry, though. I feel like Ray a.k.a. The Ray had a more serious story that deserves to be told somewhere else.
"Lessons In Astral Projection" is a nice addition to Nia, The Dreamer's, growing story through these DC Pride releases.
"Phantom Rodeo" is from Flash-verse with Jules Jourdain a.k.a. Circuit Breaker and a Pied Piper a.k.a. Mica? The art is nice and it's an easy enough story to follow with Jay Garrick, The First Flash, baiting a monster to follow him to Jules' territory. Apparently it continues in The Flash #10, but I honestly haven't been into The Flash comics since Flashpoint, so ok.
"The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley" is an adorable little romp with young Harley and Ivy liberating some caged animals. I'm very glad to see my girls together because Janet from H.R. had me worried in "Marasmius."
"Spaces" is the best piece included in this year's collection by far. It is the deeply personal story of Phil Jimenez specificallyrelating to his work on and connection to the Wonder Woman series. It's about paracosms. The beautiful, imaginary places that we make for ourselves as children and, some, are lucky enough to keep building for us as adults. I have a greater appreciation for his work and him having read this and these really are the inclusions that make DC Prides something special.
August 1, 2024
Me ha gustado mucho la historia de Phil Jiménez, en la que habla sobre la importancia que tuvo para él Thrmiscyra como refugio para el niño gay que fue. En cuanto a las historias de los personajes de DC, echo en falta historias protagonizadas por personajes adultos y por más mujeres.
June 29, 2024
An extraordinary read. Well worth the price tag. Phil Jimenez made me cry. What a beautiful autobiographical story
June 2, 2024
definitely the worst dc pride anthology so far, it started out decently strong then just went downhill, the last story tho was the highlight i think
June 2, 2024
This one is worth it for Phil Jimenez’s story alone. I have such a deeper appreciation for his work on WW now! The Poison Ivy story was another fun highlight - nice to see Wilson’s take on Ivy getting broader play across the DCU.
June 2, 2024
Some cute and wholesome moments. I got to the mushroom story as soon as my friend mentioned the spore drive from Star Trek: Discovery.
Read
June 29, 2024Obviously the main attraction for me was Al Ewing's first DC work*, especially since he's making that debut with gay disco Starman. Who, I know, was never exactly gay, and here isn't exactly disco either, getting an eighties Miami update; if Stephen Byrne's art doesn't quite match the cocaine sheen of Patric Reynolds on Blood Stained Teeth, it's still closer than I would have expected from a Big Two superhero comic. But I think what I enjoyed most was that whereas Pride anthologies can often end up a bit mimsy and wholesome, fixated on acceptance and community, lesbian motherhood and apple bi, this one isn't ashamed of the real core of it all, and resolves with sex instead. And it's not alone in that slightly less conciliatory tone; yeah, there are a few of the usual gentle inconsequentialities, with art that's more cutesy than cute, all candyfloss affirmations and gently wagged fingers, but we also get horror writer Gretchen Felker-Martin seemingly not being asked to pull any punches when Poison Ivy runs into barely disguised analogues of the US 'think' tanks who export homophobia, and gives them exactly what they deserve. Even between stories there are ads for charities and activist groups who run a little more forceful than the usual suspects: "PRIDE IS A PROTEST THAT LASTS LONGER THAN JUNE".
Not that I'm entirely against soppier queer content, you understand; I just need it to feel like it has real heart, rather than a focus-grouped approximation (it also helps, of course, if it's not hinged on characters I don't know at all because of my distance from the recent DCU, and whom the story doesn't really trouble to introduce, or else does so with clunky exposition in dialogue). Case in point: the lovely autobiographical closer from Phil Jimenez, with art by Andrea Shea, about being a lonely kid finding queer utopias in comics, and then getting to play in them for a living. Though even this, with its lament for how shared superhero universes often oblige the talent to tear such paradises down as part of the latest crossover, has a certain unexpected boldness too.
*Officially, anyway, and alas, the previous one appears to have been consigned to Limbo for now; understandable professionally, if tragic artistically.
Not that I'm entirely against soppier queer content, you understand; I just need it to feel like it has real heart, rather than a focus-grouped approximation (it also helps, of course, if it's not hinged on characters I don't know at all because of my distance from the recent DCU, and whom the story doesn't really trouble to introduce, or else does so with clunky exposition in dialogue). Case in point: the lovely autobiographical closer from Phil Jimenez, with art by Andrea Shea, about being a lonely kid finding queer utopias in comics, and then getting to play in them for a living. Though even this, with its lament for how shared superhero universes often oblige the talent to tear such paradises down as part of the latest crossover, has a certain unexpected boldness too.
*Officially, anyway, and alas, the previous one appears to have been consigned to Limbo for now; understandable professionally, if tragic artistically.
June 2, 2024
So sad about not liking it, but there were so many stories that were just set up, so if you want to know what happens you need to read something else, and then the other stories that didn’t fall into that category were mostly bad or middle of the road
Hello Spaceboy 3.5
3.5 mostly because of its art and for introducing me to Mikaal Tomas, he seems like a cool character, although I did really the love story it was sweet
The Rivers and The Lakes You’re Used To 3
I just don’t really care about Jackson, the commentary they make of new genesis and orion was good tho
Marasmius? 4
My favorite by far, the art was gorgeous, and they had fun with it, thank god it wasn't just another harley and ivy pairing
Steeling Time 3.5
Seeing Constantine is always a treat, and I liked that it didn't end on the characters getting back together, because natasha was pretty shitty
Bros Down In A-Town 1
Super disappointing considering this was my most anticipating story, the art was hideous, the lingo they used was cringy and they never really say why rae was insecure
Dreamer N/R
The First of the Non Stories because you quite literally dont get a conclusion, the part about her being angry at her mother was good tho
Phantom Rodeo 2
I also really liked the art, but it was really hard to follow, and again they ask you to reqd the flash to find out what happens next
The Curious case of Harleen and Harley N/R
preview
Spaces 3
Pretty cute
Hello Spaceboy 3.5
3.5 mostly because of its art and for introducing me to Mikaal Tomas, he seems like a cool character, although I did really the love story it was sweet
The Rivers and The Lakes You’re Used To 3
I just don’t really care about Jackson, the commentary they make of new genesis and orion was good tho
Marasmius? 4
My favorite by far, the art was gorgeous, and they had fun with it, thank god it wasn't just another harley and ivy pairing
Steeling Time 3.5
Seeing Constantine is always a treat, and I liked that it didn't end on the characters getting back together, because natasha was pretty shitty
Bros Down In A-Town 1
Super disappointing considering this was my most anticipating story, the art was hideous, the lingo they used was cringy and they never really say why rae was insecure
Dreamer N/R
The First of the Non Stories because you quite literally dont get a conclusion, the part about her being angry at her mother was good tho
Phantom Rodeo 2
I also really liked the art, but it was really hard to follow, and again they ask you to reqd the flash to find out what happens next
The Curious case of Harleen and Harley N/R
preview
Spaces 3
Pretty cute
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2024
I wanted to like it, I really did but it just didn't work out. The previous issues were sooo much better than this. The stories were okay, except the Jon one. I hated the artstyle, they tried to make it cute but it's just a chop. And the way Jon acts almost gave me a stroke.
And I wish that Tim got a story too. They forgot about him. again.
And I wish that Tim got a story too. They forgot about him. again.
May 30, 2024
So much better than last years anthology - a great collection of queer stories, particularly loved Ivy’s and Dreamer’s. Also, worth the read for Phil Jiminez’s beautiful story alone. We create the queer utopias we want to see in the world!!
July 20, 2024
Some stories deserved 5 stars, others deserved 2 so I was unsure how to really rate this one without using actual maths (I'm too gay for that) so we went with 4 for the overall vibes.
I love getting such a range of art styles, characters, and writers.
I love getting such a range of art styles, characters, and writers.
August 16, 2024
As usual very bitty, and very varied in style. The kawaii manga-style Superman story left me cold, for example. But there are a few more developed and interesting pieces, and the obligatory non-fiction piece (Spaces, about using comics to create utopias) is again a highlight.
May 30, 2024
A great selection of short comics, some of which feel a little repetitive? But still great.
May 31, 2024
A bit underwhelming.
June 24, 2024
The closing comic, SPACES Written by Phil Jimenez with Art by Giulio Macaione was wonderful! Also recommend the Ivy story. The rest of the book was fun.
July 12, 2024
Couple of weak stories, but the strong ones overpower.
Special shoutout to Phil Jiminez's closing metacomic.
Special shoutout to Phil Jiminez's closing metacomic.
July 28, 2024
that ending Phil Jimenez queer utopia story was the absolute standout here (a 5 star story)
August 3, 2024
Love the artwork and the storylines. Loved getting to see different takes from different artist with their different styles.
August 12, 2024
Cool collection of pieces. Feel like it could have had more depth or longer shorts. But overall, a good selection of comics
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews