Queerness occupies a strange place in the world, pun not quite intended. From what I gather, which I hope is not my own projection, the queer and trans people I know just want to live and thrive, be nerds, have sex if we so choose or have people respect us if sexual or romantic attraction…
Truth-Telling: Tynion and Simmonds’ THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH as Art
I think it can be said without the ruffling of many feathers that “comics are art.” Still, one of the biggest philosophical issues we as a society tend to run into, much like Wile E. Coyote when he crashes headfirst into a stone slab he thought was a tunnel, is the question “what is art…
History of Violence: The Brief History of Erika Storn
In 2021 I wrote an article that briefly talked about DC Comics’ first Pride-themed comic anthology. I listed over a dozen of DC’s earliest queer characters who received no mention or reference in DC Pride, such as Coagula, Wanda, Masquerade, and Shvaughn Erin. I regret there was at least one other character whom even I…
The Legion’s Lightning Rod: The Growth and Evolution of Lightning Lad
The Legion of Super-Heroes are one of the oldest teams in the history of DC Comics. What began as three time travelling teens who made an appearance in Adventure Comics #247 evolved into a group with such history and depth, by the 1980s they received their own Who’s Who series just to keep track of…
Sigrid Nansen: Icemaiden to Glacier
When the DC Pride anthology was released last summer, I must admit I found it rather underwhelming and somewhat performative. As an autochorissexual, the overall lack of asexual representation beyond Tremor’s silent role in the JLQ story left me feeling annoyed. Beyond that, I had frustrations over the lack of presence many of DC’s earliest…
Visual Stories to Face a Brutal World: Fuego lento
This is a city that is gradually becoming a ruin. This is a city which streets are constantly covered by puddles and its buildings are decorated with cracks. This is a city that carries a painful past and lives a brutal present. Its inhabitants move alone, but they share the same wish: the desire to…
A Missing Car and a Big Purple Smile: Nueva Berlín
A clothing store. A missing car. A key that gets bigger and bigger in the hands of a young woman. Two women travel around the city, trying to find the missing car of one of them. A willing chair that functions as a bicycle. Dialogs that keep repeating, like echoes of a previous conversation. A…
Once and Future State: Revisiting DC’s LEGENDS OF THE DEAD EARTH
With characters from DC Future State comprising a not-insignificant amount of DC Comics’ publishing slate — from Superman: Son of Kal-El and Superman and the Authority to I Am Batman, Wonder Girl, and Aquaman: The Becoming — I thought it’d be interesting to look back on one of the other times DC had their books jump…
Father’s Day Special: Devin Grayson on ARSENAL and Lian Harper
In reviewing the line-up for DC’s Green Arrow 80th Anniversary Special, many fans were in fact overjoyed when they learned Devin Grayson was included in the line-up of creators. Their excitement doubled when Grayson announced on her twitter account that she would be writing a story about Roy Harper, and in her words: he would…
Roar into Pride Month with Joe Glass and THE PRIDE Omnibus
When he was 13, Joe Glass was a “massive X-Men fan,” and while there is said to be an obvious analogy made between the plight of mutants and queer people, he didn’t see any at that time. The writer later learned there were queer characters in comics, but they were either rarely appearing side characters,…