Both Marvel and DC Are Celebrating Pride Month With LGBTQIA+ Specials

Pride Month is this June and Marvel and DC Comics are celebrating with an anthology each. If you didn’t catch last year’s specials, these highlight the publishers’ LGBTQIA+ characters and creators with stories that speak to readers of different sexual orientations.

Read on to find out what each publisher has on offer for readers, including the details on the stories involved and when they come out.

Marvel’s Voices: Pride (2022)

Marvel’s Voices: Pride returns in 2022 with an 88-page anthology that includes seven stories and an introduction by Vice President of Television at Bad Robot Productions Alex Phillips.

One of the tales included in this anthology will introduce a brand new transgender hero called Escapade. The 20-page story will introduce readers to the super-powered thief and hint at what’s instore for them in the future. Similar to Somnus, who was introduced in last year’s Pride special and later became a member of Marauders, Marvel have promised that this won’t be the last time we see Escapade.

Marvel’s Voices: Pride (2022) stories:

Permanent Sleepover
Written by Charlie Jane Anders. Art by Ro Stein and Ted Brandt. Coloured by Tamra Bonvillain.
Character featured: Escapade

Over the Rainbow
Written by Ira Madison III. Art by Lorenzo Susi. Coloured by Rachelle Rosenberg.
Character featured: Valkyrie

Stay Outta My Mind Turf, Jack
Written by Christopher Cantell. Art by Kei Zama. Coloured by Rico Renzi.
Character featured: Moondragon

Ancient & Modern
Written by Andrew Wheeler. Art by Brittney L. Williams. Coloured by Jose Villarrubia.
Characters featured: Hercules and Marvel Boy

All My Exes in the Nexus
Written by Alyssa Wong. Art by Stephen Byrne.
Characters featured: Young Avengers

LGBT-D
Written by Grace Freud. Art by Scott B. Henderson. Inked by Lee Townsend. Coloured by Brittany Peer.
Character featured: D-Man

Perfectly Scene
Written by Danny Lore. Arty Lucas Werneck. Coloured by Michael Wiggam.
Characters featured: Taku and Venomm

Marvel’s Voices: Pride will be available on 22nd June.

DC Pride 2022

Over at DC Comics, their Pride anthology will contain a whopping 13 stories over 104 pages.

The anthology will include an introduction by Supergirl actress and activist Nicole Maines, who plays Dreamer on the show. DC has released a passionate excerpt, which you can see below.

“Representation is something that so many take for granted. But as queer people, we have always understood not only its necessity, but its power. Seeing yourself in the media you consume is validating in a way that says, “You are not alone.”

Seeing yourself in comic books, though, in your favorite superheroes, is especially powerful. It tells us that not only are there other people like us out there (something that this young trans girl growing up in rural Maine desperately needed), but that they stand alongside the very best of us.

They are the best of us.

Superheroes set the bar and they set it high. Because if you can be a superhero, you can be anything. And superheroes are categorized as such not due to their superhuman abilities, extraterrestrial origins, or truly fabulous fashion choices. They are superheroes because they stand up for what is right against any odds.

It is their courage that sets them apart.”

DC Pride 2022 stories:

Super Pride
Written by Devin Grayson. Art by Nick Robles. Coloured by Triona Farrell. Lettered by Aditya Bidikar.
Character focused on: Superman (Jon Kent)

Confessions
Written by Stephanie Williams. Art by Meghan Hetrick. Coloured by Marissa Louise. Lettered Ariana Maher.
Character focused on: Nubia

Special Delivery
Written and art by Travis Moore. Coloured by Enrica Eren Angiolini. Lettered Ariana Maher.
Character focused on: Robin (Time Drake)

Are You Ready for This?
Written by Danny Lore & Ivan Cohen. Art by Brittney Williams. Coloured by Enrica Eren Angiolini. Lettered by Ariana Maher.
Character focused on: Kid Quick

A World Kept Just For Me
Written by Alyssa Wong. Art by W. Scott Forbes. Lettered by Ariana Maher.
Character focused on: Aquaman (Jackson Hyde)

The Gumshoe in Green
Written by Tini Howard. Art by Evan Cagle. Lettered Lucas Gattoni.
Character focused on: Green Lantern Jo Mullein

Think of Me
Written and art by Ted Brandt & Ro Stein. Lettered by Frank Cvetkovic.

Public Display of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Written by Greg Lockard. Art by Giulio Macaione. Lettered by Aditya Bidikar.
Character focused on: The Ray

The Hunt
Written by Dani Fernandez. Art by Zoe Thorogood. Coloured by Jeremy Lawson. Lettered by Aditya Bidikar.
Characters focused on: Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn

Bat’s in the Cradle
Written by Stephanie Philips. Art by Samantha Dodge. Coloured by Marissa Louise. Lettered by Lucas Gattoni.
Character focused on: Batwoman

Up at Bat
Written by Jadzia Axelrod. Art by Lynne Yoshii. Coloured by Tamra Bonvillain. Lettered by Ariana Maher.
Characters forced on: Alysia Yeoh and Batgirl

Finding Batman
Written by Kevin Conroy. Art by J.Bone. Lettered by Aditya Bidikar.
Character focused on: This is a personal story for Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman in Batman: The Animated Series and other DC projects.

Plus pin-ups by P Craig Russell and Lovern Kindzierski, J.J Kirby, and Jess Taylor and Rye Hickman.

DC Pride 2022 will be available on 7th June.

What else are Marvel and DC doing for Pride Month?

Look out for Pride-themed variant covers in June from both publishers. These will be available on a range of popular titles such as Batman #124, Wonder Woman #788, Action Comics #1044, Immortal X-Men #4, Thor #26, and Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1. You can find all of the Marvel Pride variants here (plus some Star Wars ones too) and the DC ones here.

For DC Comics, this won’t be the only time we see many of the characters from the special. The publisher will also be launching a number of miniseries and a special featuring LGBTI+ characters. These are:

Poison Ivy
Written by G. Willow Wilson. Art by Marcio Takara.

Nubia: Queen of the Amazons
Written by Stephanie Williams. Art by Alitha Martinez and Mark Morales.

DC Pride: Tim Drake Special
Written by Meghan Fitzmartin. Art by Belén Ortega and Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque.

Multiversity: Teen Justice
Written by Ivan Cohen, Danny Lore. Art by Marco Failla and Enrica Eren Angiolini.

Where to find the Pride anthologies

Both anthologies can be found at good comic book shops, online stores, Kindle, and on eBay.

Find out more about where you can find comics with this comprehensive guide.

Have your say!

Are you excited for these specials? Share your thoughts in the comments below or via Facebook or Twitter. Please note, the comments section is being moderated and any hateful language will be removed.