Barbalien: Red Planet - From the World of Black HammerThroughout 2020 and 2021, a new Black Hammer miniseries explored the tumultuous backstory of the character Barbalien (co-created by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston). Barbalien: Red Planet is a story about identity, survival, and the choices we make. This poignant miniseries is by the LGBTQ+ team of writer Tate Brombal, Eisner-winning artist Gabriel Hernández Walta colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Aditya Bidikar. Each issue also features a variant cover by LGBTQ+ artists including Kevin Wada, Nick Robles, Naomi Franquiz, and Aud Koch. The five-issue miniseries is now available in a collected paperback edition.
The story is set during the heights of the HIV-AIDS crisis. Mark Markz has found a comfortable life on Earth as both a decorated police officer and as the beloved superhero, Barbalien. But when Mark is suddenly thrust onto the frontlines of the AIDS crisis, his role as a cop raises doubts and he must now reckon with his own closeted sexuality. Growing tensions make balancing his disparate identities seem impossible—especially when a Martian enemy from his past hunts him down on Earth to take him home, dead or alive.
Heroism, privilege, and complacency are all called into question, as Mark becomes more-and-more embroiled in the activism of the time and with the man leading its charge—the handsome and headstrong Miguel.
The Pride OmnibusPart of the partnership between Dark Horse Comics and ComiXology, the ComiXology Originals series The Pride Omnibus arrives June 2021, timed to Pride Month. The Pride Omnibus collects The Pride Volumes 1 and 2 and The Pride Adventures, a collection of stand-alone stories. The publication of The Pride Omnibus marks the first time that the entire series has been made available in print for customers in comic shops, bookstores, and libraries.
"The Pride is all about taking a group of people who've so often seen their stories only told as subtext, and making it explicitly text," says writer Joe Glass. "It's about bringing that representation bursting out of the closet of metaphor and allegory, and making them openly, proudly the heroes of the story. It's all that, plus some classic, bright, fun superhero action and melodrama that anyone can enjoy."
In The Pride, FabMan is sick of being seen as a joke. Tired of the LGBTQ+ community being seen as inferior to straight heroes, he thinks it's about damn time he did something about it. Bringing together some of the world's greatest LGBTQ+ superheroes, the Pride is born to protect the world and fight prejudice, misrepresentation and injustice--not to mention a pesky supervillain or two.
The collection includes work by a slew of incredible artistic talent, plus stories from writers Mike Garley, Sina Grace, PJ Montgomery, and many more. Available at comic shops and bookstores beginning the week of June 1, 2021.
Renegade RuleFrom Ignatz-nominated writer Ben Kahn, debut author Rachel Silverstein, and artist Sam Beck, Renegade Rule is a celebration of friendship, competition, queer identity, and the insane things we do for the things and people we love. This original graphic novel arrives at comic shops and bookstores beginning June 2, 2021.
The Manhattan Mist have beaten the odds to land themselves in the national championships for Renegade Rule, one of the hottest virtual reality games in existence. But they're in for competition fiercer than they ever imagined, and one team member's entire future could be at stake.
Four queer female friends will have to play harder than ever against self-doubt, infighting, romantic distraction, and a slew of other world-class teams if they hope to become champions.
Killer QueensThey put the SASS in ASSASSIN!
Meet Max and Alex. Reformed intergalactic assassins for hire. On the run. Also super gay. Their former boss--a fluffy monkey with a jetpack--is hot on their tail to take back his stolen ship. They gotta eat, so they take a mission from Alex's old flame. Your standard no-kill, casualty-free kidnapping recovery from a nearby moon. Only complication? Half the moon is ruled by a fascist dictator hostile to foreigners. They're the Killer Queens, so what could possibly go wrong?
Join writer David M. Booher (Canto, Alien Bounty Hunter) and an all-LGBTQ creative team including Claudia Balboni, Harry Saxon, and Lucas Gattoni as they tackle issues of love, xenophobia, and the terror of fascist dictatorships in this hilarious sci-fi epic. Issue #1 also features variant covers by Jen Bartel and Chris Ables.
The Killer Queens comics miniseries will begin August 18, 2021 and will be available at comic shops and on digital services including Dark Horse Digital and ComiXology.
Enigma: The Definitive Edition - Berger BooksArriving in October 2021, available for pre-order now from comic shops and bookstores: a new, deluxe hardcover edition of Enigma. Written by influential writer Peter Milligan, Enigma: The Definitive Edition HC features a lavish new cover by series artist Duncan Fegredo with colors by Sherilyn Van Rankin, and includes a treasure trove of never-before-seen development art.
Enigma is a visceral, post-modern tale of self-discovery and sexual identity told against the backdrop of outrageous superheroes and villains. Michael Smith lives a meaningless life. But when the weird characters from Enigma, his favorite childhood comic, seem to come to life, Michael embarks upon an increasingly obsessive crusade to uncover the incredible secret behind their improbable existence... and ultimately, his own.
Considered a classic and groundbreaking graphic novel for its LGBTQIA+ themes when first released, featuring the first gay superhero in mainstream comics.
"I'm thrilled to be publishing this brilliant seminal work of one of Vertigo's key launch titles, which was ahead of its time and inspirational to many," said Karen Berger. "Dark Horse is known for publishing beautiful high-quality books, and it's long overdue for Enigma to be presented in the fashion that it deserves."
YouthYouth is Larry Clarks Kids meets Chronicle. X-Men by way of Frank Ocean. It smashes together the violence of coming of age with the violence of the superhero narrative--as well as the beauty.
By Curt Pires, Alex Diotto, Dee Cunniffe, and Micah Myers, Youth is a coming of age story that tells the story of two queer teenagers as they run away from their lives in a bigoted small town, and attempt to make their way to California.
Along the way their car breaks down and they join up with a group of fellow misfits on the road. Embarking together in a van travelling the country they party and attempt to find themselves. And then something happens...
The Youth trade paperback collects the ComiXology Originals digital series Youth #1-4.
"Bold, genre-defying and heartfelt, Youth hits a reader like the meteor in its own pages; an angry, wondrous and transformative book." --Scott Snyder (Batman, Justice League)
Named one of "10 Comic Books to Celebrate Pride" by The New York Times, June 2020
More LGBTQ+ Titles to Enjoy
There are of course many more titles from Dark Horse featuring LGBTQ+ themes and creators that readers can enjoy all year round.
Check out our previous Pride Reading Guide for many more titles, including The Legend of Korra, Husbands, Zodiac Starforce, Spell on Wheels, The Fifth Beatle, Wish, ElfQuest, Calamity Kate, The Once and Future Queen, and many more.
In addition to all of the above, more LGBTQ+ highlights, both recent and upcoming books and series, include: Critical Role series Tales From Exandria I: The Bright Queen and The Mighty Nein Origins: Yasha Nydoorin; Triage, an original graphic novel; Invisible Kingdom, the Eisner Award-winning series from Berger Books; Steeple, with more collections on the way; and more.