Hiya! Welcome to July’s LGBT Previews! We’re trying something a little different this time and splitting the usual massive list into two parts. Featured in this part are Boom, Archie, DE, Titan, Drawn & Quarterly and all the indy/ small press publishers such as Northwest Press, Aftershock, and Jet City. The second half will feature Dark Horse, DC, Image, IDW, and Marvel. Part two will be up soon!
The original of this post included a solicitation for Natasha Alterici’s Heathen. Alterici informs us that Previews listed her graphic novel in error and that we can look forward to it in print in the not too distant future.
We’d really appreciate if you’ll do us the favor and bookmark Gay League’s Amazon affiliate link to do any or all of your Amazon shopping! Commissions go to pay our new contributors! Thank you! Some books listed below include links to book’s Amazon listing.
Gay League’s Amazon Affiliate Linkie Thing
People’s names listed in bold are either LGBT+ or supportive. Thanks where thanks is due – Andy Mangels because this was his idea and to Mike McDermott and Steven Leitman for their suggestions and input about several series that have been added to the list!
ABSTRACT STUDIOS
STRANGERS IN PARADISE POCKET TPS Vols 1- 6 $17.95 each Page 257
Terry Moore
This SiP Pocket trade paperback is small, affordable and collects the entire first two volumes of SiP into one continuous 340-page story! David loves Katchoo, but Katchoo loves Francine who loves Katchoo back — but not that way, because Francine loves Freddie, who doesn’t love anybody but himself! Each pocket book features new cover art by Terry Moore, and special spine art that gives this manga-sized collection a distinctive look on the shelf!
SIP Pocket Trades
ACTION LAB
RAVEN: THE PIRATE PRINCESS #10 $3.99 Page 260
Jeremy Whitely, Arielle Jovellanoes, Rosy Higgins, Ted Brandt, and William Blankenship
Things are fraught onboard the ship as Raven tries to negotiate a chance for Ximena to see the healer, but when things go poorly she may have to take matters into her own hand. Meanwhile, Sunshine shares the story of how her parents – doomed lovers from two societies at war – fell in love. [Apologies to the creators and readers for not knowing sooner a lead character is lesbian!]
AFTERSHOCK
INSEXTS #7 $3.99 Page 271
Marguerite Bennett and Ariela Kristantina
In the finale of our first arc, Lady, Mariah and their allies race through the lair of the venomous Hag who holds her victims in a deadly thrall! Hearts rip, heads roll, and the lovers pay the final price for their freedom…
JACKPOT #4 $3.99 Page 270
Ray Fawkes and Marco Failla
It’s time to unmask the power that’s been toying with the JACKPOT! crew–and to show them what a huge mistake they’ve made. It’s time for things to get messy. Real messy. But somebody’s been planning for this all along, and when they pull this one out of their hat, it’s really going to kill…
ARCHIE
ARCHIE #10 $3.99 Page 284
Mark Waid and Veronica Fish
It’s Team Archie vs. Team Betty! A civil war has broken out in Riverdale — friends against friends, parents against parents, with the entire town torn down the middle by an event that forces everyone to take sides! No joke-the events of this issue will impact Archie and his pals for some time to come! [Kevin Keller is in the cast.]
JUGHEAD #8 $3.99 Page 288
Chip Zdarsky and Derek Charm
It’s Jughead vs. Archie and Mr. Weatherbee vs …a Bear?! Even the quiet of the wilderness can’t escape the madness that’s raging through all of Riverdale!
SABRINA #6 $3.99 Page 288
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack
The ongoing series continues! “Familiars” is the perfect jumping-on point for the critically acclaimed horror hit Sabrina! Every witch needs a familiar, and through the ages, Salem has faithfully fulfilled his duties to Sabrina. This chapter lifts back the cloak of time to reveal the dark history of how Salem came to be and serve his master.
BLACK MASK COMICS
JADE STREET PROTECTION SERVICES #2 $3.99 Page 305
Katy Rex and Fabian Lelay
A new series that mashes The Breakfast Club with Sailor Moon. Our gang of teen delinquents realize they’ve had absolutely no preparation to live in the real world. Blindsided by their betrayal by Matsdotter Academy and stranded in unbelievable new circumstances, the girls discover the depths of corruption reach even the little shops on Jade Street. Story creators Katy Rex & Fabian Lelay explore the rad and insurrectionary world of JSPS helped by the talents of colorist Mara Jayne Carpenter, letterer Taylor Esposito, and cover artists Annie Wu and Kiki Jenkins. How can you change the world when you can’t tell what’s wrong with it?
KIM & KIM #1 $3.99 Page 305
Magdalene Visaggio and Eva Cabrera
Kim & Kim are twentysomething besties out to make a name for themselves in the wild world of interdimensional cowboy law enforcement. In a massive “screw you” to their parents and the authorities, they decide to hijack some high stakes bounty — and end up in way over their heads. Kim & Kim is a day-glo action adventure that’s bursting with energy and enthusiasm. It puts queer women and trans women front and center, with a story that embraces the absurd alongside realistic pathos. It’s a mature book that focuses on the power and meaning of female friendships as engines of validation.
MAYDAY TP $14.99 Page 306
Curt Pires and Christopher Peterson
A washed-up, drug-addicted screenwriter and a transgender bartender stumble onto a Satanic cult’s plan to sacrifice people all across LA (geomapped in the form of a pentagram, of course) and bring on armageddon. As our intrepid, damaged heroes embark on a suicide mission to stop the crazy cultists, even they wonder if this is all really happening or if they’re just plain batshit crazy. Probably both. Collecting the lunacy that is Mayday #1-4 by brilliant sociopath Curt Pires and brash artists Chris Peterson and Alex Diotto.
BOOM
LUMBERJANES #28 $3.99 Page 321
Shannon Waters, Kat Leyh, and Myra Hild
The Roanoke cabin have a heart-to-heart with the Zodiac cabin before going to save the High Council.
LUMBERJANES/ GOTHAM ACADEMY #2 $3.99 Page 321
Chynna Clugston-Flores, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, Mingjue Chen, and Brooke Allen
What the junk — Jen is missing?! The Lumberjanes and Gotham Academy crew regroup at camp to figure out how to find their missing friends.
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #5 $3.99 Page 320
Kyle Higgins and Thony Silas
Guest artist issue! Thony Silas (Venom) and Kyle Higgins, the team behind Batman Beyond 2.0, join forces again for a special one-shot focusing on the Ranger that Rita approached before finding Tommy–Zack!
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: PINK #3 $3.99 Page 320
Brendan Fletcher, Kelly Thompson, and Daniele Di Nicuolo
Reeling from an unprecedented betrayal, Kimberly must work with old and new friends to free her loved ones from Goldar’s clutches.
THE WOODS #24 $3.99 Page 319
James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas
Sacrifices will be made, and not everyone will live to see tomorrow.
D.E.
VAMPIRELLA #5 Vol 3 $3.99 Page 354
Kate Leth and Eman Casallos
What do you get when you put two werewolves, a telepath, a vampire from space, and a demonically-charged horror queen in the basement of a mansion filled with monsters? You get the fifth issue of Vampirella, that’s what – the epic conclusion to our first arc!
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS #3 $3.99 Page 354
Genevieve Valentine and Ariel Medel
With half the Harpies taken hostage and on their way to Rome as war prizes, Xena and Gabrielle set off on a desperate rescue mission. The Harpies are ready for battle, and even Ares has joined the fray, but with Rome hungry for victory at any cost, they might already be too late. It’s battle on two fronts… and when Gabrielle faces a terrible choice, will she risk losing Xena to save the world?
DRAWN & QUARTERLY
SUPER MUTANT MAGIC ACADEMY $22.95 Page 362
Jillian Tamaki
Tamaki is best known for co-creating the award-winning young adult graphic novels Skim and This One Summer, moody and atmospheric bestsellers. SuperMutant Magic Academy, which Jillian has been serializing online for the past four years, deftly plays superhero and high school Hollywood tropes against what adolescence is really like: the SuperMutant Magic Academy is a prep-school for mutants and witches but their paranormal abilities take a back seat to everyday teen concerns. This volume combines the most popular content from the webcomic with a selection of all-new, never-before-seen strips that conclude Jillian’s account of life at the Academy.
Super Mutant Magic Academy
FLESK PUBLICATION
ART OF ELFQUEST HC $50.00 Page 485
Richard Pini and Wendy Pini
Since its first appearance in 1978, Elfquest has touched the spirit of multiple generations thanks to the strength of Wendy Pini’s captivating storytelling and dynamic art. Nearly every piece of Pini’s original art, sketches, notes and scraps of paper dating back to the conception of her fantasy comic series has been meticulously catalogued and preserved by the artist and her husband-collaborator, Richard. After years of research and with unparalleled access to those files, we present The Art of Elfquest, which represents a complete overview of the very best artwork spanning nearly forty years. Each piece has been meticulously scanned directly from the original artwork and approved by the Pinis. No other collection has featured such a tremendous amount of material being revealed for the first time.
Art of Elfquest
ART OF THE STORY ELFQUEST HC $50.00 Page 485
Richard Pini and Wendy Pini
Elfquest: The Art of the Story handpicks a selection of Wendy and Richard Pini’s favorite Elfquest tales, scanned directly from the original art. These self-contained pieces are some of the finest Elfquest stories ever told. Every unlettered art page is paired with its as-published twin and in-depth running commentary by the Pinis, so readers can easily follow each tale and see for themselves the creative process that is the “art of the story.” Unprecedented access to the Elfquest archives, combined with painstaking attention to detail by both Flesk Publications and Wendy and Richard Pini, now offers these gems for all Questers to share.
Art of the Story
JET CITY COMICS
CIRQUE AMERICAN GIRL OVER PARIS #1 $2.99 Page 386
Ming Doyle, Kate Leth, and Gwenda Bond
From bestselling writer Gwenda Bond (Lois Lane: Fallout), this four-issue comic book series, written by Kate Leth (Patsy Walker A.K.A. Hellcat, Adventure Time: Seeing Red) features a new stand-alone story set within the world of Bond’s exotic, magical Cirque American. After a high-profile tumble, Cirque American’s star wire walker, Jules Maroni, has a lot to prove-and her invitation to an exclusive exhibition in Paris looks to be just the opportunity to put her back on top. Unfortunately, the City of Lights glitters with distractions, including the presence of her first serious boyfriend and a mysterious figure haunting the venue.
NET COMICS
HIS HOUSE Vols 1 – 3 $21.99 each Page 400
Hajin Yoo
Life isn’t easy for an orphan, especially when you’re as good-looking as Gangyoo. To survive on the streets, Gangyoo hires himself out to homely women in desperate need of a pretend boyfriend. Now in college, Gangyoo only needs one more gig to earn enough money to graduate and live a normal life. There’s only one catch. His new client is a man named Soohyun. And there’s only one problem. They hate each other. Being a pretend boyfriend has never been so hard. Little does Gangyoo know that his own seedy past will catch up to bite him…and Soohyun harbors a dark secret of his own. (Vol 1)
After being gouged by his landlord, Gangyoo is forced to live with his client Soohyun. Gradually, Gangyoo develops feelings for the handicapped man, but Soohyun keeps his secretive thoughts to himself. Little do they both know that time and proximity are often the only required ingredients for two soulmates to fall in love. Gangyoo avoids going home. He anguishes alone at college. Meanwhile, Soohyun suffers his own torment. He badly wants revenge for his handicap. In order to get that vengeance, Soohyun must do something he planned from the very beginning — sacrifice Gangyoo. (Vol 2)
Gangyoo spends his days in bliss. Can life get any better? He has a great job and great friends. He lives in a comfortable home. Most important of all, he’s in love with Soohyun. Only one problem exists. For some reason, Soohyun keeps holding back his true feelings. Gangyoo desperately wishes to begin living his “happily ever after”, but a strange distance remains between the two lovers. Unfortunately, Soohyun’s brooding half-brother Sanghoon keeps hovering around. One day, Sanghoon offers Gangyoo the most dangerous gift imaginable…the truth. What is Soohyun’s secret? What is the true history of his house? (Vol 3)o
His House Vols 1 – 3
INTENSE: NIGHT ON THE RED ROAD $16.99 Page 401
Kyungha Yi
The mafia banishes Jiwoon Kang to live in a secluded red light district among struggling prostitutes, dirty street thugs, and shady drug dealers. He’s a quiet man with deadly talents with a knife. The local thugs quickly learn to hate him. To maintain peace, a brothel manager sends Jiwoon to live with a strange local man Soohan. Soohan is a mute. He only wishes to be left alone and help prostitutes in need. The street thugs hate him, too. Both men carry deadly, dark, and traumatic secrets in their past. They may find that their only solace and protection lies in each other.
Intense Vols
INTENSE: SOFT SOUNDS $16.99 Page 401
Kyungha Yi
Soohan stuns Jiwoon by speaking for the very first time, and Jiwoon learns the young man’s tragic history with his parents. The two men grow closer; it’s them against the world! But, they haven’t yet crossed an unspoken and intimate line with each other. All the while, they strain at the boundaries of proper behavior and social propriety. However, the prostitutes grow suspicious of the two men’s closeness. Even worse, the mafia might notice, too. Jiwoon’s fearsome boss Yoonshik Kang returns to the city, and Jiwoon might be a key part of his ruthless schemes. The outer world begins to invade their safe, private space. Paradise is ending.
INTENSE: THE DARK LIGHT OF THE MOON $16.99 Page 401
Kyungha Yi
Soohan learns a devastating reality. Jiwoon serves as Yoonshik Kang’s sex toy. The powerful mob boss forces Jiwoon to return to the city. Desperate to save his lover, Soohan journeys to his side and quietly joins the mafia. The two men struggle to keep their relationship secret. Little does Soohan know that Jiwoon is also a deadly weapon in Yoonshik’s arsenal. In fact, Jiwoon’s assignments could potentially throw the entire mob world upside-down. Yoonshik wants to make some big moves. The only way Jiwoon might escape is over his dead body.
INTENSE: MY INTENSE LOVER $16.99 Page 401
Kyungha Yi
Yoonshik Kang launches his diabolical scheme to seize more control of the underworld. Soohan feels the noose tighten around him and Jiwoon. Trying to force a resolution, Soohan does the most reckless thing possible — he challenges Yoonshik to his face. The evil mob boss orders his thugs to torture Soohan. Now, Jiwoon faces a choice. He can remain a loyal soldier or try to save his lover. Either way, life is about to become hell for both of them.
NORTHWEST PRESS
HARD TO SWALLOW $24.99 Page 402
Various
From Northwest Press’ site: Hard to Swallow Comics—plus a whole issue’s worth of new material—has been collected into one deluxe volume! For those of you who missed the Kickstarter campaign, we are accepting pre-orders for the hardcover at a special low price. The books are shipping to us from the printer, and preorders will be filled starting in May!
ONI PRESS
ANOTHER CASTLE #4 $3.99 Page 410
Andrew Wheeler and Paulina Ganucheau
Things are looking dire for our valiant heroes. Badlug is on their trail, Misty’s father is marching to battle, and Thrawgg the Unconquered is very close to conquering Gorga and Pete. Will they prevail over the forces of darkness, or will Misty be forced to marry Badlug in order to avert a full-out war?
MERRY MEN #2 $3.99 Page 406
Robert Rodi and Jackie Lewis
Another exciting chapter in this bold and provocative re-imagining of Robin Hood! “There is a passage in Leviticus, long ignored, that forbids a man to lie with another man as he would with a woman.” The truth behind the Merry Men’s exile into Sherwood Forest is revealed, as is Robin’s steamy past with King Richard. But now that Robin’s friends are in danger, the Merry Men are faced with a choice. Stay in Sherwood, where their safety is all but guaranteed, or rescue those held hostage by the violent Guy of Gisbourne?
PRINCESS PRINCESS EVER AFTER $12.99 Page 405
Katie O’Neill
“I am no prince!” When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain. Yet as they adventure across the kingdom, they discover that they bring out the very best in the other person. They’ll need to join forces and use all the know-how, kindness, and bravery they have in order to defeat their greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress, who wants to get rid of Sadie once and for all. Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different strengths, on their journey to figure out what “happily ever after” really means–and how they can find it with each other. [The story seems to be non hetero normative.]
PUTNAM PUBLISHING
FANGIRL LIFE GUIDE TO ALL FEELS & LEARNING HOW TO DEAL SC $16.00 Page 491
Kathleen Smith
You’d probably know a “fangirl” when you see one, but the majority stay relatively closeted due to the stigma of being obsessed with fictional characters. However, these obsessions are sometimes the fangirl’s solutions for managing stress, anxiety, and even low self-esteem. Fangirling is often branded as behavior young women should outgrow and replace with more adult concerns. Written by a proud fangirl, The Fangirl Life is a witty testament to the belief that honoring your imagination can be congruous with good mental health, and it’s a guide to teach fangirls how to put their passion to use in their own lives.
Fangirl Life Guide
SUBLIME
MIDNIGHT STRANGER: TROUBLE WITH STRANGERS Vol 2 $12.99 Page 420
Bohra Naono
Goat spirit Roi is in love with his master, the beautiful fire god Xiu. He knows he shouldn’t have those kinds of feelings and so is shocked when Xiu suddenly tells Roi he feels the same for him. Roi hopes that their peaceful everyday existence will continue undisturbed, but then he gets attacked by a demon. Injured in a way that prevents him from maintaining his human form, Roi is forced to return to his ugly goat form. Unable to go back his master’s side, what will Roi do?
Midnight Stranger
TITAN
SHERLOCK: A STUDY IN PINK #1 $4.99 Page 442
Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and Jay
he Japanese Sherlock manga continues in an all-new English edition, adapting the episodes of the smash-hit Masterpiece/Hartswood Films television series! As Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John (Martin Freeman) move in to 221B Baker Street and begin their tentative crime-solving partnership, the mystery of a citywide spate of “serial suicides” remains — and Sherlock is dragged deeper into the depraved world of the killer!
TORCHWOOD #1 $3.99 Page 440
John Barrowman, Carol Barrowman, and Tommy Lee Edwards
Torchwood is Back, in an all-new ongoing comics series written by Captain Jack himself, John Barrowman! Captain Jack Harkness is back in Cardiff, and there’s only one person he can turn to, the last person who expected to see him, Gwen Cooper! On the road, on the run, and under fire, can the pair put aside their differences and rebuild the heart of Torchwood, before its flame is stamped out forever? Even better, the new comics series is in continuity with the amazing new Torchwood audio dramas from Big Finish; join us both for the official continuation of the Torchwood saga!
