We've got queer space assassins, baking rom-coms, political cats, a quest for identity, and the re-release of a classic Vertigo character in this batch of upcoming LGBTQ titles.
KILLER QUEENS #1
(W) David M. Booher (A/CA) Claudia Balboni
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 rising star David M. Booher (Canto, Alien Bounty Hunter) and an all-LGBTQ creative team as they tackle issues of love, xenophobia, and the terror of fascist dictatorships in this hilarious sci-fi epic.
JUN210283
Why this caught my eye:
There was some good hype about this a couple months back, and I must admit that “Putting the sass in assassin” is a pretty great tagline.
CHERI MY DESTINY TP
(W) Okoge Mochino (A) Okoge Mochino
"My chocolate's so good it'll make you grovel on your knees!" Kaoru is brimming with confidence. After all, he opened a patisserie after studying in France, and is the head chef of his own store. But there's one small problem; his customers are enamored with a local Japanese sweet shop and Soujirou, the attractive and reserved craftsman who makes the treats on offer. Convinced that stuffy old Japanese confections could never compete with his modern, Western style creations, he decides the only way forward is to prove to Soujirou that his chocolates are the best. But when Soujirou accepts his gift gracefully and even compliments him on his skills, Kaoru's intense feelings take a sudden turn in the opposite direction.
APR212265
Why this caught my eye:
This checks so many boxes for me. Between baking manga, rom-com, and cute queer story it feels like it's just going to be a fun book.
URBAN TAILS GN
(W) Ilana Zeffren (A) Ilana Zeffren
Urban Tails tells the story of daily life in Tel Aviv, Israel, through the eyes of a lesbian family dominated by cats. Mom 1, the writer and illustrator, is busy with her art; Mom 2, her girlfriend, is obsessed with her psychologist and therapy; and Rafi and Spaghetti, their two talking cats, are busy with cat stuff, but also with political and social issues. Rafi, being black and the only male in the household, becomes a social activist who fights for justice, and Spaghetti promotes Feminism, long before "Me too." Translated from the original Hebrew comics first published in Petting Corner for Haaretz.
JUN211781
Why this caught my eye:
There a interview up on ComicsBeat from when this was a Kickstarter, so glad it's getting general distribution as well.
QUEER IN ASIA GN
(W) Seven (A/CA) Seven
Who is Tian Fushi? A misunderstood manga artist, a depraved citizen of Chinese pornography, a young gay man gone astray in an ultraviolent world, a lost boy out of Peter Pan's Neverland? How will he put the fragments of himself together and discover who he really is? Queer: differing in some way from what is usual or normal; this is definitely the case with this graphic novel. A portrait of a Chinese youth in search of love and meaning. An intimate and striking modern quest for identity. JUN211349
Why this caught my eye:
The coloring in the preview is pretty gorgeous so I'll admit that's what immediately caught my eye, but the book itself sounds really engaging and I've never heard of Black Panel Press.
ENIGMA DEFINITIVE ED HC
(W) Peter Milligan (A/CA) Duncan Fegredo
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. • With a brand-new cover by Duncan Fegredo and a treasure trove of nearly 50 pages of extras including development art, color sketches, and behind-the-scenes notes into the making of this celebrated story.
"Beautiful. Literary. Decades ahead of its time. This is the greatest adult superhero comic of the nineties. At least." -Kieron Gillen
JUN210305
Why this caught my eye:
Enigma has been getting a bit of attention again, so it's nice to see Dark Horse handling a re-release. Plus it sounds like it has a lot of new/unreleased Fegredo art goodness.