REVIEW: ‘DC Pride 2025’ Issue 1

DC Pride 2025 Issue 1 is published by DC Comics.

The first story is titled “The Heart Wants”. Written by Vita Ayala, Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Maya Houston, Sam Maggs, Tim Sheridan and Josh Trujillo. Art by Don Aguillo, Vincent Cecil, Derek Charm, A. L. Kaplan, Giulio Macaione, Alex Moore, Skylar Partridge, Emilio Pilliu, Max Sarin and Philip Sevy. Colors by Aguillo, Cecil, Charm, Kaplan, Macaione, Moore, Eren Angioline, Trìona Farrell, and Jordie Bellaire. Letters by Aditya Bidikar, Frank Cvetkovic, Lucas Gattoni, Ariana Maher, Morgan Martinez, and Jodie Troutman.

Many of DC‘s LGBTQ+ heroes find a connection in a wall where Alan Scott’s boyfriend once carved a heart.

This is an anthology with a twist, with a novel idea for connecting the stories. There are individual stories within DC Pride 2025 Issue 1 featuring queer characters in their world with their relationships. However, they all contribute to a larger narrative, culminating in an old speakeasy being transformed into a haven for gay superheroes. It’s a terrific idea, as individual stories reveal the minds of the characters, but there’s something bigger running through the comic as well. After each tale, the structure jumps back to a central location, which contains another character.

What’s fascinating is that these stories aren’t real. They’re dreamscapes, make-believe worlds created by someone for nefarious purposes. This means that some interactions may never have happened, in both tragic and saucy possibilities. The story is vast and explosive, but it has an intimate heart, all centered around the wall. It’s a spiritual sequel to Sheridan’s Alan Scott: The Green Lantern series, exploring both the love and the heartbreak within. The details of the story can get a bit complicated and lost, but the emotions always shine through.

There is a fantastic selection of characters, and the pack is shuffled in DC Pride 2025 Issue 1. There aren’t the heroes that have been integral to the Pride issues for years. Dreamer and Superman are missing, largely because of their own adventures. However, that provides opportunities for other characters to step in and share their representation and great stories.

At the helm of that is Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern. He is now seen as a true LGBTQ+ icon, and the loss he suffers is absolutely gut-wrenching. But at the opposite end of the spectrum is a brand-new character, Ethan Rivera. A trans soldier who had been forced out of the military, it’s a poignant concept to explore.

Throughout this issue are feelings of pain, intense loss, and struggle. There are periods where the dialogue is hilarious, joyous, and celebratory. However, the writers also recognize and emphasize just how difficult it is to continue fighting and surviving in a world that’s pushing back.

The art is also curious and glorious. The art changes in each individual story, with a consistent style following the characters in the speakeasy. There is the wall, filled with scratches and messages of love and loss. The characters all look tremendous and full of personality, in the dreamscapes, the art varies. Some are cute and cartoony. Others are much more mature as the stories explore romance and sexuality.

Both Batwoman and the Question, as well as Lantern Mullein and Nubia, have intense moments. They aren’t explicit but never shy away from what’s intended. There are occasional flickers of violence, but that’s not the important focus. At the core of the comic is Rivera, the newcomer. He looks terrific yet down-to-earth. He’s not a superhero, but he’s wading through their adventures and dreams, encountering enormous personalities.

The colors are gorgeous. Throughout DC Pride 2025 Issue 1, two tones are wrestling. Green and crimson grapple with each other as a reference to the emotional spectrum. But this is tapping into Alan’s Starheart, not the Green Lantern rings. In the individual stories, the colors are free to be much more expressive and adventurous. The lettering is easy to read and consistent, considering the number of letterers contributing.

The backup story is autobiographical, written by Jenny Blake, art by Sara Soler, and letters by Troutman. It’s a terrific personal story that explores Blake’s transition and experience with gender. Blake was the co-creator of Black Lightning and many other characters, a stalwart of the comic community. And she only came out recently, at the age of 72. This story reveals her life and details that many didn’t know. It’s charming in effect but also devastating that she felt it had to be hidden for so long. It’s a waterfall of honesty, beautifully illustrated by Soler.

DC Pride 2025 Issue 1 highlights the importance of continuing to live and fight. It’s not a naïve comic at all, recognizing the immense struggle that is sadly still being fought across the United States and the wider world. Trans rights are vanishing and DEI is being dismantled. The anthology explodes and reflects the pain and the fear through various dreams. However, connecting the heroes together is an amazing idea, as it builds a sense of community. Love is the most important thing. Even when people leave our are taken away, no one can ever take someone’s love away.

DC Pride 2025 Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.