With the 29th GLAAD Media Awards fast approaching, we're highlighting the Outstanding Comic Book nominees. If you're searching for something to read, look no further than these ten outstanding comic book series. All of these comics feature LGBTQ protagonists, not to mention compelling stories and beautiful illustration.
America (Marvel Comics)
by Gabby Rivera, Joe Quinones, Ming Doyle, Stacey Lee, Ramon Villalobos, Walden Wong, Jen Bartel, Annie Wu, Aud Koch, Flaviano, Joe Rivera, Paolo Rivera, José Villarrubia, Jordan Gibson, Tamra Bonvillain, Brittany Peer, Rachelle Rosenberg, Travis Lanham
America Chavez is a lesbian, super-powered, teenager battling bad guys in the Marvel Universe. America first made an appearance in 2011 and has largely been involved in books focusing on her role in a larger team, but this most recent series delves into her backstory and explores her powers as she heads off to college. She is also Marvel’s first lesbian Latinx character to have an ongoing solo series.
The Backstagers (BOOM! Studios)
by James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh, Walter Baiamonte, Jim Campbell
The Backstagers combines high school theater with fantasy and the LGBTQ experience. The series focuses on a group of queer and trans stage crew kids who fall in love, work on theater productions, and also battle monsters. The Backstagers shines a light on a community that tends to be literally and figuratively behind-the-scenes.
Batwoman (DC Comics)
by Marguerite Bennett, James Tynion IV, Steve Epting, Jeromy N. Cox, Stephanie Hans, Renato Arlem, Adriano Honorato Lucas, Fernando Blanco, John Rauch, Deron Bennett
Batwoman, a character who has existed for quite a while, finally gets the backstory she deserves in this new series from DC Comics. Batwoman, or Kate Kane, is an out lesbian whose relationships play a key role in the series. One such relationship is with Safiyah, a woman who rescues Kate after a shipwreck and nurses her back to health on the island of Coryana.
Black Panther: World of Wakanda (Marvel Comics)
by Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Yona Harvey, Rembert Browne, Alitha E. Martinez, Manny Mederos, Joe Bennett, Afua Richardson, Roberto Poggi, Tamra Bonvillain, Rachelle Rosenberg, Virtual Calligraphy, Joe Sabino
This series delves deeper into the backstory of the people of Wakanda, and specifically the story of Ayo and Aneka. The two young women are members of the Dora Milaje, the elite women task force assigned to protect the Wakandan royalty by all means necessary, and the story of their relationship as they fall in love and have to find a balance between their duties and their relationship.
Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love (DC Comics)
by Sarah Vaughn, Lan Medina, Phillip Hester, José Villarrubia, Janice Chiang
Deadman, originally Boston Brand, was a circus aerialist who was murdered and tasked with helping others after his death. In this particular story, Deadman teams up with a woman named Berenice to help solve a murder in a gothic mansion. Another lead character of note is Berenice’s friend, Sam, who is non-binary, and uses they/them pronouns. This is woven into the story in a very positive way that highlights Berenice and Sam’s relationship.
Goldie Vance (BOOM! Studios)
by Hope Larson, Jackie Ball, Brittney Williams, Noah Hayes, Sarah Stern, Jim Campbell
Marigold “Goldie” Vance is a 16-year-old, queer, multiracial girl who starts her own detective agency from her dad’s Florida resort. Goldie uses her smarts, various skills, and connections at the resort to solve mysteries. In addition, the series has been picked up for a film adaptation by 20th Century Fox.
Iceman (Marvel Comics)
by Sina Grace, Alessandro Vitti, Ibraim Roberson, Edgar Salazar, Edgar E. Tadeo, Robert Gill, Rachelle Rosenberg, Joe Sabino
Bobby Drake, or Iceman, finally gets a stand alone series in this Marvel story. This series follows a younger Bobby as he begins to explore his sexuality, date, and come out to his friends and family, while also exploring the full extent of his powers.
Lumberjanes (BOOM! Studios)
by Kat Leyh, Shannon Watters, Carolyn Nowak, Ayme Sotuyo, Maarta Laiho, Aubrey Aiese
Lumberjanes tells the story of a group of wilderness girl scouts and their adventures. Many of the characters identify as queer or trans, and they are all fully developed characters dealing with issues of growing up, friendship, and relationships. In addition, there is a fun supernatural element that plays into the series as well.
Quantum Teens are Go (Black Mask Comics)
by Magdalene Visaggio, Eryk Donovan, Claudia Aguirre, Zakk Saam
Quantum Teens features a teenage couple, Nat and Sumesh, building their own time machine using parts they steal from science labs at night. Sumesh’s family has gone missing, and Nat is dealing with the reactions of others to her transition. Despite their personal struggles, Nat and Sumesh support each other amidst the strange sci-fi circumstances that surround them.
The Woods (BOOM! Studios)
by James Tynion IV, Michael Dialynas, Ed Dukeshire
A high school in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin gets transported into the middle of an alien forest on another plane. The students, faculty, and staff must then discover why they were sent there, and how they can get back home. The series features a variety of well-written LGBTQ characters.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community and the issues that affect their lives. They also fund GLAAD's work to amplify stories from the LGBTQ community that build support for equality and acceptance.
