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X-Men Wedding Special #1 Serves as a Great Wedding Story but Not a Strong Marvel Pride Issue

X-Men Wedding Special

Mystique and Destiny, one of the oldest gay couples in Marvel comics, decide to renew their vows in X-Men Wedding Special #1 by an ensemble of various creatives. Serving as this year’s Marvel’s Voices Pride, read about the wedding of the millennium with one of the comics’ most significant relationships, Betsy and Rachel, facing a dangerous threat by an old foe, a group of young mutants trying to find the perfect wedding gift and more. Although it works better to celebrate Irene’s and Raven’s relationship, X-Men Wedding Special #1 feels like a weaker substitute for the Marvel Voices Pride specials from the past years.

The best aspect lies in the overarching story “Something Borrowed, Something Blue” by Kieron Gillen, Rachael Stott, and Michael Bartolo, which focuses on the wedding of Irene and Raven as the pair have a secret scheme that the guests and their kids Rogue and Nightcrawler do not know about. Aside from the historical nature of the wedding, it also serves as a capstone for Gillen’s work with the pair during the Krakoan era. I enjoy how Gillen characterizes the chaotic and villainous sapphic couple whose love is immortal. Stott’s beautiful art, paired with Bartolo’s colors, conveyed the majestic and gorgeous nature of the wedding. The other stories by Tini Howard, Phillip Sevy, KJ Díaz, Wyatt Kennedy, Jenn St-Onge, Brittany Peer, and more are primarily good but range in quality. 

Outside of the original stories, the issue includes a history of Irene’s and Raven’s relationship, an interview with Chris Claremont, and reprints of two LGBTQ+ X-Men-focused Marvel issues. X-Men Wedding Special #1 does not justify its price tag, even with the included supplementary materials. Granted, it is a super-sized issue, but I wish the special contained more original materials and a more substantial publishing and presentation for the physical printed issue. Considering how last year’s Pride special included more stories, interviews, and other elements, X-Men Wedding Special #1 feels less impressive and a step down in quality and execution. 

Lastly, X-Men Wedding Special #1 serves as this year’s Marvel’s Voices Pride, which does not showcase a large variety of LGBTQ+ representation. By solely focusing on Irene, Raven, and some of the X-Men exclusively, it cuts out the other LGBTQ+ mutant and non-mutant characters teased on the variant covers. Similarly, what should be a meaningful celebration for two beloved queer characters becomes saddled with being the big LGBTQ+ special by Marvel comics. This decision cuts out queer and trans-non-mutant characters, along with not highlighting other spaces of the universe. The representation is more limited and does not portray the breadth of queer and trans characters in the comics. As a result, if Marvel released a 2024 issue of Marvel’s Voices Pride in addition to X-Men Wedding Special #1, my opinions would be more favorable due to the latter not being the sole major queer tentpole special for the year. Outside of being the monumental wedding issue of Irene and Raven, it is also their yearly Pride issue, which comes across as more corporate synergy than a stand-alone celebration.

Overall, X-Men Wedding Special #1 bolsters a talented team of creatives who celebrate a wedding centuries in the making, which conflicts with being 2024’s Marvel’s Voices Pride. I loved the wedding aspect, but I wish it had more stories and materials representing more queer and trans characters outside of solely X-Men ones. With Irene and Raven having Marvel’s first sapphic wedding, its memorability and impact get slightly lessened with the other aspects the issue needs to juggle. As a result, X-Men Wedding Special #1 cannot solely be about their wedding but also has to carry the weight of being this year’s Marvel’s Voices Pride. I prefer if this served as a stand-alone special issue along with having a Marvel’s Voices Pride 2024 issue. X-Men Wedding Special #1 celebrates the immortal love of Irene and Raven while struggling to showcase the diverse LGBTQ+ community in Marvel comics.

Story: Kieron Gillen, Tini Howard, Tate Brombal, Yoon Ha Lee, Wyatt Kennedy
Art: Rachael Stott, Phillip Sevy, Emilio Pilliu, Stephen Byrne, Jenn St-Onge
Color: Michael Bartolo, KJ Diaz, Irma Kniivila, Brittany Peer
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Story: 7.2 Art: 8.3 Overall: 7.3 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: Zeus ComicsKindle

Preview: X-Men Wedding Special #1

X-Men Wedding Special #1

(W) Kieron Gillen, Yoon Ha Lee, Various (A) Various (CA) Jan Bazaldua
Rated T+
In Shops: May 29, 2024
SRP: $9.99

WEDDING EXTRAVAGANZA!
Mystique and Destiny are one of the most beloved – and longest running – gay couples in history. Somewhere in their 100+ years together, the pair married, but we’ve never seen the event on the page. This year, Marvel’s Voices: Pride makes history with Marvel’s first woman-to-woman wedding! And with a couple as complex as these two, you know there’s a lot more to the story. We promise party crashing! Villainy! Romance! In the classic tradition of Fantastic Four Annual #3 and X-Men #30, this anthology will be a must-read for every comics fan. Featuring the Marvel debuts of award-winning writers Yoon Ha Lee (Ninefox Gambit, Machineries of Empire) and M. Louis (Agents of the Realm), and much more talent to be announced!

X-Men Wedding Special #1

DC’s Pride Anthology returns in 2024 with a celebration of Rachel Pollack and more!

DC’s Eisner and Ringo award-winning Pride comic book anthology returns for 2024 in the form of a universe-spanning travelogue like you’ve never seen! DC’s comics are as vast, varied, and fantastic as the incredible and weird locations found across the DC cosmos, and DC’s LGBTQIA+ characters are everywhere, belong anywhere, and can do anything they set their hearts and minds to. How they get there is as important as where they’re going, so join them as they explore the farthest edges of the DC Multiverse, together! DC’s 2024 Pride collection of books and comics will be available at your local comic book shop, bookstore, library, and beyond, taking DC’s characters across the far reaches of the Phantom Zone, the Fourth World, and beyond!

DC Pride 2024 #1, DC’s annual anthology containing all-new stories spotlighting LGBTQIA+ fan favorites, will publish on May 28. The 104-page Prestige format comic will feature a main cover by Kevin Wada, an open-to-order wraparound variant cover by David Talaski, foil and card stock variants by Babs Tarr, and Wada’s main cover offered as a 1:25 card stock variant.

In DC Pride 2024, DC will host an unmissable autobiographical story written by industry legend Phil Jimenez about the fantastical worlds that shaped him, brought to life by Giulio Macaione. This heartwarming story is a can’t-miss highlight, plus Dreamer makes a first-time pilgrimage to her ancestral planet, Naltor, in a story by Nicole Maines and Jordan Gibson; Poison Ivy and Janet from HR go spore-hunting on Portworld in a story by Gretchen Felker-Martin and Claire Roe; Superman (Jon Kent) gets Jay, Bunker, and the Ray together for a boys’ night out in A-Town in a story by Jarrett Williams and D.J. Kirkland; Steel (Natasha Irons) works up the courage to face Traci 13 at the Oblivion Bar’s Pride party for the first time since they broke up in a story by Jamila Rowser and ONeillJones; Aquaman (Jackson Hyde) catches an unexpected ride to the Fourth World just in time for their annual Love Festival in a story by Ngozi Ukazu; Circuit Breaker’s unstable powers fritz him into the Phantom Zone in a story by Calvin Kasulke and Len Gogou; plus a Blue Starman story written by Al Ewing and character pinups, in a volume celebrating how the LGBTQIA+ community is everywhere and belongs anywhere—even the farthest reaches of the known and unknown worlds!

As an additional DC Pride teaser, this year’s anthology features a special preview of DC’s upcoming YA OGN The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley by New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Lovely Melissa Marr, teamed up with celebrated artist Jenn St-Onge.

When Harleen signs up to participate in a clinical research trial with her girlfriend, Pamela, her only goals are extra cash and a chance to control her anxiety. But what she gets instead are increasingly larger gaps in her memory and stolen mementos from some guy named Jack. Soon Harleen discovers she’s sharing her life with Harley—a take-no-prisoners, who-cares-about-attendance, maybe-we-oughta-save-the-bunnies kind of girl. She is the opposite of Harleen in every way. And although she’s throwing Harleen’s life completely off track, maybe she ain’t so bad either…

New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr and celebrated artist Jenn St-Onge, with color by Jeremy Lawson and lettering by Lucas Gattoni, explore the twisted transformation from Harleen to Harley in this compelling new YA original graphic novel on sale beginning September 3!

In the 1990s, writer Rachel Pollack did the impossible: she raised the bar for surprise and strangeness in her beloved run following Grant Morrison’s career-making Doom Patrol! To celebrate her life and works, DC will publish a spotlight issue, DC Pride: A Celebration of Rachel Pollack, hitting shelves on June 6. This 96-page one-shot comic book reprints the debut of the iconic Coagula, DC’s first transgender Super Hero, from Doom Patrol #70, penciled by Scot Eaton, along with the long-unavailable one-shot Vertigo Visions: The Geek (with superstar artist Michael Allred)!

And in a final, original short story, Rachel’s most beloved creation, Kate Godwin, a.k.a. Coagula, returns to the spotlight in a tale of triumph over death itself written by Joe Corallo, Rachel’s longtime friend and collaborator, and drawn by Rye Hickman!

DC Pride: A Celebration of Rachel Pollack #1

Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story is the untold origin story of Dreamer, the first trans Super Hero ever to appear on TV! DC’s newest YA graphic novel publishes on April 2, written by Nicole Maines and drawn by Rye Hickman with color by Bex Glendining and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Nia’s spent her whole life taking a back seat to her older sister, Maeve, who was expected to inherit their mother’s Seer powers: the ability to see the future through dreams, passed down to one woman in each generation. But when Nia, a trans girl, starts having visions of the future, she must suppress her powers to protect her relationship with her sister.

Soon Nia’s dreams become impossible to ignore, and she has no choice but to distance herself as she navigates her new reality. Taking off for Metropolis, Nia is quickly swept up in the bustling city and, guided by her dreams, connects with a group of queer girls who feel more like sisters than her own. As Nia starts to discover her powers may be more than just a burden, she’s given a choice: accept her new responsibility as a Seer or give it all up for a chance at normalcy.

From Nicole Maines, the actress, activist, and writer who originated the fan-favorite role of Dreamer on the groundbreaking Supergirl TV show, and with art by Rye Hickman, who captures Nia’s depth and humor, comes this joyful and gut-wrenching graphic novel featuring characters from Galaxy: The Prettiest Star in DC’s first YA crossover!

Throughout its line of monthly comic books, DC will highlight Pride-themed variant covers on series that feature queer characters in regular and lead roles. This year, look for DC Pride covers on Action Comics #1066 (Betsy Cola), Batman #148 (Skylar Patridge), Green Arrow #13 (A.L. Kaplan), Poison Ivy #23 and Harley Quinn #41 (W. Scott Forbes), Nightwing #115 (Bruka Jones), Outsiders #8 (Don Aguillo), Suicide Squad: Dream Team #4 (Fatima Wajid), Superman #15 (Angel Solorzano), The Flash #10 (Nick Robles), and Wonder Woman #10 (Phil Jimenez and Arif Prianto).

And if you missed picking up previous years’ variant covers, DC has you covered with DC Pride: Uncovered #1! DC’s most iconic LGBTQIA+ artists put the party in Pride with their fabulous array of variant covers spotlighting LGBTQIA+ characters across the DCU year after year, and this art book collects a robust selection of fan favorites in one place for the very first time! Don’t miss out on a gallery of gorgeous art as imaginative and colorful as the characters themselves.

DC Pride: Uncovered #1, on sale June 11, is a gallery comic of gorgeous covers from Jen Bartel, Phil Jimenez, Jim Lee, Joshua “Sway” Swaby, David Talaski, Babs Tarr, Kris Anka, and more! DC Pride: Uncovered will have a main cover by Jen Bartel, with variant covers by Oscar Vega; Luciano Vecchio; Mateus Manhanini; and Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Tamra BonvillainDC Pride: Uncovered #1 will be scripted by DC editor Andrea Shea.

Destiny, NY Returns with Rosi Kämpe taking over art and Jenn St-Onge illustrating the cover!

Destiny, NY, the beloved tale of magical crime and queer romance, will return this week for Volume 2 with the new art team of interior artist Rosi Kämpe and cover artist Jenn St-Onge joining writer Pat Shand, letterer Jim Campbell, and editor Shannon Lee for this next installment in the heartfelt adventure series about star-crossed heroines Logan and Lilith.

What if there was a magical prophecy that you were destined to save the world, and you fulfilled it so young you don’t know what to do with the rest of your life? That’s the problem facing Logan McBride in this grounded story about the magic of young adulthood, star-crossed modern romance, delayed coming of age, and finding your place in a world too busy to notice you.

The second arc of the ongoing series about what happens after a prophecy is completed begins with Destiny, NY #6. 

Logan McBride has been living with Lilith Aberdine, the last surviving daughter of a mystical crime family, for a year.

Now, ghosts from their past are beginning to push in, threatening to tear them apart. 

Destiny, NY Returns Sporting a Jenn St-Onge Wraparound Cover

Destiny, NY, the beloved tale of magical crime and queer romance, will return this September with Volume 2, from writer Pat Shand, artist Rosi Kämpe, letterer Jim Campbell, and editor Shannon Lee, with a fantastical wraparound cover by Jenn St-Onge.

What if there was a magical prophecy that you were destined to save the world, and you fulfilled it so young you don’t know what to do with the rest of your life? That’s the problem facing Logan McBride in this grounded story about the magic of young adulthood, star-crossed modern romance, delayed coming of age, and finding your place in a world too busy to notice you.

Check out the cover to Destiny, NY #6 below!

Destiny, NY #6

Review: Prison Witch Vol. 1 The Feral

Prison Witch Vol. 1 The Feral

It’s one of those experiences in our lives when we “meet our tribe.” Many of us who grew up hiding who we were, scared of how we would be perceived if people knew our certain quirks, our deepest desires, and love of everything geek, made many of us ostracized. It’s true that the late great Stan Lee made the world of comic books more accessible but he didn’t quite make it mainstream. It took years after that, with an influx of superhero movies, when it became something more than acceptable. It was the new normal.

I remember the first time I met like-minded people. It was in high school. Me and my friends bonded over our love for Hip Hop. Our conversations would go on for ours pontificating on the importance of rhymes over beats, the complexity of certain emcee’s flows, and the content of certain songs and their deeper meanings. I wondered how it would be for someone to find their tribe but find out that they are more than they ever thought of themselves. In Amy Shand and Pat Shand’s elegantly told Prison Witch, we meet a protagonist whose life changes dramatically in many ways when she goes to prison.

In the comic, we meet Cameron. She’s on day 34 of a 5-year jail sentence. Her acclimation to prison life is less than welcoming. This changes when she meets Tanya, who senses that Cameron is more than another inmate. A scuffle with another inmate unleashes what some believe is a demon but is the powers of a witch and catches the eye of the local troublemaker, Bean. Eventually, we’re introduced to a coven, a group of witches also in jail. They have to subdue their abilities to keep themselves safe and each has their own dark secrets.

Overall, a comic that feels like if Orange Is The New Black met Charmed. That combines and becomes something even more beautiful and twisted. The story by the Shands is heartfelt, intellectual, and beautiful.  The art by D’Urso, Campbell, and Lee is breathtaking and striking. Altogether, a story that thrives beyond genres and gives the reader a great story.

Story: Amy Shand, Pat Shand Art: Erica D’Urso, Katia Ranalli
Cover: Jenn St-Onge Letters: Jim Campbell Edited: Shannon Lee
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy