It's June, which means it's the perfect time to put on your most stunning outfit, get your three drinks together, and get ready to read some seriously seminal queer comics. I’m here to curate a perfect reading list of DC issues to entice you as you venture through this delightful month of celebration, remembrance, resistance and joy. From the one year that everything went queer to the first trans and non-binary heroes to DC’s very first gay kiss, there's a ton of history to explore here featuring some of your favorite characters.
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John Constantine is Confirmed as Bisexual
Issue: Hellblazer #51
Though it may seem like he's always been one of the most prominent LGBTQIA+ characters in the DC Universe, it was only confirmed that the demon-hunting occultist was bisexual in 1993. Hellblazer #51, by the guest creative team of writer John Smith and artist Sean Phillips, was the first comic where he mentioned that he had a romantic past with both women and men, cementing his status as a bisexual legend.
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Coagula Becomes the First Trans Hero in DC History
Issue: Doom Patrol #70
1993 was also the year that we were blessed with Coagula, DC's first trans superhero, created by trans writer Rachel Pollack and artist Scot Eaton in the pages of Doom Patrol #70. Battling against the chaotic crotch cannon of the conniving Codpiece, Coagula puts a stop to his horrendous mayhem by liquifying his phallic weapon. Earlier in the issue we get a fun introduction to Kate Godwin's powers as well as an intriguing if not incomplete origin, including a flashback to her fantastically flamboyant costume that she wore to audition for the Justice League once upon a time. Despite being killed off over twenty years ago, Coagula's legend has endured and she was even resurrected in this year's DC Pride: A Celebration of Rachel Pollack. Cheers to her future adventures!
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Enigma Gives Us DC’s First Gay Lead Character and Gay Kiss
Issue: The Enigma #6
Stop me if you've heard this one before: 1993. Why was this the gayest year in the history of DC Comics? Who knows! But back in this landmark year, Vertigo was giving its creators free reign, resulting in the first gay lead at DC and the publisher's first gay kiss in The Enigma #8 by Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo.
However, let's rewind a couple issues to The Enigma #6, when the tasty romance of the series comes to a boil. A tense rooftop scene between Michael (our formerly straight lead) and the Enigma (our hero) culminates in a tender embrace and leads into a passionate encounter for the two. Is it kinda weird that the Enigma is the star of Michael's beloved canceled superhero comic book from the ’70s? Yes, and that's the whole point, as Michael is literally manifesting his truest self in this incredibly emotive and groundbreaking limited series.
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The Ship Officially Sets Sail as Harley and Ivy Finally Kiss
Issue: DC Comics: Bombshells #42
Harley Quinn may have first graced screens as a romantically inclined sidekick for the Joker, but over the years one thing has become clear: her true romance is with the leading lady of leaves, Poison Ivy. Their pairing was implied back in the ’90s in Batman: The Animated Series, but the romance was finally sealed with a kiss in the digital-first DC Comics: Bombshells #42 in 2016.
This chapter delivers the alt-reality origin of the Bombshells' iteration of Harley, showing her history as a Prohibition bootlegger alongside the abusive Mistah J. Ivy comes to Harley's rescue inside a spooky cabaret, and the two rush out into the snowy night where they smooch under the warm glow of a streetlamp. The heartfelt kiss was the culmination of over thirty years of romantic tension, finally giving fans the moment of their dreams.
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Bia Becomes the First Transgender Amazon
Issue: Nubia & the Amazons #1
The lore of Themyscira was reinvigorated and refined by the epic fantasy miniseries Nubia & the Amazons. Bringing the culture and community of Wonder Woman's home island into sharp focus, the result was an unprecedented look at the Amazons' day-to-day life by Stephanie Williams, Vita Ayala and Alitha Martinez.
In the first issue, we meet Bia, one of a handful of new Amazons who have emerged from the Well of Souls. Giving an emotional toast during a welcoming banquet, Bia beautifully acknowledges that this "exact moment feels like my soul has desired it long before I came here." Many fans picked up on the fact that this felt as if Bia was letting her new sisters in on her experience as a trans woman, and writers Vita Ayala and Stephanie Williams soon confirmed that was the case.
Rosie Knight is an award-winning journalist and author who loves Swamp Thing, the DC Cosmic and writing the monthly gossip column here at DC.com. You can also listen to her waxing lyrical about comics, movies and more each week as she co-hosts Crooked Media's pop-culture podcast, X-Ray Vision.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Rosie Knight and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.