feeling the aster

DC Pride Spoilers and HOLY SHIT MOM LOOK WHAT I DID!!!!

I can finally tell EVERYONE about this, my God. I was going stir crazy!

Months ago, Devin Grayson emailed me and asked for my consultation on her Jon Kent story for this year’s Pride anthology. Devin read my Icemaiden article on Comicosity where I mentioned how a lot of DC’s older queer characters weren’t in the first Pride book.

I discussed this with Devin and convinced her to use the Legion of Super-Heroes, as well as Dorothy Spinner and Coagula from the Doom Patrol

Kate and Dorothy were infamously killed off in John Arcudi’s Doom Patrol run 20 years ago. I got sick of waiting for someone to finally bring them back and used this opportunity with Devin to have them included. I specified Dorothy needed to be with Kate, after Dorothy was used as a plot device to kill Kate despite their sisterly bond.

You can see Dorothy’s holding the Danny the Brick in her arms.

And thank you to Jadzia Axelrod for also using Kate in her Alysia Yeoh story

Dawnstar being bisexual was implied in Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America, but nothing was done about since.

Brainiac 5 being demisexual came about via discussion with querldoxs on twitter. I also talked with Robyn Singer about the sexuality of the Legionnaires to make sure I got it right.

The instagram comments are based on suggestions I made as well.

As you can see, Shrinking Violet and Element Lad are both in the story too. I pushed for using Invisible Kid, Chemical King, Lightning Lass, and also Shvaughn Erin but they didn’t make the cut. Vi would’ve been identified as a lesbian while Jan was pansexual.

You have no idea what it feels like for me to be able say I helped bring back Dorothy and Kate after 20 years, and to say I got the Legionnaires acknowledged and identified as queer on-panel after 40 years of subtext and innuendo.

 And hint, hint - it’s a major callback to Season 2 and Artemis’ “death”.

Hares are also known for having amber eyes while rabbits usually have brown eyes! I wonder if that influenced Bart having consistently yellow eyes in his 90s run.