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Creative Team – “The Heart Wants”
Vita Ayala, Juse Ellison S. Doyle, Maya Houston, Sam Maggs, Tim Sheridan, Josh Trujillo(writers). Don Aguillo, Vincent Celil, Derek Charm, A.L. Kaplan, Giulio Macaione, Alex Moore, Skylar Patridge, Emilio Pilliu, Max Sarin, Phillip Sevy(artists). Don Aguillo, Eren Angiolini, Jordie Bellaire, Vincent Cecil, Derek Charm, Triona Farrell, A.L. Kaplan, Marissa Louise, Giulio Macaione, Alex Moore(colorists). Aditya Bidikar, Frank Cvetkovic, Lucas Gattoni, Ariana Maher, Morgan Martinez, Jodie Troutman(letterers).
“Master Planner”
Jenny Blake(writer). Sara Soler(artist). Jodie Troutman(letterer). Kris Anka(cover).
Published by DC Comics
The Story
When a century-old queer speakeasy, later a bar, then a restaurant, but always a vital community hub in Gotham, announces its impending closure, generations of customers return to honor its legacy. It’s so much more than just a speakeasy, or just a bar, but somewhere where many found hope and love. Among them is Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern. This place holds deep personal meaning; it’s where he and the love of his life, Johnny Ladd, once carved a heart into the basement wall, signifying their love for each other, before everything fell apart.
Alan and Johnny weren’t the only ones to leave their mark, in fact they were far from the only ones. Over the years, countless others did the same, and now, queer heroes, villains, and civilians from across the DC Universe find themselves mysteriously drawn into a strange alternate realm. Among them are the Question, Midnighter and Apollo, Green Lantern Jo Mullein, Harley Quinn, Connor Hawke, Bunker, and the Blue Snowman. This new world gives them exactly what it thinks they always wanted. For example, Harley Quinn’s new world gave her fame, fortune, and power as a woman of her stature.
In addition to the main story, “The Heart Wants,” the collection includes a second, even more emotionally resonant piece: “Master Planner.” This powerful story follows Jenny Blake, the brilliant writer we all know and love, as she shares her journey of coming out as trans. With honesty and vulnerability, Jenny invites us into the personal process of discovering and embracing her true self. It’s a raw, moving account that underscores both her courage and her talent. It takes incredible strength to live authentically—and even more to share that truth with the world through storytelling. Hats off to Jenny for letting us in.
The Writing
What I loved about DC Pride 2025 was that it wasn’t the usual collection of random short stories, but many short stories that all connected with a bigger story arc. With each short story, you could really see the personality of the author peer through the words. For example, you could see a lot of Tim Sheridan in the first story with Alan and Ethan, which I loved because he’s wildly talented.
The collaborations that went into bringing this emotional and beautiful story to life is nothing short of impressive. With such a stacked roster of talent working on DC Pride 2025, it’s a given that the comic would’ve turned out as well as it did. I just really love that each writer was able to shine, and put their own personal touch on their portions, with their talents brightly on display.
In the second story, “Master Planner“, Jenny Blake takes us into moments in her life that showed her who she truly is, a beautiful trans woman named Jenny. While Blake writes this story with a very light and bubbly energy, you could tell how deep and powerful this story truly is. This story may be my favorite part of the entire comic as its rawness and vulnerability is something that came from somewhere so pure. I’m really happy for you, Jenny.
The Art
With such a phenomenal story, it only makes sense that the artwork matches. Throughout DC Pride 2025, there are so many different styles of art, each one more gorgeous than the last. Every artist brought their own personal style and made the short stories their own. Some of my favorite work in the comic comes from Skylar Patridge and Jordie Bellaire as those two created a short story that was nothing short of stunning. They’re not the only ones who shined in DC Pride 2025, as each artist truly showcased their talents, creating something that made you feel every emotion when reading the comic.
Overall Grade – 9.2/10
Let me know in the comments below what you thought of DC Pride 2025!
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This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast. If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of DC Pride 2025, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!
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