Being a pansexual transwoman in the nerd space can be rather daunting, let alone being a transwoman in general. Outside of DC’s Coagula or Milestone’s Masquerade, trans-people haven’t exactly had a lot of representation in comics or manga. However, in recent years, that’s really started to change. “Dream Girls: A DC Pride Event” by writers Jadzia Axelrod and Nicole Maines is living proof of that, as they used their experiences to create this beautiful piece of work. With a backup “Batwoman” story by legend Greg Rucka, this is truly a Pride comic for the ages!
Main Writers: Jadzia Axelrod, Nicole Maines
“Batwoman” Writer: Greg Rucka
Main Artists: Nicola Scott, J. Bone, Ted Brandt, Ro Stein
“Batwoman” Artist: Claire Roe
Main Colorists: Marissa Louise, Dearbhla Kelly
“Batwoman” Colorist: Mike Spicer
Transformative Storytelling
In today’s day and age, putting out a book like this takes a lot of spunk and courage. Two things that writers Jadzia Axelrod and Nicole Maines have in spades, letting them shine throughout this entire comic. From the humor to the character writing and tense dramatic moments, the two of them just get it. In my recent talk with them, we discussed their writing process at length, detailing the back-and-forth through Google Docs and in-depth discussions between besties. The relationship due to commonality is one that can only be lived to be understood, and it’s represented beautifully here.
When it comes to the aforementioned humorous and dramatic moments, the two are balanced near-perfectly, almost completely seamless in parts. There’s one page in particular, involving Galaxy, where I had to put the book down for a second to let myself have a good cry. Without spoiling too much, the page gives readers a lesson that rings true for all minorities and our fight. Just mere moments before, I was laughing hysterically from a line delivered by Dreamer.
To cap things off in this issue is Greg Rucka’s smaller “Batwoman” story. What I personally loved about it was that, for a brief moment, Kate was allowed to just live. Taking a night off, she finds potential love at a LGBTQ+ event in a bar. In just a few pages, Rucka manages to pull readers into this blossoming relationship, one that’s sure to light up the next issue of the main “Batwoman” run!
A Galaxy Beyond
When it comes to the art in this book, there really seems to have been a page taken out of Peach Momoko’s playbook, as several queer artists and colorists brought their own flavors to this stellar dream team. Each part of the story truly stood out from the last but also blended seamlessly and all looked absolutely amazing. Every artist and colorist here poured their heart and soul into these pages, and it shows.
When it comes to the artwork, the Bruce Timm-inspired pages are the absolute stand out to me. I immediately got hit with this massive wave of nostalgia and for the setting, it worked incredibly well. The styling was complimented beautifully by the color design, playfully bringing in the aesthetics of our two main characters in a very interesting way. All in all, out of this world work from the entire art & color team!
Final Thoughts
Where can I even begin here? Everyone worked their magic and put their hearts and souls onto these pages. This is, without a doubt, one of the best comics I’ve read all year. I laughed, cried and felt represented in a way I never have before. Representation like this is what we need right now and I’m ecstatic for the ride ahead.
Final Grade: 10/10
Be sure to read more from me here and follow my socials!
Comments
If you’re LGBTQ+, do you plan on pick up this mini-series? Are you a fan of Dreamer or Galaxy? Let’s discuss in the comments below!
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply