I am so excited to get into this roundup! If you follow me on IG (@queerfatloud), you know that reading is my latest obsession. I’ve been really into graphic novels lately and of course, I always go for stories with LGBTQ+ characters. My spouse and I have a pull list at our local comic store and pick up comics once a week!
The collection is rapidly growing, so I figured it was time to start sharing my picks. If you’re just starting to get into comics, graphic novels are a great place to start. They often combine a whole string of comics that come out weekly (this means you can buy a whole story at once instead of scrambling to collect every individual issue), or they’re their own entity and a story you can’t find anywhere else. Let’s get into it!
1. Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy
“Hey, do you wanna see Harley and Ivy go on a road trip and make out??? Picking up directly from the cliffhanger ending of the TV show, Harley and Ivy are on the run in a Thelma-and-Louise journey, it’s all here! Harley and Ivy are on the road trip of the century! Following the wedding disaster of the decade, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy end up on the run from Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD!”
I will read ANYTHING with this couple in it. They are pure chaos, and I really relate to that, yano? I love that this story has multiple volumes and continues the story from the animated series on HBO.
2. LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels – Cheer Up!
“Annie is a smart, antisocial lesbian starting her senior year of high school who is under pressure to join the cheerleading squad to make friends and round out her college applications. Her former friend Bebe is a people-pleaser, a trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to maintain their support of her transition. Through the rigors of squad training and amped-up social pressures (not to mention microaggressions and other queer youth problems), the two girls rekindle a friendship they thought they’d lost and discovered there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.”
Queer and Trans cheerleader BFFs turned frenemies turned girlfriends? Sign me all the way up!
3. Runaways
“The “IT” book of the early 2000s with the original cast is back – Nico! Karolina! Molly! Chase! Old Lace! And, could it be? GERT?! The heart of the Runaways died years ago, but you won’t believe how she returns! Superstar author Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park, Carry On) makes her Marvel debut with fan-favorite artist Kris Anka (ALL-NEW X-MEN, CAPTAIN MARVEL) in the series that will shock you and break your heart! Did Chase and Gert’s love survive their time apart? Have Karolina and Nico’s feelings made their friendship impossible? What emotional landmines lie in wait to DESTROY the Runaways?!”
Runaways is a personal favorite of mine. These high school age kids find out that their parents are a part of a strange evil cult. Some of the kids are supernatural in their own way, some use technology, and some have giant dinosaurs. Karolina and Nico’s relationship finally blossoms under Rainbow Rowell’s rein. There is also a show on Hulu if you want to check it out !
4. Heartstopper
“Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn’t think he has a chance. But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.”
Y’all knew it was coming! If you’re wondering if it’s worth the read or the watch (the TV show), it is!
5. LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels – Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster
“Growing up in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, Maggie Gonzalez has always been a little messy, but she is okay with that. After all, she has a great family, a goofy group of friends, a rocky romantic history, and dreams of being a music photographer. Tasked with picking an escort for her little sister’s quinceañera, Maggie has to face the truth: that her feelings about her friends (and her future) aren’t as simple as she’d once believed.”
Being a pansexual baddie myself, I have a soft spot for this one!
6. Across a Field of Starlight
“An epic sci-fi graphic novel romance between two non-binary characters as they find one another through time, distance, and war. An amazing story that explores the complexity of human nature and what brings us together.”
Two non-binary babes in a forbidden love that’s been burning since they were childhood friends with a space war storyline? Yes, please.
7. LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels – The Tea Dragon Society
“The beloved and charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons. After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives, and eventually her own.”
If you’re looking for something for all ages with BIPOC characters and LGBTQ+ parents, this is it! This story is precious and the fantasy world and art are beautiful.
8. Princess Princess Ever After
“When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain. Yet as they adventure across the kingdom, they discover that they bring out the very best in the other person. They’ll need to join forces and use all the know-how, kindness, and bravery they have in order to defeat their greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress, who wants to get rid of Sadie once and for all. Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different strengths, on their journey to figure out what “happily ever after” really means and how they can find it with each other.”
Shut up. Shut your beautiful mouth. Queer princesses saving themselves and falling in love?! Yes, yes, and more yes.
9. The Witch Boy
“In thirteen-year-old Aster’s family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross those lines is exiled. Unfortunately for Aster, he still hasn’t shifted . . . and he’s still fascinated by witchery, no matter how forbidden it might be. When a mysterious danger threatens the other boys, Aster knows he can help — as a witch. It will take the encouragement of a new friend, the non-magical and non-conforming Charlie, to convince Aster to try practicing his skills. And it will require even more courage to save his family . . . and be truly himself.”
This graphic novel is so beautiful and shatters the binary and gender norms with a supernatural twist.
10. LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels – As The Crow Flies
“Charlie Lamonte is thirteen years old, queer, black, and questioning what was once a firm belief in God. So naturally, she’s spending a week of her summer vacation stuck at an all-white Christian youth backpacking camp. As the journey wears on and the rhetoric wears thin, she can’t help but poke holes in the pious obliviousness of this storied sanctuary with little regard for people like herself . . . or her fellow camper, Sydney.”
Why not add some religious trauma into the mix? I feel like this story has really been waiting to be told and so many people will relate to and find comfort in it!
11. The Girl from the Sea
“Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can’t wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She’s desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends…who don’t understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan’s biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl. Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn’t seem so stifling anymore. But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they’re each trying to hide will find its way to the surface…whether Morgan is ready or not.”
It’s giving queer Luca vibes! & This is the same author as The Witch Boy. If you enjoy one you’ll likely enjoy the other.
12. Rockstar and Softboy
“Rockstar plans the greatest house party ever as a means of lifting roommate Softboy’s spirits, but things take a gnarly turn when the dreaded PARTY ANIMAL shows up to make a mess of things… and dredge up long-held secrets between two BFFs who seemingly share everything!”
I picked this story up on a whim because I love the title and the art, and I fell in love! I love this story about two platonic queer soulmates. There are also fat queer supporting characters which gave me the warm and fuzzies!
LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels
I know that comics and graphic novels can feel intimidating to get into and you may feel like you need to know everything about it before you start, but I’m here to confidently tell you that you don’t! You can just pick up things that you like to read and learn along the way. As I said, graphic novels are a great place to start. Happy reading!
XO Court