Marvel stalwart Al Ewing takes on DC's Starman as part of Pride 2024 event

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DC's plans for its 2024 Pride celebrations this June include the return of a fan-favorite writer to the company after more than a decade — and creating his first DC superhero work in the process, to boot. Welcome to the DC Universe, X-Men Red/Venom/Guardians of the Galaxy/Immortal Hulk et al author Al Ewing.

Ewing will be contributing a Starman story to DC Pride 2024 #1, the latest installment in the annual anthology series spotlighting LGBTQIA+ characters and creators. (It’s the Mikaal Tomas Starman, for those who remember the James Robinson Starman series from the 1990s; originally created in the '70s, he’s one of the first openly gay superheroes from either DC or Marvel.) It’ll be Ewing’s first work for DC since a story in 2012’s Ghosts anthology, his only previous work for the company.

The story, 'Hello, Spaceboy,' will be illustrated by Stephen Byrne; DC has released an unlettered preview of the story via its retailer mailings - insert your own David Bowie references here:

Accompanying Ewing in the 104-page anthology are the creative teams of Nicole Maines and Jordan Gibson, Gretchen Felker-Martin and Claire Roe, Jarrett Williams and D.J. Kirkland, Jamila Rowser and O’Neill Jones, Ngoni Ukase, Calvin Kasulke and Len Gogou; additionally, Phil Jimenez and Giulio Macaione contribute a story based on Jimenez’s own life. Covers for the issue come from Kevin Wada, Babs Tara, and David Talaski; you can see the contents page for the issue to the right.

DC Pride 2024 #1 is just one of a number of Pride-themed releases from DC this June; additionally, DC Pride: A Celebration of Rachel Pollack #1 reprints two of the late writer’s groundbreaking work from the Vertigo imprint in the 1990s, including Doom Patrol #70, which introduced DC’s first transgender superhero, Coagula. (The issue will also feature a new story by Joe Corallo and Rye Hickman, bringing Coagula back into the spotlight.) Additionally, DC Pride: Uncovered #1 is a collection of cover art spotlighting DC’s LGBTQIA+ characters featuring work from the likes of Jen Bartel, Phil Jimenez, Jim Lee, Luciano Vecchip, and more; multiple titles in June — Action Comics, Batman, Green Arrow, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Outsiders, Suicide Squad: Dream Team, Superman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman — will also feature variant covers spotlighting queer characters at the company.

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Beyond these releases, DC’s 2024 Pride content expands far past June: April sees the long-awaited release of Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story, a YA graphic novel by Nicole Maines and Rye Hickman, with September bringing The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley, by Melissa Marr and Jenn St-Onge. Subscription service DC Universe Infinite will have a DC Universe Pride hub, featuring curated collections of comic books from creators including James Tynion IV and Mariko Tamaki, and DC is promising more announcements in the next few months leading up to Pride Month this June. Keep reading Popverse for more on DC’s Pride plans as it breaks.

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