I found this book to be a great primer for some of the lesser known DC characters. The art and layouts were well done, and the glossary was a nice addition.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'll start off by saying that I've been a long-time fan of DC Comics. I've always loved superheroes and villains, the realm of possibilities that the DC universe offers to readers, and also the authors/artists who create their stories. While there have been numerous character arcs and countless continuity changes (some that I may not agree with, but hey, lmao), one thing that's never changed is that DC offers something for everyone, and that's only become more true over time.

Jadzia did an amazing job with the research in identifying LGBTQIA+ characters found in the DC Universe, and the bios provided gave nice context to them all. I appreciated the author's intro at the beginning which definitely set my expectations of what would be found in this book, as it obviously doesn't include every LGBTQIA+ character, and didn't go entirely in-depth with the information.

Regardless, I still enjoyed turning to the pages of the LGBTQIA+ characters that I love, including Batwoman, Cheetah, John Constantine, and of course Poison Ivy (whose page spread was GORGEOUS, btw), Harley Quinn, and Tim Drake. I also thought the blurbs were good for people unaware of their stories. Having not really read the newer DC Comics titles, it was nice to learn about some of the newer characters like Jay Nakamura, Jon Kent, Galaxy and Ghost-Maker!

Definitely a nice coffee table book with pretty art and has a clean layout too! My only complaint is that while I appreciate the artist acknowledgments at the end of the book after the glossary, it would've been better to have the artist credits right on the character pages themselves so it's more identifiable who drew what, rather than have a list of names with no context. Either way, still a nice read, especially if you're wanting to learn a bit more about DC characters.

This book was a joy. I've long been a casual comic reader who dips my toes now and again and this compendium of queer heroes has me all excited to dive back in and experience some queer joy with DC Comics.

Happy Pride!!

Thank you to NetGalley and DC for providing me with an ARC of The DC Book of Pride.

This is an encyclopedia of queer DC characters, the dictionary of queer DC. There are A LOT of characters that I had no idea about. In particular the 'next gen' characters and their queerness. Much like youths these days, the new characters are far more diverse and open to exploring life a bit more.

I LOVE how vibrant the illustrations are! They are soooooooo colourful and fun. For a coffee table book like this it is the quality of the illustration and the design that sells this product.

If you love the DC universe then this will be an excellent additional to your collection. I think that for what it is it is done very well, hence the 5 star rating.

This book is amazing. It introduced me to a bunch of characters I've never heard of and look forward to reading about. It also taught me more about characters I already knew and gave me a new lens to view some of them through. The diversity of identities warms my heart, especially the inclusion of sexuality. The book has spoilers in the character bios, as it is the book's role to explain their place in the DC universe, so it may not be the best fit for people heavily averse to spoilers and not well-versed in DC history. It's a great crash-course on the DC universe and beautifully done.

This book introduced me to a bunch of DC characters I had never heard of. I really liked the character profiles, and the artwork is gorgeous.

This is essentially an encyclopedia of queer DC characters, which is cool but I'm not sure who the intended audience is. There were some really cool tidbits in here, like the first Green Lantern powered ring had been intended as a gift to a lover. I appreciated the first appearance note for each character and seeing how early some of them came into canon. Ultimately, I think that a lot more could have been done with this book.

Taking this further in really any creative direction would have been great. It didn't feel like this book would be very engaging to a young audience. It would have been fun if the blurbs were written from the perspectives of each character, or if panels of them in action were included. The short bio and picture is useful for finding a character, I guess, but it's not nearly enough to satisfy the curiosity of a comic reader. For avid readers, this is a lot of what we already know and it lacks detail about character creation, notable appearances or story arcs, or even more artwork of the characters. I'd be interested in the writer's research process which they eluded to in the introduction.

I'm happy this exists but I hoped it would be more. Thank you to DC and NetGalley for an early preview!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

This is truly a beautiful and vibrant book that acts more like an introduction to the queer characters in DC Comics than an encyclopedia. I’m okay with this because 1.) that would make the book A LOT longer and 2.) the author warned that would be the case. I’m glad that this was said upfront since it set my expectations.

Each entry has the character’s superhero/villain/alter ego name, their pronouns, a summary of their story, and some quick bullet points at the end.

I didn’t realize how many trans characters there are/were in the DC Universe and that’s a really cool thing to see. Also, listed are an HIV+ character and an ace character.

Overall, I learned a lot more about DC Comics than I thought I would when I started reading.

This is such a great read. I loved getting to read a little bit about each character and having fun tidbits at the bottom of each page. I was introduced to new characters and beloved characters that I've read for years. I think that this is a really great read for pretty much anyone, but especially comic book fans that want to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ characters that they love.

If you like super heroes you are gonna love this. It was so cool to see the long history of LGBTQ+ heroes. It was awesome to see heroes ans villains in different stages of coming out and how their queerness affected them. This is definitely a quick touch on the characters but I do think its set up really well. I like that it showed who their loved and allies were because they often are also in this book.

I learned about so many new characters with this book. I also learned there were so many out queer characters early on in the stories, some even as early as the 40s. Screw the organization that tried to keep writers from including everyone.
The art was beautiful and I loved the little fact charts at the bottom of each page

There are admittedly a lot of characters here I was previously unaware about. And some I knew of, but very little of. I really enjoyed the bright, vibrant illustrations in so many unique styles , but I must say the reason I would recommend this to any junior high, high school or public library is that it is open and accessible and so heartfelt. The short bios give so many relatable options for young people still questioning themselves and this is such a wonderful opportunity to do it, by showing how these fictional characters who choose secret identities and vivid costumes to be heroes and villains also had to spend time finding out who they are.it’s a journey of self discovery and this is a big first step for someone out there looking for help to find a direction. Although Harley and Ivy are probably the two characters that drew me to this because I am most familiar with them, I enjoyed getting to know all the meta humans within these pages. Their struggles, triumphs and tragedies are only briefly brought to light in each page long entry, but they are in the light, they are truly and utterly acknowledged for who they are regardless of being a transgender , a reincarnated Amazon, or a mutate blue snowman…it’s all here, there’s something for everyone. I hope it inspires more people to be true to themselves.

The DC Book of Pride by Jadzia Axelrod is a great summation of queer heroes and villains in the DC universe. With fantastic illustrations and concise entries, this book is for those looking for representation and those looking to expand their knowledge of DC lore.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

If you’re a DC fan this is a must have! I absolutely loved seeing just how many queer characters they included. I enjoyed reading about each character and I loved the art styles throughout the book. Definitely one to check out, especially right before pride month!

This collection will be released on May 16, 2023. DK Publishing provided an early galley for review.
I come from a long history with DK's super-hero-focused books. I have several iterations of both DC and Marvel Encyclopedias as well as indepth company histories that the publisher has put out over the years. Therefore, I knew that their approach to this project would indeed be done with care and quality.

I liked that each character, no matter how new or old, got the exact same space - two-page layout with art on one side and text on the other. The artwork is drawn from the vast history of the comics line. Some of these characters I knew, and some were brand new to me. The glossary at the end is also helpful, especially when defining the various terms that help describe members of the LGBTQIA community. I learned a lot from this collection.

The DC Book of Pride by DK; Jadzia Axelrod is phenomenally illustrated!
Everything about this book is a STATEMENT from the illustrations to the LGBTQ+ community INCLUSION!
The blurbs of quick facts at the bottom of each page in reference to each character I absolutely loved !
As long as their is parental guidance I believe every child should have the opportunity to know that they themselves are heard and seen . It is so important to empower and equip our younger generations with appropriate verbiage and tools for them to use in the present moment and moving forward towards a safer more loving and kind future.

Really loved the premise of this book. As someone who isn’t a big comic fan but is dipping their toes, I was curious about LGBTQ superheroes and their stories. Now this is a fantastic coffee table book. Easy to flip through, the artwork is stunning, and the short biographies of every character was well written.

I only wish this was longer. I expected to read some of the historical context to these characters, what their identity brought to the story or affected their characters and readers. Perhaps, one day, there will be a more in-depth version of that delves deeper into the characters and LGBTQ representation in DC/comics in general.

Created in 1954, the Comics Code Authority (CCA) combated the perception that comics were too lurid and violent. Prohibitions even restricted any representation of queerness. Despite the CCA, beautifully queer characters still appeared in our favorite comic books. Though their sexuality was more often hinted at than declared outright, these characters--heroes and villains alike--still existed, though most operated as secondary characters to lead, straight heroes. Still, DC showcased all shades of the queer rainbow, even back in 1954. Today, LGBTQIA+ characters have become leads in our favorite comic books; characters who act as heroes in more ways than one.

Reading their stories--from well-known heroes like Kate Kane (Batwoman) and Harleen Quinzel (Harley Quinn) to those who only recently stepped into the spotlight like Taylor Barzelay (Galaxy) and Nia Nal (Dreamer)--was an awe-inspiring experience. Growing up as a bisexual Middle Easterner, I rarely saw my ethnicity represented on-screen, let alone my sexuality. Seeing queer female characters like Nyssa al Ghul and Sara Lance gave me the inspiration and empowerment I needed to come out. This book, filled with pages of bisexual, lesbian, gay, transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer characters is an outstanding reminder that we--regardless of how we identify--deserve representation. The art is stunning; I only wish we could see more from the comic books each character appears in. There's a helpful glossary for those who need it as well, which I'm grateful for. We also get little tidbits about each character, including their first appearance in a DC comic!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. I only wish I had a hardcover copy to share with the world.

This book is a list of queer DC characters which, as a list person and as a queer person, I deeply appreciated although this is far from every queer character DC has. Some of the characters are common to any DC fan, such as Harley Quinn and Superman, and others are characters I'd never heard of, like Circuit Breaker. I loved learning about them all. I now have a few new comic series I want to explore as well as I tend to stay on the Batman wheel when reading DC. Teen Titans has so many fascinating characters I'd never heard of - and I think I may have to give Millenium a try!

The DC Book of Pride: a Celebration of DC's LGBTQIA+ Characters by Jadzia Axelrod hits shelves on May 16th. I'm thrilled that NetGalley and Dk Children's let me get my hands on an advanced copy.

Thank you @netgalley for sending me an ARC of The Dc Book of Pride in exchange for an honest review!
This is a very nice companion book to DC comics' lovers! It focuses in DC's queer characters, and their achievements.
It's a heartwarming read that reminds us of the power that being ourselves has, especially when the world is against us!