Once again, Marvel and Star Wars’ comics celebrate Pride Month in June with special Pride variant covers! While last year’s crop had some issues, this year’s are replete with far better displays of LGBTQIA+ representation, though there are still some concerns, with covers featuring Doctor Aphra (of course!), Kho Phon Farrus, T’onga and Losha, Vi Moradi, and more! While not all issues will release in June due to delays, at least we know the covers are on their way, so head below to check them out (and when you can get them)!
Seriously, compared to last year’s less than stellar character choices, 2022 is a big step in the right direction, though it is unfortunate not every series has a queer character it can highlight from its own run, thus Marvel pulling other characters to be featured on different series’ Pride variants. One day, hopefully maybe even next year, that won’t be the case and each series out will have a queer character from its own pages it can put on its series’ Pride variant! Also, and a good point I’ve been seeing made online that I wished I noticed right away, but there isn’t any male queer characters represented here, just female and non-binary, even though Ariole, Just Lucky, Sinjir Rath Velus, among others are out there, waiting to take their shot at a cover. The queer-ist era of Star Wars, The High Republic, makes one appearance again like last, but there should be at least a few THR comics running for Phase II of the era by next June so I suspect 2023 Pride Covers will be resplendent and chock-full with the era’s many characters! Without further ado, here are the covers, in release date order!
T’onga and Losha, the married bounty hunting couple, grace Bounty Hunters #24 (on sale June 15) with art by Jan Bazaldua!
Kho Phon Farrus, the complex ‘villain’ of the current Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2) story, breaks onto the cover of Obi-Wan #2 (on sale June 22) with art by Derek Charm!
Sabé, Saché & Yané, who we know are queer thanks to E.K. Johnston’s Queen Trilogy and not the comics, take over Darth Vader #24 (on sale June 22) with art by Kei Zama!
Vi Moradi, who starred in a few (but questionable) books but now wanders the streets of Galaxy’s Edge, hops over to The Mandalorian #1’s cover (on sale July 6), by artist Phil Jimenez!
Larma D’Acy and Wrobie Tyce, the blink and you’ll miss it kiss couple in The Rise of Skywalker, come out front and center on Star Wars #25’s cover by JJ Kirby (on sale July 20)!
Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala, The High Republic’s will-they-won’t-they ever admit their feelings for one another, and they do before maybe never seeing each other again (cliffhangers, dang it!), get a potential happy ending thanks to Javier Garrón’s art on Han Solo & Chewbacca #4’s cover (on sale July 20)!
Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra, the trailblazing disaster lesbian icon from the comics, has the ego to be on her own series’ Pride cover with issue #22 (on sale July 27), with art by Paulina Ganucheau!
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