Filed under: Comic Reviews, Indie Comics | Tags: Angel, Bear, Chris Wildgoose, Cory Smith, Dan Harris, FabMan, Frost, Gavin Mitchell, HEctor Barros, Jack Davies, Jack Lawrence, Joe Glass, Joshua Faith, Kendall Goode, Kris Anka, Kris Carter, Mar Ellerby, Muscle Mary, The Pride, Twink, White Trash, Wolf
Creator Joe Glass brings us The Pride – a superhero comic with a difference as it tackles an issue that most comics venture into with it’s frank & refreshing approach to sexuality.
While other titles build they’re story around characters which follow the standard male/female members with that air of what has become a mainstream approach to attraction & relationships in general – The Pride broadens the representation it offers with it’s focus on LGBT themes. Thankfully it’s not pushed in your face as it’s in integral component of the overall story it represents & adds one of the many layers the comic offers.
At it’s heart it’s a story of a new team appearing but deeper than that the question of acceptance, in all it’s forms, is brought into the mix as a strong cast of characters form a team with a very different back story to them. A typical clash of personalities, some bitchy moments & adventure that sees them tackle their first real test as well as the response from the public. A response that helps highlight that deeper message of acceptance and is echoed further by fellow superhero team ‘The Justice Division’ who admire their attempts but have a real condescending approach to this new team based purely on their sexual preference.
The story doesn’t dwell on those negative aspects though as it aims to push forward with a positive message and instead looks at the core team as the focus for the life struggles, the persecution faced & the human approach to the things they face. Heroes FabMan, Wolf, Muscle Mary, Frost, Twink, Bear, Angel and White Trash are all complex creations and their different attitudes are dealt with evenly across these first 4 issues…..there’s also the added bonus material which brings some back-up stories and the origins of each team member.
Working together brings with it it’s own challenges but the training begins and the team dynamic with such a large cast works well as Glass weaves the sub-plot of some of the team members becoming the target of an evil villain in the form of the Reverend Basher. Between the Reverend and his quest for the power the heroes have, the team training to become better heroes and them trying to juggle their normal lives – there’s a rich set of themes contained in these first four issues.
The art team behind the title is hefty too as Gavin Mitchell, Dan Harris, Hector Barros, Kendall Goode, Chris Wildgoose, Joshua Faith, Kris Anka, Cory Smith, Jack Lawrence, Jack Davies, Mar Ellerby & Kris Carter are all involved in pulling together the superhero comic with a difference and with real success. The change in art could be jarring but it seems to work in perfectly with the mix of characters & those added origin stories that appear at the end of each issue are a smart way to build on our understanding of the characters & actually giving a damn about what happens in the next issue.
If you’re open-minded enough to accept this as a superhero title you’ll take something positive away from a reading experience that you maybe wouldn’t get in other titles. While the target audience maybe the LGBT community there is still a strong case for this being a far more general title than may have first been intended. The human struggle is something common for us all regardless of our orientation & I can’t see why something like The Pride couldn’t nestle alongside The Avengers, Justice League or any other team title. It faces the same challenges as any other title within the small press world but the direction it has & message of acceptance proves that it’s a title that can help make a difference…..kudos to Joe for creating the story and getting the art team together for it.
Head over to The Pride website or Facebook page for more info.
8/10
G-Man
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