Justice League Queer Writer Hints How DC Fans Could Save Series
The writer behind potential series Justice League Queer just implied the project could survive depending on the reception for the DC Pride anthology.
The writer of prospective series Justice League Queer has hinted at how DC Comics fans could help the series see print. Justice League Queer (JLQ) was a fan-favorite pitch for a future comic in the DC Round Robin. It was eliminated in the first round thanks to being paired with lead contender Robins, but has nonetheless invited considerable enthusiasm from fans. DC had previously mentioned that the team could still make an appearance and now Andrew Wheeler, the writer who pitched the project, is hinting how fans can help that happen.
The DC Round Robin is an opportunity for comic fans to decide what comic they want to see in the future. The competition began with sixteen titles total. After the first round, eight books were left and second round voting just closed. In the first round, Justice League Queer was pitted against a title that has proven to be a forerunner in the race to publication: Robins. The comic that wins this competition will be published later this year. When JLQ was eliminated, many fans questioned why DC would place a title with important LGBTQIA+ representation in first-round competition against a Batman-related comic, believing that it was doomed from the start. Now, it's becoming clear that may not be quite true.
Justice League Queer writer Andrew Wheeler tweeted a bit of advice to fans of his eliminated pitch. He encourages fans that want to see JLQ happen to support the upcoming DC Pride anthology. The implication seems to be that DC is testing the waters on fan demand before deciding whether to move forward with JLQ outside its Round Robin tournament. As with many things, money talks, and it's clear how DC Pride could be used to gauge fan interest in Justice League Queer.
This isn't the first sign that JLQ could be saved. As reported previously, in an interview with members of the DC publishing team involved with the Round Robin comic titles, it was made clear that fan demand for JLQ was being heard. While sales of DC Pride could concretely prove that fans want to read about LGBTQIA+ characters, the anthology itself won't necessarily give fans what they originally wanted. Showcases and specials are excellent ways of celebrating inclusion and diversity, but they are still one-off issues that tend to have much less impact on ongoing continuity. What fans were voting for was a full mini-series focused on characters who can struggle to claim the limelight.
Already two members had been confirmed for the team, thanks to DC Publicist Clark Bull. Jackson Hyde, aka Aqualad, and Supergirl's Nia Nal, aka Dreamer, were both set to be on the team. Justice League Queer would have featured six more members to work alongside them, for a total of eight heroes! For now, fans will have to be temporarily content with these heroes being featured in DC Pride, which will present Dreamer in her comics debut (the character was first introduced on the Supergirl TV show) in a story written by Nicole Maines.
Though Wheeler is in no position to promise DC Pride's sales could definitely save Justice League Queer - and followed his initial tweet with a playful "Who can say if these things are related?" - it's clear that the anthology is likely to act as a trial balloon for a longer series focusing on an actual team of LGBTQIA+ heroes. Arriving June 8 as part of DC's Pride Month celebrations, fans and the publisher alike will be watching the sales of DC Pride closely, but that doesn't make the anthology the deciding word on Justice League Queer's future - that's a decision which, one way or another, will still be DC Comics' to make.
Source: Andrew Wheeler