A Year in Queer: The best LGBT+ comics of 2024

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June is Pride Month, so there is no better time to delve into a comic featuring characters who represent the various letters in the LGBT+ acronym. Happily, there are now so many comics starring queer folks that it isn’t possible to list them all in a single article. Instead, I selected one graphic novel for each month of 2024. At the time of this writing, they were scheduled for release in the month they are listed under, giving you an overview of the vast array of LGBT+ comics that we are lucky to get this year!

January: Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time by Cocomi

One of the first queer comics released this year was this wistful adult manga about a gay couple who can’t seem to let go of each other, despite knowing how miserable they were together. Naruse, a hairdresser, is trying to move on with his life, but his ex Toui, a moody novelist, keeps texting him anyway—and Naruse keeps giving in. Are they doomed to remain in this unhealthy cycle forever, or can they find a way to be happy again—either by themselves or with each other?

February: The Cold Ever After by Jeremy Whitley and Megan Huan

In this enthralling, adults-only take on classic fairy tales, exiled knight Noelani has spent over a decade trying to forget about the two people she loves best: the queen, Isadora, and the princess, Noemi. But when Noemi goes missing just before her marriage to a boorish suitor, Noelani races to find her. Trapped in a maze of self-serving secrets, dangerous magic, and painful betrayal, Noelani is too cynical to believe in the classic "happily-ever-after" and will have to make tremendous sacrifices to carve out her own version of a happy ending.

March: Gender Studies: Confessions of an Accidental Outlaw by Ajuan Mance

Mance has never quite fit in anywhere, but back in the 1970s and ‘80s, she didn’t have access to the language and information she needed to adequately express her gender identity. In this fun memoir, Mance discusses the intersection between race, age, and gender; amusing and insightful incidents from throughout her life; and how she came to understand herself at last.

April: Bad Dream by Nicole Maines and Rye Hickman

Maines made history with her portrayal of Dreamer, television’s first transgender superhero, on The CW’s Supergirl. Now, she writes Bad Dream, a comic about Dreamer’s origins with art by Rye Hickman. As a teenager, Nia Nal never expected to inherit her mother’s ability to predict the future through her dreams. When she does, thus depriving her sister of her rightful inheritance, Nia’s first instinct is to hide the truth, but denying your true self is never a sustainable solution.

May: Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding by Maia Kobabe and Sarah Peitzmeier, PhD

Chest binding is a common way for transgender and gender-nonconforming people to change their physical appearance in the way that suits them best. It is, however, a potentially dangerous method that can have permanent health effects if done incorrectly. Kobabe, the author of the acclaimed memoir Gender Queer, teams up with a health expert to create this handy guide for anyone wanting to learn how to bind safely.

June: Becoming Who We Are by Various Creators

This anthology tells nine stories by trans authors and artists about their personal journeys from childhood to adulthood. While acknowledging the struggles that trans and gender-nonconforming people face, Becoming Who We Are focuses on the exhilaration that comes with living freely. It’s the perfect choice for trans readers in need of a reminder that a successful life is possible for all, as well as for cis readers who want to know more about the experiences of trans people.

July: Sainted Love: A Time to Fight by Steve Orlando and Giopota

All Mac and John want is the chance to live together in peace, but turn-of-the-twentieth-century America is not a safe place for them to attempt it. Mac invents a machine that they can use to travel to a more accepting era, but with the authorities on their tail, the two lovers soon find themselves hurtling through time. Along the way, they meet other people like them from throughout history, affirming that queer people have always found ways to be happy—so maybe they can, too.

August: Hungry Heart by Jem Milton

Laurie has always been interested in food and cooking, as evidenced by his obsession with the TV show The Great British Kitchen Trials. Getting to interview one of that show’s competitors, the unbearably cute Oryan, is almost more exciting than he can stand. As Laurie and Oryan’s relationship goes from professional to personal, will things work out, or will they realize that they have bitten off more than they can chew?

September: A Quick and Easy Guide to Coming Out by Kristin Russo and Ravi Teixeira

Exactly as the title promises, this comic offers helpful tips and suggestions to anyone who is struggling to tell friends, family, coworkers, and others about their true sexual or gender identity. Coming out is often a lifelong process, and it is not always “quick” or “easy”—but it is possible. Getting support from people you trust and even from a friendly graphic guide can make the process much less intimidating.

October: Girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio and Paulina Ganucheau

Phoebe has just transitioned, and she has no clue how to be a girl and no one she can go to with such a sensitive question. Mackenzie is the most popular girl in their high school, and when she takes Phoebe under her wing, it seems like all of Phoebe’s prayers have been answered. But learning to be yourself sometimes means letting go of people—even people you truly care about—who are holding you back.

November: Wet Moon Omnibus by Sophie Campbell

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the debut of Campbell’s Wet Moon series, about the ups and downs experienced by four friends all attending the same art school. Cleo, Fern, Trilby, and Audrey don’t always get along—in fact, they can be downright vicious when hurt or angry—but when things get really dire, these misfit girls know that they can always rely on each other.

December: How Could You by Ren Strapp

Molly and Lou were both involved in what they thought were happy relationships—until their girlfriends decided to hook up with each other and rush off to France for a study-abroad program. All four now find themselves nursing broken hearts as they try to figure out what they want out of life and who they want to spend their lives with.

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