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A review by graypeape
The Pride Omnibus by Joe Glass
5.0
A good way to end Pride Month! This omnibus encompasses three volumes of The Pride graphic novels. I'm not going to describe the story arcs too much, because I don't wanna spoil any details- nobody likes spoilers, amiright? The first book gives us the origin story of the team, introduces the heroes, and covers some well-known and not as well-known issues of the LGBTQA+ community. There are some things I've seen mentioned that bothered some readers: some characters are obviously based on other superheroes -Wolf is essentially Batman, for example. I didn't have a problem with this, it's not the first time it's been done, and it won't be the last, but it bugged some readers, so it's possible it might bug anyone reading this review as well. Also, the artists and art style changes frequently, sometimes in the middle of a chapter. I'm cool with a different artist per chapter, but switching in the middle was a bit disconcerting; it was cool seeing the different styles though. Some people complained that for a group that's supposed to be inclusive, representing everyone, there wasn't that much diversity. A fair point, but this is just the set-up, that can be changed. Overall, I had fun. The story kept me interested, and I'm learning/adding to knowledge I already have about issues within the LGBTQA+ community, which is a good thing!
In the second and third books, the creators seem to be taking criticisms of the first book into consideration- the art style still switches up, but the switches flow better. We get to know the characters better, which is always good, and get some surprises. The team is coming together more, getting the hang of working with each other instead of being solo. They also decide to add some new team members, realizing they need more representation and also more help sometimes, while the creators remind us they can't possibly represent everyone. Plus, new costumes, and a new hero name for one member! There's a good balance between action scenes and more quiet moments, with more issues covered. This really brought the feels, all of them, so much going on, and it's all such important stuff! And omg, did the storytelling grow as this progressed! The first volume was a bit wobbly, and readers raised some issues, and wow, the creators actually listened. You can see the story "grow up," as it were, and it became a really great story, with characters I felt truly invested in. Some of the issues touched on I knew about, but many I didn't, and by reading this book, I feel I will be a better ally now. Just, wow, so good.
tl;dr: This book is fabulous, and y'all should read it!
In the second and third books, the creators seem to be taking criticisms of the first book into consideration- the art style still switches up, but the switches flow better. We get to know the characters better, which is always good, and get some surprises. The team is coming together more, getting the hang of working with each other instead of being solo. They also decide to add some new team members, realizing they need more representation and also more help sometimes, while the creators remind us they can't possibly represent everyone. Plus, new costumes, and a new hero name for one member! There's a good balance between action scenes and more quiet moments, with more issues covered. This really brought the feels, all of them, so much going on, and it's all such important stuff! And omg, did the storytelling grow as this progressed! The first volume was a bit wobbly, and readers raised some issues, and wow, the creators actually listened. You can see the story "grow up," as it were, and it became a really great story, with characters I felt truly invested in. Some of the issues touched on I knew about, but many I didn't, and by reading this book, I feel I will be a better ally now. Just, wow, so good.
tl;dr: This book is fabulous, and y'all should read it!