As we enter 2023 we're taking a look at some of the best queer graphic novels being released next year. From sweet coming-of-age highschool romances to gay superheroes and trans slice-of-life comics, here are 20 of our most anticipated LGBT graphic novels, comics, and manga coming in 2023.
Please note: some release dates may be pushed back to later dates.
Belle of the Ball - Mari Costa
28 April 2023 - First Second
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Women
£17.99
A young adult graphic novel about high school wallflower Belle Hawkins, who ends up in a love triangle after tutoring the girlfriend of her crush.
High-school senior and notorious wallflower Hawkins finally works up the courage to remove her mascot mask and ask out her longtime crush: Regina Moreno, head cheerleader, academic overachiever, and all-around popular girl. There’s only one teensy little problem: Regina is already dating Chloe Kitagawa, athletic all-star… and middling English student. Regina sees a perfectly self-serving opportunity here and asks the smitten Hawkins to tutor Chloe free of charge, knowing Hawkins will do anything to get closer to her.
Project Nought - Chelsey Furedi
16 March 2023 - Clarion Books
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Men, Queer Women
£13.99
Ren Mittal's last memory in the year 1996 is getting on a bus to visit his mystery pen pal, Georgia. When he wakes up in 2122, he thinks he might be hallucinating... he's not!
Tech conglomerate Chronotech sponsors a time-travel program to help students in 2122 learn what history was really like... from real-life subjects who've been transported into the future...and Ren is one of them. but what if Chronotech isn't the benevolent organization they claim to be, and he and his fellow subjects are in great danger? Project Nought is a fast-paced time-travel adventure with a hint of romance, perfect for fans of Kiss Number 8 and On a Sunbeam
Under Kingdom - Christof Bogacs
30 March 2023 - Dark Horse Comics
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Men
£14.99
School can be hard, and making friends can be even harder. Taking your mother’s place as the guardian of a secret subterranean kingdom of monsters just might be impossible!
After the sudden disappearance of his mom, high school freshman, Shay, is thrust into a secret world of monsters that exists underneath his small West-Virginian town. With the help of his shapeshifting aunt Sa’Belle, he must search for his mother while doing what he can to safeguard the citizens of the ‘Under Kingdom’ and try to maintain his normal high school life.
US - Sara Soler
13 June 2023 - Dark Horse Comics
LGBTQ+ Rep: Trans & Queer Women
£15.99
What happens when the life you had assumed takes a 180-degree turn? Nothing... And also everything.
Us is a love story between Sara and Diana, and also the story of Diana's transition. After fears that this sudden turn in their relationship could end things, they realize that they still like and love each other and that nothing has changed between them. Now, they'll have to come out of the closet and face the gaze of their family and social environment.
Us intends to make the trans reality visible and contribute its vision and grain of sand in the face of the great misinformation that exists about gender dysphoria, with humor and from our own experience.
Cosmoknights Vol. 2 - Hannah Templer
02 March 2023 - Top Shelf Productions
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Women
£22.99
Escape was just the beginning. The sensational "gays in space" webcomic/graphic novel returns, with new faces, long-awaited reunions, higher stakes, and more thrilling action!
Pan has finally escaped her dead-end planet, piecing together a new sort of family with the rebel gladiators Bee and Cass and the mysterious hacktivist Kate. They've even rescued a princess... But what if this princess has her own ideas? Whatever happened to Pan's childhood friend Tara? And if Pan and the others become galactic fugitives, will the immense pressure of life on the run threaten to tear them apart just in time for the biggest heist of their lives?
WYND Vol. 3: The Trone in the Sky - James Tynion IV
12 October 2023 - Boom! Studios
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Men
£10.99
Return to Esseriel in the darkest chapter to date of Wynd, perfect for newcomers and longtime fans of Eisner Award-Winning writer James Tynion IV!
The land of Esseriel is a darker and more dangerous place than ever, as tensions between the Human and Faerie realms build to the brink of war. Could Wynd be the only hope for peace? Danger, betrayal, and even some romance confront our heroes at every turn, while elsewhere, the Duke makes murderous plans of his own. Things seem dire, but help from an unexpected figure might just be the lifeline Wynd and Merien need… even though the final battle draws near.
Multiversity: Teen Justice Vol. 1 - Danni Lore & Ivan Cohen
21 March 2023 - DC Comics
LGBTQ+ Rep: LGBTQ+ Cast
£14.99
Kid Quick-the Future State Flash-and their fellow heroes Supergirl, Robin, Aquagirl, Klarienne the Witch Girl, and Troy take center stage in this thrilling collection that rocks Earth-11 to its core!
The secrets of Earth-11's newest heroes and villains unfold in DC's most exciting new team title! Teen Justice investigates the Church of Blood-is Sister Blood's true mission among the lost souls of New York City and will Teen Justice have what it takes to get past their growing pains and stop it? When their efforts to infiltrate the mysterious church backfire, one hero faces a devastating loss. Meanwhile, Supergirl and Robin attract surprising allies when they discover an unexpected mystery, Aquagirl finds herself out of her element (and then some), and Teen Justice discover the threat they face is even greater than they imagined! Follow along as Teen Justice uncovers the answers to all their questions in Multiversity: Teen Justice!
Mimosa - Archie Bongiovanni
o7 February 2023 - Abrams
LGBTQ+ Rep: Trans Men, Queer Women, Non-Binary & Genderqueer
£17.99
Archie Bongiovanni, the comics artist behind the hit A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, explores queerness in this shockingly frank and funny graphic novel.
Best friends and chosen family Chris, Elise, Jo, and Alex work hard to keep themselves afloat. Their regular brunches hold them together even as the rest of their lives threaten to fall apart. In an effort to avoid being the oldest gays at the party, the crew decides to put on a new queer event called Grind–specifically for homos in their dirty thirties.
I Want To Be A Wall Vol. 2 - Honami Shirono
17 January 2023 - Little, Brown
LGBTQ+ Rep: Asexual Women, Queer Men
£12.99
This is a supply and demand marriage!?
"I thought I would live alone forever." Married life where the supply and demand of such two people match.
Yuriko and Gakurouta recount their first meeting and proposal to a curious Sousuke. Their first impressions may not have been the best, but once they got a chance to have a proper conversation, it turned out they had more in common than they thought!
Rockstar and Softboy Go To Space - Sina Grace
31 January 2023 - Image Comics
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Men
£7.99
The dirtiest, flirtiest BFF of comics are back, and holy moly are they in dire straits!
After getting brutally rebuffed by the most influential dudes in Los Angeles, Rockstar and Softboy pack their bags and GO TO SPACE. Acclaimed author SINA GRACE revisits the 2022 fan-favorite comic for more hijinx than ever before!
How... a world away from the world, can these two get into more trouble and learn more about their beautiful friendship!? Only one way to find out!
Grand Slam Romance - Ollie Hicks
22 June 2023 - Abrams
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Women
£18.99
A queer graphic novel where the balls are fast, the smooches are spicy, and the girls . . . magical
In this queer graphic novel that’s equal parts romance, softball, and magical girl drama, Mickey Monsoon and Astra Maxima are best friends . . . and maybe more.
That is, until Astra unceremoniously dumps Mickey to become a softball wunderkind at a private girl’s school in Switzerland. Years later, Mickey is the hotshot pitcher for the Belle City Broads, and their team is poised to sweep the league this season. But Micky is thrown off their game when Astra shows up to catch for the Gaiety Gals, the Broads’ fiercest rival. Astra is flirty, arrogant, and reckless on the field—everything the rule-abiding Mickey hates.
Sins of the Black Flamingo - Andrew Wheeler
28 February 2023 - Image Comics
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Men
£14.99
Occult Noir. Miami Sleaze.
In Sins of the Black Flamingo, Sebastian Harlow is the eponymous Black Flamingo, a flamboyant and narcissistic thief who gets his kicks stealing mystic artifacts from the wealthy and corrupt of Miami’s occult underground. But when his latest job leads him to his biggest score so far, the hedonistic outlaw discovers something he wasn’t looking for—something to believe in.
Collects SINS OF THE BLACK FLAMINGO#1-5
Specs - David M. Booher
11 October 2023 - BOOM! Studios
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Men
£11.99
A supernatural 80s throwback perfect for fans of Stranger Things via Killer Queens! Small town. Ohio, 1986. All Kenny and Ted want is to not feel like outcasts.
What happens when a pair of X-ray glasses mysteriously appear? The magic specs open a world of possibilities for these misfit teens through the granting of literal wishes! Things start out innocent, but when they wish that their bully would disappear, things take a cursed turn, with far darker consequences than they thought possible... In this mysterious and nostalgic tale from writer David M. Booher (Canto, All-New Firefly) and artist Chris Shehan (House of Slaughter), Kenny and Ted realize they've received much more than they bargained for...
Motor Crush 3 - Brenden Fletcher
31 January 2023 - Image Comics
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Women
£14.99
The acclaimed sci-fi action-adventure series MOTOR CRUSH returns with another burst of hot pink energy!
Domino Swift is used to gunning for victory on the racetrack. But what happens when a far bigger trophy is on the line? As Domino struggles to understand her mysterious past and tumultuous present, the future of all humanity rests in her hands. Will she make it to the finish line?
Collects MOTOR CRUSH #12-16
Light Carries On - Ray Nadine
27 March 2023 - Dark Horse Comics
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Men
£18.99
When Leon’s camera unexpectedly breaks, he is forced to borrow a used one from his mom’s antique store. As he snaps the first picture, the ghost of the camera’s former owner is released and the two are inexplicably linked.
After taking Leon’s body for an accidental joy ride, the ghost introduces himself as Cody, a queer punk rocker who died decades ago. Of course, he doesn’t remember how he wound up dead but the two decide that investigating might be the only way to end the haunting.
Leon has been reeling from a recent break-up with his boyfriend, recovering from his time in the military, and trying to become a photographer who can afford to take pictures of something more than high school proms and weddings. So being the only one able to see and talk to a ghost that died before cellphones, Wikipedia, or iTunes seems like a great way to fill his ample free time.
The Least We Can Do - Iolanda Zanfardino
09 May 2023 - Image Comics
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Women
£14.99
Mysterious magical power arises from a world nearly destroyed by war. A young woman fights for her ideas of revolution and to build a new society from the debris. Realizing that she can't do it alone, she must prove her worth to the Eclipse Rebels to join them against the dreadful Eden Army.
A story of discovering what is right and what love means in a militarily occupied and socially oppressed United Kingdom.
Collects THE LEAST WE CAN DO #1-6
The Adventure Zone: Eleventh Hour - The McElroy Brothers
21 February 2023 - First Second
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Men
£15.99
The fifth installment in the #1 New York Times-bestselling Adventure Zone graphic novel series, a meta-fictional D&D adventure story based on the smash hit podcast.
The Bureau of Balance has located yet another Grand Relic, and this time it's...time? A small mining town called Refuge has been locked away behind an arcane bubble, and somewhere inside it the Temporal Chalice is causing unknown mayhem. Taako, Magnus, and Merle are launched into their investigation, but they've barely had a chance to get their feet under them before the situation literally falls apart. When the town clocktower strikes noon, Refuge and its citizens are destroyed in a sudden chaos of flame and ruin, and our heroes' relic hunting (along with their lives) comes to an abrupt end.
Henshin!, Volume 1 - Bon Idle
06 June 2023 - Rockport Publishers Inc.
LGBTQ+ Rep: Queer Men
£10.99
A new, action-packed take on tokusatsu drama, features fiery fights, mysterious conspiracies, and LGBTQ romance for fans of classic Power Rangers and Kamen Rider stories.
Nine years after a mysterious ecological disaster, journalism students Alex and Rosalia investigate the strange company that rebuilt their city and turned it into a vision of the future... that is, until Alex's world is turned upside down by a chance encounter with a gigantic monster from another world, a Kaiju, and the mysterious masked hero fighting it!
Henshin! is rated T for Teen, and recommended for ages 13 and up.
X-Gender Vol. 2 - Asuka Miyazaki
13 June 2023 - Seven Seas
LGBTQ+ Rep: Non-Binary
£13.99
Asuka is neither a woman nor a man, they're X-gender (a non-binary identity) and they've realized they like women! Okay, now what?
Adult films are fun to watch, but real sex is less appealing. Would having a penis make that better or worse? Periods already suck, and sex means more fluids from more people! This autobiographical manga follows Asuka's feelings about their body, their relationships, and the fun (and sometimes terrible) experience of having an awakening in their thirties.
Gender is Really Strange - Teddy G. Goetz
21 August 2023 - Jessica Kingsley
LGBTQ+ Rep: Trans Women, Trans Men, Non-Binary & Genderqueer
£10.99
What does it mean to be trans? Non-Binary? Gender Diverse? What parts of gender come from society? What parts come from within? How much is biology, and how much is socialization?
Part of the Really Strange series, this science-based graphic medicine comic addresses these questions and more, revealing the inherent messiness of gender identity and sex. A mysterious amalgam of biology and society, inherently sensed, yet societally-defined, the complexity of gender is revealed through examining neuroscience, biology, hormones, mental health, behaviour and how much of gender comes from society. Exploring theories, thinkers, terminology, history and gender cultures around the world and across different religions, this easy-to-understand and engaging book will help you to question perceived norms and engage critically with your own gender identity.
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