DC Pride 2023 #1: “Subspace Transmission”: Still Standing

“I’m still standing better than I ever did” – Elton John, “Still Standing”

Last February, DC introduced the nonbinary hero Jules Jordain, a.k.a. Circuit Breaker, in its Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate anthology. I was in love from the first teaser image several months ago of a domino-mask-wearing hero with glittery, top-surgery-scar-esque details on their jacket. In their debut, Jules – who works at a cash-strapped theater in the desert (and uses he/they pronouns) – gains the power of the Still Force, allowing them to slow time. Once again drawn and written by A.L. Kaplan, Circuit Breaker’s sophomore story “Subspace Transmission” sees them joining forces with Jess Chambers, the nonbinary Flash from Earth-11. 

A poignant departure from the “coming of gender” narrative that dominates trans stories in media, “Subspace Transmission” sees Jules learning to question a different binary – hero and villain – to accept another new facet of himself. In the previous comic, readers saw Jules as a reenactor playing Flash as he defeats a Still Force-wielding villain. While Jules associates the Speed Force with heroes and the Still Force with villains, both comics see him forced to reconcile these assumptions with his own identity, accepting that he can be an avatar of the Still Force and still a hero. 

Part of what makes this short comic so memorable is its inclusion of a second returning nonbinary character, Jess Chambers. After being repeatedly relegated to anthology shorts, Jess finally became a main character in DC’s Multiversity: Teen Justice miniseries last year. Hopefully, this – and the nonbinary character Xanthe Zhou getting a new series after their introduction alongside Jules in LP: DF – means Jules won’t be trapped in anthology purgatory for too much longer. In Jess’ dialogue, letterer Aditya Bidikar shines most, incorporating spiky speech bubbles and onomatopoeia to capture the speedster’s energetic patter. (The retro sci-fi title card is equally charming.)

Even if the story’s trans themes might be lost on some readers, Kaplan’s artistic prowess is impossible to ignore. His color choices in “Subspace Transmission” feel fresh and modern, perfectly playing Circuit Breaker’s luminous Jolly Rancher green and Flash’s juicy orange off one another while using blues and purples for shadows and moodier moments. Pages are compositionally inventive, though sometimes cramped due to the amount of story their creator crams in. Kaplan fills every page with energy and motion, sometimes even in small ways like the fringe of Circuit Breaker’s sleeves. He sometimes undercuts this momentum to highlight Circuit Breaker’s relationship to the Still Force, giving it new positive associations with contemplation and introspection. One can only hope that DC gives Circuit Breaker their own series or graphic novel soon, especially if A. L. Kaplan is writing, drawing, and coloring it.