DC Pride 2024 #1: Hello Space Boy

“Hello Space Boy” is not only the first story in this year’s DC Pride anthology, but is also writer Al Ewing’s first foray into the DC Universe, AND it’s a great story using a character who deserves more page time.

Since his brief stint in the Justice League, led by Dick Grayson, who at the time was filling in as Batman for Bruce, Starman Mikaal Tomas has been mostly absent from the comics and Ewing does a great job of providing an introduction to potential new readers. The setting for the story finds Mikaal in a diner with his producer. Since leaving superhero-ing, Mikaal is a music artist and working on a new album.

As a queer superhero, Mikaal has been out for a while, at least since appearing in Justice League: Cry For Justice, if not before, so it is not a shock that the social media post asks about his sexuality is, to which Starman perfectly replies, “Why can’t we just get along?” Here, Ewing allows Mikaal to not only introduce himself to readers but also give a response to plant some seeds that might spur readers to go and to search out earlier stories to fill in gaps.

Ewing then goes all out and reintroduces the PreCrisis character Komak, who like Maikall came to Earth and fell on hard times and wanted Mikaal to kill him to end his suffering. This time Komak has come asking for Mikaal’s help in dealing with one of the Planetkillers that was seeded by him in the past.

The two battle the monster and this is where Stephen Bryne’s art is allowed to really shine with action and vibrant color.

After successfully defeating the Planetkiller, there is a moment where Komak is given the chance to bear his soul about how he had an epiphany about how he and Mikaal are the last of their species; two factions that have been at war and how it might be better than fighting with Starman for a better future rather than risking it all for a single side.

In short, this is a statement that could and should be asked and applied across to real-world issues across the board with the goal of a better life for all.