Marvel Voices: Pride #1: Karolina & Nico in “Under The Stars”

This story from Tamaki centers on the beautiful dynamic between Karolina and Nico as they are beginning their date night. The two are in line for a concert and overhear other queer couples sharing stories of how they met. 

The quick dialogue references to their teenage years on how they met are funny as these two have truly been through hell and back since they first discovered who their parents were. It’s incredibly sweet for the two to be able to laugh back on how bizarre it was on how the two connected years back.  

When the last ticket gets sold to the person ahead of them, they are able to quickly come up with a plan B. Even when on a cute date night this pair is quick to think of a solution. Seeing the two fly above the concert to enjoy their time together is tremendously adorable. 

The art and colors by Anka and Bonvillain for this are beautiful. In the short two pages it exceeds in expressing how perfect the pair are for each other. From the short eye exchanges to their body language the art does a phenomenal job at showing how the two are in love. I love seeing characters in line that are also people of color. Sometimes LGBTQ+ stories tend to be told through a white lens and here it feels very inclusive and realistic to the concerts I have been to. 

Karolina is the first queer character I ever connected to in my teen years, so for me to be able to see a story dedicated to her and Nico means the world to me. This shows the giant impacts these two have made on readers over nearly two decades.