Bi Superman and gay Aquaman are battling climate change in DC Comics

You will sound like your grandparent telling you how their grandparents used to walk fifteen miles just to go to that comic shop. X-MenWas already out of stock but… This week, I came across a comic in which a Superman character teamed up to a Aquaman character. Only about 70% through the issue did it dawn on me that the two canonically shared a boyfriend.

I’ve been writing about DC Comics a long time, but you don’t have to be a dedicated reader to remember when this sort of thing would have been extremely notable. I remember when Batwoman became the company’s first gay character to headline a book in 2009, and Midnighter became DC’s first solo series for a gay man in 2015, and the long stretch of the 2010s when Wonder Woman, and Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy, and John Constantine were finally allowed to be irrevocably queer.

And after so much time spent intently following each appearance of each queer superhero in both Big Two universes … I’ve realized there are so many of them I don’t even keep track.

Is there anything else happening inside our favourite comics’ pages? We’ll tell you. Welcome to Monday Funnies, Polygon’s weekly list of the books that our comics editor enjoyed this past week. It’s part society pages of superhero lives, part reading recommendations, part “look at this cool art.” There may be some spoilers. You may not have enough context. There will still be some great comics. You can also read the previous edition if you haven’t seen it yet.

Image by Tom Taylor/Cian Tormey/DC Comics

Jon Kent and Jackson Hyde, the sons of Superman team up to save a cranky but innocent leviathan from Metropolis. In the romantic realm, both of them are following in their mentors’ footsteps, with Jon dating a radical investigative reporter and Jackson cozying up with a reluctant member of Xebelian military. Which is to say, they’ve found their own Lois Lane and Mera.

Image: Al Ewing, Javier Rodríguez/Marvel Comics

Marvel’s Defenders It shipped the last issue of this magazine this week. I will definitely miss it, and Al Ewing’s pitch perfect impression of Jack Kirby-speak.

Image: Chip Zdarsky, Carmine Di Giandomenico/DC Comics

Look, I would count Carmine Falcone’s “Fear” speech from Batman BeginsYou should consider it one of the greatest moments ever in a Batman story. Know I’m here for Alfred giving a young Bruce a hard lesson about how his family’s wealth has cushioned him beyond their deaths.

Image: Tres Dean, Sebastián Píriz/Vault Comics

We Ride Titans, the new Vault Comics series from writer Tres Dean and artist Sebastián Píriz, follows the prodigal daughter of a kaiju-fighting family as she is dragged back into the fold to ride their jaeger after her brother washes out. The family drama is portrayed by kaiju. Color me interested.

Image: Rainbow Rowell, Rogê Antônio/Marvel Comics

Rainbow Rowell’s writing is the only problem She-HulkI will only give her five issues. Each one will be devoured by me.

Image: Tom King, Bilquis Evely/DC Comics

If you’re wondering, here are some other things I might miss. Supergirl: Woman of TomorrowI will miss it dearly, when issue #8 comes out. It’s absolutely in the running for best comics of 2022.