J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore presents new content now and then but fans are always clamoring for more stories out of the wizarding world. While the new focus of the franchise is the prequel series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the author is giving us a special treat: Harry Potter in comic book form. It’s probably not what you expect but it is for a good cause, the Love Is Love anthology to benefit Equality Florida.
Love Is Love is set to be released on December 28th as a team-up between comic publishers DC Entertainment and IDW Publishing. Its intent is to honor the victims of Orlando, Florida’s Pulse Nightclub tragedy and act as love letter to the LGBTQ community. It’s 144 pages, edited by Sarah Gaydos and Jamie S. Rich, will include many authors and artists but they can now count Rowling among them. The New York Times did an interview with the organizer, creator Marc Andreyko, who revealed several new additions to the project including other high profile names like Morgan Spurlock and Matt Bomer.
Rowling isn’t writing new content for the anthology but allowed the use of a Albus Dumbldore quote from her Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book. It graces a page of Jim Lee artwork featuring Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Andreyko told the Times, “If we get the biggest-selling author on the planet, we need the biggest artist.”
The quote, also paired with the LGBTQ flag, reads: “Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.” While it wasn’t revealed explicitly in the text itself, Rowling has gone on record to say Dumbledore is gay, and has continued to defend the decision years later. Love Is Love is the first time Rowling’s Harry Potter creations have made their way to the pages of comic books.
As I was preparing to view what I thought would be my last wizarding world film (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2) back in 2011, I wrote about the huge potential of Rowling’s Harry Potter being adapted into comics. While we may never see her stories in that form, I’m really glad to see Rowling giving this project a boost with her name and characters. While her book series may be lacking in LGBTQ representation, her fans in the community are many. You may recall one of them, Luis Vielma, was killed during the Pulse shooting. He worked at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando and was given a tribute there by fellow fans.
Other creators included in Love Is Love are Phil Jimenez, Brian Michael Bendis, Marguerite Bennett, Damon Lindelof, Patton Oswalt, Steve Orlando, Steve Sadowski, Ming Doyle, Kieron Dwyer, Paul Jenkins, Mike Carey, Taki Soma, Matt Wagner, Aneke, Rafael Albuquerque, Jason Aaron, Jason Latour, James Asmus, James Tynion IV, Cecil Castellucci, Brandon Peterson, Jesus Saiz, Olivier Coipel, Leinil Yu, and Elsa Charretier. You can purchase it at your local comic shop or digitally on December 28th for $9.99.
