On the night of 12 June 2016, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old security guard, entered Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and opened fire. He killed 49 people and injured 53 more before police killed him.



The shooting racked up horrific new records: the worst mass shooting by a single person in US history; the deadliest single attack on the LGBT community; the highest number of fatalities in a terrorist attack in the US since 9/11. It was an act of hate – and six months on, the comic-book community has responded with the only possible corrective: love.

Love Is Love is the title of a new anthology of work by some of the greatest names working in comics alongside some rising stars, with all profits being donated to victims, survivors and their families. Jointly published by DC and indie comic publisher IDW, the anthology was put together by Marc Andreyko, who has written Batwoman and Manhunter for DC.

Steve Orlando, who is reintroducing DC’s Justice League titles as part of the studio’s Rebirth initiative, said: “Taking part in Love Is Love is an honour, both as part of the LGBTQ+ community myself and as a human being. Our continued and unwavering pride is a tribute to those who lost their lives – shouting the message that no matter who you are, who you love, you are vital, you are important, and you are celebrated.”

What difference can a comic book make? Well, the comic community has a long history of activism and awareness raising. It has also made numerous pragmatic responses to all kinds of crises, incidents and situations. In the 1980s, there were two major anthologies to raise money for the Ethiopian famine – X-Men comic Heroes for Hope in the US, and Food for Thought in the UK. The same decade saw the addition of Clause 28 to UK law, outlawing the “promotion” of homosexuality, particularly in schools. This inspired the comic book AARGH – Artists Against Rampant Government Homophobia.

Love Is Love is cut from similar cloth, featuring one- and two-page strips and illustrations from a wealth of current talent: big names like Gail Simone, Jim Lee, Jason Aaron, G Willow Wilson and Grant Morrison feature alongside newer names including Tee Franklin and Emma Houxbois. There are also creators not normally associated with comics: comedian Patton Oswalt, film-maker Morgan Spurlock, and even Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who gave permission for her Hogwarts alumni to be used in a single-page illustration, pointing their wands at a rainbow future.

British writer Kieron Gillen, author of The Wicked + The Divine, said: “When I heard Marc was pulling together an anthology in support, there was no option but to volunteer. I’m honoured to be part it.”

Some of the strips feature DC’s most famous characters – Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman – but the focus is on humanity and love. As well as pondering the killings and their aftermath, creators also aimed to look to the future . In one strip, Batman wanders through the Pulse nightclub in the wake of the shooting. For once, there is nothing he can do.

Detail from Batman’s appearance in Love Is Love. Photograph: DC/IDW

Marguerite Bennett, who writes the Bombshells comic for DC, said: “The horror, grief and confusion of the days after those unspeakable events clarified when I received Marc’s request, ‘Will you offer condolence, solidarity, and aid to families who have suffered an unthinkable loss?’ There isn’t any other answer.

“Instead, there was this clumsy offering of love … I shrink back from it sometimes – how could anything I have to say be worth saying in the aftermath of something so cruel?

“If the book fumbles or if it falters, I believe what little good it does is still good. It is meant with all sincerity. And, however clumsy, with all love.”

But Love Is Love won’t stumble or fall, because maybe you are going to go and buy a copy. In fact, maybe you are going to buy two copies, and give one to your comic-fan friend, with the promise of Batman and Deathstroke. Three copies, perhaps, and you’re going to leave one in the pub, or on a bus, in the hope that someone will pick it up and take on board the sentiments within. And maybe a comic can make a lot of difference after all.