NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- These comic books and graphic novels chronicle chance encounters, leaps through time and first romances. They also transport readers to unexpected locations like the alien landscapes of Mars to front-row views of mixed martial arts tournaments. Uniting these tales are characters who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Always Human

In this future society, technology can be used to alter one’s physical appearance in seconds. But one character, Sunati, has noticed another, Austen, who stays in her natural form. After Sunati summons the courage to ask her on a date, the two young women embark on a relationship with the usual fits and starts. It almost feels like eavesdropping as they start to open up with each other.

By Ari North for Little Bee Books.

Barbalien: Red Planet

This five-part story is about Barbalien, a superhero from Mars who also fights crime as a police officer (Mark Markz), though he is being shunned by his fellow detective after an unwanted advance. This adventure is set in the 1980s, during the AIDS crisis, and delves into the hero’s life on his home planet and on Earth, where he was originally sent on a reconnaissance mission. An encounter with an AIDS activist opens his eyes to a new world.

Written by Tate Brombal and Jeff Lemire; drawn by Gabriel Hernández Walta; colored by Jordie Bellaire for Dark Horse Comics; available in the fall.

Bingo Love

Two teenagers, Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray, first spot each other during church bingo. They become classmates and inseparable friends — until Mari is sent away after the girls are caught kissing. Time passes, and Hazel gets married and has children, but a chance encounter at bingo brings the women back together, and Hazel makes major life changes to be true to herself.

Written by Tee Franklin; drawn by Jenn St-Onge; colored by Joy San for Image Comics.

Flamer

Aiden Navarro is having a rough summer. The other boys in his Flaming Arrows scout group all seem to be consumed with thoughts of sports and girls. Aiden feels different and is wrestling with his identity. The story is based on the life of the cartoonist and does not shy away from his troubled thoughts, including one particularly bleak moment.

By Mike Curato for Godwin Books; available Sept. 1.

The Infinite Loop, Vol. 1

Teddy is a time traveler whose job is to eliminate paradoxes that threaten reality. She does her work dutifully until she meets Ano, an anomaly in human form who sweeps her off her feet. They begin a romance that leads Teddy to question her mission and to champion the right of Ano — and others like her — to exist.

Written by Pierrick Colinet; drawn and colored by Elsa Charretier for IDW Publishing.

Kill a Man

Things are not going well for James Belly, a mixed martial arts fighter living in the shadow of his father, who died during a bout. After James is forced out of the closet, his middleweight championship title is disqualified on a technicality. He vows to return to the top even if it means being coached by the man who killed his father.

Written by Steve Orlando and Phillip Kennedy Johnson; drawn and colored by Alec Morgan for AfterShock Comics; available Oct. 7.

Liebestrasse

Set in the 1930s, this narrative features Samuel Wells, who travels to Berlin as part of his job for a U.S. bank. He meets an art dealer named Philip Adler, and there is an immediate spark. But their romance blossoms as fascism is rising in Germany, increasing the risks of their relationship. When they are caught in a raid at a gay bar, their lives are changed.

Written by Greg Lockard; drawn by Tim Fish; colored by Héctor Barros for Comixology Originals.

The Magic Fish

Reading fairy tales together is a routine that brings a boy, Tien, and his immigrant parents closer. It also helps bridge a language barrier between the two generations. The family’s communication skills are put to a test when Tien decides to tell his mother he is a gay, a word he cannot find in Vietnamese.

By Trung Le Nguyen for Random House Graphic; available Oct. 13.

You Brought Me the Ocean

This coming-of-age story is about Jackson Hyde, a teenager who in other comics becomes Aqualad, the protégé of Aquaman. Jackson wrestles with college — whether it will separate him from his best friend — experiences his first romance and discovers the origin of his powers in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

Written by Alex Sanchez; drawn and colored by Julie Maroh for DC; available Tuesday.

Youth

Franklin and River are disaffected young men trying to escape the troubles and monotony of their small town, but hitting the road — in a stolen car — only leads to more woes. There is drinking, drugs and infidelity before another twist: A meteorite gives them and some new friends strange abilities. And that’s only the end of Chapter 1.

Written by Curt Pires; drawn by Alex Diotto; colored by Dee Cunniffe for Comixology Originals.


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