PRIDE MONTH 2026! Something I wanted us to be more aware of this year when planning our annual Pride Month coverage at Broken Frontier was to be mindful of the importance of giving the Q, I and the A in LGBTQIA+ some spotlight coverage as well as the L, G, B and T. In the case of today’s review subject, Archie Bongiovanni’s Leo Rising, the “questioning” part of the queer/questioning initial gets explored in a careful and thought-provoking character study. The book’s dedication “to those trying to thrive in the in-between” setting out its narrative purpose from the very beginning.
Leo Rising is the story of Laura whose mass social media following has cast her in the role of a “celesbian” – an influencer whose 350k global following of #lesbianwarriors has become the focal part of her life. Outside of this Laura’s day job is at an Alaskan bird observatory, mostly spent dissecting owl pellets. Rounding out the main cast are Laura’s best friend Rachel, who is pondering her own career path and direction in life, and Court, a trans man who has returned to town to look after a somewhat manipulative mother.
Court’s presence leads to Laura reflecting on and questioning her own sexuality and gender, and adopting another identity online as Leo; all of which leads to awkward connections and a journey of self-discovery that poses as many questions as it answers. Bongiovanni takes us directly into Laura/Leo’s confusion, avoiding neat resolutions and instead painting a complex character portrait that emphasises how nuanced and layered the themes of the book are.
Leo Rising touches on themes surrounding our online lives as well. What’s also fascinating here is the idea of creating your own community online but then feeling a need to relinquish it, to move on, and to acknowledge you may have outgrown it. It’s a reminder that navigating queer spaces does not necessarily have any kind of ordered throughline, of how fluid concepts like identity really are, and of how coming out is an ongoing process not simply a one-time declaration.
It’s also a very sweet story about friendship that can be both touching and humorous in turn. Bongiovanni has an appealingly loose cartooning style that allows readers to become instantly invested in their cast through their expressive characterisation. Occasional moments of visual metaphor also act as a subtle underlining of mood and theme. Rich, relevant and timely, Leo Rising is another worthy addition to Abrams’ Surely imprint.
Archie Bongiovanni (W/A) • Abrams/Surely, £18.99
Buy online from Gosh! Comics here
Review by Andy Oliver
