This year has seen its fair share of tragedy and loss and it is our response to those moments as individuals, and as a community, that set us apart. IDW and DC Comics Love is Love is a response to one such tragedy. The publisher is set to release a 144 page collection of over 100 short stories and pinup art meant to celebrate LGBTQ comic heroes and commemorate the lives lost in the Orlando club shooting this past June. It is no surprise, considering the canon, that Dumbledore and other characters from the Harry Potter Series are making an appearance in the book.

DC Comics “Love is Love” is bringing many artists, writers, and celebrities together for the collection. Organized by writer Marc Andreyoko and featuring contributors like Patton Oswalt, Olivier Coipel, Damn Lindelof and Phil Jimenez, the book is promising to feature some beautiful art and stories for it’s release tomorrow, December 28th. Of particular note is the Harry Potter inspired art by illustrator and co-publisher of DC Comics Jim Lee. The books description says it best here:

The comic industry comes together in honor of those killed in Orlando. Co-published by two of the premiere publishers in comics—DC and IDW, this oversize comic contains moving and heartfelt material from some of the greatest talent in comics, mourning the victims, supporting the survivors, celebrating the LGBTQ community, and examining love in today’s world. All material has been kindly donated by the writers, artists, and editors with all proceeds going to victims, survivors, and their families. Be a part of an historic comics event! It doesn’t matter who you love. All that matters is you love.

The art features Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, wands in the air in solidarity, with a magic rainbow swirl coming up around them. The beautifully done charcoal style sketch lies in contrast to the colors of the iconic LGBT symbol of a rainbow behind the characters. This image includes a quote from Dumbledore in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”, used with permission from J.K. Rowling herself, and including her endorsement of the project.

“Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”

If you’re in the dark on the importance of this remember that in 2007, at a special reading and Q&A for book Seven, Rowling was asked if Dumbledore had ever fallen in love himself. Her answer, quoted below, was met with an ovation and excitement, with little hate from fans upon the public release of the statement. It comes as no surprise then that Rowling would express support for the inclusion of Dumbledore in Love is Love.

My truthful answer to you… I always thought of Dumbledore as gay. Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was. To an extent, do we say it excused Dumbledore a little more because falling in love can blind us to an extent? But, he met someone as brilliant as he was, and rather like Bellatrix he was very drawn to this brilliant person, and horribly, terribly let down by him. Yeah, that’s how i always saw Dumbledore. In fact, recently I was in a script read through for the sixth film, and they had Dumbledore saying a line to Harry early in the script saying I knew a girl once, whose hair… I had to write a little note in the margin and slide it along to the scriptwriter, “Dumbledore’s gay!” If I’d known it would make you so happy, I would have announced it years ago!

DC Comics Love is Love may be the first time we have witnessed the beloved character openly express his sexual orientation in a medium other than through the author herself. Neither in the books, or the series has he displayed his preferences before. Though it may not have fit in the original series, considering the main focus of the story, it is possible that we will see the exploration of his interest in Grindelwald in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”.

DC Comics Love is Love is set to release tomorrow, December 28th for $10. All proceeds will go to Equality Florida, which includes a fund for victims and survivors of the Orlando mass shooting. You can pre-order your copy today, or buy it any time at the books page here.

Are you looking forward to the release of DC Comics Love is Love tomorrow? Sound off in the comments below!