Freedom Fighters: The Ray (1st comic book animated movie with a LGBTQIA lead & superhero)

Rated M for Mature themes and animated violence (LOL), DC's Freedom Fighters: The Ray is the latest CW Seed animated series spawned from a short form video to an enhanced feature-length DC animated film. Brewed in the lab from the creative team responsible for The CW’s live-action Arrowverse series Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.

It also the first full length feature (now available on Blu ray or DVD) featuring a LGBTQIA superhero as the lead and featured character named The Ray. There are also a few featured characters from the DC Universe such as:

• Black Condor
• Phantom Lady
• Overgirl
• Vixen
• Red Tornado
• Dollman
• Green Arrow
• Black Arrow
• The Flash
• Blitzkrieg.
• Mr. Terrific
• and from CW's The Flash, Dr. Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon/Vibe.

The story line was interesting and kept me engaged. I had not idea that the story line would include the main character's sexuality and his being closeted. There's a part in the movie that shows him awkwardly trying to talk to his crush and later they share an onscreen kiss. Ray is masculine leaning and has a straight best friend (who is a man of color) knows of Ray's same sex proclivities and is equally as encouraging and supportive as a friend could ever be. Before, in most films, if the character was gay or bisexual, it was quickly glazed over as a mentioned subtle descriptor. The writers included his sexuality along with his newly acquired abilities as a struggled learning effort of management and acceptance which helps in his "coming out".

I am team Marvel , all day ery' day, though, I will make this purchase and not as a gesture of community support. The plot was good, there was nothing cliche about taking the risk in making the lead character gay for his being gay wasn't the focus on the overall story. This is a solid story with great animation with fight scenes. This feature was released on August 28th and available at all major retail outlets and now at Redbox.