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Liebestrasse
Nominated for Outstanding Comic by the GLAAD Media Awards, Liebestrasse tells the heart-wrenching, poignant tale of forbidden love and survival through the rise of hatred.
During the final years of the Weimar Republic, Sam meets Philip in Berlin and they fall in love. Their romance is hit with an unspeakable reality as the Nazis come to power and fascism makes them a target. Debut writer Greg Lockard (Where We Live Las Vegas Shooting Benefit Anthology) and artist Tim Fish (Saved by the Bell, Cavalcade of Boys) prove that even through the harshest conditions, love will find a way to thrive.
2020 GLAAD MEDIA NOMINEE FOR OUTSTANDING COMIC
"Liebestrasse feels like an extremely needed graphic novel that has a lot of lessons that are still relevant and timely today."-PRIDE
"The real strength of Liebestrasse it's a simple and quiet period piece that starkly juxtaposes our current political climate, while also being eerily similar in ways that are all too easy to forget. These parallels are not an explicit part of the story, but they don't have to be--the bare facts of the reality faced by these queer men makes their story even more frighteningly relevant."-Boing Boing
During the final years of the Weimar Republic, Sam meets Philip in Berlin and they fall in love. Their romance is hit with an unspeakable reality as the Nazis come to power and fascism makes them a target. Debut writer Greg Lockard (Where We Live Las Vegas Shooting Benefit Anthology) and artist Tim Fish (Saved by the Bell, Cavalcade of Boys) prove that even through the harshest conditions, love will find a way to thrive.
2020 GLAAD MEDIA NOMINEE FOR OUTSTANDING COMIC
"Liebestrasse feels like an extremely needed graphic novel that has a lot of lessons that are still relevant and timely today."-PRIDE
"The real strength of Liebestrasse it's a simple and quiet period piece that starkly juxtaposes our current political climate, while also being eerily similar in ways that are all too easy to forget. These parallels are not an explicit part of the story, but they don't have to be--the bare facts of the reality faced by these queer men makes their story even more frighteningly relevant."-Boing Boing
128 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2018
75 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Greg Lockard
34 books18 followersGREG LOCKARD writes and edits comic books and graphic novels.
TRICK PONY is a graphic novel Greg co-created with artist Anna David for the Comixology Originals program. It is the story of Jimmy Thomas, a gay rodeo star well past his prime, and his strange journey home with his trusty best friend, his horse Emmylou. TRICK PONY is available in print at all comic shops and bookstores from Dark Horse Comics or can be ordered using the link here.
LIEBESTRASSE is a historical fiction graphic novel that Greg co-created with artist Tim Fish also Comixology Originals. It was nominated as an “Outstanding Comic Book” for the 2020 GLAAD Media Awards and listed by the New York Times as one of 10 Comic Books to Celebrate Pride. In June 2022, LIEBESTRASSE was released in print by Dark Horse Comics.
Greg contributed a script about The Ray that was illustrated by Giulio Macaione and lettered by Aditya Bidikar for the DC PRIDE 2022 anthology. GeekDad said, “This story does a good job of capturing Ray’s struggles with overcoming the internalized homophobia caused by an abusive childhood and letting himself be fully open, and it’s a great journey to watch him go on—now let’s see more of this character in the DCU!”
As a freelance comic book editor, his active client list includes Comixology Originals, Tiny Onion, Stout Club, DSTLRY, and others. Greg is currently editing BLUE BOOK (co-created by James Tynion IV and Michael Avon Oeming), GLAAD Award-nominated THE ODDLY PEDESTRIAN LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER CHAOS (co-created by James Tynion IV, Tate Brombal, Isaac Goodhart and Nick Robles) and the Eisner-nominated series PHANTOM ROAD (co-created by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Hernandez Walta), and others.
Before working independently, Greg edited for the Vertigo imprint at DC Comics. He worked on numerous titles including DIAL H, The Unwritten, 100 Bullets: Brother Lono, Sweet Tooth, iZombie, The Kitchen, Fables, and American Vampire.
TRICK PONY is a graphic novel Greg co-created with artist Anna David for the Comixology Originals program. It is the story of Jimmy Thomas, a gay rodeo star well past his prime, and his strange journey home with his trusty best friend, his horse Emmylou. TRICK PONY is available in print at all comic shops and bookstores from Dark Horse Comics or can be ordered using the link here.
LIEBESTRASSE is a historical fiction graphic novel that Greg co-created with artist Tim Fish also Comixology Originals. It was nominated as an “Outstanding Comic Book” for the 2020 GLAAD Media Awards and listed by the New York Times as one of 10 Comic Books to Celebrate Pride. In June 2022, LIEBESTRASSE was released in print by Dark Horse Comics.
Greg contributed a script about The Ray that was illustrated by Giulio Macaione and lettered by Aditya Bidikar for the DC PRIDE 2022 anthology. GeekDad said, “This story does a good job of capturing Ray’s struggles with overcoming the internalized homophobia caused by an abusive childhood and letting himself be fully open, and it’s a great journey to watch him go on—now let’s see more of this character in the DCU!”
As a freelance comic book editor, his active client list includes Comixology Originals, Tiny Onion, Stout Club, DSTLRY, and others. Greg is currently editing BLUE BOOK (co-created by James Tynion IV and Michael Avon Oeming), GLAAD Award-nominated THE ODDLY PEDESTRIAN LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER CHAOS (co-created by James Tynion IV, Tate Brombal, Isaac Goodhart and Nick Robles) and the Eisner-nominated series PHANTOM ROAD (co-created by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Hernandez Walta), and others.
Before working independently, Greg edited for the Vertigo imprint at DC Comics. He worked on numerous titles including DIAL H, The Unwritten, 100 Bullets: Brother Lono, Sweet Tooth, iZombie, The Kitchen, Fables, and American Vampire.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
January 6, 2021
"I cling to our youth as the world limps forward to heal."
.
.
.
I love the OTP so much 💕
"You are so endearingly embarrassing.
Dance with me a bit?"
Samuel.
Philip.
My heart in knots.
Samuel.
Philip.
One is serious.
The other is like the butterfly you want to catch and keep it for yourself but you know you cannot.
Samuel.
Philip.
One is ready to plan and explore.
The other is impulsive and live at the moment.
Samuel.
Philip.
Heartwarming moments.
Heartbreaking moments.
Samuel.
Philip.
Feeling at home with each other.
Feeling lost with each other.
***I love the graphics so much!
It's phenomenal.
It's comics coming out alive.
The art is so well done.
***The story is based during the WWII and heavily influenced by the political background of those times
*Trigger warning: homophobic content
.
.
.
I love the OTP so much 💕
"You are so endearingly embarrassing.
Dance with me a bit?"
Samuel.
Philip.
My heart in knots.
Samuel.
Philip.
One is serious.
The other is like the butterfly you want to catch and keep it for yourself but you know you cannot.
Samuel.
Philip.
One is ready to plan and explore.
The other is impulsive and live at the moment.
Samuel.
Philip.
Heartwarming moments.
Heartbreaking moments.
Samuel.
Philip.
Feeling at home with each other.
Feeling lost with each other.
***I love the graphics so much!
It's phenomenal.
It's comics coming out alive.
The art is so well done.
***The story is based during the WWII and heavily influenced by the political background of those times
*Trigger warning: homophobic content
January 13, 2022
Being openly gay in Berlin with Nazi's swarming around in the early 1930's is dangerous. This is a quick read with lots of the panels not needing any words. The American businessman narrowly escapes imprisonment. But on a different occasion, his Berlin partner is not so lucky.
The book has a very 'noir' feel to the drawings, with shadows and hard-angles. These two guys were a bit overly expressive in public and gave themselves away. Not much development in their relationship though. The US businessman was just traveling for his job on assignment. They tried to take their relationship 'inside' at Liebestrasse (Love Street), but they had been targeted by Nazis.
Fast read. Would have like to see more character/relationship development.
The book has a very 'noir' feel to the drawings, with shadows and hard-angles. These two guys were a bit overly expressive in public and gave themselves away. Not much development in their relationship though. The US businessman was just traveling for his job on assignment. They tried to take their relationship 'inside' at Liebestrasse (Love Street), but they had been targeted by Nazis.
Fast read. Would have like to see more character/relationship development.
December 14, 2021
Worth the read, but could be more original plot-wise. Being gay in Nazi Germany—we know how that goes.
March 22, 2023
Wonderful graphic novel about the doomed love affair between an American businessman and a young Berlin tour guide. An intimate look at how one love faces dire consequences due to the rise of Nazism. Feels very close to home in the United States today. Beautiful story, eye popping drawings, color, and graphics. Love in the time of hatred - and especially gay love seems impossible during the early 20th Century. But it happened. And please let's continue to stand up and be counted fighting for history not to repeat itself.
December 25, 2022
Heartbreakly sad
August 11, 2022
An American man, Samuel Wells, travels to 1950s Berlin and recalls his first visit in the 1930s when the cultural renaissance of the Weimar Republic was giving way to the rise of the oppressive Nazi regime. As the title Liebestrasse, or "Love Street," implies this is a romance, but a melancholic one, where 1930s Wells is falling in love with another man but 1950s Wells is dwelling on his regrets.
This historical fiction humanizes the loss of life and emotional toll caused by hateful Nazi policies against gay people. The story and art could be a bit more detailed for my tastes, but they're still quite good.
This historical fiction humanizes the loss of life and emotional toll caused by hateful Nazi policies against gay people. The story and art could be a bit more detailed for my tastes, but they're still quite good.
July 14, 2020
Feels a bit overly simplified and badly paced. The main characters seem to mainly be defined by their sexuality, their personalities are underwritten (Sam, the American), or a bit of a cliché (Philip, the Weimar hedonist who underestimates the danger of the Nazis). There isn't much romance going on between the main characters, not a lot of intimacy. Strangely, the comic feels like it censors their homosexuality in the first half - lights are clicked off before we can see the characters kiss (Later on we do get to see more intimacy).
I'm not a huge fan of the Dick Tracy-ness of the art, although it works better in close up.
I'm not a huge fan of the Dick Tracy-ness of the art, although it works better in close up.
November 17, 2019
Um casal gay se conhecendo e vivendo um romance em Berlim na época da ascensão do nazismo. Não preciso dizer que não é uma história feliz, mas ainda assim o roteiro é delicado na sua forma de mostrar como as coisas foram piorando e a arte traz certa harmonia pra situação. Você passa mais tempo curtindo o entrosamento do casal do que sofrendo. Um detalhe importante é que a violência não é muito gráfica. O que acontece está claro, mas ninguém quer chocar o leitor com imagens, basta o contexto, afinal. O mesmo vale para o contexto sexual. É bem legal ver o casal se curtindo, acordando na cama, se arrumando pra sair... coisas de dia a dia comuns.
Um ponto histórico interessante é mostrar com poucas palavras que muita gente não se mexeu pra ajudar quem precisava ser ajudado. O nazismo teve apoio financeiro de fora da Alemanha, e pra variar, o preconceito contra gays vinha de todos os lados, fosse país nazista ou não (Estados Unidos, estou olhando para vc... de novo).
Demorou um pouco para me fisgar, por isso 4 estrelas, mas passado 1/3, fiquei bastante envolvido com personagens e história.
Um ponto histórico interessante é mostrar com poucas palavras que muita gente não se mexeu pra ajudar quem precisava ser ajudado. O nazismo teve apoio financeiro de fora da Alemanha, e pra variar, o preconceito contra gays vinha de todos os lados, fosse país nazista ou não (Estados Unidos, estou olhando para vc... de novo).
Demorou um pouco para me fisgar, por isso 4 estrelas, mas passado 1/3, fiquei bastante envolvido com personagens e história.
July 7, 2020
I so rarely read comics, but every time I do, I swear to explore this world more.
Liebestrasse is really beautiful and sad. It's about Sam, an American guy, who moves to Berlin for his job. Here he meets Philip, and they hit it off immediately. Unfortunately, the rise of the nazii regime stands in the way of their love.
I really, really liked the colours of this comic, some panels are incredible, so rich and lush. It's also amazing how both main characters re so fleshed out, and their banter is A+!
2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book by an author who's written more than 20 books.
Liebestrasse is really beautiful and sad. It's about Sam, an American guy, who moves to Berlin for his job. Here he meets Philip, and they hit it off immediately. Unfortunately, the rise of the nazii regime stands in the way of their love.
I really, really liked the colours of this comic, some panels are incredible, so rich and lush. It's also amazing how both main characters re so fleshed out, and their banter is A+!
2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book by an author who's written more than 20 books.
October 16, 2022
Beautiful, captivating and succinct - yet surprisingly deep, “Liebestrasse” first tugs at the heartstrings, then claws at them.
Set in the twilight years of the creative spring that was the Weimar Republic, and as the shadow of fascism begins to take root, it is a tale told with great sensitivity with regards the experiences of Gay men - a demographic that along with the Disabled and Romany are all too often overlooked when discussions of Nazi Germany take place.
While this particular story is a fictionalised account, the two main characters are based upon several drawings it's Artist Tim Fish made of photos of a couple [one American, one German] that he saw during a visit to the the Theresienstadt.
I personally feel that copies of this and Art Spiegelman's "MAUS" should be required reading in every school - "MAUS" won The Pulitzer Prize, and "Liebestrasse" was nominated by GLAAD for their Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book.
The artwork is quite beautiful, complimenting the story perfectly - being rich and vibrant, it leaps off the page and pulls you in to Philip and Samuel's world as if you too were one of their friends. The attention to detail is admirable too, being wholly authentic to the period.
While it may be a swift read, for those interested in the experiences of same-sex couples during WWii it is a must. By its end it will leave you quietly contemplating what so many endured and suffered, and so few survived. Its ending resonates loudly and emotionally like a tolled bell.
Long may such stories continue to do so.
Highly recommended.
Set in the twilight years of the creative spring that was the Weimar Republic, and as the shadow of fascism begins to take root, it is a tale told with great sensitivity with regards the experiences of Gay men - a demographic that along with the Disabled and Romany are all too often overlooked when discussions of Nazi Germany take place.
While this particular story is a fictionalised account, the two main characters are based upon several drawings it's Artist Tim Fish made of photos of a couple [one American, one German] that he saw during a visit to the the Theresienstadt.
I personally feel that copies of this and Art Spiegelman's "MAUS" should be required reading in every school - "MAUS" won The Pulitzer Prize, and "Liebestrasse" was nominated by GLAAD for their Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book.
The artwork is quite beautiful, complimenting the story perfectly - being rich and vibrant, it leaps off the page and pulls you in to Philip and Samuel's world as if you too were one of their friends. The attention to detail is admirable too, being wholly authentic to the period.
While it may be a swift read, for those interested in the experiences of same-sex couples during WWii it is a must. By its end it will leave you quietly contemplating what so many endured and suffered, and so few survived. Its ending resonates loudly and emotionally like a tolled bell.
Long may such stories continue to do so.
Highly recommended.
June 6, 2020
3.5 stars. A short tale of queer romance amidst the horrors of war, mundane love being ended by a government which deems it a monstrosity.
I liked the art and I felt the style and colouring fitted its noir vibe - I would love to see queer noir from this artist team!!
Unfortunately, I found the comic a bit too short, and thus the pacing was very abrupt. I didn’t really get a feel for the characters and who they were as people outside the relationships between each other. There was no romantic tension that had me rooting for the characters to get together, and the intimacy is a bit wonky, with most of the early scenes depicting them in bed being when one of them is leaving, and the first depicted kiss only being much later after the first use of “i love you”.
Otherwise, love that there were gay men involved in the production of this, found the vibe interesting, and I’m glad I read it
I liked the art and I felt the style and colouring fitted its noir vibe - I would love to see queer noir from this artist team!!
Unfortunately, I found the comic a bit too short, and thus the pacing was very abrupt. I didn’t really get a feel for the characters and who they were as people outside the relationships between each other. There was no romantic tension that had me rooting for the characters to get together, and the intimacy is a bit wonky, with most of the early scenes depicting them in bed being when one of them is leaving, and the first depicted kiss only being much later after the first use of “i love you”.
Otherwise, love that there were gay men involved in the production of this, found the vibe interesting, and I’m glad I read it
July 28, 2021
A quick yet devastating read. I was blown away with the creators’ ability to really dive into Weimar Berlin and provide such a touching and heartbreaking story.
January 18, 2020
It's a beautiful work about love and passion.
There's the love Sam feels for pre-war Berlin, magical and sweet. Berlin opens her arms and and greets him warmly.
There's the love one can feel for art in her many shapes and forms. The passion that resonates in the people that flock to it. Bourgeoisie, those that enjoy life in the moment. Those that refuse to conform to the increasing pressure of Nazi Germany.
And there's a love between two men, a love that feels so average and so mundane and absolutely without harm to anyone. It could be you or me or you and me.
But it's Nazi Germany and before you know it -there's hardly a warning- Phillip disappears from the pages and he is never seen again.
I finished this beautiful story and was sad for a long while. Because it has happened. And it will again.
Please read this. Don't be Phillip. Don't be Sam. Take a little of both, but take most from Phillip's sister. She shines.
Tim Fish is an artist we should treasure. A classic feel with modern age crisp to it.
I loved it. Hopefully you will, too.
There's the love Sam feels for pre-war Berlin, magical and sweet. Berlin opens her arms and and greets him warmly.
There's the love one can feel for art in her many shapes and forms. The passion that resonates in the people that flock to it. Bourgeoisie, those that enjoy life in the moment. Those that refuse to conform to the increasing pressure of Nazi Germany.
And there's a love between two men, a love that feels so average and so mundane and absolutely without harm to anyone. It could be you or me or you and me.
But it's Nazi Germany and before you know it -there's hardly a warning- Phillip disappears from the pages and he is never seen again.
I finished this beautiful story and was sad for a long while. Because it has happened. And it will again.
Please read this. Don't be Phillip. Don't be Sam. Take a little of both, but take most from Phillip's sister. She shines.
Tim Fish is an artist we should treasure. A classic feel with modern age crisp to it.
I loved it. Hopefully you will, too.
December 3, 2019
Found this on Prime Reading and decided to give it a try.
Liebestrasse is a graphic novel that follows the life of an American man who moves to Germany in 1932 and falls in love with a man there. We follow the couple and how they are effected by the Nazi's rise to power and the beginning of WWII.
A poignant read which gives a lesser told perspective on a tragic period of history.
Liebestrasse is a graphic novel that follows the life of an American man who moves to Germany in 1932 and falls in love with a man there. We follow the couple and how they are effected by the Nazi's rise to power and the beginning of WWII.
A poignant read which gives a lesser told perspective on a tragic period of history.
Read
April 10, 2022Well, that was utterly heartbreaking. I will go sob in a corner now.
September 19, 2022
3.75/5
April 2, 2022
Una historia compleja tratada muy a la ligera. Es evidente la falta de conexión de los autores con el tema.
January 19, 2020
I found this one frustrating. While parts of the story were emotional, I was annoyed by how in the first half of the book, all the same-sex intimacy we see is literally holding hands. Philip and Samuel will be in bed together but never close; one of them is always just leaving the bed. By the time we see a kiss, they've already said they love each other. Isn't that backwards? We only see real intimacy as things are about to fall apart. And maybe that was deliberate, but this story just felt regressive and like I had seen it played out better and with more emotion elsewhere.
July 19, 2022
I love the movement to tell LGBT stories through graphic novels for adults, and I really enjoyed reading Liebestrasse. The story is a powerful one of an American man in love with a German man during the rise of Hitler. I loved the graphics-- beautifully drawn and every evocative.
Highly recommended -- though readers looking for a HEA should be warned that there were very few of these for gay men in that time.
Highly recommended -- though readers looking for a HEA should be warned that there were very few of these for gay men in that time.
March 3, 2023
Sam meets Philip in Berlin at the end of the Weimar Republic.
Their relationship hits a hard wall...the rise of Nazism and fascist power that does everything to keep them apart.
One of the harshest realities of queer romance in history, beautifully told by Greg Lockard, with art by Tim Fish, Hector Barros and Lucas Gattoni;
For fans of Cabaret, noir style graphics and perseverance, here's a deep raw romantic story of hope and fighting;
Their relationship hits a hard wall...the rise of Nazism and fascist power that does everything to keep them apart.
One of the harshest realities of queer romance in history, beautifully told by Greg Lockard, with art by Tim Fish, Hector Barros and Lucas Gattoni;
For fans of Cabaret, noir style graphics and perseverance, here's a deep raw romantic story of hope and fighting;
December 24, 2022
Set in both pre- and post-war Germany, Liebestrasse meaningful captures the relationship between Sam (an American) and Philip (a local). The creators have deftly juxtaposed each character's individualized experience. Strong emotions are quickly evoked.
March 11, 2020
Just so beautiful. Manages to tell a sad story of a dark time in a lovely, gentle, but sharply honest light.
October 24, 2020
La storia di un amore impossibile agli albori della seconda guerra mondiale.
January 18, 2023
Beautiful artwork and devastating story.
February 1, 2025
This was simple, beautiful, and painful.
The story moved much faster than I was prepared for, which may have slowed my emotional reaction—I was still catching up to feeling what was happening before new things happened. And in a lot of ways, that may be intrinsic to a story about people seeing their home turn Fascist practically over night and feeling panic rise but not being able to grasp its realities even as it happens to them and then not until it may be too late.
Written during the 2017 Trump administration, it's even harder to read this less than two weeks into Trump's 2025 efforts at stripping USAmerican democracy of all things democratic.
A resonant, haunting warning of real things that happened, real things that happen, and real things that are happening.
The story moved much faster than I was prepared for, which may have slowed my emotional reaction—I was still catching up to feeling what was happening before new things happened. And in a lot of ways, that may be intrinsic to a story about people seeing their home turn Fascist practically over night and feeling panic rise but not being able to grasp its realities even as it happens to them and then not until it may be too late.
Written during the 2017 Trump administration, it's even harder to read this less than two weeks into Trump's 2025 efforts at stripping USAmerican democracy of all things democratic.
A resonant, haunting warning of real things that happened, real things that happen, and real things that are happening.
February 19, 2023
Devastating. This is an important and moving graphic novel. Get it. Read it. Share it now. Feels like a radical act.
March 8, 2023
A beautiful and heartbreaking story with perfectly stylized art.
December 12, 2019
A very moving and heartbreaking story about two gay men during the Weimar Republic and their fates in the Third Reich. It’s a very good story, and the art is great, but in retrospect it wasn’t the best thing to read when I couldn’t sleep. There used to be a time when reading these stories was difficult and sad, but I was honestly confident this couldn’t happen again. (There was, of course, quite a bit of ignorance on my part). Now, I’m just scared. So yeah, read this, but maybe not when you’re already anxious.
October 17, 2021
[Free rental/loan on Amazon Prime Reading]
This comic reminded me of a gay America documentary I caught bits of the other day where someone said closeted/straight passing queers would flock to the sidelines of the first pride marches/parades in the 70s, grateful to those who were marching, those "too queer to possibly hide it", demanding change for them all, but also so fearful for them or to even be associated with them for fear of their own lives
This comic reminded me of a gay America documentary I caught bits of the other day where someone said closeted/straight passing queers would flock to the sidelines of the first pride marches/parades in the 70s, grateful to those who were marching, those "too queer to possibly hide it", demanding change for them all, but also so fearful for them or to even be associated with them for fear of their own lives
June 19, 2022
3.5 stars - Too short, really. An American businessman in Berlin falls in with the artistic crowd just as Hitler is rising to power, and the man he loves makes himself a target with his opposition to the government. I liked seeing the time period depicted and a queer relationship developing during such a moment; however, I think it didn't have enough space to fully develop. The ending felt somewhat abrupt and anti-climactic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews