Aisha

I often receive many requests about African comics, most of which I cannot answer. When I do run across such a comic, however, I am quick to research and share it. One such comic is Aisha, a Nigerian comic. "Aisha is a street orphan turned ninja crime-fighter battling powerful but mysterious criminal forces on the streets of Lagos, the largest and busiest black city on earth." The comic is written and illustrated by Muyiwa Gbadegesin Sunkanmi Akinboye and published by Pandora Comics who also has a Facebook page. I'm sure this comic isn't available locally but you can purchase it at IndyPlanet who also provides a 6-page preview.
If you run across any other African comics, drop us a line. Thanks to ghettoManga for the link.

Luke Cage, Still An Avenger

I've gotta stop listening to rumors. A couple of weeks ago I commented on the fact that Luke Cage was going to be leading the Thunderbolts in the upcoming version of the series. While true, I considered this a demontion since he's been leading a group of Avengers for some time. Now I find out that he's still an Avenger. How he's supposed to do double duty; be an Avenger and lead the Thunderbolts, I have no idea. If it's true, and it seems to be, then that gives me a bi-monthly dose of one of my favorite Black Superheroes and I like that just fine.

Luke Cage: Like Thunder

Looks like Luke Cage is going to be leading the new Thunderbolts this year. It's all part of Marvel Comics' new Heroic Age. This seems like a bit of a demotion from him leading a group of Avengers and didn't Hawkeye try to lead a previous incarnation of the T-Bolts? Luke Cage really shined in the Avengers. I hope they will continue that tradition in this new mag. I wonder what happens to his wife and kid.

Even More Amazing

Apparently DC's newest incarnation of the Amazing Man is even more amazing than his predecessors. The latest issue of Justice Society of America-80 page giant contains multiple stories about members of the Justice Society of America. One of them is about the newest Amazing Man, Markus Clay. He was one of the heroes who stayed in New Orleans after the levees broke and until he joined the JSA, that was his base of operations. His garb is either African or Muslim. It is not clear which. He does practice meditation.

The Amazing Man is able to transform his entire body into any substance he touches. He becomes a living, moving being with all the strengths and likely, the weaknesses of the substance he transforms into, much like Marvel Comics' villain, The Absorbing Man. I wrote a post some time ago about DC's earlier encarnations of the Amazing Man. They share a blood relation to this one. This new story introduces a new group of beings called the Olorun who claim he gets his powers from them. They have also made him aware that he has more powers than he has been using. Apparently he can now extend his powers outside of himself and even lend his abilities to others. The writer of this story is none other than Kevin Grevioux so I expect nothing less. Does that mean there will be an Amazing team in the future or was this a side story that will never amount to anything? Time will tell but either way it's good to see DC making an effort to further develop this character. His potential is ... well, amazing.

Stormbringers by Korby Marks

While attending my last Comic con I got to meet Korby Marks, writer and creator of Stormbringers. It's an Independent comic about Black Superheroes. Here's the Synopsis, "Stormbringers is the saga of ten young men and women who band together to become superheroes. Exhausted from battling the forces of evil, who have hunted and exploited them for economic, social and geo-political gain these former solitary individuals come together out of a sense of mutual self-preservation. But their union only draws those forces of evil nearer and sets off rash of violence that they must address or watch humanity be destroyed in the process."

At first glance, most of the male super powered characters seem to have powers that manifest as physical abilities while the women's abilities seem to manifest as some form of energy or thought manipulation but there is definitely some overlap and I many be oversimplifying. The official website for the comic is quite detailed and comes complete with lenghty character bios, image galleries, and of course previews for your enjoyment. Head on over to Stormbringers.com to find out more.

DC Properly Presents Milestone

So DC has decided to finally get the Milestone universe up and running, supposedly inside the greater DCU. At least that's the premise of Milestone Forever. It's been a long time coming. I wonder though. Are they doing this because of the apparently frustration of Milestone and DC fans or did they plan this all along. Last month at the comic con I asked if there were any plans for these characters and was told no, point black. Now all of a sudden there's a project on the horizon. And what are the actual plans to integrate these characters into the greater DC Universe?
Let me not forget to accentuate the positive. This has the potential to be an amazing event, especially for all the Milestone fans. To finish the stories told all those years ago drawn by the original artists is a good idea worth supporting. Even if only for a moment, these amazing characters that I have loved for years will finally have their day in the sun. Beyond that, we will see how the future unfolds.

Bayou by Jeremy Love

One of the great things about operating this blog is that I get introduced to comics I would not have otherwise found. Case in point. A few weeks ago someone sent me a link to a webcomic called Bayou. I started reading it and was instantly hooked. Before I knew it I was on page 77 and there are currently more than 230 pages. The artwork is great. The storytelling is too. Right away the young Black heroine had my heart. The story takes place at a time where Black people are slaves. Normally this kind of subject matter makes me too angry to properly enjoy it but the fantasy element helped me get through it. I'm not even halfway done and I'm already ready to recommend it. Apparently it comes from those guys over at Gettosake. I've been waiting for something new to come out of those guys for a while and this seems to be what they are most currently working on. The graphic novel for this project is well worth owning but there's no excuse for not checking it out for yourself because it's online and it's free. Last but not least, thanks to Hassan for sending me the link. Keep them coming and let me know when you get your own project up and running.

The Black Hulk?

You know about the green Hulk, the gray Hulk, and even the new red ones. Is the world ready for a Black Hulk?

You'd think this Hulk would have more of an afro, and maybe a mustache. Thanks to PopCultureShock for the link and if you thought that was funny, check out this video:

You And Me Comics

While this blog focuses on Black Superheroes, I am a fan of Superheroes in general whether it be comics, movies, or video games. The other day I ran across a comic book company that focuses on Multicultural Superheroes. New Vision Comics launched in 1991 publishing comic strips in the Afro-American Newspaper. In 2000 the company changed to its current name, You And Me Comics. This company focuses on positive multicultural Superhero images and seeks to promote them not only in comics but also in television and film.

On their site you can find out more information about their interesting stable of characters. Among them are Sunstone who is a cosmic warrior that comes to earth to seek help from the legendary superior beings known as humans..and faces the truth on arrival and Admiral Africa who was the cause of Rommel's turn and run and and the retreat of the Nazi invasion out of Africa. His untold story is finally brought to the forefront.There are others such as Statehood, Captain Columbia, Warrior One, the Lucky Pumpkin, and more. Want to know more? Check out YouAndMeComics.com
and tell them the Black Superhero Blog sent you.

Ebony White

You've probably already seen the trailer for the new movie about a superhero called The Spirit. I looks like it might be interesting or so I thought until I did a little digging. In case you don't know, Will Eisner's The Spirit is a noir crime drama about a masked crimefighter of the same name that first showed up in the 1940s. What does that have to do with Black Superheroes?

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Well, The Spirit had a young sidekick and driver by the name of Ebony White. He was basically the stereotypical black-faced, dim-witted minstrel with big white eyes, big lips, and that embarrassing Negro dialect. Over the years the character became more intelligent and more than just the Spirit's driver. He had no special abilities other than being (ultimately) clever, brave, and loyal to the Spirit. Ebony White saved the Spirit's life on multiple occasions and became quite helpful to the character. The portrayal of this character was not without some criticism however and ultimately he was sent away to school in 1946 though he did return on occasion.

When you look back at the portrayal of Black people in comics, it's impossible not to look at Ebony White or other more embarrassing depictions. It would be about 20 years later when Black Superheroes would show up in comics as near equals to their White counterparts. Thankfully, comics and the world have changed. In 2007, The Spirit saw a return to comics and with that return, so came Ebony White who is no longer the buffoon or stereotypical character he was portrayed to be in the past. He's still a kid that drives a cab but is much more intelligent and inciteful than his previous incarnation and even look's like a real Black child. Apparently his character will not be showing up in the big screen adaptation of The Spirit currently in theaters this Christmas but perhaps in the sequel, if there is one.

Young Black Choices

I like comedy but I especially like comedy when there's a point or a good story behind it. For the record I take the subject of this blog seriously even when it's funny. During my ongoing search through the Internet for all things Black Superhero I find quite a bit of negative feelings from Black men for the lack of them in the comics and on TV. The few that were around usually presented the worst stereotypes so I get the reason for the negative feelings and I believe those feelings are warranted. There's really a lot to cover on this. I could never put all the points into one post and do them justice, hence this blog. The other day I ran into this video and thought it covered quite a bit of the issues that keep coming up in my research so I decided to include it. It's funny too. Enjoy!

Muhammad X

This character showed up in one comic only but the story had an impact on me. Muhammad X is the name of a DC comics superhero operating out of Harlem. His name is a combination his two heroes who should be obvious. He was introduced in a Superman comic as Superman one day found his way to Harlem. Muhammad X, who apparently had density and possibly gravity powers, was angered by Superman's presence saying that Black people need Black role models and shouldn't depend on White heroes that never come to Harlem anyway. Superman was taken aback by this and went to talk to various people in his support group. After talking to Steel's niece he found out there were quite a few other Black superheroes operating that he had not heard of. (I hadn't heard of them either.) When he finally returned to talk with Muhammad X he tried to explain that he was above the color issue. The story ended with Muhammad X saying something like, "Whatever lets you sleep at night."
Obviously the character was created to make a point and rightfully that point wasn't resolved in the comic book. Whether or not the character had a secret identity we may never know. I'm not too fond of the fact that Muhammad X showed up mostly as an angry Black man but I am happy that the subject matter found its way into a mainstream comic. I have to give some credit to the writers Jeph Loeb & Geoff Johns, neither of whom are Black, for writing this story. When I read it I was more than a little suprised and had to show it to someone.