There aren’t a lot of Black female superheroes and comic
characters out there. I can probably count all of the ones I know on all the
fingers of both hands.
Storm
Vixen
Misty Knight
Bumblebee
Monica Rambeau
Rocket
Martha Washington
The Second Crimson Avenger
Amanda Waller
Nancy from Archie
Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats
Yeah, there are probably a few that I’m probably missing. But
There’s a big problem with the most popular Black female superheroines like
Storm and Vixen: They technichally aren't African-American.
Storm and Vixen are African. And they immigrated to America.
So their experience is completely different than that of an African-American
woman who was born in America.
Unfortunately, that distinction isn’t depicted in heroines of
color in most comics. There’s a BIG difference between being an African and an
African-American. And that distinction really isn’t seen in most Black
superheorines. Almost all of them come off the same assembly line as the White
female characters.
A shame. Especially when there are clear distinctions between
Black women and White women in the world. And even moreso when readers
understand that there are clear distinctions between Black men and Black women
in the world. There’s a wealth of stories to be told about a Black heroine as
she relates to the superhero community and the Black experience. But most creators
in the comic book industry have barely scratched the surface.
When it comes to Black superheroines, we never see any of
them participating in Black culture or presenting readers with a balanced
picture of the Black experience. Outside of being supporting characters in team
books filled with mostly White characters and ancillary background characters
in event storylines, we don’t see Black women really representing what it means
to be a Black woman in a comic book or the fantasy genre.
Interesting when you consider that the Black woman is
supposed to be the transmitter of culture. And as she goes, so goes the race.
And if the race can’t rise any higher than the position of
its women, when it comes to Black female heroines it’s not like they rise very
far in the comic book industry. Because Black female characters are practically
INVISIBLE in the White male dominated comic book industry.
When one takes a closer look at the Black heroines in comics
Most Black heroines don’t do most of the things Black women do. This is why
many don’t relate to or identify with a Black superheroine or a Black heroine
in a comic. Many get next to NO character development or are allowed to truly
carry a story or even a series on their own to show how great they truly are or
what makes them stand out as characters.
Yeah, Monica Rambeau, Misty Knight, Rocket have a lot of
flash, but for the most part they have very little substance. They’ve never had
that ONE defining story to solidify who they truly are in readers’ eyes that
makes them distinct. Heck, even Storm and Vixen haven’t had that one story to
put a concrete image of who they truly are in readers’ minds.
Because Most Black heroines have never carried their own
title, they have next to no backstory. And it’s backstory that gives a
character the depth and complexity that would give readers an insight into
Black culture and what it means to be a Black woman.
Because most Black heroines don’t participate in Black
culture readers never get an insight into what’s great about being a Black
woman or what truly makes a Black woman a hero. The Black female side of Black
culture is rich and unique and filled with great stories readers of all races
can identify and relate with. Sistas have a strength of character and resolve
that’s never really been shown in the pages in a comic book or a fantasy story.
For the most part when a Black heroine is featured in a story
meant to reflect the Black culture from a Black woman’s perspective it’s often stereotypical.
For example Rocket had all her potential as a character sucked out of her by
being put on a road to single motherhood. What could have been one of the
greatest pairings in comic book history was pretty much lost in the last panel
of the second issue of Icon.
I find it odd that I never see a Black superheroine in a
serious relationship with a Black man in a comic or genre fiction like fantasy.
Most Black heroines will date every nonblack and White man out there but won’t
ever be pursued by a Black man or even consider dating on. For example Storm
has dated Forge, Wolverine, and a whole bunch of White dudes. And Misty Knight
had been dating Iron Fist for a kajillion years until recently.
Yeah, Storm married Black Panther…But the less said about
that marriage the better off we all are. And Vixen and John Stewart were
daiting in the JLU…We all know how that ends in Batman Beyond.
But as for a Black-on-Black relationship between a Black heroine
and a Black man…I haven’t seen it in a comic or a television show in my
lifetime. A story of Black-on-Black love is something the comic book industry
desperately needs to show in between the pages and panels of a comic.
Moreover, readers need to see a complex, multidimensional
depiction of a Black woman in comics and genre fiction. There’s a lot readers
can relate to and identify with a Black female character…If someone would just
take the time to tell her story in the fantasy and comic genres.
I believe Black heroines have a lot to offer readers of all
races. Unfortunately, in genre fiction and in comics creators have barely
scratched the surface. This is what motivates me to write books like those in
the Isis series and the E’steem series. I want to give readers that balanced picture
of what the Black female experience is in the fantasy and comic genre. I want readers to move past the color of
their skin and get to know the content of what makes the characters like Isis
and E’steem great.
To get readers into the adventures of Black heroines, I’m
offering the Isis/E’steem crossover on Kindle Unlimited and in paperback this
summer. In both stories readers will see what makes Black heroines great and
what makes their stories distinct. And I’m planning a major story in the Isis
series that will be completely immersive in Black culture and the Black
experience. Something I think will get readers to think about what’s truly
distinct about the experiences of Black women in genre fiction and comics.
I don't why you listed Amanda Waller she's more of a villain than a heroine.
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