DC Africana Appreciation

[Shockingjustice]

Hotspot, Aqualad and Static could be HUGE with getting YA audiences. These three could be the black male teen trinity and these three together can be like the best of friends. Elemental powers are popular and the more desired powersets.

Then Naomi, Lightning and Thunder, and Tanya can fill the female spot.

Unfortunately none of those guys are in use currently.

At least lighting and thunder are getting media exposure while Naomi is getting comic exposure

[HandofPrometheus]

Unfortunately none of those guys are in use currently.

At least lighting and thunder are getting media exposure while Naomi is getting comic exposure

Sadly

I always felt Signal, Aqualad, and Kid Flash could've been DC's black male trinity for YA audiences. They have unique powersets with widely diverse applications and as characters they each have ties to three major franchises.

Signal and Kid Flash would be easier and most likely to fill the spot for Hotspot and Static it's just sadly I still don't like them but I can see it. Also them being connected to major franchises help them greatly.

[lemonpeace]

Sadly



Signal and Kid Flash would be easier and most likely to fill the spot for Hotspot and Static it's just sadly I still don't like them but I can see it. Also them being connected to major franchises help them greatly.

I'm the other way, I love Signal (well I love Duke Thomas, him as Signal?...iunno yet) and I really like Wallace when he's not written by Williamson but I just can't get into Aqualad in the comics. I feel like he falls flat compared to his Young Justice iteration. It feels like they made him gay but didn't put much effort into handling his character because he's so far removed from the YJ version but not nearly as intriguing or compelling. Which sucks because I think they wanted to position him as one of their major LGBT+ players.

But i think if they put those 3 on a team (or make them their own squad) they could give them a chance to really be something special.

[Agent Z]

I'm the other way, I love Signal (well I love Duke Thomas, him as Signal?...iunno yet) and I really like Wallace when he's not written by Williamson but I just can't get into Aqualad in the comics. I feel like he falls flat compared to his Young Justice iteration. It feels like they made him gay but didn't put much effort into handling his character because he's so far removed from the YJ version but not nearly as intriguing or compelling. Which sucks because I think they wanted to position him as one of their major LGBT+ players.

But i think if they put those 3 on a team (or make them their own squad) they could give them a chance to really be something special.

If I may ask, what exactly do you find intriguing about the Aqualad from the show? Because it seems to me he got very little development whereas the comics actually seemed to be trying to make him a developed character.

[Shockingjustice]

I'm the other way, I love Signal (well I love Duke Thomas, him as Signal?...iunno yet) and I really like Wallace when he's not written by Williamson but I just can't get into Aqualad in the comics. I feel like he falls flat compared to his Young Justice iteration. It feels like they made him gay but didn't put much effort into handling his character because he's so far removed from the YJ version but not nearly as intriguing or compelling. Which sucks because I think they wanted to position him as one of their major LGBT+ players.

But i think if they put those 3 on a team (or make them their own squad) they could give them a chance to really be something special.

Honestly Aqualad probably could be a major player for LGBT representation while still having his Young Justice personality. I understand why the comic version is lackluster, which was because he was basically on his starting legs. Plus black gay teen is untread ground that could probably be relatable if done in a normal non "in-your-face" way.

Personally I hope for his Mini comic that he has a little more personality then his Young Justice version. While I do like that version I'm growing tired of the stoic black character archetype.

[lemonpeace]

If I may ask, what exactly do you find intriguing about the Aqualad from the show? Because it seems to me he got very little development whereas the comics actually seemed to be trying to make him a developed character.

I just really enjoyed how competent he was. He had a commanding presence but wasn't hard-nosed or "bossy" (for lack of a better term), and the wisdom, maturity, and leadership ability of the character made him very compelling for me. He always felt like a leading man or a character who's well on their way to being a leading man and to see that in a young black character really resonated with me. The comics TRIED to develop Aqualad but it never quite felt like he was ever getting any closer to the leading man power player he was on the show that spawn him, ya know? Jackson just felt like he was always falling short of the hero he COULD be, for me at least.

Honestly Aqualad probably could be a major player for LGBT representation while still having his Young Justice personality. I understand why the comic version is lackluster, which was because he was basically on his starting legs. Plus black gay teen is untreaded ground that could probably be relatable if done in a normal non "in-your-face" way.

Personally I hope for his Mini comic that he has a little more personality then his Young Justice version. While I do like that version I'm growing tired of the stoic black character archetype.

I definitely believe Jackson could be a major player for LGBT+ representation while leaning more on his Young Justice incarnation but I personally felt like DC focused more on the LGBT+ aspect of the character rather than playing to what made the character interesting in the first place. I think there is a way to have a queer character who is compelling beyond just being queer, especially as a superhero in superhero fiction because (I believe) the hero's identity should serve to enhance and inform their heroics not just define the character. Like, Kaldur'ahm could turn out to be gay (or bi since he was in love with Tula in the show) and it wouldn't subtract from his character because he is already intriguing. In fact, they could now play into how his queer identity informs his heroism in a more nuanced, sincere and authentically natural way. In my ideal world, now that we've laid the groundwork in regard to his sexuality and his agency as a young man, the next time to see him (ideally in a limited series of some sort) it will focus on bridging that gap between his show incarnation and who he's been in the comics thus far. A power player, like on the show, with the sensitivity they've been driving home in the comics - happy medium.

I wouldn't say Kaldur was particularly stoic, he was even-tempered and soft-spoken which i think was a clever choice when juxaposed against the typical leader type which is usually more macho and outwardly bombastic. I read it more as a play on soft power vs hard power, and it played into why he was chosen as leader. he didn't ask for leadership but he took the role and approached it with dignity and gentle authority; a Jon Snow type.

[lemonpeace]

[Agent Z]

I just really enjoyed how competent he was. He had a commanding presence but wasn't hard-nosed or "bossy" (for lack of a better term), and the wisdom, maturity, and leadership ability of the character made him very compelling for me. He always felt like a leading man or a character is well on their way to being a leading man and to see that in a young black character really resonated with me. The comics TRIED to develop Aqualad but it never quiet felt like he was ever getting any closer to the leading man power player he was on the show that spawn him, ya know? Jackson just felt like he was always falling short of the hero he COULD be, for me at least.



I definitely believe Jackson could be a major player for LGBT+ representation while leaning more on his Young Justice incarnation but I personally felt like DC focused more on the LGBT+ aspect of the character rather than playing to what made the character interesting in the first place. I think there is a way to have a queer character who is compelling beyond just being queer, especially as a superhero in superhero fiction because (I believe) the hero's identity should serve to enhance and inform their heroics not just define the character. Like, Kaldur'ahm could turn out to be gay (or bi since he was in love with Tula in the show) and it wouldn't subtract from his character because he is already intriguing. In fact, they could now play into how his queer identity informs his heroism in a more nuanced, sincere and authentically natural way. In my ideal world, now that we've laid the groundwork in regard to his sexuality and his agency as a young man, the next time to see him (ideally in a limited series of some sort) it will focus on bridging that gap between his show incarnation and who he's been in the comics thus far. A power player, like on the show, with the sensitivity they've been driving home in the comics - happy medium.

I wouldn't say Kaldur was particularly stoic, he was even-tempered and soft-spoken which i think was a clever choice when juxaposed against the typical leader type which is usually more macho and outwardly bombastic. I read it more as a play on soft power vs hard power, and it played into why he was chosen as leader. he didn't ask for leadership but he took the role and approached it with dignity and gentle authority; a Jon Snow type.

In fairness, I don't think the goal was to make him like his animated counterpart. In fact, the two have very different circumstances, starting with the fact that comic Kaldur wasn't raised in Atlantis. On paper, animated Kaldur could have been a power player but nothing really came of it. Hell, him being the leader of the team was just him being a place holder until Dick was old enough to take over. That said, I did like his role as a double agent in season 2.

[lemonpeace]

In fairness, I don't think the goal was to make him like his animated counterpart. In fact, the two have very different circumstances, starting with the fact that comic Kaldur wasn't raised in Atlantis. On paper, animated Kaldur could have been a power player but nothing really came of it. Hell, him being the leader of the team was just him being a place holder until Dick was old enough to take over. That said, I did like his role as a double agent in season 2.

I can give you that but I feel if they recognize the character's significance enough to roll him into the comics, the logically step would be to have the character resemble the original character-wise. It doesn't need to be a one to one translation but otherwise you run the risk of missing out on why the character was popular in the first place and end up with a more lackluster iteration; which i feel is the case here.

As for the YJ Kaldur's power player status, I gotta disagree with you. While he considered himself a placeholder, I never felt Robin (as Robin, before Aqualad left to pair off with Black Manta) was ever really as suited for leadership as Kaldur was. His command in the field and sheer strength made him a stand out, plus his double agent arc and eventual promotion to Aquaman? I mean, the man is leading the League now, he's probably the only Aquaman we'll see leading the Justice League anytime soon; that's definitely a power player imo. Especially considering it's an ensemble cast that's constantly expanding and he still continues to be a prominent figure. One of the biggest teases/promotions for YJ: Outsiders was his reveal as Aquaman.

[Sutekh]

I just really enjoyed how competent he was. He had a commanding presence but wasn't hard-nosed or "bossy" (for lack of a better term), and the wisdom, maturity, and leadership ability of the character made him very compelling for me.

My favorite scene highlighting Kaldur's nature is when M'gan 'outs' herself as a white martian, and shapeshifts into her monstrous form, towering with four arms, etc. and Kaldur is standing in front saying, 'Do you think we would judge you based on your physical appearance?' while, completely unknown to him, some of the other teammates are cowering and cringing in shock behind him, very much 'judging by appearance.'

That seemed very appropriate for him, because we'd seen him in Atlantis with friends who looked mostly human, another friend who had a squid-head, and some guards who had the lower bodies of fish, but also cool, because it suggests that he has no real idea that his friends aren't quite as blase about having inhuman or 'monstrous' looking friends. I liked the irony, of him just assuming that it was no big deal, that everyone was as enlightened as he was, on that subject.

[lemonpeace]

I found this really cool fanmade map of DC's African Landscape. I thought I'd share.

[MoneySpider]

I found this really cool fanmade map of DC's African Landscape. I thought I'd share.

I'm surprised Nubia wasn't used somewhere in the above map.

[lemonpeace]

I'm surprised Nubia wasn't used somewhere in the above map.

Yeah, I'm thinking of looking into other heroes/locations missed and revising it myself (assuming there's enough information).

[HandofPrometheus]

I found this really cool fanmade map of DC's African Landscape. I thought I'd share.

Wow props to the person who made this.

[Lonewolf36]

I found this really cool fanmade map of DC's African Landscape. I thought I'd share.

Wow! Other from Africa or connected to it.

Shango - Nairobi
Ndoki - Cameroon
Kid Impala - South Africa
Deity - Democratic Republic of the Congo
Steelback - - Democratic Republic of the Congo
Primat - Gorilla City
Grogamesh/Prince Ulgo - Gorilla City
Osiris (Amon Tomaz) - Egypt
Osiris - [Cadre of the Immortal, Justice League ally] - Egypt
Nubia - Madagascar [Super Friends comic]
Anansi the Spider - Ghana [Static Shock cartoon]
Bowman of the Bush - Unspecified

Ties to Africa

Detective Chimp
Bloodwynd

Possibly

Black Vulcan
Conjura