DC Black Heroes

[Robotman]

everyone should be reading The Terrifics! Mr. Terrific has been awesome in this book. his role of multiverse hopping super science adventurer is so much fun.

[Shockingjustice]

I wouldn't mind learning more about Jakeem Thunder. I like that his abilities lie in the supernatural/magical aspects, compared to science. I don't really know a lot of popular Black superheroes with a magical background, amd reading up on DC's vampires makes me really interested in the mystic world.

I'm surprised DC never made their version of the mystery gang (not involving the scooby doo gang). I started thinking of characters for the Young adults thanks to justice league dark (also RL Stine and the Castlevania series).

[WonderScott]

I would kill for a team book, it these characters decided to get together:

Mr. Terrific
Amazing Man
Nu'Bia
Black Lightning
Vixen
Aqualad
Onyx Adams
Doctor Mist
Batwing
Bronze Tiger
Bumble Bee
Steel (Natasha Irons)

Besides Mr. Terrific and Vixen, a lot of these characters never get a chance to shine (that's why I left off John Stewart, etc.)

[Shockingjustice]

I would kill for a team book, it these characters decided to get together:

Mr. Terrific
Amazing Man
Nu'Bia
Black Lightning
Vixen
Aqualad
Onyx Adams
Doctor Mist
Batwing
Bronze Tiger
Bumble Bee
Steel (Natasha Irons)

Besides Mr. Terrific and Vixen, a lot of these characters never get a chance to shine (that's why I left off John Stewart, etc.)

What would they be doing besides being a black team?

[skyvolt2000]

What would they be doing besides being a black team?

Whatever they WANT.

Just like all the white teams who don't have POC on them.

[HandofPrometheus]

Whatever they WANT.

Just like all the white teams who don't have POC on them.

Exactly. I honestly believe teams don't need a deep reason for existing besides saving the day from badguys.

[WonderScott]

What would they be doing besides being a black team?

Probably fight crime and injustice and supervillains and extraterrestrial dictators and evil duplicates from another Earth and psionic, mind-controlling lizard people they discover in a portion of the DCU's Hollow Earth and the Joker (because everyone ends up facing the Joker sometime) and racists and people who have all the other -isms and -phobias.

One thing the DCU doesn't reflect particularly well, or maybe it's better to say that they don't dive into it with any depth, is sociology and minorities. Ethic and LGBTQ+ minorities, for example, sometimes seek each other in friendship and commiseration at the ish we have to put up with in life (e.g. racism and/or homophobia.) There's comfort that comes from a shared experience you don't have to describe to others - you just all get the culture and the challenges. We saw a little of this with the Wakandans in Black Panther.

It'd be revolutionary, let alone interesting, to explore these dynamics in a superhero world even more. There should be space to tell these types of stories and the relationships that develop between the characters. I mean, how would the people of the DCU react to an out and proud team of LGBTQ+ superheroes who meet, get along well enough, and say "hey, we should fight injustice together and make a difference!" That might appeal to Extraño and make Catman kind of jealous he's not a hero. And maybe it would freak out the DCU equivalent of One Million Moms.

And, it's not and "either this" or an "or that" situation. Vixen doesn't feel unequal as apart of the Justice League or doubt them as colleagues, confidants, and friends. It's just another real-world dynamic to extrapolate in a world with superhero dynamics.

[Marvell2100]

What would they be doing besides being a black team?

Fighting villains. That's what heroes usually do in comic books.

[skyvolt2000]

Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico

is finally out for most comic book stores.

Your black heroes shown

Static
Icon
Crimson Avenger
Amanda Waller

That's it. Interesting that the Rebirth Justice League team got solo stories except two-Simon Baz and Cyborg (who DC has probably made sure NO STORE will ever order a solo series with him again) who do not appear.

[skyvolt2000]

Probably fight crime and injustice and supervillains and extraterrestrial dictators and evil duplicates from another Earth and psionic, mind-controlling lizard people they discover in a portion of the DCU's Hollow Earth and the Joker (because everyone ends up facing the Joker sometime) and racists and people who have all the other -isms and -phobias.

One thing the DCU doesn't reflect particularly well, or maybe it's better to say that they don't dive into it with any depth, is sociology and minorities. Ethic and LGBTQ+ minorities, for example, sometimes seek each other in friendship and commiseration at the ish we have to put up with in life (e.g. racism and/or homophobia.) There's comfort that comes from a shared experience you don't have to describe to others - you just all get the culture and the challenges. We saw a little of this with the Wakandans in Black Panther.

It'd be revolutionary, let alone interesting, to explore these dynamics in a superhero world even more. There should be space to tell these types of stories and the relationships that develop between the characters. I mean, how would the people of the DCU react to an out and proud team of LGBTQ+ superheroes who meet, get along well enough, and say "hey, we should fight injustice together and make a difference!" That might appeal to Extraño and make Catman kind of jealous he's not a hero. And maybe it would freak out the DCU equivalent of One Million Moms.

And, it's not and "either this" or an "or that" situation. Vixen doesn't feel unequal as apart of the Justice League or doubt them as colleagues, confidants, and friends. It's just another real-world dynamic to extrapolate in a world with superhero dynamics.

If we are talking about a team in another country-you could get away with it as New Superman did.

If you tried that here-you would see backlash-the level would be determined by who is being used.

If it's a bunch of black heroes-take the Marvel backlash and multiply it by 200. For some odd reason blacks seem to be the lightning rod to bring out the worst of folks.

The concept is interesting but after seeing the behavior of fans-especially those who have not bought anything from Marvel or DC before the last season of Star Trek Deep Space 9-I would not bother with a floppy but do a graphic novel series.

[Shockingjustice]

Probably fight crime and injustice and supervillains and extraterrestrial dictators and evil duplicates from another Earth and psionic, mind-controlling lizard people they discover in a portion of the DCU's Hollow Earth and the Joker (because everyone ends up facing the Joker sometime) and racists and people who have all the other -isms and -phobias.

One thing the DCU doesn't reflect particularly well, or maybe it's better to say that they don't dive into it with any depth, is sociology and minorities. Ethic and LGBTQ+ minorities, for example, sometimes seek each other in friendship and commiseration at the ish we have to put up with in life (e.g. racism and/or homophobia.) There's comfort that comes from a shared experience you don't have to describe to others - you just all get the culture and the challenges. We saw a little of this with the Wakandans in Black Panther.

It'd be revolutionary, let alone interesting, to explore these dynamics in a superhero world even more. There should be space to tell these types of stories and the relationships that develop between the characters. I mean, how would the people of the DCU react to an out and proud team of LGBTQ+ superheroes who meet, get along well enough, and say "hey, we should fight injustice together and make a difference!" That might appeal to Extraño and make Catman kind of jealous he's not a hero. And maybe it would freak out the DCU equivalent of One Million Moms.

And, it's not and "either this" or an "or that" situation. Vixen doesn't feel unequal as apart of the Justice League or doubt them as colleagues, confidants, and friends. It's just another real-world dynamic to extrapolate in a world with superhero dynamics.

That seems interesting, thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Shockingjustice]

Whatever they WANT.

Just like all the white teams who don't have POC on them.

I didn't mean any hostilities, so sorry if it seemed like that. I just wanted to know what the circumstances would be that an all black team formed specifically. But I guess all white teams do that as well.

[Lonewolf36]

The Justice League of Earth-23 is primarily a black League with the exception of Batman and Red Tornado.

Amazing Man, Batman, Black Lightning, Cyborg, Green Lantern, Manhattan Guardian, Mister Miracle (presumably Shilo Norman), Red Tornado, Steel, Superman, Vixen, Wonder Woman (Nubia), Zatanna (possibly Conjura). You could throw in Northwind/Hawkman, Bumblebee/Atom, Cal Durham/Aquaman and Firestorm (Jason Rusch).

[WonderScott]

If we are talking about a team in another country-you could get away with it as New Superman did.

If you tried that here-you would see backlash-the level would be determined by who is being used.

If it's a bunch of black heroes-take the Marvel backlash and multiply it by 200. For some odd reason blacks seem to be the lightning rod to bring out the worst of folks.

The concept is interesting but after seeing the behavior of fans-especially those who have not bought anything from Marvel or DC before the last season of Star Trek Deep Space 9-I would not bother with a floppy but do a graphic novel series.

Hence my comment that it would be revolutionary to do it. I wouldn't do it and not expect backlash that "they have a political agenda," but some readers might be drawn to it to see the characters' simple camaraderie together on crazy-creative, soap operatic adventures.

The irony being that people love the X-Men characters and titles and its themes and extrapolation of bigotry in the MCU, but the minute we take a real-world community that experiences isms or phobias and extrapolate it into a team and stories, even as a subtext, you're met with proverbial torches and pitchforks and yelps of "they have an SJW agenda!" It is what it is and it's where were at right now.

I don't know if the comics buying market is currently big enough to support such a title (I'd love more data on downloaded comics purchases and audience), but I can fantasize about it happening and enjoying the idea of getting to see a group of superheroes from Marvel or DC engage with each other in this dynamic.

[WonderScott]

That seems interesting, thanks for clearing that up for me.

No problem Shockingjustice - just my take on approaching it.