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BLACK #1-6
BLACK, Vol. 1
In a world that already hates and fears them -- what if only Black people had superpowers. After miraculously surviving being gunned down by police, a young man learns that he is part of the biggest lie in history. Now he must decide whether it's safer to keep it a secret or if the truth will set him free. Collects issues 1-6.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
November 14, 2017
Great idea, poor execution. It's a fantastic concept, "What if black people developed superpowers?". But the story is a convoluted mess with a cast of over a hundred super powered individuals in 6 issues. The characters become nothing more than a power set. The story would have worked better if it had started on the ground floor with people just now starting to develop powers. Instead Kareem is immediately dropped into multiple bases with hundreds of super powered individuals and grand conspiracies run by stereotypical racists. A real world approach to the book would have worked much better.
Received an advance copy from Black Mask and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from Black Mask and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2017
What a wasted opportunity. The high-level concept is amazing, and for the first few pages I was expecting something revolutionary, but then the whole thing just turned into an incoherent mess imitating the worst comic book excesses of the 90's: characters with code names but no character, vast conspiracies that come down to a couple guys lurking in their gigantic secret underground lairs with dozens of henchmen, speech balloons filled with dialogue that no one could say out loud without bursting into laughter, and lots and lots and lots of pointless fights.
Seriously, just read the first seven pages and the last one, then mourn what might have been.
Seriously, just read the first seven pages and the last one, then mourn what might have been.
January 21, 2018
I supported the Kickstarter for this because the premise and the preview art were great and I because I like to put my money where my mouth is and support more diversity in comics. Unfortunately, despite a strong first issue, the rest of this collection quickly becomes a mess emulating some of the worst excesses of Big Two comics, by introducing way too many characters and convoluted conspiracies, and a kind of too hamfisted attempt to depict diversity within the black community regarding how to handle their oppression that narrows its characters into broad types, rather than making use of the serial form to let the characters develop organically - one of the downsides of writing to the trade.
The art is great, though the panel work is uninspired and when a book has this much action, it needs to be easier to follow OR more experimental and out there. This is neither.
I recommend checking out the Lion Forge Catalyst Prime books, which do this better, like Noble and Superb, if you are looking for black superheroes in a world that takes diversity as a fact and not a gimmick - which I think BLACK was trying to do, but fell short.
The art is great, though the panel work is uninspired and when a book has this much action, it needs to be easier to follow OR more experimental and out there. This is neither.
I recommend checking out the Lion Forge Catalyst Prime books, which do this better, like Noble and Superb, if you are looking for black superheroes in a world that takes diversity as a fact and not a gimmick - which I think BLACK was trying to do, but fell short.
July 28, 2023
That's a hell of a hook. A few centuries ago, people with African DNA began developing superpowers. The system of slavery and oppression that rose up was partly a cover for experimentation and preemptive subjugation due to fear of and lust for those powers.
In contemporary New York, three black teens are gunned down by trigger happy cops who mistake them for muggers. Our protagonist, Kareem, wakes up in an ambulance, fully healed and endowed with strength and speed. He spends the volume being recruited by two opposing superpowered organizations.
Black draws heavily on the X-Men mythos. One of the competing black leaders focuses on protection and rescue, the other on violent resistance, a la Professor X and Magneto. (Or MLK and Malcolm X?) Meanwhile, a sinister shadow organization, headed by one Theodore Mann (as in "The Man", ha) works to repress, imprison, and study superpowered blacks. Mann's group even has Sentinels.
Hell of a hook, and it's a shame the execution comes up so short. Outside of a few simple exposition dumps, the storytelling is incoherent. Kareem never mentions his two dead friends. Panel transitions are chaotic. Secondary characters are overabundant and impossible to tell apart during the frequent action scenes. And even when things slow down I can't tell who's on what side. Fights are peppered with awkward one-liners.
Black takes a weighty subject and makes it feel goofy and superficial. I wanted very much to like it.
In contemporary New York, three black teens are gunned down by trigger happy cops who mistake them for muggers. Our protagonist, Kareem, wakes up in an ambulance, fully healed and endowed with strength and speed. He spends the volume being recruited by two opposing superpowered organizations.
Black draws heavily on the X-Men mythos. One of the competing black leaders focuses on protection and rescue, the other on violent resistance, a la Professor X and Magneto. (Or MLK and Malcolm X?) Meanwhile, a sinister shadow organization, headed by one Theodore Mann (as in "The Man", ha) works to repress, imprison, and study superpowered blacks. Mann's group even has Sentinels.
Hell of a hook, and it's a shame the execution comes up so short. Outside of a few simple exposition dumps, the storytelling is incoherent. Kareem never mentions his two dead friends. Panel transitions are chaotic. Secondary characters are overabundant and impossible to tell apart during the frequent action scenes. And even when things slow down I can't tell who's on what side. Fights are peppered with awkward one-liners.
Black takes a weighty subject and makes it feel goofy and superficial. I wanted very much to like it.
December 14, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This is a really great concept and there were some really great moments in here and also a lot of specific nods to current events with certain plot points and phrases. It has the potential to be a really great series but I felt like this volume was just too convoluted to be entirely enjoyable. There were way too many characters and only maybe five or six of them got any kind of characterization beyond a pithy name and a power set. I still plan on checking out the next volume in the hopes that they can tighten up the story a little bit, but so far it's kind of all over the place.
This is a really great concept and there were some really great moments in here and also a lot of specific nods to current events with certain plot points and phrases. It has the potential to be a really great series but I felt like this volume was just too convoluted to be entirely enjoyable. There were way too many characters and only maybe five or six of them got any kind of characterization beyond a pithy name and a power set. I still plan on checking out the next volume in the hopes that they can tighten up the story a little bit, but so far it's kind of all over the place.
February 7, 2021
It's about goddamn time I got to this book. What an absolute powerhouse triumph!
I probably can't say anything about this, plotwise or literarily or pop-culturally, that everyone doesn't already know, so instead I'll tell you this: Kwanza originally brought this book to life on Kickstarter (where I now, astonishingly, work). For the company's 10th birthday last year, we chose some of the most vital and transformative stories that happened to creators on or as a result of our platform, and if you scroll around a bit you can read all about this book and how explosive it was & still is.
I can't believe how long it took me to get around to this, but damn I'm so glad I finally did.
I probably can't say anything about this, plotwise or literarily or pop-culturally, that everyone doesn't already know, so instead I'll tell you this: Kwanza originally brought this book to life on Kickstarter (where I now, astonishingly, work). For the company's 10th birthday last year, we chose some of the most vital and transformative stories that happened to creators on or as a result of our platform, and if you scroll around a bit you can read all about this book and how explosive it was & still is.
I can't believe how long it took me to get around to this, but damn I'm so glad I finally did.
October 18, 2022
Interesting story, definitely got X-Men vibes from it.
January 14, 2018
Wow! From the art to the content this was a hit for me! IT is such and important graphic novel do to it's content. This deals with issues of race inequality and white supremacy. What I do wish is for more development. More background story maybe an origin story. But u still think it's an important read
December 7, 2017
This meaningful graphic novel sheds light on historical and current challenges black individuals confront, by exploring differing approaches to challenging white supremacy!
January 11, 2018
LOVED IT! I immediately wanted to see if it was optioned for a film or tv series, and it has been optioned to make into a film. This was so great. I hope the studio does it justice. I love that it's done in black and white and I loved the message.
The story is that three teens are walking home are stopped by cops looking for three black men who robbed a restaurant. The problem is the description could be anyone, but the police immediately pull guns on them. One of teens is so scared he starts to run, though the other two don't. The police immediately fire upon them, killing them. All witnessed by a young African American female detective, Ellen Waters, from that neighborhood.
When Kareem Jenkins wakes up in the ambulance, this starts off a story told from Kareem's POV and the officer who witnessed the shooting. She starts to investigate other's who may be like Kareem and help her find him. And Kareem tries to figure out who's actually on his side.
Kareem learns that he is one of many others, and is recruited by an underground group who we realizes they are African American who have superpowers. This seems to only happen to Black people and they are trying to keep it under wraps as well as recruit anyone else who has abilities.
At the same time, there is a government (maybe) organization who also realizes this is going on and they are trying to find Kareem because his genetic makeup that give him his powers are unique. We aren't really sure of their goals. Are they trying to kill Kareem or do they want something else, much more sinister from him?
The problem is, Kareem doesn't know who he can really trust. Because the group who helped him get away is also holding and surpressing those who seem to be out of control. And Kareem may be the most powerful of them all, to date. Who can he trust?
This was an awesome read. Fast paced as it was a comic, but done is a way that flowed. I really enjoyed reading it.
The story is that three teens are walking home are stopped by cops looking for three black men who robbed a restaurant. The problem is the description could be anyone, but the police immediately pull guns on them. One of teens is so scared he starts to run, though the other two don't. The police immediately fire upon them, killing them. All witnessed by a young African American female detective, Ellen Waters, from that neighborhood.
When Kareem Jenkins wakes up in the ambulance, this starts off a story told from Kareem's POV and the officer who witnessed the shooting. She starts to investigate other's who may be like Kareem and help her find him. And Kareem tries to figure out who's actually on his side.
Kareem learns that he is one of many others, and is recruited by an underground group who we realizes they are African American who have superpowers. This seems to only happen to Black people and they are trying to keep it under wraps as well as recruit anyone else who has abilities.
At the same time, there is a government (maybe) organization who also realizes this is going on and they are trying to find Kareem because his genetic makeup that give him his powers are unique. We aren't really sure of their goals. Are they trying to kill Kareem or do they want something else, much more sinister from him?
The problem is, Kareem doesn't know who he can really trust. Because the group who helped him get away is also holding and surpressing those who seem to be out of control. And Kareem may be the most powerful of them all, to date. Who can he trust?
This was an awesome read. Fast paced as it was a comic, but done is a way that flowed. I really enjoyed reading it.
September 28, 2017
Black has a real 5 star idea at it's core: what if only black people had super powers? The execution doesn't quite match that idea, but it's still a fun read. The black and white art gives it distinctive feel and is thematically appropriate. However, the plot gets fairly confusing and it's exacerbated by an incredible long cast of characters, many of whom aren't much more than a clever name and a power set.
July 22, 2021
"Black" tells the story of Kareem, a new kind of super hero in a world where only black people have powers.
The plot is action packed and pretty dense.
On one hand, even if I'm not new to the subject, the "Black lives matter" aspect of the book made me sad, it was not easy for me to keep the necessary distance to judge the way the author dealt with such an important matter.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed this new set of super heros and characters. I hope it'll be the start of a new successful mythology /dynasty of modern heros.
This book family tree ? Definitively "X Men" the first movie.
The plot is action packed and pretty dense.
On one hand, even if I'm not new to the subject, the "Black lives matter" aspect of the book made me sad, it was not easy for me to keep the necessary distance to judge the way the author dealt with such an important matter.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed this new set of super heros and characters. I hope it'll be the start of a new successful mythology /dynasty of modern heros.
This book family tree ? Definitively "X Men" the first movie.
August 14, 2018
As far as graphic novels go, this is a good one.
Premise is simple: black people have superpowers. Not all black people. Only a small percentage. But anyone who does have superpowers is black. It's a black only thing.
And it's a secret.
And it's behind many of the atrocities blacks have experienced at the hands of colonialists and slave owners and the like for all these years.
It's sort of an X-Men-ish premise. Small group of marginalized individuals with awesome powers who can't be out in the open about it because backlash, oppression, etc.
I love this idea.
I'm not a big superhero movie fan (I liked "Black Panther" and "Wonder Woman" and "The Dark Knight" and a previous "Spiderman" series, but not so into the endless barrage of superhero blockbusters...) but I would ABSOLUTELY go see this if it ever went to the screen.
Premise is simple: black people have superpowers. Not all black people. Only a small percentage. But anyone who does have superpowers is black. It's a black only thing.
And it's a secret.
And it's behind many of the atrocities blacks have experienced at the hands of colonialists and slave owners and the like for all these years.
It's sort of an X-Men-ish premise. Small group of marginalized individuals with awesome powers who can't be out in the open about it because backlash, oppression, etc.
I love this idea.
I'm not a big superhero movie fan (I liked "Black Panther" and "Wonder Woman" and "The Dark Knight" and a previous "Spiderman" series, but not so into the endless barrage of superhero blockbusters...) but I would ABSOLUTELY go see this if it ever went to the screen.
October 5, 2020
It had so much potential but it was just too much of a mess and too many characters
December 7, 2017
Warnings: racism, police brutality, violence, murder
Awesome idea - what if only black people had superpowers? Now, if you have heard of Luke Cage or seen the Netflix series (which specifically was driving the BLM movement message home in it's trailer with a guy able to withstand bullets), you would agree that this is an interesting premise to build on. Also, a story centering the experience of black people in a society that hates their existence is a conversation we need to keep having. However, Black veers off from that by like the 3rd chapter and plunges into conspiracies and gets a bit unbelievable.
It starts off pretty well - Kareem, who somehow survives a police shooting, wakes up in a secret facility and told he has powers. Supposedly, a small population of people (who are black or mixed) have these quarks (subatomic particles or something - physics is NOT my strong suit) that give them powers. This is however, sold in the plot as a worldwide conspiracy to keep black people subjugated, and so that they don't pose a threat to the white governments. There are also different factions in these super-powered people who have different approaches to how things should be done to protect their people.
Now, I'm a fan of superhero themed graphic novels, but if you are going to tell me that there is a 'worldwide' conspiracy to hide powered people's existence, there better be a good reason. I would even accept that this was a US-centric problem, like how it happens in most dystopias, but if there was even a slight hint that there were conspiracies out there. For the whole book, it is presented like a secret that no one, not even in the age of the freaking internet and smartphones, knows about. And this is where I had a problem with how the rest of the plot played out, because it all depended on the premise of 'no one knows'. Still, we have powered humans getting into government facilities, having amazing battles (the artwork for which was super-cool, by the way) and literally no mention of how they are covering this all up. Like, one panel with some conspiracy blogs or something - was that too much to ask?
Another thing - what about countries with a majority of black people, or where white populations were lower? How were they hiding the existence of an albeit small, but noticeable fraction of the people being powered? Nobody's third cousin or something doing some weird things? It was just all - they lock up all the powered people on false charges. Which is a problematic concept to tackle, because it makes it sound like powered black people were considered a threat and have been enslaved, or imprisoned throughout history for that reason - when in fact, colonialism, racism, slavery and apartheid are complicated issues involving dehumanizing a race and cannot be simplified to suit a narrative like - hey, so some black people are super-amazing, so we have to make sure all of them are subjugated. Then again, I admit it is not exactly my lane to comment on, but I think it could have been presented as a multi-dimensional issue instead.
The artwork is pretty good, with realistic character designs, a range of abilities and people being presented and some really cool fight scenes. Overall, a good graphic novel, with some amazing artwork, but perhaps it doesn't handle the subject matter to its full potential.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Diamond Book Distributors, via Netgalley.
Awesome idea - what if only black people had superpowers? Now, if you have heard of Luke Cage or seen the Netflix series (which specifically was driving the BLM movement message home in it's trailer with a guy able to withstand bullets), you would agree that this is an interesting premise to build on. Also, a story centering the experience of black people in a society that hates their existence is a conversation we need to keep having. However, Black veers off from that by like the 3rd chapter and plunges into conspiracies and gets a bit unbelievable.
It starts off pretty well - Kareem, who somehow survives a police shooting, wakes up in a secret facility and told he has powers. Supposedly, a small population of people (who are black or mixed) have these quarks (subatomic particles or something - physics is NOT my strong suit) that give them powers. This is however, sold in the plot as a worldwide conspiracy to keep black people subjugated, and so that they don't pose a threat to the white governments. There are also different factions in these super-powered people who have different approaches to how things should be done to protect their people.
Now, I'm a fan of superhero themed graphic novels, but if you are going to tell me that there is a 'worldwide' conspiracy to hide powered people's existence, there better be a good reason. I would even accept that this was a US-centric problem, like how it happens in most dystopias, but if there was even a slight hint that there were conspiracies out there. For the whole book, it is presented like a secret that no one, not even in the age of the freaking internet and smartphones, knows about. And this is where I had a problem with how the rest of the plot played out, because it all depended on the premise of 'no one knows'. Still, we have powered humans getting into government facilities, having amazing battles (the artwork for which was super-cool, by the way) and literally no mention of how they are covering this all up. Like, one panel with some conspiracy blogs or something - was that too much to ask?
Another thing - what about countries with a majority of black people, or where white populations were lower? How were they hiding the existence of an albeit small, but noticeable fraction of the people being powered? Nobody's third cousin or something doing some weird things? It was just all - they lock up all the powered people on false charges. Which is a problematic concept to tackle, because it makes it sound like powered black people were considered a threat and have been enslaved, or imprisoned throughout history for that reason - when in fact, colonialism, racism, slavery and apartheid are complicated issues involving dehumanizing a race and cannot be simplified to suit a narrative like - hey, so some black people are super-amazing, so we have to make sure all of them are subjugated. Then again, I admit it is not exactly my lane to comment on, but I think it could have been presented as a multi-dimensional issue instead.
The artwork is pretty good, with realistic character designs, a range of abilities and people being presented and some really cool fight scenes. Overall, a good graphic novel, with some amazing artwork, but perhaps it doesn't handle the subject matter to its full potential.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Diamond Book Distributors, via Netgalley.
December 30, 2017
*3.5 Stars*
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had lots of fun reading this but as much as the primal concept of it intrigued me, the realisation of it was a bit disappointing… The side characters were very hard to remember and the whole story felt kind of blurry to me, in the sense that it lacked some structure…
However, I am looking forward to reading the next installments in the hope it will be more structured because it has, in my opinion, a LOT of potential.
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had lots of fun reading this but as much as the primal concept of it intrigued me, the realisation of it was a bit disappointing… The side characters were very hard to remember and the whole story felt kind of blurry to me, in the sense that it lacked some structure…
However, I am looking forward to reading the next installments in the hope it will be more structured because it has, in my opinion, a LOT of potential.
February 23, 2019
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars for Goodreads
Although I love the premise of this comic: black people are the only people with super powers, and I love the way it starts: our main protagonist (Kareem) is wrongfully killed by law enforcement for fitting the loose description of thieves that had just robbed a store (seriously? Black wearing basketball shorts??? That's the only description the cops could give??? FUCKING HELL! Thank the heavens for Ellen!) and then reawakens on his way to the morgue, terrified about what is happened, only to be informed that he has superpowers, the execution kind of fell a bit flat for me, and I blame it on the fact that it was obvious that the writers had so much to say but they cramped too much in such a small pace and the story leaped all over the place. Plot-lines got resolved before we could blink... characters suddenly had nebulous motives and we didn't have enough time to dwell on why we shouldn't trust them, why Kareem shouldn't trust them before we're whiffed into yet another plot-line, and speaking of characters, so many of them showed up all at once and I was confused trying to follow which character belonged to which group and who were the bad guys and who were the good guys.
But what i love LOVE about this comic were the cover artwork for each issue. Each cover told a story about black brutality and black resistance and I love LOVE them!! I really hope we get more volumes because I think the problem with the story was that we were trying to introduce all this backstory and characters and plot-lines that the story got somewhat lost in it. But now that we have an established world and established characters we can now take the time to fully enjoy the story. So yes, definitely looking forward to Volume Two and the story it will bring.
Although I love the premise of this comic: black people are the only people with super powers, and I love the way it starts: our main protagonist (Kareem) is wrongfully killed by law enforcement for fitting the loose description of thieves that had just robbed a store (seriously? Black wearing basketball shorts??? That's the only description the cops could give??? FUCKING HELL! Thank the heavens for Ellen!) and then reawakens on his way to the morgue, terrified about what is happened, only to be informed that he has superpowers, the execution kind of fell a bit flat for me, and I blame it on the fact that it was obvious that the writers had so much to say but they cramped too much in such a small pace and the story leaped all over the place. Plot-lines got resolved before we could blink... characters suddenly had nebulous motives and we didn't have enough time to dwell on why we shouldn't trust them, why Kareem shouldn't trust them before we're whiffed into yet another plot-line, and speaking of characters, so many of them showed up all at once and I was confused trying to follow which character belonged to which group and who were the bad guys and who were the good guys.
But what i love LOVE about this comic were the cover artwork for each issue. Each cover told a story about black brutality and black resistance and I love LOVE them!! I really hope we get more volumes because I think the problem with the story was that we were trying to introduce all this backstory and characters and plot-lines that the story got somewhat lost in it. But now that we have an established world and established characters we can now take the time to fully enjoy the story. So yes, definitely looking forward to Volume Two and the story it will bring.
May 3, 2020
I really wanted to love this book, but it just fell short in too many places. The premise of the story, cover art throughout the collection, and historical references are all top notch, but the execution is just so... lackluster. After sitting with my feelings about the book for a bit, I don’t know if I’m being too harsh on it because I grew up reading comics or because I have grown into a reader that craves legitimate character development.
Anyway, I have several gripes.
1. The main character, Kareem, goes from having no agency to making some of the most questionable decisions just ‘cause.
2. The cover art for each chapter is PHENOMENAL, but in no way does the story capitalize on what’s offered or alluded to. For example, even though Chapter III presented a timeline of super powered Black men from slavery to the Civil War to Civil Rights to modern day and the story constantly references history, we’re not provided with actual world building that makes Black’s universe fill real and lived in.
3. Some of the sequencing of the story / action could have been better. There are several parts in both Chapter V and Chapter VI that had me re-reading pages because it felt like I missed something.
HOWEVER... with all that said, the art is good the super powers and costumes are creative. I especially enjoyed Kareem’s abilities as they were both X-Men level cool and an extended metaphor for being Black in America.
I know that 2 Stars is harsh (although I would’ve preferred to give it 2.5 Stars), but this book was so hyped up for me and I just felt so disappointed upon completion. I really hope the second one is better.
Anyway, I have several gripes.
1. The main character, Kareem, goes from having no agency to making some of the most questionable decisions just ‘cause.
2. The cover art for each chapter is PHENOMENAL, but in no way does the story capitalize on what’s offered or alluded to. For example, even though Chapter III presented a timeline of super powered Black men from slavery to the Civil War to Civil Rights to modern day and the story constantly references history, we’re not provided with actual world building that makes Black’s universe fill real and lived in.
3. Some of the sequencing of the story / action could have been better. There are several parts in both Chapter V and Chapter VI that had me re-reading pages because it felt like I missed something.
HOWEVER... with all that said, the art is good the super powers and costumes are creative. I especially enjoyed Kareem’s abilities as they were both X-Men level cool and an extended metaphor for being Black in America.
I know that 2 Stars is harsh (although I would’ve preferred to give it 2.5 Stars), but this book was so hyped up for me and I just felt so disappointed upon completion. I really hope the second one is better.
December 8, 2017
Wow. This comic blew my mind.
Think X-men but set in the world as we know it, especially the nastier parts of this world like entrenched racism. Only in the world this comic describes, 0.5% of black people have superpowers.
This story explores the different reactions to that and has a lot of anger and hope in it, which is why I enjoyed it so much. Emotion is the one thing that this series doesn't lack.
The main character is a black teenager who has just discovered his powers and has a very uncertain future ahead of him, he has some very adult decisions to make and so far he's facing them like a champ.
The artwork is black and white, which I love. The characters are diverse and beautiful (I grew up reading Asterix, need I say more why this matters to me?). The language and story immerse you into this world completely, this is a series well worth following for its originality and storytelling power.
*Free copy received for an unbiased review*
Think X-men but set in the world as we know it, especially the nastier parts of this world like entrenched racism. Only in the world this comic describes, 0.5% of black people have superpowers.
This story explores the different reactions to that and has a lot of anger and hope in it, which is why I enjoyed it so much. Emotion is the one thing that this series doesn't lack.
The main character is a black teenager who has just discovered his powers and has a very uncertain future ahead of him, he has some very adult decisions to make and so far he's facing them like a champ.
The artwork is black and white, which I love. The characters are diverse and beautiful (I grew up reading Asterix, need I say more why this matters to me?). The language and story immerse you into this world completely, this is a series well worth following for its originality and storytelling power.
*Free copy received for an unbiased review*
December 9, 2017
I like the concept of this book and the cover-art is very powerful. The artwork is solid, but I had hoped that there would be a bit more color used in the artwork in the novel itself, but everything is just black and white. The story is the same with all the black people against all the white people, so I guess the artwork fits it well.
The story is action-packed to the rim but I also had a couple of problems with it. The novel is very polarizing and does nothing to show that race shouldn't matter. The storytelling is a bit confusing at times and it doesn't really help that there are loads of characters involved who aren't always introduced properly.
All in all I didn't like this novel as much as I thought I would.
A digital copy was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
The story is action-packed to the rim but I also had a couple of problems with it. The novel is very polarizing and does nothing to show that race shouldn't matter. The storytelling is a bit confusing at times and it doesn't really help that there are loads of characters involved who aren't always introduced properly.
All in all I didn't like this novel as much as I thought I would.
A digital copy was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
January 26, 2018
The art was fantastic but the plot was messy and lacked character development.
I’m not a particular fan of superhero comics but I definitely support indie projects and this really jumped out at me on Kickstarter. In the end it was a little disappointing, again because of story and character development. I gave it 3.5 and rounded to 4.
The last page alludes to a Book 2 which I will support in the hope that the writing matches the stellar art.
I’m not a particular fan of superhero comics but I definitely support indie projects and this really jumped out at me on Kickstarter. In the end it was a little disappointing, again because of story and character development. I gave it 3.5 and rounded to 4.
The last page alludes to a Book 2 which I will support in the hope that the writing matches the stellar art.
June 26, 2018
Loved the concept, execution was a little messy. Would have enjoyed getting to know some of the other characters more deeply.
October 9, 2021
When Kwanza Osajyefo's Black was announced as a Kickstarter project, it gained the attention of (hit-and-miss) directors like Spike Lee (who featured the comic in his Netflix film See You Yesterday).
Black seemed primed to reimagine the X-Men's "mutants as a racism allegory" by putting Black characters (and only Black characters) with superhuman abilities at the forefront of the story. Putting them at the forefront while addressing historical grievances still faced today. Most hoped it would do well, but it didn't. I honestly keep forgetting it exists because it's name is so simplistic, so lacking in description of its themes, that finding it is a pain in the butt.
Everything about Black feels half-hearted. Constrained by how eager the author is to put every idea onto the page with no real direction, and constrained by the fact that it was a Kickstarter project (and thus, would be a rushed product). Nothing in this story has the time or the space to breathe. The comic treads happily into the territory of dated, pulpy comics from the 90s, and Blacksploitation stereotypes without making these elements work to the story's strengths.
The introduction of the story was promising, dealing head-on with the shooting of three unarmed children and one cop's complicity in her department's actions. Recounting the story in the middle of things certainly foreshadowed something interesting, but the question of "What if Black folks were the only ones to develop superpowers?" Is never answered in any form that could be deemed worth your time.
Not moments after the boys are shot, one of them is resurrected, and the reader is thrown into the deep end of superpowers, secret organizations that act like secret police, and broad, anti-Black stereotypes that do more harm than good.
Our protagonist, Kareem Jenkins barely functions as a protagonist. Nothing about the character's life or personality shines through the writing. Kareem doesn't mourn for his friends (who are dead), nor is his family ever brought up.
Story elements that make him more than just a generic audience surrogate aren't considered. All six volumes of the story hyper-focus on a cast of characters who aren't given personality beyond power sets. In that sense the gratuitous deaths of three Black teens feels and is pointless, exploitative. A human story is sacrificed in favor of spectacle.
Black is very much the 1960s run of the X-Men formula before the 1970s reboot that introduced Colossus, Storm, and Wolverine onto the team, but it's not getting any reprints ever. The artwork (Jamal Igle) is serviceable, invoking the style of Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead). Without some depth to the story, however, it's a hollow showcase of the artist's visual style.
Black is not worth your time.
Black seemed primed to reimagine the X-Men's "mutants as a racism allegory" by putting Black characters (and only Black characters) with superhuman abilities at the forefront of the story. Putting them at the forefront while addressing historical grievances still faced today. Most hoped it would do well, but it didn't. I honestly keep forgetting it exists because it's name is so simplistic, so lacking in description of its themes, that finding it is a pain in the butt.
Everything about Black feels half-hearted. Constrained by how eager the author is to put every idea onto the page with no real direction, and constrained by the fact that it was a Kickstarter project (and thus, would be a rushed product). Nothing in this story has the time or the space to breathe. The comic treads happily into the territory of dated, pulpy comics from the 90s, and Blacksploitation stereotypes without making these elements work to the story's strengths.
The introduction of the story was promising, dealing head-on with the shooting of three unarmed children and one cop's complicity in her department's actions. Recounting the story in the middle of things certainly foreshadowed something interesting, but the question of "What if Black folks were the only ones to develop superpowers?" Is never answered in any form that could be deemed worth your time.
Not moments after the boys are shot, one of them is resurrected, and the reader is thrown into the deep end of superpowers, secret organizations that act like secret police, and broad, anti-Black stereotypes that do more harm than good.
Our protagonist, Kareem Jenkins barely functions as a protagonist. Nothing about the character's life or personality shines through the writing. Kareem doesn't mourn for his friends (who are dead), nor is his family ever brought up.
Story elements that make him more than just a generic audience surrogate aren't considered. All six volumes of the story hyper-focus on a cast of characters who aren't given personality beyond power sets. In that sense the gratuitous deaths of three Black teens feels and is pointless, exploitative. A human story is sacrificed in favor of spectacle.
Black is very much the 1960s run of the X-Men formula before the 1970s reboot that introduced Colossus, Storm, and Wolverine onto the team, but it's not getting any reprints ever. The artwork (Jamal Igle) is serviceable, invoking the style of Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead). Without some depth to the story, however, it's a hollow showcase of the artist's visual style.
Black is not worth your time.
July 22, 2020
On my TBR for a long time, due to my inability to get myself to read both comics I own and digital comics. The art and other technicals that went into this comic are really solid and so I wasn't surprised to find out that everyone who contributed to the comic has indeed been involved in comics for a very long time. My personal taste is not generally for comics that use grey washes and gradients, preferring straight up black and white instead, but the line work and inks are so incredibly strong that my personal taste was satiated. The framing and page layouts are easy to follow but dynamic and very interesting.
With a title like Black, race is unsurprisingly a central focus of the story, and there's a strong theme of showing just how horribly black people are treated in so called U.S.A. with the twist that Black people in this universe are the ones with super hero powers. The one thing I would have liked is for these powers to not have been such a secret at the start, as this kind of pulls back on the speculation aspect, but they've now published a few more books in the universe (and are aiming for more) so that problem is probably already solved.
As far as gender goes, there's a fair amount of representation on both ends of the binary. Nothing really outside that, or sexuality wise, but that's as much as I have noticed so far. A very action centred comic there's a lot of things that we are left not knowing about the team. That said, for a comic that sort of just dumped us down in the middle of the action (via one person's origin story) I did feel like they differentiated the characters very well and offered us enough about each person to see them as a person.
Disability, unless I missed something, was not represented in this volume.
Very much a comic of its time, sadly the subject matter is only becoming more pertinent. I do feel like race consciousness in comics, alongside diverse creators, has increased at least somewhat. Although that might just be me and my developing reading habits.
With a title like Black, race is unsurprisingly a central focus of the story, and there's a strong theme of showing just how horribly black people are treated in so called U.S.A. with the twist that Black people in this universe are the ones with super hero powers. The one thing I would have liked is for these powers to not have been such a secret at the start, as this kind of pulls back on the speculation aspect, but they've now published a few more books in the universe (and are aiming for more) so that problem is probably already solved.
As far as gender goes, there's a fair amount of representation on both ends of the binary. Nothing really outside that, or sexuality wise, but that's as much as I have noticed so far. A very action centred comic there's a lot of things that we are left not knowing about the team. That said, for a comic that sort of just dumped us down in the middle of the action (via one person's origin story) I did feel like they differentiated the characters very well and offered us enough about each person to see them as a person.
Disability, unless I missed something, was not represented in this volume.
Very much a comic of its time, sadly the subject matter is only becoming more pertinent. I do feel like race consciousness in comics, alongside diverse creators, has increased at least somewhat. Although that might just be me and my developing reading habits.
January 3, 2020
Fiyaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
When you don't see representation in today's comics or comics of past, what do you do? You create your own comic book characters. In this day and age, we are more than able to create these characters on our own. You can do Kickstarters, Gofund, Patreon, Indiegogo, FundRazr, Family, Friends, etc., This is for printing because to produce a physical book it costs money. And if that is not a route you want to take, then you can create web comics.
Black is about a story where the only Black people have super powers, how dope as f*ck is that. Considering the climate revolving around Black and Brown people this book is so timely and fitting. The lead character is viciously gun downed by the police, only to awaken and discover that not only is he alive again but he has Super powers. But what happens when you believe that you are the only one, only to discover that there is more Black people who are just like you. I will tell you this the "Revolution Will Be Televised!!!!!!!"
This has all 6 books in this volume of the story. If you are looking for comic creators that look just like you, then look no further. There are more black and brown comic writers than you may realize. I have discovered them by going to Black comic book conventions, if you can find one in your hometown or look online to see where they may happen to be, you will not regret it but in fact you will get your whole life.
Well Until My Next Review...Ciao!
When you don't see representation in today's comics or comics of past, what do you do? You create your own comic book characters. In this day and age, we are more than able to create these characters on our own. You can do Kickstarters, Gofund, Patreon, Indiegogo, FundRazr, Family, Friends, etc., This is for printing because to produce a physical book it costs money. And if that is not a route you want to take, then you can create web comics.
Black is about a story where the only Black people have super powers, how dope as f*ck is that. Considering the climate revolving around Black and Brown people this book is so timely and fitting. The lead character is viciously gun downed by the police, only to awaken and discover that not only is he alive again but he has Super powers. But what happens when you believe that you are the only one, only to discover that there is more Black people who are just like you. I will tell you this the "Revolution Will Be Televised!!!!!!!"
This has all 6 books in this volume of the story. If you are looking for comic creators that look just like you, then look no further. There are more black and brown comic writers than you may realize. I have discovered them by going to Black comic book conventions, if you can find one in your hometown or look online to see where they may happen to be, you will not regret it but in fact you will get your whole life.
Well Until My Next Review...Ciao!
January 26, 2018
6/52 books read in 2018.
Provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars for the art + 4,5 stars for the concept + 3 for character depth = 4,16 stars
This is a beautifully illustrated comic about an alternative version of our world in which all people with super powers are black. Situated in the United States, all other systematic disadvantages for black people are still at play, but now there is another layer. The gifted are struggling between finding justice and keeping their people safe, fearing that exposure of their powers might bring upon a genocide.
I absolutely loved the artwork and concept, the only criticism I have is that so much action happens and a lot of characters are introduced in only a limited amount of pages that the introduced characters stay quite shallow. Hopefully there will be more depth if there is a sequel.
Provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars for the art + 4,5 stars for the concept + 3 for character depth = 4,16 stars
This is a beautifully illustrated comic about an alternative version of our world in which all people with super powers are black. Situated in the United States, all other systematic disadvantages for black people are still at play, but now there is another layer. The gifted are struggling between finding justice and keeping their people safe, fearing that exposure of their powers might bring upon a genocide.
I absolutely loved the artwork and concept, the only criticism I have is that so much action happens and a lot of characters are introduced in only a limited amount of pages that the introduced characters stay quite shallow. Hopefully there will be more depth if there is a sequel.
December 7, 2020
I like the basics of the black superhuman premise and the *opportunity* presented by that premise to drive social commentary.
The plot seemed to mostly focus on making one group of heroes fight another. And another. And another. The pacing moved too quickly for my tastes and introduced characters with abandon. The social commentary quickly came and went; and a very unsubtle satire took its place.
The black and white artwork shows a lot of talent but I eventually lost interest due to the style and lack of coloring.
The plot seemed to mostly focus on making one group of heroes fight another. And another. And another. The pacing moved too quickly for my tastes and introduced characters with abandon. The social commentary quickly came and went; and a very unsubtle satire took its place.
The black and white artwork shows a lot of talent but I eventually lost interest due to the style and lack of coloring.
May 2, 2018
Really closer to 4 stars but the pacing feels off. The story and world could really use a bit more breathing room.
July 12, 2018
I'm not sure what happened. I'm confused. This was disappointing.
April 4, 2019
A great premise that kind of crumbled quickly. The covers of all six issues were phenomenal though.
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