So you mad, son?

So, it looks like melinated batman is going to be around a little while. ...and yeah, folks is pissed. Listen, I get the sentiment. You want original characters. Why wont DC use the characters that they just let languish on the shelf? This is tokenism. We do not want this. I have heard it all and let me be honest. I probably said all of that and then some. In fact, just check out the last blog. It is what it is. Why does DC want to do more Black Batman? I don't know. But you know what? I'm gonna buy it. I'm gonna read it. I'm gonna collect it. Why? Because its there. I'm going to read my old Batman too. Shoot. I am a fan of the Bat. Who am I kidding? Here is the thing though. I can walk and chew gum at the same time, so if the I am Batman is right there next to Detective Comics or Tynion IV's Batman. I'm not going to set the internet on fire. I'm not going to be a complete troll towards the Bruce Wayne fanboys. Nah. Me? I'm grinning like the Joker.

In a perfect world we would have a Black Lightning book. We would have a Green Lantern book... Wayment, we do; my bad. We would have a Nubia book. You get my drift. Now I do understand that people are not feeling melanated Batman. Whether the issue is writing or just looking at all that melanin suck the pasty whiteness away. I feel ya.

I know I know. Don't worry. After some Black folk lose interest it will wind up in the dollar bins right behind the future state books. Then you can exhale and go on your favorite comic book website and celebrate the banishment of the Blackest Blicky Black Black Batman, but until then... well, 'Neto tell 'em son!

An open letter to J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates

(for maximimum enjoyment, amusement, effectiveness of said letter may i suggest cueing up Jimi Hendrix's "Red House") Dear JJ and Ta-Ta (I hope you dont mind if I call you Ta-Ta, I would like to call you Tay-Tay but that might be too informal) lol.

So fellas the word is in the skreets yall doing a Black Superman movie. So when I heard the news I was like cool. What we doing? Calvin Ellis? Val-Zod? Sunshine Superman? Wayment? I know you niggas aint doing Muhammed X? Shoot mayne its about to be crackin up in here. But when I heard that yall was just doing a Black Kal-El movie I was like.

So me and few hunnid thousand blerds just began to spaz. We was like "we didn't ask for this". Now don't get me wrong, I know we always asking the gubment for stuff like justice, freedom and equality, a stimmy here and there, healthcare and anything that would piss off a white conservative and a few bootlicks. The point is we did not want a milk dud Superman. As me and fellow blerds began to read the riot act there was a few "detractors" that said well there is a character named Kal-El and he actually exist on Earth D. Basically he was a character that showed up in February (Black History month, aint that just like a token) 1999 in Legends of the DC Universe Crisis on Infinite Earths (DC Database Fandom). Oh yeah he dies in that same issue too. Well they had to keep that trope alive.

So that's whats hot fellas? Yall going to do a story about a one hit wonder? Come on guys, you probably didn't know there was a Kal-El. Nope. Yall just said to yourselves, we doing a Black Clark Kent. I'm not going to pretend to know what this movie yall doing is going to be about. So I will reserve judgment in regards to that. But let's face it. JJ you are connected to the worst Star Wars trilogy made and Ta-Ta you mailed it in at the end of the Black Panther run. And Captain America... lets just say there's few pale faces that are happy to have you gone from their beloved comic book hero. I know you cats are capable of doing this movie, my thoughts are though; "just because you can do it, doesn't mean you have to" I'm just saying. So while you are in production, in the writers room, geeking out thinking you are going to land a joke or a dope quote that will be used for memes and inspirational posters to motivate a slew of salesmen and their wack products, just remember "WE DIDNT ASK FOR THIS". The shade toward Cavill is too real and like it or not, fair or unfair you bammas are going to have to live with it. JJ, the fact that they are even letting you do this is amazing. I thought you would have faded into the sunset with your millions and sip champagne on a yacht and eat food on tiny plates in European coffee houses waxing poetic about the Star Wars franchise you nearly killed. Ta-Ta you my brother, at least you can write books in the social science space. We could use another Obama book I think... Either way fellas, good luck with getting any of us to take the both of you serious. You can add symphony music, dope hip hop music great CGI, etc etc... After all you can paint a turd, polish a turd, its still a turd. (i know, gross but you get the point) Good luck fellas. See you at the bottom half the rotten tomatoes review list. -Richard J Wright

Reform Lamar, Reform

Marvel and DC have had the lion share of comic book revenue for decades. In those decades, we have seen some Black superheroes. Some would say not enough though. It is true that Marvel and DC do have many Black characters in their respective universes. However, their exposure has been the problem. In recent years, we can say we are seeing more Black characters now than ever before. However, it is sparingly needless to say. Many Black comic book collectors make the complaint that we are not buying the books and that ultimately is the real problem. Case in point according to Diamondcomics.com Black Panther #8 in Jan 2019 was ranked at dead last in looking at the top 100 books. This was also the same month Naomi #1 came out and that was ranked #89. Its no secret that these books containing Black characters do not always sell. Which beckons the thought. Why? Is it financial? Interest? Lack of marketing?

Listen, this isn't a new question. In fact, this article from deviantart.com speaks to the heart of the issue. My objective here is to not dispute the reality or the facts. However, DC and Marvel are not the only games in town. There are a lot of independent companies that are creating comic books with Black characters. People are starting to not just buy Marvel and DC. In fact, the indies are taking up a lot space in comic shops today. According to an article on Black Enterprise, the big two share nearly 60 percent of comic book sales. Writers and artists are also now seeing the benefits of doing independent books. Just wait until somebody gets the superhero universe genre cracking at an independent. With the success of Invincible on Amazon Prime. The writing is on the wall. You don't think Black books sell? Just talk to Larry Stroman and Todd Johnson who created the comic Tribe. The first issue sold over a million copies. This was an Image Comics title. Still don't think they sell? Talk to the creators of Brotherman who started selling books at the Black Expo. There are Black creators today who are 100 percent independent and they are creating good content. They just need the exposure and through this forum and others like Black Comic Lords and Black Superheroes Forever on Facebook and Instagram. Change is coming, its a slow train but its coming. Just ask Lamar.Check out these articles "https://www.deviantart.com/black-comic-makers/journal/Why-Black-Comics-don-t-Sell-219324141" https://www.diamondcomics.com/Home/1/1/3/237?articleID=226526"> -Richard J Wright

Look for it before asking for it

We all have heard the phrase 'Representation Matters' and it most certainly does. To act as if there is a level playing field in regards to things like equality would just be intellectual dishonesty. However, things like forced diversity do not help matters. When comic book companies swap racial identities of traditional and long standing characters, you have to expect some backlash from the fans of those characters. It is also an interesting dynamic in that some people in our community also reject those characters too. Personally, I can take it or leave it. Yet, I make a point to not just celebrate "that" because "that" does not help the bottom line. What does help the bottom line is discovering those whom William H. Foster III so eloquently put in the title of his book "Looking for a Face like Mine". For any company to just use another color of ink for a storied character can be percieved as disingenuous. Sometimes it can be taken like "here you go, now shut up". Perhaps it is taken that way because of the frustration of people often do not see their faces on the walls of comic book shops.

The comic shop wall is a space where you can find the latest comic book creations. It is a space that is shared by dozens of companies but the main two companies that take up the most space are Marvel and DC. Those companies publish a rough estimate of 30 to 50 titles a month. Image, another company may actually some months publish just as much or even more. Yet, Image still holds the title of being an 'independent' company. The picture above kind of depicts the thought of the average woke Black cat in a comic shop. In this case, the scene is from the 1989 film Do the Right Thing by distinguish elder Spike Lee. The character Buggin-Out is sitting a pizza palour eating a slice of pizza. He is just about to take a bite of pizza and looks up and notices the pictures hanging on the wall of Italian Americans. What 'bugs' him is the fact that there are not Black people on the wall. He's kind of stunned at the thought because well, its a shop in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Where are the brothers on the wall? Do the Right Thing brushes lightly on fact that the neighborhood used to be a White neighborhood. Sal who is owner of the shop has a son named Pino who wants his dad to move the shop to where their people are. Sal, the business man knows that there are dozens of pizzerias in the Italian neighborhood. Here in BedStuy, he does not have to compete. He is willing to deal with the static of the residents because at the end of the day, those people buy his pizza. Now, could Sal put up a picture or two, sure but he doesn't have to because its his business. Buggin-Out is wanting to see himself on the wall and there is nothing wrong with that except, its not your wall Buggin. You have to create your own. If you have seen the movie, you know the fall out resulted in Sal's shop being damaged and the surrounding neighborhood looted over the killing of a kid called Radio Raheem by local police. It was a mess but the movie showed the tensions of racial relations on the hottest day of the year. So what is the solution? Marvel and DC to start have rosters of Black Superheroes. Start there. You can do a search for their Black Characters. You can also look for independent comic book companies who do comic books featuring Black people. I tell you what, I will give you a cheat sheet. www.worldofblackheroes.com This website has a comprehensive list of Black superheroes and characters. Now, it is up to you to go and find them. Many of these characters have been around a long time. You can spend a healthy amount of time just looking for material online on ebay and other sites. If that does not do it for you then google Black Superheroes. You can complain but you have a leg to stand on if you do not search for them. Instead of complaining and whimpering about comic book shops not having Black comic books, do yourself a favor and look for it. Seek and you shall find. Happy Hunting!! -Richard J Wright