We Don't Need Another Hero (the exodus from the superhero genre)

People are wondering why is Manga kicking comics in the butt. Is it the stories? Is it the art? Is it the pricing? What is it? I don't know. What I do know is that whenever my mind gets to spinning and my noodle starts baking, I can come up with some pretty interesting or questionable thoughts. Take for instance tonight, why the world is Tina Turner's song "We don't need Another Hero" downloading into my jukebox for what I call a brain. I mean you know, I prefer a little Eddie Hazel, a little Rolling Stones, some Led Zeppelin but no. My mind has other plans. I mean this isn't a flashback to the mid 80s. If it is, can a brother get some Men at Work, Peter Gabriel, a little Yes maybe. Now don't get me wrong, I like Tina Turner but I'm a throwback to Nutbush City Limits if I'm messing with Tina.

Anyway, it did get me to thinking about Marvel and DC. These companies have been around a long time. For generations, the big two have dominated the comics scene. It wasn't always like this but after war comics became passe, characters like Batman and Spiderman became the rage. Fast forward a few generations and superheroes have become pop culture royalty. Yet, like anything that becomes cool, it slowly becomes uncool. Now don't get me wrong. I'm buying comics weekly many of which are superhero titles but I am starting to see the change in my buying. I have science fiction, horror and true crime stuff. While I am happy to see Black Superheroes getting some shine; I am currently right now considering walking away from the big two for a next calendar year. Yes. I know. That means walking away from the new Black Panther run, and whatever other Marvel and DC books that may come out. Why am I considering leaving the big two? I could tell you that I have a noble plan to support independent Black creators and independent companies and that would be correct.

... my ego is attached to this. Like Kanye I am just the first to admit it. Comic book collecting is addictive. Collecting Marvel and DC books is also very expensive. I'm at a point when I just want to not fool with them because they keep raising prices and like my fellow collectors we keep falling for it and keep buying it. I gotta stop this. This crap reminds of being at a diner 2:30 in the morning half drunk looking pathetically into eyes my buddy while he tells me "we gotta stop this Rich" but no. A day or two later we back in the same club, hitting up the same diner, sitting the same booth and saying same crap. "We gotta stop this Rich" So now I'm reaching into my bag of "we doing something different and I can show you better than I can tell you". Will I really miss DC and Marvel? Probably for a minute but in a little time, the comics will be an after thought. That after thought being "you cant miss what you don't have" [sure, Rich tell yourself anything] Of course that only works when the alternative is satisfying. Therein, lies the rub. After reading hugh amounts of comics from Marvel and DC, I have come to realize that hey "we dont need another hero" Sure I want original characters and Marvel and DC are always dragging their feet. So maybe I take my reading talents to Scout, or Boom! Studios, or Black Sands Entertainment, or Konkret, or Millenium Comics, even Image. Maybe Tina has a point.

Maybe we dont need another hero. Yet, I would be crazy to think that other superheroes from independent creators are not intriguing. Maybe I will rock a Darkstorm shirt instead my faded out Black Panther night shirt. Maybe its just a passing thought. I cannot say for sure but what I do know is that the volume on my jukebox is set at mininum volume. To tell you the truth though, my hand is on the dial trying to turn it up. Could I permanently walk away from DC and Marvel? Not even sure I want to but this experiment for a year is growing legs. Why? Bad stories. Bad writing. Bad prices. All the things Manga isn't. Yep, I'm starting get that feeling. "Shoot! Turn that Tina Up!"

When the Anticipation Leads to Frustration

Sighs. When a new Black comic book comes out, we usually are excited for it. We are stoked for the art and the story. We wonder to ourselves; will this be a hit? New comic book day comes around on a Tuesday or Wednesday and we grab our shiny nickels and dimes getting ready for the come up. We look at the fresh copies on the shelf and if you are like me, you go after those around the middle or back. [We dont like a gang of fingerprints on our precious] We get cover A,B, and C, just because. We make small talk with the guy at the counter and grab our bags to make our way to the confines of the Black Cave. We. Are. Ready. Its. Go. Time.

You crack open the book and begin to teleport to another dimension in time and space. You brace yourself because you are getting ready to have your mind blown. The art is fire. Oh my goodness, (bruh, I need this on a shirt). So then as the words download into your cerebral cortex you experience a mild sensation. Almost lukewarm but you are not too bothered because its gotta get better right? Right? Then some 13 to 14 pages later, the mild sensation turns into pile of meh. Meh for the uninitiated is the thought you have towards something that you could basically do with out. Kind of like the plastic bags you get from the grocery store that wind up under your kitchen sink. The writing is meh. Meaning that you did not really get a bang for your four dollars and ninety nine cents plus tax. Don't forget that twenty dollar one in twenty five variant that you had to have. Yes,you have been duped. I say you been had. You been runamock. You been led astrayed. All the excitement you had now has been banished to speculation purgatory. Yes, your anticipation has been reduced to a hope that somebody options, some celebrity gets a role on tv show or a movie. Now that comic goodness you been running your mouth about in these internet skreets takes on a new role. Long box life. It sits and sits and sits and every now and then you pull it out to try to get a whiff of that excitement you once had before you bought it. Yet instead, you get slow emitted pungent gas. Reminds you of that green chili burrito you bought from the roach coach at your job. It never fails to deliver. Yet, like all farts that have to be released. I just want to let this go. Yet, I cannot. Why because I am seeing it too much. You know you are in trouble when the story about the story is more compelling than the story itself. This happens way too much for comfort. Get it together because anticipation that leads to frustration creates a new situation. -Richard J Wright

Delta Dogs: A Comic Book worth Checking For

Delta Dogs. I want you to remember the name. Delta Dogs by Millennial Comics, is a comic book title, created and written by Vonnell Young. Mark and Marvin Marvida handle the art and color work. Delta Dogs is the story of a family of cousins who were on their way to a family reunion only to be sidetracked by an encounter with an alien being. This encounter causes them to develop superpowers. I do not want to give the story away because it is a fascinating story that should be experienced firsthand. The story in short, is a coming of age tale about a group of young Black men who must navigate through life with superpowers and potential threat of being exposed. They face difficulties in mastering their powers as well trying to develop their confidence through it all. These characters are relateable and have distinct personalities. The age range of these characters are from ages 11 to 17.

Vonnell Young has put together a group of characters that you can invest in. Delta Dogs current run has 18 issues. This is almost unheard of for an independent comic book title. It a book that you can get digitally and physically as well. All the Delta Dogs issues are action packed and book is definitely a page turner. As an independent book, Delta Dogs is professionally done but it does have an underground feel to it. I want you guys to know however is that book gets better and better with each issue. You can tell that Vonnell Young really desired to make Delta Dogs better with each issue. The first couple of issues in the run had some editing challenges but definitely improved soon afterwards. Millennial Comics worked hard to improve and you will certainly notice. Delta Dogs starts off fast and in fact you might say too fast but it comes to a cruising altitude where the story starts to really take shape and you begin the process of understanding the story and the characters themselves. In short, this book is worth your time and money. If you are looking for Black love in the form of Black family love, this is the book for you. The cousins are like natural cousins, they argue, they fight but at the end of the day; they have each other's back. What makes Delta Dogs a good buy is the fact that the story even though its up to 18 issues has room to grow. Some of the cousins you will get to know right off the bat and others are still layered to where you will want to know more about them. Too often we are told that we need our own stories told by our own people. Millennial Comics is Black owned and Delta Dogs is created by a Black creative. So do yourself a favor, go to Millennial Comics website www.millennialcomic.com order a couple of books or just be 10 toes down and buy the whole run, either way you will be glad you did! - Richard J Wright