Back in the early 80s, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney recorded a song called Ebony and Ivory. It was considered to be an anti-racist message song. Critics however, thought the song to be a little too sappy. It is interesting that both songwriters were then and are now legends. Stevie Wonder was apart of the creation and foundation of Motown records and Paul McCartney was a member of the Beatles. At the time they recorded the song; It was a welcomed hit for both. Some may even say that they both needed each other. But why? Both were stars in their own right. McCartney did a couple of songs with Micheal Jackson as well but his legend was already cemented. Stevie Wonder had a catalog that stacks up against any artist today. Yet, it looked like they needed one another? Maybe they wasn't firing up the charts like they use to but needing one another, well that is another thing. In comics, team up books are cool. You get to learn about not one but two or more superheroes. Yet what is it about the Superhero team up or pairing that does not allow two Black Superheroes to come together? Truthfully, I think the concept is just Chinese arithmetic to comic book companies. We can put two Black heroes in a team but we cannot put two Black heroes on a book together? My question of course is why not?
The funny thing is pop culture loves duos. Starsky and Hutch, Crockett and Tubbs, Murtaugh and Riggs, Mulder and Scully, Benson and Stabler, etc. However, the list of duos I identified have one common theme, none of them are two Black characters. Ask someone to name a Black duo in television or movies and you will hear crickets. The vast majority of people would struggle to even think of a such a casting. They may manage to pull Amos and Andy out their backside, but that is about it. Sadly, that is all people know or remember. However, I would be remiss to at least help some of us out and invoke the names of Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed who were created by Chester Himes and depicted in the movies Cotton Comes to Harlem and Come Back Charleston Blue.
Why don't we have Black Superhero duos in comics? It's not like it is something hard to think about. Or is it? Black Superheroes have been around a long time and only couple of Black heroes have been apart of a duo. Falcon who teams with Captain America and Power Man who teams with Iron Fist. Now to be fair both pairings are for the most part good. They work well together and they compliment each other. However, what is stopping Marvel or DC for that matter or any other comic book company from pairing a couple of Black Superheroes together.
I do understand that for whatever reason it is good to see people who are different working together. We all enjoy the Lethal Weapon movies and the family bond that Riggs and Murtaugh seem to have. We enjoy Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson beating the breaks off of villians. However, I cannot help but wonder what two Black Superheroes could do in a book? Surely it would not be boring. Icon and Rocket from Milestone Media shows us this. They are different but they have the same goal and they are not contentious. One little note that some may not even had notice is the fact this is a young Black Woman and an older Black Man working together. They bump heads but not to the degree they need therapy and referees. They realize without verbalizing it that they need one another and no one is struggling with whether they are worthy or not. They have it together and its beautiful.
Could you imagine if Black Panther teamed up with Blade for a series? What if Black Lightning got a chance to team up with John Stewart or Steel? What if Ironheart and Shuri had a 12 issue run? While we have seen glimpses of these groupings in books; ask yourself what kind of story could you tell? There are gazillions of ideas but I cannot help but to think if Marvel or DC in particular would venture to do such a daring thing, it would automatically be thought as woke and some may not even give it a chance. Either way, it will not me stop from thinking that it just would be a cool thing to see a couple of Black superheroes get together and kick some butt. -Richard J. Wright
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