Black Dynamite

As long as kicking ass and sticking it to the man remains cool, Blacksploitation will never die. I'm two ways about the genre. On one hand. I don't tend to support anything that exploits Black people. We've had far to much of that. On the other hand, I really do find Blacksploitation movies entertaining. A good friend of mine has a serious collection of these films. He's my unofficial source on the subject and I can always find out something new about the Black Heroes of that era from him.

Enter Black Dynamite, a new film making the rounds at Sundance. Michael Jai White plays the lead role. You might remember that his Superhero pedigree includes him playing the role of Spawn in the live action movie. Blacksploitation fan that I am, you can bet I'll be going to see this when it comes out. Here's one of the trailers. What do you think?

A Black Justice League?

Fresh from Dwayne McDuffie's website: It appears that the new Justice League of America just might be sporting an unprecedented amount of Blackness. I can make out Icon, Vixen, Firestorm, Green Lantern, and Hardware. What, no Black Lightning? Come to think of it, this version of Dr. Light isn't White either. Could it be? Is the world ready for a Justice League devoid of Causasian characters or is this just some marketing ploy? Dare I hope? What do you think? I think, with Dwayne McDuffie handling the writing, all things are possible. We shall see.

Black Superheroes On The Web

Black Super Hero stories from around the web:

• Color in the comic books
• What Color is Your Superhero
• Black Superhero Movie is for 'LOSERS'
• Average Black Super Hero salaries
• TV's First African-American Superhero
  

It's good to know that I'm not the only one talking about them.

Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline

The very first Independent Black Super hero comic book that I remember reading was Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline . I've just recently dusted off my original issues to reread them. The first time I read them I remember being amazed that Black people were writing their own comics but actually getting them published. Written and created by Dawud Anyabwile and Guy A. Sims, and according to the website, "Brotherman made it’s debut at the New York Black expo in April 1990 and has independently sold 750,000 books within a four year span without a major publisher behind it"

Lucky for us, Brotherman is poised to make a comeback. Unfortunately I can find no date as to when that will actually happen but fear not. The collected issues are available for sale on the website and you can download a digital copy of the very first issue of Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline for free. Now who wouldn't want a free comic book? It's like owning a piece of history.

Which Nick Fury?

Seriously? A comparison between David Hasselholf and Samuel L. Jackson for the role of Nick Fury in the upcoming Marvel Comics movies? Is there really a question? I get it that the Black version of Nick Fury is relatively new. The original Nick Fury is indeed White and I am a fan of that version. I'm not saying that Nick Fury should be played by a Black guy just because that's how he's depicted in Marvel's Ultimate Universe. I'm saying that if Nick Fury is going to be cast as a White guy in the upcoming movies then David Hasselholf is by far the wrong person for the job. The one time he played the role should be a clear indication. He may be able to look the part but his execution stinks.

The Ultimate Nick Fury, the Samuel L. Jackson version, has quite a following and frankly, he looks a lot like the new guy they draw in the comics. I understand they commissioned him to use his likeness. As far as someone that can pull off a movie role of the grizzly old arrogant vet, Samuel L. Jackson is perfect for the job. I liked him in his similar role in the xXx movies. I just hope he actually get's to kick some ass himself. This version of the comic book character can currently be found in the pages of Marvel's Squadron Supreme 2.

As far as the original Nick Fury goes (the White one), oblivious to this debate, he's still around in the comics and playing a major role in the Earth-616 Marvel Universe. You can find him in the pages of Marvel's Secret Warriors. There's definitely something to be said about the classics. They never really go out of style.

Not That Crazy

We live in a world where Superheroes exist only in comic books, TV, and movies. For some reason, not one human being on this planet can successfully walk around in spandex and fight crime. Anyone who tries is considered to be crazy, which is likely true. It doesn’t pay well. You keep fanatical hours. No one really understands you. You’re always in danger. At least you get to hit people … a lot. What kind of person would it take to do it? I mean powers or no, you’d have to give up a lot of what normal people enjoy in life and to be good at it you’d have to be really focused.

Serial killers are focused, especially the successful ones, but they don’t seem to be able to function well in real life. Something about killing is up there with their reason for living. Statistically they aren’t able to maintain normal healthy relationships. Many don’t even have sex. It’s the raping and the killing that get them off. We all know they’re sick people. I can’t be an easy job either. There’s probably a lot of planning put into it. They have to stalk their prey. Their unspeakable acts need to take place outside of the view of prying eyes. They need to collect and keep their trophies hidden. Most of all they have to ensure they never get caught. The smallest clue left behind can lead to their being found out. Doesn’t that sound a little like Batman?

If you compare the amount of crazy necessary to be a successful serial killer to the amount of crazy necessary to be a super hero, who would have the most crazy? It would take a special person to do either job. There are statistics to consider here too. The average serial killer is a white male of a certain age. So is the average Superhero. That could explain why there are so few Superheroes of color. Maybe we just have a different kind of crazy.