Black Jesus

I ran across a trailer for this comic on ComicBookTrailers.com and thought it was interesting. You can view it here. You can also view it on Arcana's website. After checking it out I went over to the official site. It seems the comic book has already been published and now it's being turned into a movie. The site still needs some work but you can view the first issue of the comic book online there. I found a couple of blurbs about the project online here and here. The only thing I can be sure of about this character is that he walks on water...literally. Take a look for yourself and tell me what you think.

Meteor Man

Meteor Man began as comedic Black Superhero staring in a film of the same name created by Robert Townsend. His powers came from a Meteor which hits him in his chest, crushes his spine but miraculously heals him. His powers included flight, super strength, x-ray vision, a healing factor, and the ability to absorb knowledge and skills from books just by touching them. His mother makes his costume and everyone in the neighborhood seems to know his identity. He doesn't wear a mask. One of the comedic bits is that even though he can fly, he only does so close to the ground as he is afraid of heights.The film boasted a smörgåsbord of popular African-American actors including Bill Cosby, James Earl Jones, and Marla Gibbs to name a few. His nemesis was the leader of a local gang and the whole movie seemed to be trying to be about neighborhoods taking care of themselves. It wasn't a great film. It was cheesy, not very funny, and had a very low budget feel to it but I did appreciate it, and support it.

The same year, Meteor Man debuted in his own Marvel mini-series comic book where he met Spider-Man and Night Thrasher. That suprised me. I thought that just maybe he would be incorporated into the Marvel Universe proper. That, of course, didn't happen. I don't think the character was ever taken seriously but in 1993, Meteor Man was probably the Black Superhero of the Year. I've included the trailer below and if you'd like to to see the first few minutes of the actual movie, it's on Youtube. You can check that out here.

Shades of Grey

A documentary is in the works called Shades of Grey: An Examination of Race Relations in Comics. The trailer is below. Take a look and tell me what you think.

Shades of Grey - An Examination of Race Relations in Comic Books from jaystealth on Vimeo.

Angela Bassett plays Amanda Waller

I just heard that Angela Bassett has been cast as Amanda Waller in the upcoming Green Lantern movie. I think it's a great choice. She can definitely pull of the character and I'm excited to see her do it. I wonder if they make her put some weight on.

Genesis

I ran across a video for the Super hero group Genesis on YouTube last year. It showcased the characters but provided no story. It seemed nice enough but lacking so of course I moved on. My opinion changed when I ran across the following video which, narrated by the author, gave me the story and I have to say that I enjoyed it. She said all the right things and you can tell it is a labor of love.

Everyone I talk to about there being a lack of Black Superheroes in comics says that if you want there to be more you have to make your own. That is what the author of Genesis, Teresa Dowell-Vest is doing. If you like what you're about to see, head over to this site to find out more. If you like, you can even support the project. They even have a Facebook page.

Malice In Wonderland

In case you didn't know, Snoop Dogg has a new movie coming out where he plays a Gangsta Superhero. It coincides with his album Malice In Wonderland and is called by the same name. Below are two videos. The first is what could be considered a trailer for the short film. The second is a bit behind the scenes where Snoop discusses the origin of the film. It's scheduled to debut on BET and Spike March 24th. You can find out more here. Take a look and tell me what you think.

The Golden Blaze

The Golden Blaze is an animated movie about an African-American boy whose inventor father accidentally gains the powers of his comic book hero. The voices include that of Blair Underwood, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Sanaa Lathun. The Golden Blaze himself is a kind of mixture between Superman and Static, looking more like a cape wearing version of the latter. This is an animated movie for kids and based on the animation I'd say little kids. The artwork/animation is pretty terrible when compaired to what is available on television these days. The action and dialog are pretty good though. The whole movie is interesting and fun but the poor quality of the animation distracts from it considerably.

Let me repeat that this is a children's movie but maybe a family movie too. It's wholesome and light and safe for younger viewers. While it may have some interest for older viewers, they'd have to be able to look past the rudimentary animation. The main characters happen to be African-American but could have been any nationality. There may be super powers in this movie but a lot of it is just about a boy and his dad. Even though the animation bothered me, I actually enjoyed this movie. I guess I'm just spoiled by all the higher quality animation I've been consuming.

The DVD has no extras, not even a trailer, but it's inexpensive, easy to find and you can always get it on Netflix. Find out more about The Golden Blaze.

At The 'Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths' LA Premiere

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the 'Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths' LA Premiere and I have to say I enjoyed it. The movie looked great, had a good story as well as plenty of compelling action, and quite a few easter eggs. There were some notable changes in the voice actors from what I have come to expect but it all worked out well. One of the fun things for me to do during the film was to try to figure out who everyone was as many of the characters on the alternate earth were very different from their hero counterparts. Wait till you see Uncle Marvel! The whole thing exceeded my expectations. I want to tell you all about why I liked it but I don't want to spoil it for you. Oh, while we got to see the actual movie, we did not get to see any of the DVD extras like the Showcase of the Spectre or First Look at upcoming DC Universe movies. I guess we'll all need to get the DVD for that.

Afterwards, there was some on-stage Q&A from some of the people involved in the making of the film. My view was quite good because we arrived at the last moment just as they opened up a row near the front. Despite the frequent raising of my hand, I never got picked to ask questions but luckily many of them got answered anyway. The panel was interesting and we got to hear a lot about their history in the business.

Gina Torres, who voiced Superwoman in the film, is quite beautiful in person and amazingly thin. Whoever her trainer is needs to get a raise. I have to confess I was watching her more than everyone else on the panel. Josh Keaton voiced the Flash. You might also remember him from voicing Spider-Man and too many other video game characters to name. I wish I had his job. One of the big surprises for me was that Vanessa Marshall, who did the voice of Wonder Woman in this film. Apparently she used to do the voice of the little Black kid, Irwin, on The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. It was a little freaky hearing that voice come out of her mouth. She was really nice and seemed to feel sorry for me when I was constantly overlooked for the Q&A.

After the Q&A I got to shake hands with Dwayne McDuffie and express my admiration for his work and was pleasantly surprised when he told me that he reads this blog. I even got to talk to him briefly about Ben 10. It was a good time. I don't live in Hollywood or even close by but it was well worth the nearly hour and a half drive through traffic.

Black Superheroes On Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

The newest clip from the upcoming animated movie Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths grovides a quick look at an evil Black Lightning and what looks like an evil version of Vixen. I hope they actually get speaking roles. Have a look.:

A Taste Of War Machine

The Iron Man 2 trailer has just a little bit of War Machine towards the end. Check it out.
Just in case you missed the leaked trailer from a few months back, you can see it here.

Superhero Short Film

I ran across this short film trailer during one of my daily trips through Google. It seems to be written by someone in Johannesburg, South Africa. In this short film, a young African boy stumbles upon what he believes is a Superhero. The trailer is short but long enough to pique my interest. It's obvious that there's more going on than what than what the eye beholds. What do you think? Take a look for yourself:

As far as I can tell the official site for the film is here. You can find out a little more about the film here.

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?

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.

10 Black Superhero Movies

I'm not the only one with something to say about Black Superheroes. In fact I'm always interested when someone has something to say about the subject, especially when they've done a little research. On the subject of Black Superhero movies, Korey has compiled an interesting list. It's well thought out and funny so I thought I'd share it. Check out his vlog entry:

Find more videos like this on The Spill.com Movie Community

Frozone

In Disney and Pixar's The Incredibles, a movie I liked very much, we are introduced to the Superhero Frozone voiced by Samuel L. Jackson. The character is likable right away but the codename bothered me. I understand the play on the word "frozen" since the hero's powers are based on freezing things but "fro"? He has no afro so I have to assume he's called Frozone because he's Black. I suppose it's better than calling him Black Ice, though not by much. I guess we haven't outgrown putting a Black character's color in his name.

Frozone's powers are like that of comic book characters, Iceman, and Ice. In fact he seems to be a combination of the two. As far as his representation of Black people I'd say he's a little better than middle of the road. The character is interesting but not exciting enough to stand in his own movie or comic book. Shooting ice from your fingertips is not a bad power. His character is married and he appears to be faithful except for moonlighting as a superhero. In fact his wife knows about his abilites and alter ego. The hero is clearly Black in look, voice, and attitude but also very non-threatening which enables him to appeal to all ages and people. He was number one on the list of Black Voices dubious list of the Top 25 Black Superheroes.

Disney has done right by the character in terms of marketing and exposure. They gave him a secret identity, (Lucius Best), and bit of a life outside being a Superhero. He has multiple action figures both in and out of costume. He even appears at Disney venues much like Snow White and Mickey Mouse. You can even have your picture taken with Frozone. I look forward to see what becomes of this character.

Blokhedz

It's gotta be hard to break into comics and animation even with bucket-loads of talent. It's a good thing that doesn't stop creative people from working hard to achieve their dreams. In my own way I try to support people that create work that interests and moves me. One such work is Blokhedz which is the story of a young rapper who has the power to turn his rhymes into reality. I've heard bits and pieces about it over the last couple of years and have been really looking forward to the animated movie that is apparently now in production. It's an interesting concept and sure to appeal to the Hip Hop community if done well. If the trailer below is any indication then I think we are all in for a treat. If you like what you see then give Blokhedz your support.

IS HALF A HANCOCK BETTER THAN NONE?

I'm a fan of Will Smith and a fan of Black Superheroes so when Hancock came out I got in line to see it. I worked to subdue my negative expectations and for the most part succeeded. I didn't hate the movie. I didn't love it either. I was just that there was something missing. As far as I'm concerned, it could have been a made for TV movie.

What would I have changed? During the second half of the movie, if you still haven't seen it then don't read any further, they talked about him having been around since the Egyptian days. Now that, I would have loved to see more of. A Black Superhero that had been around forever, leading people into their greatness generation after generation would have been awesome. It would have really spoke to the character's plight and how far he had fallen. That story within itself only showed up as an inadequate, conversational, explanation to Hancock's origins. I've only briefly perused the original source material, Tonight, He Comes, but I know the movie could have been better...much better. I'm still a Will Smith fan though. I know the movie wasn't written for a Black Man but if it wasn't for Will, there would be one less Black Superhero for children of color to look at.