This J. Scott Campbell Midtown Comics variant cover for Invincible Iron Man depicts 15 year old Riri Williams in the same outfit as she wore on the cover that introduced her to us. She has the same hairstyle, the same earrings. Instead of the ghost of Stark’s past in the background, there’s an industrial robotic…
Those RiRi Williams Variant Covers are Why Comics Will Never Grow Up
Society’s prevailing view of the comic book industry is of manbabies who have never seen a woman. There. I said it.
Who Does Marvel Care About: J. Scott Campbell’s Sexualization of 15yo Riri Williams
Those of us who have been in comics a long time know the deal with variant covers: They exist to inflate, I mean, increase sales numbers, and their target audience is people who actually know about variant covers and will pre-order them. So they’re for the fans who truly committed to and entrenched in the…
Mantles, Crowns, and Knowledge: What RiRi Williams Needs
The second I see a panel of RiRi Williams sleeping without a bonnet or silk pillowcase, I’m gonna be waiting for my apology from Big 2 comics folks and their defenders. Black hair is important to me. I have it. My family has it. My friends have it. Black hair is simultaneously an outlet for…
REVIEW: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an Emotional, Poignant Sequel that Surpasses Its Predecessor
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Wakanda is faced with a new threat from a heretofore unseen foe. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) must make tough decisions to protect their people, their nation, and the world. [Ed’s note: Light spoilers; if you don’t want to know any plot details steer clear]
Last Week’s Episode: Back to School 2021 Edition
School has started for most schools in the US now and I go back to teaching myself next week. Not gonna lie, we are all stressed to the max. This always used to be my favorite time of the year because it meant NEW SHOWS! With the change to mostly streaming, new show season can…
REVIEW: Marvel Voices: Legacy #1 Is a Heartwarming Tribute to Many of Marvel’s Black Characters
Marvel Voices: Legacy #1 is an anthology of new stories, largely featuring Marvel’s greatest Black heroes and anti-heroes, written, drawn, and coloured by a host of Black creatives.
Last Week’s Episode: Disney Deluge+
Yesterday Disney dropped an entire mountain of new programming, which honestly fills me with a lot of mixed and uncomfortable emotions. Like,surely one of the ten Star Wars shows announced could have been axed to pay to furlough some of the 11,000+ park employees that have been laid off?
REVIEW: Champions #3 Needs a Change
Champions #2 was “a lot of dialogue and very few action scenes.” Champions #3 is, likewise, a lot of words, but the change in line artist elevated the overall narrative. The ending, however, left a sour taste in my mouth.
REVIEW: Champions #2 is a Muddled Metaphor
Champions #1 was “a lot of talk and not enough action.” Champions #2 isn’t much different, with a lot of dialogue and very few action scenes. Its biggest failure, however, is to not treat its teenage superheroes as superheroes, even as they fight to be recognized as such.
Outlawed #1: Ballad of a Teenage Superhero
Outlawed #1, by Ewing, Jacinto, and Grundetjern, is an ambitious one-shot, meant to disrupt the status quo of the Marvel Universe. At least, the status quo for teen superheroes: superheroes whose superpowers don’t quite translate to systemic power.
Cover Reveal: Ironheart 2020 #1
As announced last fall at New York City Comic Con, Marvel’s Iron Man 2020 event begins this month with Iron Man 2020 #1 starring Arno Stark. The event will feature several spin-off titles, including Ironheart 2020. Ironheart, aka Riri Williams, debuted in Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato Jr.’s Invincible Iron Man #9 (2015), and got her…
