dsumner wrote on Feb 23
rd, 2015 at 4:48pm:
Matt wrote on Feb 23
rd, 2015 at 4:13pm:
This certainly points to the dearth of major black super heroes at DC.
Meanwhile over at Marvel in the mid-'80s, both the X-Men and the Avengers were led by black women. Plus you had Black Panther, Power Man, Rhodey Iron Man, etc.
There are plenty of black characters at DC, John Stewart, Steel, Vixen, and Black Lightning are just a few who have history with the JL. The new Aqualad (not the one from the YJ cartoon, but the one introduced in Blackest Night) is a perfect example of a cool character, who also just happened to be black.
Him being black isn't what defined him, but it did play a factor in his back story. Unlike several other minority characters introduced into the DCU (like the new Atom, Question, or Spectre, his introduction into his roll as a DC legacy character didn't feel forced.
Unfortunately it looks like the introduction of the Nu52 has wiped the character out of existence, at least for the time being. Which sucks as DC had shown pieces of preview artwork where it appeared that he, along with the young Indian heroine, Solstice (another character totally screwed over in the Nu52) were going to be joining the ranks of the Titans.
I said "major." Never heard of Steel except for the '70s version and he wasn't black (or any good forthat matter). Do Vixen or Black Lightning have their own comics? Or John Stewart? I know BL and John Stewart did briefly/temporarily in the '70s and early '80s, respectively.
I don't know if I would consider any version of Aqualad a "major" character, but that also loops back around to my Earlier commenT about wanting an original character rather than just let's-protect-the-trademark-and-hey-we'll-make-this-Aqualad/Green Lantern/Blue Beetle-ethnic-it'll-only-be-temporary-anyway.
But I haven't read a DC comic book aside from Batman '66 since the late '80s or early '90s so I can't really say what they're up to now. Sounds pretty uninspired if they're still trotting out "new" characters like Aqualad and Speedy and the gang with new paint jobs.
Still waiting on a Latino hero with his own comic book. Last one I remember was El Diablo.