The ever amazing John Babos brought this con recap to my attention. It’s from the recent Chicago con. It’s a pretty solid read.
However the following part really stood out to me:
Asked if there will be more African American characters spotlighted in DC titles, (Geoff) Johns said that the fan will be really happy when they see the lineup of the Justice League, and pointed out that Mr. Terrific leads the JSA, and that Cyborg is in Teen Titans every month.
Honestly, when I read comments like that it really irks me. I can pretty much say that every part of that statement irritates me.
First off, it appears at though Mr. Johns confuses the terms “spotlight” with “token.” Perhaps he uses the two interchangeably. Who knows, but I’d hardly say that either Cyborg or Mr. Terrific get any part of the spotlight.
Secondly, I really wonder what makes Mr. Johns so sure that Black fans will be “really happy” once the line up is released. Is every one of the shaded mystery characters Black? Maybe we’re seeing the return of Bloodwynd, Temptress, Onyx and a reinvigorated Amazing Man II?
Oh, or maybe the new Justice League of America consists of the Blood Syndicate? (Hell, I’d settle for any of the Milestone Media characters seeing the light of day, they don’t even have to be in the DCU.) Or maybe they’re all brand new Black heroes, leaving the “Trinity” in minority status?
But how bloody presumptuous of Mr. Johns to think that few Black faces sprinkled throughout the DCU should make fans “happy.” I’m Black and I’m not even content with what passes for “diversity” in the DCU.
Of course one of the problems is that you’ve got a slew of white guys who are writing a handful of Black characters. Now, if we lived in the society that most think that we live in (where all things are equal) this wouldn’t be a problem. But I’m guessing that most of these scribes have about as much knowledge of Black culture/community as the average white guy, which is to say what they see in music videos, on BET or on UPN.
Suffice it to say, that’s not really a balanced representation.
Let’s look at some of the examples that Mr. Johns used as tokens examples of diversity.
Cyborg – As written by Mr. Johns, he might as well be white. There’s nothing, aside from his coloring, that would give any sort of clue about cultural identity. He’s a superhero, who happens to be colored a bit darker than most.
Mr. Terrific – The leader of the JSA! And he’s as bland as Cyborg. The only time that he actually “felt” Black to me was when he went up against the Klan when the JSA had their time traveling adventure. Apart from that he’s like Bruce Wayne with a “T” on this face.
Now lest I be thought of as yet another net writer bashing product; I’ll offer some insight and a suggestion or two.
First off, I’d suggest that some of the Powers That Be over at DC check out this thread. It’s over three years old. Yeah it’s bloody long, but it’ll provide insight into what fans are craving from Black characters and it’s right in your backyard.
Secondly, I think that Mr. Johns really dropped the ball with Mr. Terrific’s disdain for spirituality. It might come as a surprise to many but some Black folks don’t dig on Christianity because it was used as a tool during slavery. In fact some of us view it as a “slave religion.” The notion being that if it weren’t for Christianity and a belief in heaven, Blacks would have taken a more active role in getting equality in the country.
But instead of an explanation with nuance that gave a character actually personality, we get Michael Holt who doesn’t believe in God because he lost his wife. Boo.
I think it would have been equally cool to hear Holt remark about how ironic being “invisible” to high tech security is consider the hassles he had with security following him around as a young Black man. It’s something that would seemingly naturally flow from his lips.
And for the sake of brevity I’ll not even touch upon my thoughts about Holt shacking up with a white woman in the Checkmate series. (I will say this; almost every Black man seriously considers the ramifications and repercussions before getting involved with a white woman. It’s not something a white guy would know, but some Black faces do frown on such relationships.)
I enjoy Mr. Johns’ work. I think that he’s a talented writer. I know he’s a got a great imagination. But while he may fly planes to get into the head of Hal Jordan, he (seemingly) can’t imagine what it’s like to be a Black man. Given that he certainly shouldn’t presume to know that would make a fan craving well-developed Black characters “happy.”
