Netgalley Synopsis:

In a world that already hates and fears them - what if only Black people had superpowers. After miraculously surviving being gunned down by police, a young man learns that he is part of the biggest lie in history. Now he must decide whether it's safer to keep it a secret or if the truth will set him free. Collects issues 1-6.

My Review:

Kareem is being hunted down by someone who controls the police. After minding his own business with his friends, he's shot down by some random police car on the side of the road.

Check out the rest of my review here!

https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com/2018/08/08/black-volume-1-by-kwanza... ( )

What a wasted opportunity. The high-level concept is amazing, and for the first few pages I was expecting something revolutionary, but then the whole thing just turned into an incoherent mess imitating the worst comic book excesses of the 90's: characters with code names but no character, vast conspiracies that come down to a couple guys lurking in their gigantic secret underground lairs with dozens of henchmen, speech balloons filled with dialogue that no one could say out loud without bursting into laughter, and lots and lots and lots of pointless fights.

Seriously, just read the first seven pages and the last one, then mourn what might have been. ( )

I discovered this book through kickstarter and was fascinated. The premise is great (what if only black people had superpowers?), and when the paperback arrived it looked fantastic.

I felt kind of ho-hum about the other two graphic novels I read during the readathon, but this one I really liked. At first I thought it was going to fall into some similar traps, as a lot of different characters and factions and suspect motivations are introduced in this slim volume, and at times it verged on overwhelming. But at least here it felt like a deliberate choice -- like Kareem (the main character) we are thrust suddenly into a world that has been hidden -- that has developed schisms and hurt feelings and vendettas. Like Kareem, we have very little time to figure out who the "good guys" are and pick a side. And unlike the world of Marvel, there's no assumption that you already know anything about the world before jumping in.

Except racism. If you haven't already figured out that this world (our world) is racist AF before picking up this book, you're probably not going to like it. If you agree with racist shitbag Director Theodore that "these violent liberals are being radicalized by Black Lives Matter," you'll probably want to burn it with fire. Because this isn't just a superhero showdown with a sheen of social commentary, this is racial analysis with superheroes.

I really liked the art, and the kickstarter extras were fun. Very solid. ( )

I love the idea behind this series, but have to agree with other reviews that it's not the best execution: there are a ton of superpowered characters to keep track of. Consequently, their powers aren't really explored in depth (or at least not yet - hopefully this will change with upcoming issues), which feels like a huge missed opportunity. (It also makes the fight scenes chaotic AF!) That said, the artwork is bitchin', and the storyline has loads of potential.

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC for review through NetGalley.) ( )

“Black,” created by Kwanza Osajyefo, made the list of at least one year’s best list, and while it’s story follows a typical hero’s journey. It’s world building and central question garner attention. The result of a successful Kickstarter campaign, “Black” asks what if only black people had superpowers. Following a young man who discovers he possesses superhuman abilities, he meets different factions, and fights the big bad in this six-issue arc. As a comic, “Black,” is well poised to address contemporary issues on race, violence, state-power, and relationships with the police while providing space for increased representation of minority heroes. This first volume is an excellent start to what I hope will be an ongoing project. The art is reminiscent of an American manga style and the volume is punctuated by a series of powerful covers. The cover work is relevant and powerful, eye-catching, and thought-provoking. Origin stories are tricky since they can be well-worn ground, “Black,” however, is worth the time.

Review provided in exchange for copy provided by NetGalley. ( )