What do you think?
Rate this book
The Other History of the DC Universe #1-5
The Other History of the DC Universe
Academy Award-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Let It Fall) examines the mythology of the DC Universe in this compelling new graphic novel! Reframing iconic moments of DC history and charting a previously unexplored sociopolitical thread as seen through the prism of DC Super Heroes who come from historically disenfranchised groups, John Ridley goes where no other has gone before!
This unique new series presents its story as prose by Ridley married with beautifully realized color illustrations from a selection of exciting illustrators and comics artists.
Extensively researched and masterfully executed, THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE promises to be an experience unlike any other. You may think you know the history of the DC Universe...but the truth is far more complex. THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE isn't about saving the world--it's about having the strength to simply be who you are.
Collects The Other History of the DC Universe #1-5.
This unique new series presents its story as prose by Ridley married with beautifully realized color illustrations from a selection of exciting illustrators and comics artists.
Extensively researched and masterfully executed, THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE promises to be an experience unlike any other. You may think you know the history of the DC Universe...but the truth is far more complex. THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE isn't about saving the world--it's about having the strength to simply be who you are.
Collects The Other History of the DC Universe #1-5.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2021
35 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
John Ridley
217 books92 followersJohn Ridley IV (born October 1965)[2] is an American screenwriter, television director, novelist, and showrunner, known for 12 Years a Slave, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also the creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed anthology series American Crime. His most recent work is the documentary film Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992.
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
January 6, 2022
I love the mission statement -- a look at the history of the DC universe from the perspective of heroes from marginalized groups -- but I am wholly underwhelmed with the execution.
First, this is a graphic novel that is told entirely in typeset text: no word balloons or sound effects, just long, long columns and big blocks of words. And the words are so dull, droning on like high school book reports, with the books in question being mostly the various iterations of the Outsiders franchise, with and without "Batman and . . . " in front of it. We are put into the heads of six different characters, but instead of an emotional journey, we mostly get their summaries of events, more like a daily planner than a diary even. Ridley does some subversion and upending of the original comics, but most are so old and obscure that even a DC nerd like me hasn't read them all. And without any context, my eyes frequently glazed over at the endless recaps and abrupt and-then-this-happened, and-then-this-happened, and-then-this-happened level segues. It took me an hour each to read the five chapters collected, and I found myself avoiding the book entirely for a day or two in the middle of the weeklong marathon of reading it.
It doesn't help that Ridley has a warts-and-all, downbeat take on most of his narrators. Black Lightning gets ripped up the most, coming off as an angry, arrogant asshole. Mal Duncan comes off little better, but at least has Bumblebee there to offset his dreary and perhaps delusional voice. The chapters with Katana and Renee Montoya are super depressing. Anissa "Thunder" Pierce does some heavy lifting in her chapter to save the book, but it is too little too late by then.
The art is equally dull, by the way, as it's an illustrated book, not sequential storytelling. Each page has one image or three to four panels of art trying to stay out of the way of the text. It's all character studies or isolated representational moments or direct homages. An Italian artist roughly mimics the DC house style for the decades from the 1960 to 2010s, and I'm sorry, but you're in trouble when you are most comfortable aping Jim Aparo.
Yet another DC Black Label disappointment. They really need to reassess this imprint.
First, this is a graphic novel that is told entirely in typeset text: no word balloons or sound effects, just long, long columns and big blocks of words. And the words are so dull, droning on like high school book reports, with the books in question being mostly the various iterations of the Outsiders franchise, with and without "Batman and . . . " in front of it. We are put into the heads of six different characters, but instead of an emotional journey, we mostly get their summaries of events, more like a daily planner than a diary even. Ridley does some subversion and upending of the original comics, but most are so old and obscure that even a DC nerd like me hasn't read them all. And without any context, my eyes frequently glazed over at the endless recaps and abrupt and-then-this-happened, and-then-this-happened, and-then-this-happened level segues. It took me an hour each to read the five chapters collected, and I found myself avoiding the book entirely for a day or two in the middle of the weeklong marathon of reading it.
It doesn't help that Ridley has a warts-and-all, downbeat take on most of his narrators. Black Lightning gets ripped up the most, coming off as an angry, arrogant asshole. Mal Duncan comes off little better, but at least has Bumblebee there to offset his dreary and perhaps delusional voice. The chapters with Katana and Renee Montoya are super depressing. Anissa "Thunder" Pierce does some heavy lifting in her chapter to save the book, but it is too little too late by then.
The art is equally dull, by the way, as it's an illustrated book, not sequential storytelling. Each page has one image or three to four panels of art trying to stay out of the way of the text. It's all character studies or isolated representational moments or direct homages. An Italian artist roughly mimics the DC house style for the decades from the 1960 to 2010s, and I'm sorry, but you're in trouble when you are most comfortable aping Jim Aparo.
Yet another DC Black Label disappointment. They really need to reassess this imprint.
December 21, 2021
A wordy tome, more illustrated novel than comic, but I rarely wanted to put it down.
This is a deft combination of DC history (much or all of it before the destruction of the Nu52) with real-world events, all telling the stories of minorities in the DC Universe. Any lover of history and DC history will love it.
But moreso, this is the deeply personal tale of six heroes: Black Lightning, Mal and Bumblebee, Katana, Renee Montoya, and Thunder. The characterization is superb, and I came to know all of these characters in ways that I never have before (even Renee, whose story I'm quite familiar with). It's a tour de force of comic characterization.
And a revelation in the fifth book, tying back to the story in the first, and revealing the continuity of discrimination, was shocking and moving. Wow.
Overall, a superb book.
This is a deft combination of DC history (much or all of it before the destruction of the Nu52) with real-world events, all telling the stories of minorities in the DC Universe. Any lover of history and DC history will love it.
But moreso, this is the deeply personal tale of six heroes: Black Lightning, Mal and Bumblebee, Katana, Renee Montoya, and Thunder. The characterization is superb, and I came to know all of these characters in ways that I never have before (even Renee, whose story I'm quite familiar with). It's a tour de force of comic characterization.
And a revelation in the fifth book, tying back to the story in the first, and revealing the continuity of discrimination, was shocking and moving. Wow.
Overall, a superb book.
December 2, 2021
Completely genre-bending, imagines the DCU with some of the gloss stripped away, inhabited by people - black, brown, female, gay - who are not the ones typically front-and-center on the covers of the most popular comic books. Re-tells their stories, from 1972 to the present, against the backdrop of the real world, with racism, homophobia and hate, reframing the journeys of people who are not only marginalized in real life, but who don't see their stories mirrored in the comic characters they read, either. This is brilliant and awesome and dense and educational and hard and beautiful.
February 17, 2022
DC Black Label presents a different kind of book, as it shows the history of the DC Universe from the perspective of individuals from different marginalized groups. With 5 issues that put us into the heads of 6 different characters and John Ridley writing it, this is sure to be a hit, right? Well... while the idea is fantastic, the execution is very underwhelming to say the least, as I did not find myself impressed with this book as a complete package.
This doesn’t have sound effects or word balloons like your average comic, as it is all in text similar to an illustarted book you’d read as a kid, with no sequential art to tell the story. It’s mostly these lengthy passages which aren’t fun to read and just seem to go on forever. The creative team tries to make it work with non-sequential art staying out of the way of these text blobs, but ends up not improving the story in the end and being a bit static all around. I’m pretty sure each issue took me around an hour to read, which is just too long, especially for a book like this. I was invested for the first two chapters, but by the time the Katana’s issue came around, I was three hours in and just burnt out. I found myself rolling my eyes at the constant recaps of events I never read and don’t give a shit about, and the endless way the author uses “And then this happened” to get the story to where he needed it to be. Some characters are also written in a way I just don’t like, particularly most of the Teen Titans, but mileage will vary on that. I will give Ridley props for making all the characters feel very human. They say and think things I wouldn’t have ever really expected from these heroes, and it adds a level of realism to the story. All these larger than life super powered beings still feel grounded at the end of the day, which did help with getting through the book, as you do want to see these characters situations improve.
While I do respect what John Ridley & the team of artists did here, I just don’t think it came together in the end as a cohesive package. I enjoyed the first two issues immensly, but by the time I got to the third one, I was burnt out and ready to get it over with. Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I spaced it out more, but as I read it, the more I began to find myself detaching from the world. The final issue has some great moments, but it was too-little-too-late by then. I’m glad DC Black Label is printing books like this, but I don’t think this was executed in the best way. This was sadly a huge miss for me.
This doesn’t have sound effects or word balloons like your average comic, as it is all in text similar to an illustarted book you’d read as a kid, with no sequential art to tell the story. It’s mostly these lengthy passages which aren’t fun to read and just seem to go on forever. The creative team tries to make it work with non-sequential art staying out of the way of these text blobs, but ends up not improving the story in the end and being a bit static all around. I’m pretty sure each issue took me around an hour to read, which is just too long, especially for a book like this. I was invested for the first two chapters, but by the time the Katana’s issue came around, I was three hours in and just burnt out. I found myself rolling my eyes at the constant recaps of events I never read and don’t give a shit about, and the endless way the author uses “And then this happened” to get the story to where he needed it to be. Some characters are also written in a way I just don’t like, particularly most of the Teen Titans, but mileage will vary on that. I will give Ridley props for making all the characters feel very human. They say and think things I wouldn’t have ever really expected from these heroes, and it adds a level of realism to the story. All these larger than life super powered beings still feel grounded at the end of the day, which did help with getting through the book, as you do want to see these characters situations improve.
While I do respect what John Ridley & the team of artists did here, I just don’t think it came together in the end as a cohesive package. I enjoyed the first two issues immensly, but by the time I got to the third one, I was burnt out and ready to get it over with. Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I spaced it out more, but as I read it, the more I began to find myself detaching from the world. The final issue has some great moments, but it was too-little-too-late by then. I’m glad DC Black Label is printing books like this, but I don’t think this was executed in the best way. This was sadly a huge miss for me.
August 22, 2022
Supongo que en la vida, hay cómics que son fantasía, y otros que son ostias de realidad. Y este La otra historia del Universo DC, desde luego que es una auténtica ostia de realidad. Con guion de John Ridley (escritor con un Oscar por el guion de 12 Años de Esclavitud) y bocetos de Giuseppe Camuncoli, La otra historia del Universo DC no es exáctamente un cómic, sino más bien un libro ilustrado, más aún en esta edición que ha sacado ECC en España, donde se han reunido en tapa dura y gran formato los cinco números de que constó esta serie limitada en Estados Unidos. Y su nombre no engaña, es un libro que habla de la historia del Universo DC. Pero es otra historia la que te cuenta. O mejor dicho, otra perspectiva de esa misma historia: una perspectiva de minoría de raza y tendencia sexual. Ridley va a recorrer la historia de los superhéroes del Universo DC más o menos entre 1970 y 2010, eso sí, el Universo DC anterior a Flashpoint, y lo va a hacer dedicando cada uno de los números a un héroe distinto, héroes que además normalmente han sido de perfil bajo, personajes secundarios que nos van a hacer de guías en esta historia.
Así, a través de las narraciones de Relámpago Negro, Hornblow y Abejorro, Katana, Renèe Montoya y Trueno, vamos a recorrer casi treinta años de historia, y lo vamos a hacer con toques de realidad, eventos importante del deporte o la política contemporáneas que nos hablan de discriminación, de eventos importantes para la comunidad negra o contra los homosexuales. Y sí, puede ser una historia incómoda de leer en algunos aspectos, e incluso con la que puedes no estar de acuerdo, pero no pasa nada, porque al final no dejan de ser las perspectivas personales de los personajes que Ridley ha utilizado para la historia, y por lo tanto, no dejan de ser personales y sesgadas, y de hecho, frente a una narrativa en la que todo es cierto y totalitario, Ridley hace que sus propios personajes cometan errores, muy lejos del buenismo o de la superioridad moral de muchos trabajos contemporáneos que incluyen perspectivas de género o de raza. No hay más que ver a Relámpago Negro, que pese a ser el primer superhéroe negro, se nos muestra como un hombre sin empatía, estrictamente cristiano y con un toque homófobo. De hecho, ninguno de los personajes sirve realmente como barómetro moral de nada, lo que les hace más humanos, y permite que veas con más cercanía sus sentimientos. Y puedes ver a Superman como un personaje altivo y paternalista, como lo hace Relámpago Negro; o a los Titanes como un grupo de niños que de forma inconsciente hacen bullying a Hornblow; etc. Y puedes estar de acuerdo o no en sus visiones (personalmente, me parece muy injusto el enfoque sobre la JLA original, y Relámpago Negro omite información, ya que ignora quizá de forma deliberada la implicación que tuvo en los años 70 Green Arrow en la lucha contra las drogas y el tráfico de estas; ahora, cómo está hecho desde la perspectiva de Relámpago Negro, lo entiendo como una omisión del personaje, no del autor), pero son interesantes... y nos permiten revisar lo que hemos sido. Quizá sin maldad, quizá sin saberlo, pero al final, ese Superman paternalista, hemos sido todos en algún momento.
Así, a través de las narraciones de Relámpago Negro, Hornblow y Abejorro, Katana, Renèe Montoya y Trueno, vamos a recorrer casi treinta años de historia, y lo vamos a hacer con toques de realidad, eventos importante del deporte o la política contemporáneas que nos hablan de discriminación, de eventos importantes para la comunidad negra o contra los homosexuales. Y sí, puede ser una historia incómoda de leer en algunos aspectos, e incluso con la que puedes no estar de acuerdo, pero no pasa nada, porque al final no dejan de ser las perspectivas personales de los personajes que Ridley ha utilizado para la historia, y por lo tanto, no dejan de ser personales y sesgadas, y de hecho, frente a una narrativa en la que todo es cierto y totalitario, Ridley hace que sus propios personajes cometan errores, muy lejos del buenismo o de la superioridad moral de muchos trabajos contemporáneos que incluyen perspectivas de género o de raza. No hay más que ver a Relámpago Negro, que pese a ser el primer superhéroe negro, se nos muestra como un hombre sin empatía, estrictamente cristiano y con un toque homófobo. De hecho, ninguno de los personajes sirve realmente como barómetro moral de nada, lo que les hace más humanos, y permite que veas con más cercanía sus sentimientos. Y puedes ver a Superman como un personaje altivo y paternalista, como lo hace Relámpago Negro; o a los Titanes como un grupo de niños que de forma inconsciente hacen bullying a Hornblow; etc. Y puedes estar de acuerdo o no en sus visiones (personalmente, me parece muy injusto el enfoque sobre la JLA original, y Relámpago Negro omite información, ya que ignora quizá de forma deliberada la implicación que tuvo en los años 70 Green Arrow en la lucha contra las drogas y el tráfico de estas; ahora, cómo está hecho desde la perspectiva de Relámpago Negro, lo entiendo como una omisión del personaje, no del autor), pero son interesantes... y nos permiten revisar lo que hemos sido. Quizá sin maldad, quizá sin saberlo, pero al final, ese Superman paternalista, hemos sido todos en algún momento.
May 10, 2022
The Other History of The DC Universe isn't your standard comic book. 12 Years A Slave writer, John Riley, not only blurs lines between fiction and reality, but also the very format of comic books itself. It strays from the usual pictorial story telling into the realm of almost being an illustrated novel. Personally, I thought this was a fresh and interesting concept, however, I can see this may be too word-heavy for some.
There are essentially five stories contained in this book - each being a deep character study of a marginalised hero or heroine and their perspective of both DC's fictional history and real life. Again, I thought the concept was fantastic here and although it rarely misses a beat some of the factual/fictitious line blurring doesn't always hit the mark.
The art was wonderful and I feel that Camuncoli, despite all the issues that this concept must have presented as an artist, met the challenge head on.
Overall though, despite its downbeat atmosphere this feels like diversity done right within comic books. It's not divisive in making its point, in fact it's wholeheartedly inclusive and that feels quite special these days. If you're looking for something that feels real and poignant then give this a read.
________________
My Score: 7/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
________________
There are essentially five stories contained in this book - each being a deep character study of a marginalised hero or heroine and their perspective of both DC's fictional history and real life. Again, I thought the concept was fantastic here and although it rarely misses a beat some of the factual/fictitious line blurring doesn't always hit the mark.
The art was wonderful and I feel that Camuncoli, despite all the issues that this concept must have presented as an artist, met the challenge head on.
Overall though, despite its downbeat atmosphere this feels like diversity done right within comic books. It's not divisive in making its point, in fact it's wholeheartedly inclusive and that feels quite special these days. If you're looking for something that feels real and poignant then give this a read.
________________
My Score: 7/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
________________
December 28, 2022
Not at all what I expected format-wise. It's more of an illustrated journal than a comic or even a novel. Also doesn't really hit on many major DC events like it was advertised. It's mostly individual moments from these characters lives interspersed with more real American history than DC history. Ridley's prose is fine, but all 5 chapters read nearly identically to me. I could have read a few random pages from each one and not really known which character it was about. Maybe that was purposeful. Despite these drawbacks, it does present an interesting and thought-provoking view of the DC universe.
January 23, 2023
In many ways ‘The other history’ feels like a story written by someone who has taken pages from their own life and experience and used it to paint a picture, on the other side of the rose-tinted world of superheroes. By exploring several themes and practices, in story and out, to bring to focus an endemic problem which has always plagued comics especially in the western genre. It is largely a white man’s game, and worse it is written for, and by the majority, which over the years has resulted in some very questionable inclusions into the roster, which, in hindsight was not at all tasteful
One has to appreciate DC for venturing into such political and socially charged commentary, which, more times than often, points a finger, and tears down the pantheon of some of its most popular characters, when viewed through the eyes of those ‘token’, or supporting characters. Superman comes across as a naïve popular man, who chooses to ignore the problems which are not the world ending kind. Refusing, or indifferent to the racial violence and downtrodden sections, and even turning a blind eye to the whole thing (which is ironic in someone who has umpteen forms of visions). Batman comes across as a blatant antisocial, compulsive, control freak character, and not the kind that comes off as cool. He is someone who refuses to get attached or trust anyone, even the ones who he fights with. Someone who has no hesitation to show someone the underside of his boot, if they don’t conform to his rules. It is not easy to address some of the less tasteful things which have transpired in the history of a long running enterprise, but one has to give credit for not shying away from a retcon which can possibly make them look bad.
Which is exactly opposite of what their competitors at Marvel are up to. Or a better way to put it would be, that Marvel has gone so far off the deep end, in the wrong direction, when it comes to representation, diversity and social causes, that they come across as mere platitudes. Marvel has been, for quite a few years now, following the ‘put the cart in front of the horse’ approach, shoving diversity and social justice down their reader’s mouth, with having no firm foundation to stand on. Heaps upon heaps of ‘new age’ characters, who are meant to tick the diversity quota….
African American - check
African American women- check
LGBTQ-plus ultra- check
Pan sexual- check
Asexual- check
Body positivity- check
Asian representation- check
…. The problem with this is that characters are more about their respective social causes, than actual organic narratives. They are so full of ‘it’ that the story comes secondary to bashing the patriarchy.
John Ridley has chosen characters who often find themselves in the backdrop of much of the flashy events in universe and juxtaposed with the sociopolitical climate at the time of their introduction and speaks of the harsh alternatives of the cape and crime fighting profession.
--------------------------------
In Book 1, the events of which make much more sense after watching the TV series “Black Lighting”, we get the first glimpse of this ‘other history’ which is in question. Superheroing, we are shown, is largely as white guy exclusive club, while the rare exceptions, like John Stewart, Mari McCabe, or Victor Stone, were more akin to ‘diversity hires.
Which doesn’t jell well with the social activist, schoolteacher, and hero Jefferson Pierce, walking around with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He can be at times extremely outspoken, but what is spoken hits hard. Where are you, when youths in suicide alley, kill each other over drugs and gangs? He asks the big blue boy scout. Where are your gadgets and billion-dollar inheritance when it comes to improving the condition of my community, she asks the Caped Crusader?
The chip in Jefferson's shoulder comes from having to work two lives, and be a family man, just to stay true to what he believes in; while the elite clubs of the Justice league and the Titans, deal with world ending PR stunts, and are adored as the darlings of the nation. We see a very raw portrayal of the character, from his highs and lows, successes and failures, acceptance and reconciliation.
--------------------------
Book 2: Mal & Karen Duncan are used to being treated as the hired help of the Titans. They know it, even if the rest of the team chooses to be blissfully ignorant of it. At one point Mal was basically the Janitor of the team. And despite the efforts they put into the team, which they believe as much was theirs, they’re often delegated to benchwarmers.
There was this one part in Book 2, about Mal and Karen’s wedding. During the wedding of Donna troy & some rich hick, the celebrations were long and wide. Almost the entire gaggle of heroes arrive to be present for the happy couple, and the whole world seemed to be tuned in to the event.
The older couple reminisce regarding their own wedding, quite a private and modest affair, modest as they couldn’t afford to invite the whole village, and private, not because they didn’t want anyone to attend, but because none of their former colleagues had the time or interest to attend. The difference in standards between the two really seemed to drive a knife into their hearts and into their sense of self-worth.
--------------------------------
Book 3: Katana; Tatsu Yamashiro's life is one which is earmarked by loss. Her children, husband and everyone she loved were taken away from her, leaving only the burning desire for vengeance. In the fields of slaughter and mayhem, where she roamed as a sword for hire seeking death, she found instead a skewed identity which was thrust upon her. Of an Asian woman, master of martial arts, who went around killing her opponents, with a blade which stole her victim's store, and a essentially stereotypical name to go with it: Katana.
When what she was just someone who faced death again and again, while managed to come out of top, by virtue of sheer willpower and determination. Who found camaraderie in a group of flawed individuals, in the outsiders, rekindled her lost sense of maternity, taking care of an amnesiatic orphan, Violet Harper, only to have that brief comfort yet again wrenched from her. Through all of this, and through all the racial discrimination, she endured. For that is the defining character of the woman who is Yamashiro Tatsu.
The book is shy in throwing some light into the more problematic aspects of stories told at the time. In book 3, we are shown the thoughts of Tatsu, in regard to what transpired during the events of ‘The Judas Contract’, one of the more popular Teen Titans storylines. While most were quick to dismiss what happened to Tara Markov, labeling her as a traitor and villain. But Katana saw something different. She saw a girl, barely a teenager, being brainwashed, dependent and manipulated by Slade Wilson, who used her as a tool, before discarding her just as quickly. Tara lost her friends, reputation and life, while Deathstroke gained another notch in his belt. It is incredible how different things can be when viewed through someone else's eyes.
---------------------------------------
Book 4: The story of Renee Montoya, was perhaps the one that I was the most familiar with in this whole anthology. A character who came to my radar during the tumultuous event of Batman: Cataclysm, her weird relationship with Harvey Dent was interesting even at its infancy. Suspicion, wariness, distrust, which eventually resolved into some form of acceptance and empathy.
But her final act of kindness, having treated Dent as a human being, instead of Two face, would be the poisoned seed that would come back to ruin her life, when, in a fit of pathological fixation and ‘love’ Two face reveals the secrets about her private life, tearing her away from Family, and the force, in a depraved attempt to have her dependent entirely on him. Which send her in a spiral of booze and sex, hitting rock bottom, before being chosen as the unlikely successor to the eccentric enigmatic Vic sage, and eventually go on to become the second person to hold the mantle of ‘Question’.
Renee, as well as Anissa's story is more about living a double life, not even taking the whole superhero schtick into consideration. Having to figure out what they want in life, who they want, and how to reconcile what they want, with their family expects of them, and in the process losing sight of oneself. But the struggle is what makes them, as they get broken down, and built themselves up, brick by brick, into the layered individual they are.
-------------------------
Book 1 & Book5, are in many ways, antithesis of each other, while at the same time following several parallels. In Book 1, Jefferson Pierce, who grew up with a murdered father, an in a socially disenfranchised community, took it upon himself to set things right, on many fronts, as a hero and as a teacher. But many of his actions, well intentioned or otherwise ended badly, for himself and those around him.
Yet he saw himself as a man of character who was willing to stand up to a broken system, and was doing good. He was someone who held himself to a much higher standard, yet at the same time allowed himself to be deluded by this higher calling.
Anissa Pierce, who grew up in a broken family, and under a father who laid down the commandment when it came to his children’s lives, saw the man behind the mask, as well as the flawed human being, trying to do good, but fumbling several times along the way. While Jefferson sees himself as someone who stands against oppression and always does the right thing, through Anissa’s eyes we see the parts that fall through the cracks.
Such as the father who never knew how to bond with his children, the parent who lay down the law and never consider the say of his children, or the teacher who inadvertently tried to ‘reform’ his student from the ‘condition’ of homosexuality.
The last one was a debilitating fracture in their relationship, as Anissa struggled with her own sexuality in light of her father’s more conservative faith. Yet for all the effort she put into distancing herself from him, and trying not to emulate him, in many ways her journey draws a lot of parallel with that of Jefferson. Be it the secrets kept the search for belonging among a group of flawed people in the outsiders, facing failure and regret along the way, before finally coming to terms with the inescapable reality they live in.
I have to give credit to the writing staff, especially in the later books, showing how white men don’t have any monopoly when it comes to racism, sexism and homophobia.
One has to appreciate DC for venturing into such political and socially charged commentary, which, more times than often, points a finger, and tears down the pantheon of some of its most popular characters, when viewed through the eyes of those ‘token’, or supporting characters. Superman comes across as a naïve popular man, who chooses to ignore the problems which are not the world ending kind. Refusing, or indifferent to the racial violence and downtrodden sections, and even turning a blind eye to the whole thing (which is ironic in someone who has umpteen forms of visions). Batman comes across as a blatant antisocial, compulsive, control freak character, and not the kind that comes off as cool. He is someone who refuses to get attached or trust anyone, even the ones who he fights with. Someone who has no hesitation to show someone the underside of his boot, if they don’t conform to his rules. It is not easy to address some of the less tasteful things which have transpired in the history of a long running enterprise, but one has to give credit for not shying away from a retcon which can possibly make them look bad.
Which is exactly opposite of what their competitors at Marvel are up to. Or a better way to put it would be, that Marvel has gone so far off the deep end, in the wrong direction, when it comes to representation, diversity and social causes, that they come across as mere platitudes. Marvel has been, for quite a few years now, following the ‘put the cart in front of the horse’ approach, shoving diversity and social justice down their reader’s mouth, with having no firm foundation to stand on. Heaps upon heaps of ‘new age’ characters, who are meant to tick the diversity quota….
African American - check
African American women- check
LGBTQ-plus ultra- check
Pan sexual- check
Asexual- check
Body positivity- check
Asian representation- check
…. The problem with this is that characters are more about their respective social causes, than actual organic narratives. They are so full of ‘it’ that the story comes secondary to bashing the patriarchy.
John Ridley has chosen characters who often find themselves in the backdrop of much of the flashy events in universe and juxtaposed with the sociopolitical climate at the time of their introduction and speaks of the harsh alternatives of the cape and crime fighting profession.
--------------------------------
In Book 1, the events of which make much more sense after watching the TV series “Black Lighting”, we get the first glimpse of this ‘other history’ which is in question. Superheroing, we are shown, is largely as white guy exclusive club, while the rare exceptions, like John Stewart, Mari McCabe, or Victor Stone, were more akin to ‘diversity hires.
Which doesn’t jell well with the social activist, schoolteacher, and hero Jefferson Pierce, walking around with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He can be at times extremely outspoken, but what is spoken hits hard. Where are you, when youths in suicide alley, kill each other over drugs and gangs? He asks the big blue boy scout. Where are your gadgets and billion-dollar inheritance when it comes to improving the condition of my community, she asks the Caped Crusader?
The chip in Jefferson's shoulder comes from having to work two lives, and be a family man, just to stay true to what he believes in; while the elite clubs of the Justice league and the Titans, deal with world ending PR stunts, and are adored as the darlings of the nation. We see a very raw portrayal of the character, from his highs and lows, successes and failures, acceptance and reconciliation.
--------------------------
Book 2: Mal & Karen Duncan are used to being treated as the hired help of the Titans. They know it, even if the rest of the team chooses to be blissfully ignorant of it. At one point Mal was basically the Janitor of the team. And despite the efforts they put into the team, which they believe as much was theirs, they’re often delegated to benchwarmers.
There was this one part in Book 2, about Mal and Karen’s wedding. During the wedding of Donna troy & some rich hick, the celebrations were long and wide. Almost the entire gaggle of heroes arrive to be present for the happy couple, and the whole world seemed to be tuned in to the event.
The older couple reminisce regarding their own wedding, quite a private and modest affair, modest as they couldn’t afford to invite the whole village, and private, not because they didn’t want anyone to attend, but because none of their former colleagues had the time or interest to attend. The difference in standards between the two really seemed to drive a knife into their hearts and into their sense of self-worth.
--------------------------------
Book 3: Katana; Tatsu Yamashiro's life is one which is earmarked by loss. Her children, husband and everyone she loved were taken away from her, leaving only the burning desire for vengeance. In the fields of slaughter and mayhem, where she roamed as a sword for hire seeking death, she found instead a skewed identity which was thrust upon her. Of an Asian woman, master of martial arts, who went around killing her opponents, with a blade which stole her victim's store, and a essentially stereotypical name to go with it: Katana.
When what she was just someone who faced death again and again, while managed to come out of top, by virtue of sheer willpower and determination. Who found camaraderie in a group of flawed individuals, in the outsiders, rekindled her lost sense of maternity, taking care of an amnesiatic orphan, Violet Harper, only to have that brief comfort yet again wrenched from her. Through all of this, and through all the racial discrimination, she endured. For that is the defining character of the woman who is Yamashiro Tatsu.
The book is shy in throwing some light into the more problematic aspects of stories told at the time. In book 3, we are shown the thoughts of Tatsu, in regard to what transpired during the events of ‘The Judas Contract’, one of the more popular Teen Titans storylines. While most were quick to dismiss what happened to Tara Markov, labeling her as a traitor and villain. But Katana saw something different. She saw a girl, barely a teenager, being brainwashed, dependent and manipulated by Slade Wilson, who used her as a tool, before discarding her just as quickly. Tara lost her friends, reputation and life, while Deathstroke gained another notch in his belt. It is incredible how different things can be when viewed through someone else's eyes.
---------------------------------------
Book 4: The story of Renee Montoya, was perhaps the one that I was the most familiar with in this whole anthology. A character who came to my radar during the tumultuous event of Batman: Cataclysm, her weird relationship with Harvey Dent was interesting even at its infancy. Suspicion, wariness, distrust, which eventually resolved into some form of acceptance and empathy.
But her final act of kindness, having treated Dent as a human being, instead of Two face, would be the poisoned seed that would come back to ruin her life, when, in a fit of pathological fixation and ‘love’ Two face reveals the secrets about her private life, tearing her away from Family, and the force, in a depraved attempt to have her dependent entirely on him. Which send her in a spiral of booze and sex, hitting rock bottom, before being chosen as the unlikely successor to the eccentric enigmatic Vic sage, and eventually go on to become the second person to hold the mantle of ‘Question’.
Renee, as well as Anissa's story is more about living a double life, not even taking the whole superhero schtick into consideration. Having to figure out what they want in life, who they want, and how to reconcile what they want, with their family expects of them, and in the process losing sight of oneself. But the struggle is what makes them, as they get broken down, and built themselves up, brick by brick, into the layered individual they are.
-------------------------
Book 1 & Book5, are in many ways, antithesis of each other, while at the same time following several parallels. In Book 1, Jefferson Pierce, who grew up with a murdered father, an in a socially disenfranchised community, took it upon himself to set things right, on many fronts, as a hero and as a teacher. But many of his actions, well intentioned or otherwise ended badly, for himself and those around him.
Yet he saw himself as a man of character who was willing to stand up to a broken system, and was doing good. He was someone who held himself to a much higher standard, yet at the same time allowed himself to be deluded by this higher calling.
Anissa Pierce, who grew up in a broken family, and under a father who laid down the commandment when it came to his children’s lives, saw the man behind the mask, as well as the flawed human being, trying to do good, but fumbling several times along the way. While Jefferson sees himself as someone who stands against oppression and always does the right thing, through Anissa’s eyes we see the parts that fall through the cracks.
Such as the father who never knew how to bond with his children, the parent who lay down the law and never consider the say of his children, or the teacher who inadvertently tried to ‘reform’ his student from the ‘condition’ of homosexuality.
The last one was a debilitating fracture in their relationship, as Anissa struggled with her own sexuality in light of her father’s more conservative faith. Yet for all the effort she put into distancing herself from him, and trying not to emulate him, in many ways her journey draws a lot of parallel with that of Jefferson. Be it the secrets kept the search for belonging among a group of flawed people in the outsiders, facing failure and regret along the way, before finally coming to terms with the inescapable reality they live in.
I have to give credit to the writing staff, especially in the later books, showing how white men don’t have any monopoly when it comes to racism, sexism and homophobia.
March 20, 2022
The idea here is better than the execution. I really want to like this more, but after a while it becomes droning and depressing. It also underscores how superheroes and our real world just don’t mix. It’s impossible to buy into the idea that these people wouldn’t intervene in events like the Iran hostage crisis, the Sandy Hook shooting, or 9/11. So having those things play out as they did in real life doesn’t mesh with this fantasy world.
Seeing alternate takes and different viewpoints of the usual superheroes is interesting, but after a while it becomes a downer with the relentless negativity. To say these people have baggage is an understatement. The first line of Anna Karenina is “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Here Ridley sets out to disprove Tolstoy’s contention by flattening all the trauma these characters experienced into a repetition of bad luck and bad attitudes.
Which is unfortunate, because Ridley is a terrific writer and I’ve really enjoyed his books and movies. This one just didn’t work for me.
Seeing alternate takes and different viewpoints of the usual superheroes is interesting, but after a while it becomes a downer with the relentless negativity. To say these people have baggage is an understatement. The first line of Anna Karenina is “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Here Ridley sets out to disprove Tolstoy’s contention by flattening all the trauma these characters experienced into a repetition of bad luck and bad attitudes.
Which is unfortunate, because Ridley is a terrific writer and I’ve really enjoyed his books and movies. This one just didn’t work for me.
December 3, 2021
The Other History of the DC Universe collects issues 1-5 of the DC Comics Black Label series written by John Ridley with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Andrea Gucchi, and José Villarrubia.
A stripped-down story telling of the DC Universe as told by characters who come from historically disenfranchised groups. The story weaves events from real-life and comicbook events and includes perspectives from Black Lightning, Katana, Karen Beecher-Duncan and Mal Duncan, Renee Montoya, and Anissa Pierce.
This was an amazing piece of art that is a companion piece to the classic The History of the DC Universe, but broken down to a human level. It is more prose than a traditional comic and focused on what character were mentally and emotionally going through during their lives and how it played into DC events. At times, the book is brutally honest about how comic events were shaped by race, gender, sexuality, religion, and nationality. It is very eye opening and it great to see how far the comic industry has come in the last twenty years, but also note how much we can continue to fight for voices for all in this art form.
A stripped-down story telling of the DC Universe as told by characters who come from historically disenfranchised groups. The story weaves events from real-life and comicbook events and includes perspectives from Black Lightning, Katana, Karen Beecher-Duncan and Mal Duncan, Renee Montoya, and Anissa Pierce.
This was an amazing piece of art that is a companion piece to the classic The History of the DC Universe, but broken down to a human level. It is more prose than a traditional comic and focused on what character were mentally and emotionally going through during their lives and how it played into DC events. At times, the book is brutally honest about how comic events were shaped by race, gender, sexuality, religion, and nationality. It is very eye opening and it great to see how far the comic industry has come in the last twenty years, but also note how much we can continue to fight for voices for all in this art form.
January 25, 2022
First, this was more like a collection of essays from the perspectives of different characters accompanied by illustrations than a traditional comic.
You’re treated to the perspectives of 6 different PoC in DC’s canon, many of whom talk about the same events from different perspectives since 3/5 chapters have characters that were on different iterations of The Outsiders. John Ridley expertly weaves the narratives of these characters with American history and them reconciling their place in it, as well as in the superhero community.
What I loved about this is how utterly human Ridley managed to make these characters. They are flawed, some of them have takes you might not agree with. And they are clearly biased in how they talk about the events around them.
You’re treated to the perspectives of 6 different PoC in DC’s canon, many of whom talk about the same events from different perspectives since 3/5 chapters have characters that were on different iterations of The Outsiders. John Ridley expertly weaves the narratives of these characters with American history and them reconciling their place in it, as well as in the superhero community.
What I loved about this is how utterly human Ridley managed to make these characters. They are flawed, some of them have takes you might not agree with. And they are clearly biased in how they talk about the events around them.
March 25, 2024
John Ridley, laureat Oscara za „12 Years a Slave”, a dla mnie scenarzysta i twórca poruszającego pierwszego sezonu „American Crime” - tym razem jako scenarzysta powieści graficznej. Opowiada historię uniwersum DC (nie całą, oczywiście) z perspektywy jej mniej znanych (w Polsce) bohaterów. Pochodzących z mniejszości rasowych i/albo płciowych. Dla mnie na pewno byli nieznani, choć najstarsza z nich istnieje w tym uniwersum od 1970 r.
Nietypowa jest forma opowiadania - poprzez monolog każdej z pięciu postaci. Tym razem słowo jest tu nadrzędne w stosunku do obrazu, który uzupełnia narrację, a nie ją tworzy. Świetna historia, potrafi poruszyć. I bardzo wciąga. Bez banału.
Nietypowa jest forma opowiadania - poprzez monolog każdej z pięciu postaci. Tym razem słowo jest tu nadrzędne w stosunku do obrazu, który uzupełnia narrację, a nie ją tworzy. Świetna historia, potrafi poruszyć. I bardzo wciąga. Bez banału.
August 8, 2022
A broad and, at times, hard hitting overview of the modern continuity of DC comics from of one of the breakthrough talents of recent years. This graphic novel charts the in-universe history of six characters, each members of various disenfranchised communities, between the years 1972-2010. The story blends events real and fictitious in order to create a vision of a complicated world at once fantastical and uncomfortably familliar.
Novel-like in terms of both its length and scope, it is a fantastic testament to the storytelling capabilities of modern comic book fiction. It is to be ranked alongside Watchmen as a brilliantly realised and provocative peice of fiction that explores the sometimes dark things that beat at the heart of superhero mythology, while at the same time celebrating all that make the genre great, and giving voice to a handful of criminally under-represented characters from DC's diverse and multifaceted roster.
The juxtaposition of the fictional setting with the real world history of the recent civil rights struggles in America would push the boundaries of taste were it not handled with such sensitivity and shrewdness by the author. The fictional backdrop serves to highlight rather than undercut the severity of the real history, while the real world elements serve to reflect and comment on the whiteness and heteronormativity of comic book fiction. In Ridley's DC universe the Justice League are as much a part of the status quo as the American Government, and each through action or inaction, are complicit in oppression and marginalisation.
At the core of the narrative, however, are its characters; their voices and their stories. Represented are Jefferson Peirce AKA Black Lightning, a black American activist and school teacher with the ability to conjour electricity; Karen Beecher and Mal Duncan AKA Bumblebee and Guardian, a crime fighting couple with Teen Titans membership; Tatsu Yamashiro AKA Katana, a Japanese mercenary turned vigilante working with Batman and the Outsiders; Renee Montoya AKA Question, a queer latinx Gotham city detective turned superhero; and Anissa Peirce, Jefferson's daughter, a queer woman with impervious skin and an ambivalent relationship with her father's legacy. Each character reflects on the events that define them and the history of a world that deems them 'other'. Their sometimes playfully unreliable, all-times gloriously human narration lends unique perspective on such events as the formation of the Justice Legaue, the Iranian Hostage Crisis, The Crisis on Infinite Earths, the LA rising, The Death of Superman, 9/11 and the patriot act, the Gotham city Earthquake, Don't-Ask -Don't-Tell, the Execution of Maxwell Lord, and the Obama presidency. In each case one has the treat of seeing the opinons of charaters change as they mature or as fresh events put old ones into perspective.
The narratives that resonate most personally with me personally were those of Renee and Anissa, which speak to aspects of the queer experience with which I am familliar. The writing is again both sensitive and though-provoking enough in this regard to be at once authentic and affirming.
I would recomend this to anyone with an interest in DC's fictional history and learning more about some of its unspotlighted but no less badass characters.
Novel-like in terms of both its length and scope, it is a fantastic testament to the storytelling capabilities of modern comic book fiction. It is to be ranked alongside Watchmen as a brilliantly realised and provocative peice of fiction that explores the sometimes dark things that beat at the heart of superhero mythology, while at the same time celebrating all that make the genre great, and giving voice to a handful of criminally under-represented characters from DC's diverse and multifaceted roster.
The juxtaposition of the fictional setting with the real world history of the recent civil rights struggles in America would push the boundaries of taste were it not handled with such sensitivity and shrewdness by the author. The fictional backdrop serves to highlight rather than undercut the severity of the real history, while the real world elements serve to reflect and comment on the whiteness and heteronormativity of comic book fiction. In Ridley's DC universe the Justice League are as much a part of the status quo as the American Government, and each through action or inaction, are complicit in oppression and marginalisation.
At the core of the narrative, however, are its characters; their voices and their stories. Represented are Jefferson Peirce AKA Black Lightning, a black American activist and school teacher with the ability to conjour electricity; Karen Beecher and Mal Duncan AKA Bumblebee and Guardian, a crime fighting couple with Teen Titans membership; Tatsu Yamashiro AKA Katana, a Japanese mercenary turned vigilante working with Batman and the Outsiders; Renee Montoya AKA Question, a queer latinx Gotham city detective turned superhero; and Anissa Peirce, Jefferson's daughter, a queer woman with impervious skin and an ambivalent relationship with her father's legacy. Each character reflects on the events that define them and the history of a world that deems them 'other'. Their sometimes playfully unreliable, all-times gloriously human narration lends unique perspective on such events as the formation of the Justice Legaue, the Iranian Hostage Crisis, The Crisis on Infinite Earths, the LA rising, The Death of Superman, 9/11 and the patriot act, the Gotham city Earthquake, Don't-Ask -Don't-Tell, the Execution of Maxwell Lord, and the Obama presidency. In each case one has the treat of seeing the opinons of charaters change as they mature or as fresh events put old ones into perspective.
The narratives that resonate most personally with me personally were those of Renee and Anissa, which speak to aspects of the queer experience with which I am familliar. The writing is again both sensitive and though-provoking enough in this regard to be at once authentic and affirming.
I would recomend this to anyone with an interest in DC's fictional history and learning more about some of its unspotlighted but no less badass characters.
May 16, 2024
An excellent book that gives some of the biggest minority heroes a chance to tell their stories. They did a great job of choosing characters that casual fans would be aware of, but not particularly knowledgeable of, and providing some alternate views of major DC and world events. More of an illustrated novel, since it is VERY wordy, and the art does not move the story forward at all, but once you get started, it's hard to put down
July 22, 2024
It was enlightening to read different perspectives on the superheroes heard about all the time (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc.) from those who are not as well known (a few I did not recognize the names at all, but I have not read a lot of comic books/graphic novels so I am not as familiar with the characters as most readers probably are). I also liked how the different narratives intertwined throughout the book, as each section had overlapping time periods and the last story was about the daughter of the protagonist of the first story. Overall, this was one of those works that makes you question previously-held assumptions about what you think you know about people, and about life in general.
October 8, 2023
Fascinating look at the DC universe history through the eyes of 5 of its minority group heroes, written in a prose style by award winning screenwriter John Ridley accompanied by illustrations from Guiseppe Camuncoli, an artist I am very familiar with through his work on the Lone Wolf interactive gamebooks.
February 7, 2024
I enjoyed these books, I see complaints about how they are dark or depressing. Though I think that's part of the point and in the right story it works.
Seeing things and events from the POV of Black Lighting, Mal and Bumblebee from Teen Titans, Renee M/Question and more. Adding in real world events is also a nice touch.
Seeing things and events from the POV of Black Lighting, Mal and Bumblebee from Teen Titans, Renee M/Question and more. Adding in real world events is also a nice touch.
December 12, 2022
Much needed history...
Just superb in every way. Truly the other history of the DC universe, one that needed to be told and should continue to be told in the future.
Just superb in every way. Truly the other history of the DC universe, one that needed to be told and should continue to be told in the future.
Read
February 3, 2023An unusual read, this. For one thing, it's not exactly comics, text sitting over and alongside illustrations rather than within them – a series of illustrated monologues, perhaps (plus one dialogue, sort of, though even there it reads more like different interviews being reported back and forth by an interviewer themselves unseen and unheard). But there's still a definite family resemblance to comics like Marvels, New Frontier, bits of Astro City. With the difference that where those are all at heart nostalgic projects, this book is very aware that the good old days weren't good for everyone. It could equally, punningly have been called The Color History Of The DC Universe, because the idea here is that after decades of comics in which white guys (and the odd green or orange character) have tended to take most of the lead roles, now characters who had marginal, even gimmicky existences around that get to tell the story with themselves at the centre. Black Lightning narrates the first chapter, one of his daughters the last; in between we hear from Katana, Renee Montoya, and in the only shared issue, the Teen Titans-adjacent Mal Duncan and Karen Beecher-Duncan, whose uncertain relationship with their costumed identities is part of the point. That's also the issue in which, by bouncing off each other, the voices feel most distinct; elsewhere, I did get a sense that while the experiences and sentiments being described varied, the language in which they came through could often feel interchangeable, something that felt particularly surprising when John Ridley is best known as a screenwriter. Sometimes that was a case of all these characters of such varied backgrounds using the same modern vocabulary of social justice, but it extends to details like Superman always being Kal, never Clark. Granted, there is a running undercurrent of needling at his status as the ultimate immigrant, always a little too careful of how assimilated he is – but even then, the degree to which they're all on the same wavelength regarding that epitomises what can feel like a missed opportunity for showing a greater breadth of perspectives. The strongest sections, for me, were the ones where individual personalities did come through the most; Montoya's chapter read as distinctly her in a way the others didn't always match (though it may help that of all these characters, she's the one I know best). Or Black Lightning's long dismissiveness of sometime Green Lantern John Stewart's readiness to be an occasional token presence, and where that ended up - that was brilliantly handled. And if it can feel a little unfair to juxtapose ugly aspects of our own world's history with the DCU's, then complain about the Justice League and the Titans not fighting real-world hate crimes, well, it's hard not to take Ridley's point that these characters have themselves been treated unfairly in the past, so at least as a rhetorical device you can see where he's going with that.
April 3, 2022
La otra historia del Universo DC es una historia de amor entre la editorial y los lectores continuistas. Creo que si sos de la generación que comenzó a leer comics con Editorial Perfil en Argentina y luego con SD, con esta novela gráfica se tapan los baches de continuidad que quedaron.
Los protagonistas están separados por cada capítulo.
En el primero, Rayo Negro muestra la discriminación a los negros en los sesenta y setenta en EEUU y se muestra como uno de los primeros héroes de color. La historia nos revela su paso por los Outsiders comandados por Batman.
En la segunda historia seguimos la vida de Malcom Duncan y Karen Beecher, el flautista y bumblebee, los jóvenes titanes negros, también contando la versión de algunos hechos desde su perspectiva, la primera Crisis en Tierras Infinitas.
La tercera historia está narrada por Katanna, otra miembro de los Outsiders, japonesa, y muestra que la discriminación también se expande a su raza.
La cuarta historia nos lleva a acompañar a René Montoya, la actual Question y muestra como su vida como homosexual se mantenía relegada por cumplir con el deber. Muestra algunos eventos del Cataclismo en Gotham.
La última historia nos presenta a Anissa Pierce, Trueno, la hija de Rayo Negro y su lucha por defender la justicia mientras se acepta como mujer, negra y homosexual, que nos trae a nuestros tiempos los cambios que ha atravesado la sociedad.
Los protagonistas están separados por cada capítulo.
En el primero, Rayo Negro muestra la discriminación a los negros en los sesenta y setenta en EEUU y se muestra como uno de los primeros héroes de color. La historia nos revela su paso por los Outsiders comandados por Batman.
En la segunda historia seguimos la vida de Malcom Duncan y Karen Beecher, el flautista y bumblebee, los jóvenes titanes negros, también contando la versión de algunos hechos desde su perspectiva, la primera Crisis en Tierras Infinitas.
La tercera historia está narrada por Katanna, otra miembro de los Outsiders, japonesa, y muestra que la discriminación también se expande a su raza.
La cuarta historia nos lleva a acompañar a René Montoya, la actual Question y muestra como su vida como homosexual se mantenía relegada por cumplir con el deber. Muestra algunos eventos del Cataclismo en Gotham.
La última historia nos presenta a Anissa Pierce, Trueno, la hija de Rayo Negro y su lucha por defender la justicia mientras se acepta como mujer, negra y homosexual, que nos trae a nuestros tiempos los cambios que ha atravesado la sociedad.
May 31, 2022
The news that John Ridley would be writing something for DC was BIG news. Everybody was hyped to see what original take he'd bring with him. He didn't reinvent the wheel, but he DID give us a history of DC as told by six marginalized "supers". This reads more as a illustrated novel, with long stretches of it being character monologues.
The 5 individual issues might be the preferred method to read the series, as it can be super wordy.
It's still refreshing to see someone make a history of Black Lightning or Katana an engaging piece. It's also telling that about half of the characters they used were part of "The Outsiders" at one point or another.
Give it a chance.
The 5 individual issues might be the preferred method to read the series, as it can be super wordy.
It's still refreshing to see someone make a history of Black Lightning or Katana an engaging piece. It's also telling that about half of the characters they used were part of "The Outsiders" at one point or another.
Give it a chance.
November 26, 2022
Examining the DCU from the viewpoint of Black Lightning, Katana, Renee Montoya and other minority heroes is a great idea. Execution was awful. Rather than a comic we have solid blocks of text over the illustrations, mostly first person monologue. And too much of it just retells stuff about the characters' history rather than giving us the distinctive angle I expected.
March 31, 2023
Ugh. If this is the other history of DC, just stay on the side without critical race theory. Seriously too bad, as I loved his Next Batman. Every character that's a minority can't enjoy their powers, like say Superman, because racism, sexism, homophobia, take your pick. I never felt as dark about these characters as Ridley does, which is too bad.
April 16, 2024
I liked how the real historical events were woven to each characters stories and the internal monologue really gave more depth and empathy for each one.
December 18, 2023
POPKulturowy Kociołek:
W świecie DC pełno jest znanych bohaterów, którzy stali się ikonami popkultury. Uniwersum to jest jednak na tyle wielkie, że ciągle skrywa ono wiele nieznanych do tej pory postaci. Herosów z drugiego, a nawet trzeciego rzędu, którzy z różnych względów ciągle pozostawali w cieniu bardziej znanych kolegów. To właśnie na takich bohaterach skupia się album Inna historia uniwersum DC.
Album Inna historia uniwersum DC to pod wieloma względami dzieło „inne” niż wszystko, do czego przyzwyczaili się fani komiksów superbohaterskich. W przypadku tego tytułu powieść graficzna nabiera zupełnie nowego znaczenia. Nie mamy tu bowiem do czynienia z tradycyjną formą komiksu, a bardziej powieścią okraszoną rysunkami. Nie jest to jedyny wyróżnik sprawiający, że tytuł ten niekoniecznie będzie musiał trafić w gusta każdego. Scenarzysta John Ridley w swojej pracy dość mocno uderza w tony nietolerancji, obsadzając w głównych rolach herosów spychanych w cień ze względu na swój kolor skóry czy orientację seksualną.
Na kolejnych stronach albumu autor prezentuje niektóre z kultowych momentów uniwersum (powstanie Ligi, śmierć Supermana itp.). Wydarzenia te zaprezentowane są oczami mniej znanych herosów, co nadaje im szerszej perspektywy i ciekawej głębi. Scenarzysta pokazuje również, że pierwszoplanowi bohaterowie, zajmując się największymi zagrożeniami dla świata, nie zawsze myśleli o zwykłych ludziach i ich codziennych problemach. Wyróżnikiem tytułu z grona licznej superbohaterskiej konkurencji jest także sięgnięcie przez twórcę do prawdziwych historycznych wydarzeń jako kontekstu dla poszczególnych postaci. Sprawia to, że narracja nabiera większego realizmu i może być dla niektórych czytelników dość intrygująca.
Niestety nie obeszło się tu również bez kilku zauważalnych wpadek jakościowych. Poszczególne rozdziały potrafią być czasem dość chaotyczne. Twórca na zbyt ograniczonej powierzchni stara się upchnąć zbyt wiele treści, często pisząc dość ogólnikowo/skrótowo. Jeśli więc ktoś nie jest wielkim fanem uniwersum, to niektóre wątki będą dla niego nazbyt enigmatyczne. Momentami John Ridley troszkę również przesadza z nadmierną ekspozycją problemów nietolerancji, ale to już sprawa mocno indywidualna....
https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/inna-...
W świecie DC pełno jest znanych bohaterów, którzy stali się ikonami popkultury. Uniwersum to jest jednak na tyle wielkie, że ciągle skrywa ono wiele nieznanych do tej pory postaci. Herosów z drugiego, a nawet trzeciego rzędu, którzy z różnych względów ciągle pozostawali w cieniu bardziej znanych kolegów. To właśnie na takich bohaterach skupia się album Inna historia uniwersum DC.
Album Inna historia uniwersum DC to pod wieloma względami dzieło „inne” niż wszystko, do czego przyzwyczaili się fani komiksów superbohaterskich. W przypadku tego tytułu powieść graficzna nabiera zupełnie nowego znaczenia. Nie mamy tu bowiem do czynienia z tradycyjną formą komiksu, a bardziej powieścią okraszoną rysunkami. Nie jest to jedyny wyróżnik sprawiający, że tytuł ten niekoniecznie będzie musiał trafić w gusta każdego. Scenarzysta John Ridley w swojej pracy dość mocno uderza w tony nietolerancji, obsadzając w głównych rolach herosów spychanych w cień ze względu na swój kolor skóry czy orientację seksualną.
Na kolejnych stronach albumu autor prezentuje niektóre z kultowych momentów uniwersum (powstanie Ligi, śmierć Supermana itp.). Wydarzenia te zaprezentowane są oczami mniej znanych herosów, co nadaje im szerszej perspektywy i ciekawej głębi. Scenarzysta pokazuje również, że pierwszoplanowi bohaterowie, zajmując się największymi zagrożeniami dla świata, nie zawsze myśleli o zwykłych ludziach i ich codziennych problemach. Wyróżnikiem tytułu z grona licznej superbohaterskiej konkurencji jest także sięgnięcie przez twórcę do prawdziwych historycznych wydarzeń jako kontekstu dla poszczególnych postaci. Sprawia to, że narracja nabiera większego realizmu i może być dla niektórych czytelników dość intrygująca.
Niestety nie obeszło się tu również bez kilku zauważalnych wpadek jakościowych. Poszczególne rozdziały potrafią być czasem dość chaotyczne. Twórca na zbyt ograniczonej powierzchni stara się upchnąć zbyt wiele treści, często pisząc dość ogólnikowo/skrótowo. Jeśli więc ktoś nie jest wielkim fanem uniwersum, to niektóre wątki będą dla niego nazbyt enigmatyczne. Momentami John Ridley troszkę również przesadza z nadmierną ekspozycją problemów nietolerancji, ale to już sprawa mocno indywidualna....
https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/inna-...
March 16, 2023
2021 Eisner Award nomination - Best Single Issue (issue #1)
This book takes a deep dive into the fictional lives of some of DC's non-white, non-male characters. It is reminiscent of Marvel's X-Men and Hulk Grand Design books, distilling years-long and sometimes contradictory adventures of these characters into a unified whole set in a specific time period. This is more of an illustrated book than a graphic novel--all text (i.e., no word balloons) highlighted with a lot of splash pages. Ridley seamlessly weaves fictional and real events from 1972 to 2010 into something with verisimilitude. He particularly examines what it is like for these often marginalized people to exist in a world of bigotry towards people of color, LGBTQ people, and non-males. Each chapter is told from a first-person perspective. The first chapter focuses on Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning, really the first black superhero at DC. The second chapter looks at Mal Duncan (sometimes known as Guardian) and Karen Beecher-Duncan (aka Bumblebee). As someone who has never read much of the Teen Titans, I was completely unfamiliar with these two, and enjoyed learning about them. The third chapter is about Tatsu Yamashiro, aka Katana, a Japanese sword-wielding superhero. I've read some of her tales, but was largely ignorant of her larger story, so I enjoyed knowing her better. The fourth chapter concerns Renee Montoya, aka The Question. I have read some of her stories, though mainly in her role as a Gotham City police detective, so again it was nice to learn more about her. The final chapter revolves around Anissa Pierce, Jefferson Pierce's daughter, sometimes known as Thunder. Much of her story involves the Teen Titans (as well as the Outsiders) so here again I didn't know a lot about her and appreciated knowing more. The artwork by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Andrea Cucchi, with colors by José Villarrubia, is uniformly excellent, often taking direct cues from the art of the original stories.
This book takes a deep dive into the fictional lives of some of DC's non-white, non-male characters. It is reminiscent of Marvel's X-Men and Hulk Grand Design books, distilling years-long and sometimes contradictory adventures of these characters into a unified whole set in a specific time period. This is more of an illustrated book than a graphic novel--all text (i.e., no word balloons) highlighted with a lot of splash pages. Ridley seamlessly weaves fictional and real events from 1972 to 2010 into something with verisimilitude. He particularly examines what it is like for these often marginalized people to exist in a world of bigotry towards people of color, LGBTQ people, and non-males. Each chapter is told from a first-person perspective. The first chapter focuses on Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning, really the first black superhero at DC. The second chapter looks at Mal Duncan (sometimes known as Guardian) and Karen Beecher-Duncan (aka Bumblebee). As someone who has never read much of the Teen Titans, I was completely unfamiliar with these two, and enjoyed learning about them. The third chapter is about Tatsu Yamashiro, aka Katana, a Japanese sword-wielding superhero. I've read some of her tales, but was largely ignorant of her larger story, so I enjoyed knowing her better. The fourth chapter concerns Renee Montoya, aka The Question. I have read some of her stories, though mainly in her role as a Gotham City police detective, so again it was nice to learn more about her. The final chapter revolves around Anissa Pierce, Jefferson Pierce's daughter, sometimes known as Thunder. Much of her story involves the Teen Titans (as well as the Outsiders) so here again I didn't know a lot about her and appreciated knowing more. The artwork by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Andrea Cucchi, with colors by José Villarrubia, is uniformly excellent, often taking direct cues from the art of the original stories.
June 11, 2023
This was a story I felt I needed to read, not just because I'm a fan of both comics and DC as a brand but also because it was a story I knew needed to be told.
John Ridley's The Other History of the DC Universe is already a victory because the powers-that-be at DC were comfortable enough to publish it in the first place. It's a prose story with comic-inspired visuals that explores the lives of six heroes (Black Lightning, Bumblebee & Malcolm Duncan, Katana, Renee Montoya, and Anissa "Thunder" Pierce) through their perspective across generations that take place from the mid-1970s to the present. What's rare about this story is that each showcases the lives of some of DC's most iconic minority characters, including two of their first Black heroes on the roster (Black Lightning and Bumblebee), a popular Asian heroine (Katana), a Latina character (Montoya), and a pair of LGBT heroines (Montoya and Thunder).
What hooked me immediately was the interspersing of DC Comics lore with real-world history, including learning about American history I never learned in school.
Also, every hero has some interaction with Batman and the universal consensus all share is that the iconic hero is an egotistical prick who's an embodiment of privilege, wealth, and, well, Whiteness. A brazen yet honestly refreshing take I'm surprised to see in a publication from DC Comics.
Is it actual DC canon? Does it really matter if it isn't? The Other History of the DC Universe is a generational tale about the last 50 years of American history, a period considered the most transformative in centuries. It's a must-read for any comic fan, especially those fans who feel out of place and unheard in the comic fandom, as well as anybody looking for an introduction to a side of comics rarely talked about in the comics themselves.
John Ridley's The Other History of the DC Universe is already a victory because the powers-that-be at DC were comfortable enough to publish it in the first place. It's a prose story with comic-inspired visuals that explores the lives of six heroes (Black Lightning, Bumblebee & Malcolm Duncan, Katana, Renee Montoya, and Anissa "Thunder" Pierce) through their perspective across generations that take place from the mid-1970s to the present. What's rare about this story is that each showcases the lives of some of DC's most iconic minority characters, including two of their first Black heroes on the roster (Black Lightning and Bumblebee), a popular Asian heroine (Katana), a Latina character (Montoya), and a pair of LGBT heroines (Montoya and Thunder).
What hooked me immediately was the interspersing of DC Comics lore with real-world history, including learning about American history I never learned in school.
Also, every hero has some interaction with Batman and the universal consensus all share is that the iconic hero is an egotistical prick who's an embodiment of privilege, wealth, and, well, Whiteness. A brazen yet honestly refreshing take I'm surprised to see in a publication from DC Comics.
Is it actual DC canon? Does it really matter if it isn't? The Other History of the DC Universe is a generational tale about the last 50 years of American history, a period considered the most transformative in centuries. It's a must-read for any comic fan, especially those fans who feel out of place and unheard in the comic fandom, as well as anybody looking for an introduction to a side of comics rarely talked about in the comics themselves.
July 8, 2024
Mam spory problem z pozycjami spod szyldu Black Label, bo rzadko kiedy trafia się jakiś przeciętny tytuł. Za to w moim przypadku występuje pewna skrajność co do ocen. Tytuły są albo diablo dobre, albo prawie całkowicie do niczego. Niestety omawiany tytuł celuje bardziej w tą drugą "mankę". I to nie ze względu na historię, a formę jej przedstawienia...
Sięgnięcie po mało znane postacie z historii DC i ich mały lifting, tak aby pasowały do aktualnych standardów - to czasami pomysły genialne, zaskakujące jakością. Ridley sięga po bohaterów z marginesu historii wydawcy, czy to ze względu na kolor skóry, czy preferencje osobiste - w tym seksualne. Postacie, których mało osób kojarzy, a warto nadać im nieco innego, lekkiego rebootu. Pomysł niezły, skierowany do dojrzalszych odbiorów. Tylko, że maksymalnie nudny.
Pod względem wizualnym komiks jest świetny, bawi się formą, co zaskakuje początkowo na plus. Szkopuł w tym, że mamy tu masę tekstu, który upchnięto jak w książce. Naprawdę dużo czytania, w dodatku monotonnego, bo są tu rozpisywane początki, jak i dawne dzieje charakterów. Przez taki a nie inny zabieg, nie jest to komiks sensu stricte. Nie ma tu miejsca na dymki czy dialogi. Jest lity tekst. Tylko, że nie tego oczekuję od tego typu medium. To powinna być książka, gdzie autor zadbałby o odpowiednie tempo. Tego tu nie ma...
I dlatego to przykład zmarnowanego potencjału. Ma swoje przebłyski, ale gdybym chciał coś w tym stylu, to poszedłbym do księgarni po opasły tom. A tak historie o Black Lightningu, Katanie czy Renee Montoyi tracą sporo na swojej atrakcyjności. Eksperymenty mają to do siebie, że nie zawsze odpalają, tak jak twórca zakłada. Tu jest to nietrafiona forma, która do mnie nie przemawia w takiej odsłonie.
Sięgnięcie po mało znane postacie z historii DC i ich mały lifting, tak aby pasowały do aktualnych standardów - to czasami pomysły genialne, zaskakujące jakością. Ridley sięga po bohaterów z marginesu historii wydawcy, czy to ze względu na kolor skóry, czy preferencje osobiste - w tym seksualne. Postacie, których mało osób kojarzy, a warto nadać im nieco innego, lekkiego rebootu. Pomysł niezły, skierowany do dojrzalszych odbiorów. Tylko, że maksymalnie nudny.
Pod względem wizualnym komiks jest świetny, bawi się formą, co zaskakuje początkowo na plus. Szkopuł w tym, że mamy tu masę tekstu, który upchnięto jak w książce. Naprawdę dużo czytania, w dodatku monotonnego, bo są tu rozpisywane początki, jak i dawne dzieje charakterów. Przez taki a nie inny zabieg, nie jest to komiks sensu stricte. Nie ma tu miejsca na dymki czy dialogi. Jest lity tekst. Tylko, że nie tego oczekuję od tego typu medium. To powinna być książka, gdzie autor zadbałby o odpowiednie tempo. Tego tu nie ma...
I dlatego to przykład zmarnowanego potencjału. Ma swoje przebłyski, ale gdybym chciał coś w tym stylu, to poszedłbym do księgarni po opasły tom. A tak historie o Black Lightningu, Katanie czy Renee Montoyi tracą sporo na swojej atrakcyjności. Eksperymenty mają to do siebie, że nie zawsze odpalają, tak jak twórca zakłada. Tu jest to nietrafiona forma, która do mnie nie przemawia w takiej odsłonie.
March 2, 2024
Wszędzie słychać o nowym Supermanie i Batmanie, a nikt nie mówi o bohaterach, którzy również mieli wpływ na świat wykreowany przez DC. Ten barwny album umożliwia poznanie historii postaci pomijanych przez dekady.
Książka porusza absurdy istnienia Ligi Sprawiedliwości. Pokazuje jak nieskazitelna grupa, którą ludzie pokochali, potrafi być zacofana i pełna stereotypów. Ujawnia nam inne spojrzenie na bohaterów, którzy w obliczu poważnego zagrożenia, konfliktu politycznego wycofują się i każą ludziom radzić sobie samemu.
Niedorzeczność ich działań uświadamiają im pomniejsi bohaterowie, których mamy okazję w tym albumie poznać. To są osoby z pozoru zwyczajne, których sytuacja życiowa zmusiła do bycia w pewnym momencie złoczyńcą, a potem bohaterem. Oni nie mają szans dołączyć do głównego składu i w pewnym momencie ci pomniejsi bohaterowie przewartościowują wszystko, ukazując fałszywość logiki, którą kieruje się Liga Sprawiedliwości. W porównaniu do nich walczą o losy mieszkańców zapomnianych miast, dzielnic, a nawet mieszają się w politykę.
To nie Liga ratowała bohaterów, którzy przeszli załamanie nerwowe, gdy nie uratowali planety, tylko właśnie ci wyklęci przez społeczność czy główny skład. Tu idealnie można nawiązać do sytuacji Johna Stewarta, zastępcy Hala Jordana, Zielonej Latarni. Niby czasem działa z Ligą, ale nigdy nie był doceniany, a kiedy planeta wybuchła, bo nie zdążył jej uratować, to się od niego kompletnie odcięli. Z pomocą wtedy przyszedł nie Hal Jordan, ale Jefferson Pierce.
Więcej na CzasoStrefa
Książka porusza absurdy istnienia Ligi Sprawiedliwości. Pokazuje jak nieskazitelna grupa, którą ludzie pokochali, potrafi być zacofana i pełna stereotypów. Ujawnia nam inne spojrzenie na bohaterów, którzy w obliczu poważnego zagrożenia, konfliktu politycznego wycofują się i każą ludziom radzić sobie samemu.
Niedorzeczność ich działań uświadamiają im pomniejsi bohaterowie, których mamy okazję w tym albumie poznać. To są osoby z pozoru zwyczajne, których sytuacja życiowa zmusiła do bycia w pewnym momencie złoczyńcą, a potem bohaterem. Oni nie mają szans dołączyć do głównego składu i w pewnym momencie ci pomniejsi bohaterowie przewartościowują wszystko, ukazując fałszywość logiki, którą kieruje się Liga Sprawiedliwości. W porównaniu do nich walczą o losy mieszkańców zapomnianych miast, dzielnic, a nawet mieszają się w politykę.
To nie Liga ratowała bohaterów, którzy przeszli załamanie nerwowe, gdy nie uratowali planety, tylko właśnie ci wyklęci przez społeczność czy główny skład. Tu idealnie można nawiązać do sytuacji Johna Stewarta, zastępcy Hala Jordana, Zielonej Latarni. Niby czasem działa z Ligą, ale nigdy nie był doceniany, a kiedy planeta wybuchła, bo nie zdążył jej uratować, to się od niego kompletnie odcięli. Z pomocą wtedy przyszedł nie Hal Jordan, ale Jefferson Pierce.
Więcej na CzasoStrefa
July 26, 2023
THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE is essentially a book from the perspective of DC's marginalized black or gay (or black and gay) protagonists. Plus, Katana who is both a woman as well as Japanese. It's one of those books that everyone should read if you're a hardcore DC fan and want to have some views challenged but also not necessarily something that you're going to enjoy outright.
It's less of a comic book and more of a novelette or novella that functions similarly to THE REFRIGERATOR MONOLOGUES but with canon DC characters. Basically, six different characters narrate their perspective on DC comics from the Seventies to 2008 or so.
Jefferson Pierce - Black Lightning
Malcolm Duncan - Guardian (II), Hornblower
Karen Beecher - Bumblebee
Tatsu Yamashiro - Katana
Nyssa Pierce - Thunder
Essentially, the books follow the angry and frustrated perspective of all six heroes interspersed between real life events as well as the ridiculous yet treated seriously history of DC comics. It's raw, dark, and unapologetic in its criticism of DC comics sacred cows. It's also a book that couldn't have been done about Marvel's heroes as they've never had the privileged status that DC's heroes have always done. Say what you will about Captain America but even in the Seventies, he had quit the US government.
Here, Superman is shown to be incredibly naive about real life social issues and slightly condescending to his cousin, Supergirl. Batman is shown to be a control freak and possibly homophobic (but more seems to just irrationally hate Nyssa Pierce). Roy Harper also criticizes Mal Duncan in a way that makes it clear that he's also bullying his so-called friend in a way you have to wonder about racial reasons.All of this is backed up by continuity from DC comics.
This can be hard to read and really, the best part of the entire book is definitely the takedown of Deathstroke and what he did to Tara Markov.
It's less of a comic book and more of a novelette or novella that functions similarly to THE REFRIGERATOR MONOLOGUES but with canon DC characters. Basically, six different characters narrate their perspective on DC comics from the Seventies to 2008 or so.
Jefferson Pierce - Black Lightning
Malcolm Duncan - Guardian (II), Hornblower
Karen Beecher - Bumblebee
Tatsu Yamashiro - Katana
Nyssa Pierce - Thunder
Essentially, the books follow the angry and frustrated perspective of all six heroes interspersed between real life events as well as the ridiculous yet treated seriously history of DC comics. It's raw, dark, and unapologetic in its criticism of DC comics sacred cows. It's also a book that couldn't have been done about Marvel's heroes as they've never had the privileged status that DC's heroes have always done. Say what you will about Captain America but even in the Seventies, he had quit the US government.
Here, Superman is shown to be incredibly naive about real life social issues and slightly condescending to his cousin, Supergirl. Batman is shown to be a control freak and possibly homophobic (but more seems to just irrationally hate Nyssa Pierce). Roy Harper also criticizes Mal Duncan in a way that makes it clear that he's also bullying his so-called friend in a way you have to wonder about racial reasons.All of this is backed up by continuity from DC comics.
This can be hard to read and really, the best part of the entire book is definitely the takedown of Deathstroke and what he did to Tara Markov.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews