3 Comics with Black Female Protagonists Who Deal with Real-Life Issues

‘Genius’

Now if you’re looking for a well-drawn, well-written comic with Black people in it, do I have a limited series for you. From Top Cow and Image, Marc Bernardin (writer on an episode of Alphas) and Adam Freeman, may I present “Genius.” This five-issue series ran this summer. Set in Los Angeles, the story centers on Destiny Ajaye, a 17-year-old tactical genius, who uses her intellect (among other things) to get what she thinks her community deserves. What I love about this title is that this isn’t another poor, little Black girl trying to escape her circumstances. With no super-powers or magic, she steps into her civic responsibility and organizes her community to fight for themselves. But make no mistake, Destiny’s rise to power was on the backs, or more accurately, the bodies of the other gangs. Naturally her ascension garners too much attention and results in the police doing what they do best. Destiny knows this too and adjusts accordingly.

I like the intelligence that Destiny shows; not just of how to survive in her neighborhood, but a real understanding and leveraging of her power as an intelligent Black woman in the larger world. The twists and turns, especially in issues 3 and 4, will have you going “no they didn’t!” The great writing makes this series feel like a really great episode of your favorite action show, and for those of us who like to see us in a comic, Afua Richardson can really render our lusciousness and curves. Pure genius.

Source: Black Girl Nerds