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10 Black Comic Book Characters We Can’t Wait See Get Their Own Films

Revenger.1.prev2_-600x928Revenger (Independent) 

From writer and artist Charles Sanford Forsman, Revenger is about a woman that takes the cases of the downtrodden and helps them seek revenge. For comic book fans that enjoy tough female leads and some violence, this is a cool title to check out.

watsonWatson and Holmes (Independent) 

This series was created by comic writer Karl Bollers and artist Rick Leonardi. Watson and Holmes takes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective series and transports John Watson and Sherlock Holmes to Harlem.

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DC’s Cyborg Gets His Own Solo Title

Cyborg has had a long history in the DC Comics universe. He first served as a key member of the Teen Titans in the 1980s, and in the New 52 he became a founding member of the Justice League. But Cyborg became extremely popular after the early 2000s animated Teen Titans series.

While all of his fellow JL founding members had a solo title, Cyborg was left without, even though he had fans. However, all of that changes this week when Cyborg #1 is released.

The title is written by David Walker with art done by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and Adriano Lucas. Cyborg aka Vic Stone will be on his own trying to balance being half-man and half-machine.

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In an interview with comicbook.com, Walker talks about the theme of the new title.

“I’m surrounding him with a cast of characters that some pull him in one direction and others pull him in another direction, in that sort of man-versus-machine,” he said. “Who are the supporting characters who make him feel more like a machine, and who are those that make him feel more like a man?”

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There will be new villains called the Tekbreakers and the Technosapiens who are original creations by Walker.

This title is part of DC Comics post New 52 lineup that has shaken up the entire universe for the better. Titles like Midnighter, Black Canary, Dr. Fate and others are energizing the DC brand. Hopefully, the book will introduce an exciting rogues’ gallery for Cyborg and a new host of fans.

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5 Things Anyone Who Loves Black Comic Characters Should Know About the Milestone Comics’ Reboot

mcduffietributecallThe Beginning

In 1993, the comic book publishing company was founded as Milestone Media by a group of Black artists and writers, including the late Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis and Derek T. Dingle. From 1993 to 1997, the company produced nearly 300 comics with Black characters as leads. The titles were published through DC Comics as a separate imprint in its own universe.

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Could Tyrese Gibson Be the Next Green Lantern?

There have been plenty of rumors that the new Green Lantern film could feature more than one Green Lantern. That means that Hal Gordon, Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner, John Stewart and others could be at the center of this brand new project from DC Comics.

In the past few weeks, there has been speculation that R&B singer and Fast and Furious actor Tyrese Gibson would be John Stewart, one of DC’s first African-American characters.

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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor stated:

“There are certain things I can’t speak on. But I will say, however this works out, it’s definitely the fans’ fault. I was at home minding my own business and fans start creating these fan-made videos of me as Green Lantern and I looked into it. I’ve been a fan of the Green Lantern. I took the oath, and I had a meeting at Warner Bros. and certain things were said and talked about. We’ll just see what happens. ”

Fans may have some trepidation about him and the role because he primarily plays comic relief roles in his films and that may not be the way fans envision John Stewart.

One of the bones of contention surrounding comic book films, in general, is the filmmakers’ vision versus the fans’. Comic book fans expect a lot out of the filmmakers and expect them to create stories that are true to the source material, but fans can’t tell directors, writers and others how to interpret that source material. Fans have to wait and see like everyone else.

So will Gibson be a good choice for this iconic character? Maybe. Some may root for Idris Elba. But who knows at this point? There are about three years before the final product is released. Let the speculation build.

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5 Ways DC Comics Can Pose a Serious Threat to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

After the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, every major studio wants to copy that model. There have been rumors of a Ghostbusters Universe, Transformers Universe and more Star Wars. Universal Studios was hoping to launch a new Monsters Universe beginning with 2014’s Dracula Untold, but that is in limbo. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg and the beginning of the mimicry. The biggest threat comes in the form of a massive experiment from Warner Brothers. DC Comics and Warner Brothers appear to be the only forces that could come close to dethroning Marvel. With the slew of announcements, the DC Cinematic Universe could be a breath of fresh air or a beautiful disaster with merit.

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Diversity

From the beginning, DC and Warner Brothers announced that the Justice League would be replacing founder Martian Manhunter with Cyborg. This minor change was just the beginning to something bigger when we learned that Jason Momoa was Aquaman. Stage actor Ray Fisher will portray Cyborg and also star in the solo film, which was announced before Black Panther. The interesting aspect to this is who will direct the film. Let’s look at other directing choices:

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Patty Jenkins will direct Wonder Woman after only directing one real hit film, 2003’s Monster.

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James Wan who is of Malaysian and Chinese descent will direct Aquaman. Wan has directed countless hits including Furious Seven (2015), which is one the highest grossing films of all time and one of the most diverse.

There is a strong chance Antoine Fuqua or someone else could direct Cyborg’s film.

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Green Arrow Comic Addresses #BlackLivesMatter Movement

The New Green Arrow comic creative team, writer Benjamin Percy and artist Patrick Zircher, will take the character into familiar territory as they discuss the recent social movements in the United States.

After 41 issues of the New 52 Green Arrow, this new team wants to shake up the comic by having upcoming storylines echo events in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore as the character tackles tough social issues.

“I can’t go into much detail. I don’t want to give away any of the mysteries that keep readers reading. I will say that the first arc has a veiled, incendiary connection to what is happening in places like Ferguson and Baltimore. Green Arrow has a history as a political firebrand,” said Percy.

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According to writer David Barnett from The Guardian, “Green Arrow certainly asked the tough questions back in the early ’70s, during an infamous run of stories written by Dennis O’Neil and drawn by Neal Adams, which actually appeared in the Green Lantern comic, though Green Arrow (secret identity: Oliver Queen) had joint billing.”

During that time, Green Arrow and Green Lantern dealt with segregation in America, rising drug usage, and with mental health all in an attempt to save a struggling book.

Percy goes on to say that “DC wanted me to bring that back to the series. This won’t dominate the book – but it will be an essential undercurrent. These are culturally, politically, environmentally dangerous times, and I’m taking a knife to the nerve of the moment. But even as I wrestle with these issues – some of them ripped from the headlines – I hope the story never comes across as editorial or preachy – just relevant. I think stories should raise questions, not answer them.”

DC Comics has been pushing the envelope lately in order to compete with Marvel. The character Midnighter is the first mainstream homosexual male to have a solo series, and recently there was a transgender character introduced in Batgirl.

If DC wants its books to be more reflective of the times, putting Green Arrow in the midst of a new social movement is a good call.

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Diversity Play? 10 Comic Book Characters Who Have Been Changed To A Person Of Color

The geek community is vehement about changing white characters into people of color. After every casting announcement, Twitter becomes a hotbed of racial epitaphs and ignorance. The intolerance over the casting of fictional characters in pieces of entertainment can be reminiscent of the worst kinds of racism in this country. To the pleasure of open-minded geeks everywhere, Marvel and, especially, DC Comics continue to add diversity anyway they see fit. Here are some white characters who are now people of color.

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Iris West (DC)

On the hit CW show The Flash (2014), Candice Patton portrays Barry Allen’s love interest. At first fans were in an uproar over the casting, but now since the show has become a hit, most fans have moved on.

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Aquaman (DC)

In the DC Comics cinematic universe, the king of the Seven Seas will be played by Jason Momoa. He became a fan favorite playing Khal Drogo on the HBO show Game of Thrones.

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9 Awesomely Talented Blerds Behind The Scenes of Your Favorite Animation

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James Tucker 

Tucker is a prominent animation producer for DC Comics and Warner Bros Animation. He has worked on projects such as Justice League: The Animated Series (2001), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008) and Superman: Unbound (2013). He also worked on comedy animated series like Pinky and the Brain (1997).

 

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Floyd Norman

Norman is one of the most important animators in Black history. He worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Ruby-Spears, Film Roman and Pixar. He was the first Black artist/animator to work for Disney, opening the door for many animators to come. He worked on Sleeping Beauty (1959), Toy Story 2 (1999), and Monsters, Inc (2002). He also has writing credits on Mulan (1998) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996).

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More Than Black Panther – 9 More Black Superheroes Who Deserve to Be On The Big Screen

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America Chavez (Marvel)

Chavez goes by the codename Miss America and serves as the leader of the Young Avengers. Her strange and mysterious past as an inter-dimensional powerhouse would be a sight to see on film. America Chavez was raised by her mothers in the Utopian Parallel, where they sacrificed themselves to protect her. Her powers include: flight, super strength and the ability to kick inter-dimensional portals open.

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Batwing (Lucas Fox) (DC)

The second Batwing is the son of Lucius Fox, weapons builder for Bruce Wayne. This Batwing is reminiscent of Batman Beyond, where Batman serves as a mentor to the hero, and a suit with enhanced features gives the wearer abilities. Lucas Fox has had many confrontations with his father about becoming a hero, and the drama could play well on the big screen.

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