November 20, 2011

Black POW!-er

The History of the Black Superhero—TAKE THAT! 5 Enlarge Image
close The History of the Black Superhero—TAKE THAT! 5

By Peter Monaghan

Superheroes have generally been white, like most of their consumers.

But in Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes (University of Texas Press), Adilifu Nama hails the many African-Americans who have saved the day with POW!, BAM!, or TAKE THAT!

Nama surveys the pioneering black superheroes and more numerous black sidekicks of white super-aces; the supergirls, super Nubians, and cat women; and the white superheroes who somehow, suddenly became