Now two weeks into December, the holiday season is well underway and people are rushing to purchase their gifts.
As the celebrations begin, here are five comic books by Black authors to give to a loved one as a gift.
- March: Book One: Created by late Congressman John Lewis, this graphic novel is an account of his life. The book details his achievements from his early childhood to his involvement in the 1963 March on Washington to his winning the Medal of Freedom in 2011 from Barack Obama. The graphic novel is part of a three-part series and has been part of the books facing censorship in curriculums across the U.S.
- Bessie Stringfield: Tales of the Talented Tenth, No. 2: Written by cartoonist Professor Joel Christian Gill, Bessie Stringfield: Tales of the Talented Tenth, No. 2 is about the real-life story of The Motorcycle Queen of Miami, Bessie Stringfield. In this second edition of his Tales of the Talented Tenth series, a comic series that focuses on the stories of Black Americans, Gill details the life of the first Black woman to be honored as part of both the Harley Davidson Hall of Fame and American Motorcyclist Association Hall of Fame. In the early 20th century, during the ‘30s and ‘40s, Stringfield made history as one of the first Black women to travel cross-country on her bike by herself.
- Ironheart. Vol. 1, Those with Courage: Made by sociologist and artist Eve Ewing, Ironheart follows Riri Williams, an acquaintance of Iron Man. In this edition, she goes solo and sets out to protect a group of world figures that are being targeted by one of Spiderman’s old villains. Along with this, Williams needs to deal with her school life and desire to get into M.I.T. and Miles Morales’ kidnapping.
- Quincredible Vol.1: Quest to Be the Best!: From the mind of Rodney Barnes, an award-winning screenwriter and executive producer of shows like Marvel’s “Runaways” and “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” this graphic novel is about the life of teenager Quinton West. The main character goes from a victim of bullying to a superhero after a meteor shower, known as “The Event,” gives him special powers. With help from a fellow superhero named Glow, West learns how to use his powers and love for making Rube Goldberg devices to keep people safe from villains.
- NEW MASTERS: Created by two brothers from Nigeria, Shobo Coker and Shof Coker, NEW MASTERS is an eclectic mixture of Afrofuturism, adventure and drama. The graphic novel received rave reviews upon its release, earning the brothers a 2019 Creators for Creators Grant for their debut product. With its sixth volume just released on Aug. 24 this year, the series follows a group of outcasts with a mission to save West Africa from alien colonizers. To protect the region, the group has to find and reign in the power of an ancient artifact, making sure that the object never falls into the hands of their enemies.
