When Is A Black Character Not A Black Character?

[Rich Johnston]

From the Cookie Baking Bitch tumblr

So in Red Hood and the Outlaws, Crux is a black man who turns into a giant green monster.

And, in Teen Titans, Skitter is a black woman who turns into a grotesque arachnid-like being.

Scott Lobdell, what in the actual fuck were you thinking?

The comments back her up.

DC, you just keep giving me reasons not to give you my money.

Oh and lets not forget that there?s Voodoo as well. Who isn't Lobdell?s fault but it?s sort of a TREND over at DC to make black people turn into monsters, isn't it?

There has been a recognised trope for black characters to lose their "blackness" in some way, in an overproportionate level. The charge is that somewhere people think a black character can't be commercially successful, so they try and hide it somehow. The most popular black comic book character in the US has probably been Spawn - a character who not only had all the flesh flayed off his skin, but when he uses his shape shifting powers to look human, can only look like a white guy. You can see how it might chafe.

But how does this stand up with the new 52, and specifically Scott Lobdell? Is he a racist trying to cover up?

Well, it's pointed that few people have gone after Cyborg's portrayal, despite him being the victim of his parent's experiments and winding up as 1/5th a human and 4/5ths a robot. Whereas Crux is a brilliant scientist who created a way to shape-shift. Who is the better role model?

Well, um, I mean aside that Crux is a bad guy. Even that is debatable, since his whole reason for transforming himself was to get rid of aliens on Earth like the ones who killed his parents.?* One man's villain is another man's self-sacrificing vigilante...

But, you know, Scott Lobdell did once say "The comic industry doesn't need any more white male super heroes". And characters of colour that he's created who don't shape shift include M, Mondo, Noir, Dr Cecelia Reyes, Maggot, Centennial, Shard, Synch and Vibrania. His most popular shape shifter, Husk, is white - unless she shape shifts into something else. As for whether a shape shifting ability makes a person any less black - well, some might consider that a little rude.

Thoughts? Seriously, what else were you going to do tonight?

[Groovie Mann]

Everytime I see one of these criticisms, it makes me feel less black for not getting angry over things like this. Oh-and I like Voodoo.

[KyleGarret]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I get all of my serious comic book discussions from Cookie Baking Bitch.

[thekeith82]

So essentially he's Curt Connors, but he happens to be a black guy? And this is a problem?

I'm genuinely unsure some days if it's possible to do anything without offending somebody.

[Joe B. Pangrazio]

Ridiculous. All that need be said.

So essentially he's Curt Connors, but he happens to be a black guy? And this is a problem?

I'm genuinely unsure some days if it's possible to do anything without offending somebody.

I'm not. I know it's impossible to do anything without at least offending somebody.

[averyscratch]

Fuck this...just trying to bait people to have a race argument are we? Hits that down in the last few days?

[Eric Sean]

White guys have been turning into monsters for years:
Bruce Banner, Ben Grimm, Kirk Langstrom, etc.

And, as far as the New 52 goes, we have Static, Mr. Terrific, and Batwing in their own books who are very visibly black.

Sounds like a non-issue to me.

[kICKsTART]

You know the people who are complaining about this COULD start reading Mister Terrific you know that little book with a black man as the lead who is F'n Brilliant and good looking and is like awesome in a million different ways. i don't know just saying. If you are looking for a role model how about a brilliant physicist who is also black and in a LOW SELLING BOOK!! Hello! okay that felt good.

[Dawnelldo]

You got to be kidding me with this?

[SAMURAI36]

Wow, this is sooo dumb... Crying over VERY minor characters??

First, I am a Black man. And a damn proud one at that.

Last I checked, DC has 4 comics out, with prominent black characters (BATWING, MR TERRIFIC, STATIC SHOCK and VOODOO). That's 3 more than the competition has. Not to mention, they just did a MAJOR story about STEEL over in ACTION.

None of those characters (with the exception of VOODOO, which I don't read anyway) are shucking and jiving, acting bafoonish, or are turning into anything.

Pre-52, they had Black Lightning, who was yet another intelligent portrayal of a Black Hero: teacher, family man, etc. There was also the Amazing Man in the JSA.

And if you really want to make such a retarded ass statement about a black character turning green.... Well then, on the Young Justice TV show, Martian Manhunter's "John Jones" alter ego is a black man.... Thus, it's "bad" for a black character to turn green, but it's okay for a green character to turn black?


I could go on, but I'm sure you all get the point. I'm pro-Black all day, but this is just a dumb ass argument.