Comic series explores world where only Black people have superpowers
Studio 8 is imagining a whole new world with a comic series from Black Mask Studios called Black.
Studio 8 is imagining a whole new world with a comic series from Black Mask Studios called Black.
The series imagines a world where only African-Americans have superpowers. The original six-issue run, created by Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3, follows the story of teenager Kareem Jenkins, who survives a police shooting when he discovers that the hail of bullets didn’t stop him.
“The day I got shot changed my life,” Jenkins says in the latest issue, adding, “Not because I got up, but because of all the people who can’t.”
The series draws from the Black Lives Matter movement and addresses issues of police brutality, mass incarceration, and other issues. In the universe of this comic book, there is a massive conspiracy as well to hide the existence of superpowers from not only the world but specifically the Black community.
The series began early last year with a Kickstarter campaign that quickly gained traction and notoriety until it was picked up, with ex-Marvel and DC digital editor Osajyefo and Smith both set as co-producers.
Studio 8 EVP Creative Jon Silk has now brought the project into his comic book company, which has a distribution deal with Sony, and the series will continue to develop under executive Rishi Rajani.
