African and African-American Superheroes That Aren’t the Black Panther
By Rachel F.
Wed, April 11, 2018
You love Black Panther, I love Black Panther—we all love Black Panther! Have you already read through all of our Black Panther comics and graphic novels available in our catalog? Feeling ready to branch out and explore what else is out there in African and African-American Superheroes? We got you covered!
Set in fifteenth-century West Africa, Malika: Warrior Queen follows the exploits of queen and military commander Malika, who struggles to keep the peace in her ever-expanding empire. Growing up as a prodigy, Malika inherited the crown from her father in the most unusual of circumstances, splitting the kingdom of Azzaz in half. After years of civil war, Malika was able to unite all of Azzaz, expanding it into one of the largest empires in all of West Africa. But expansion would not come without its costs. Enemies begin to rise within her council, and Azzaz grabbed the attention of one of the most feared superpowers the world has ever known: the Ming Dynasty. As Malika fights to win the clandestine war within the walls of her empire, she must now turn her attentions to an indomitable and treacherous foe with plans to vanquish her entire people.
A new Iron Age begins! From the violent streets of Chicago, a new armored hero rises! Clad in her very own Iron Man armor, Riri Williams is ready to show the world what she can do as the self-made hero of tomorrow. Her technology just might change the face of the Marvel Universe forever... if she survives the experience. But is she ready for all the problems that come with stepping into Iron Man's jet boots? Where's a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist when you need one?
Alexander, New York's hottest, cockiest, and most media-hungry Assistant District Attorney, is about to learn something shocking: he is not even human. He's the last of the Mantamaji, a long-lost race of warriors who once protected humanity when the world was young. Now another Mantamaji, the worst of all their kind, has reawakened to visit doom on all of humanity. Can Elijah accept his past, reject his present life, and learn about his talents in time to defeat the villain who killed all the other Mantamaji before him? Legend of the Mantamaji is a three-book graphic novel series whose sweeping tale of magic and mystery, and heroes and villains, has a fresh look, modern setting, and ancient beat.
Black
In a world that already hates and fears them, the question asked in this graphic novel is: "What if only Black people had superpowers?" After miraculously surviving being gunned down by police, a young man learns that he is part of the biggest lie in history. Now he must decide whether it's safer to keep it a secret or if the truth will set him free.
Lunella Lafayette is an inhuman pre-teen genius who wants to change the world! That job would be a lot easier if she wasn't living in mortal fear of her latent inhuman gene. There's no telling what she'll turn into, but Luna's got a plan: all she needs is an Omni-Wave Projector. Easy, right? That is, until a red-scaled beast is teleported from the prehistoric past to a far-flung future we call... today! Together they're the most Marvelous Team-Up of all—the Inhuman Moon Girl and time-tossed Devil Dinosaur! But will they be BFFs forever, or just until DD's dinner time? Lunella soon learns that there are other problems with having a titanic T. Rex as a pet in the modern-day Marvel Universe: school, for one. Monster hunters are another, especially when they're the Totally Awesome Hulk! Then there's the fact that everyone's favorite dino didn't journey through time alone. Beware the prehistoric savages known as the Killer-Folk—New York City's deadliest tourists! Can Lunella handle all this turmoil and keep herself from transforming into an inhuman monster?
A superhero story about redemption, set in a futuristic 2025 Africa! Wale Wiliams, an impetuous young man who inherits a suit with super powers after his father goes missing, is tricked into returning home to Lagoon City, Nigeria following a five-year absence. Wale embarks on a journey to investigate his father's mysterious disappearance. As he comes to understand the suit's powers, Wale realizes he must restore hope to his city by preventing catastrophic attacks from the sociopathic Oniku, the leader of an extremist group called the CREED.
Are we missing any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
Can't get enough of comics and graphic novels? Save the date for the next Free Library Comic Con coming up on Saturday, May 12, 2018! Get your free tickets now!
Have a question for Free Library staff? Please submit it to our Ask a Librarian page and receive a response within two business days.