The Four Color Media Monitor

The Mankato Free Press interviewed a graphic novel writer penning a comic titled Night Wraith, who indicates he thinks older Marvel/DC didn't go far enough with their beliefs:

His characters in particular are inclusive to all.

“As much as I love Marvel and DC, they’re still products of their time,” he said. “The Avengers, they’re all Caucasian people, which is fine, and they’re mostly male.”

Those comics, written in the ‘60s, didn’t venture into much diversity. His characters include those who represent the LGBTQ+ community, diverse races, religions and people of all abilities.

“I want to make sure that every walk of life is represented,” he said. “Everyone can be a hero, and everyone can be a villain. What matters is your character rather than what you look like.”

All groups need to be represented, especially for younger readers, Kratzke said, because he looked up to superheroes in his comic books as role models.

If this includes ideology, I'm not impressed, because ideology (and religion) comes in all forms, good and bad, ditto LGBT beliefs. Certainly, the character is more crucial than how you look (or what belief and politics you practice), but the way he alludes to ideology dampens the edge. In any case, his view of the Avengers is incredibly, surprisingly superficial, ignoring any and all of the ladies who came to join the Earth's Mightiest Heroes when Marvel had meaning, including Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Tigra and Mantis. And it also ignores the membership of Black Panther. Is this guy really an expert on Marvel/DC history? It doesn't sound like it, honestly.

Anyway, here's what the story of Night Wraith is like:

In May 2019, Kratzke began to write, and finished, “Night Wraith.” The comic book is set in the late 18th century and early 19th century on a Georgia plantation, focusing on the main character Roho Mandazzi, who’s subjected to slavery. In 1811, Roho turned 25 and an accident occurred in which his father kills a member of the plantation and the owner punishes and executes Roho’s father, James, in front of his family. Roho, along with his brother and love interest, run away, though unsuccessfully, and are executed.

From his grave, Roho hears a voice who grants him a second chance on earth. He acquires ghostly powers that are used to protect those who are oppressed. From 1811 and forward, Roho becomes a legend and receives the name “The Night Wraith” — a hero of the oppressed and a symbol of hope.

As a story built on the awful history of the southern slavery in the USA, it sounds interesting, and I wish the guy good luck in marketing it. But I still find it dismaying how he's promomting the PC narratives of today, which decidedly takes away from what good impact this GN could have. Why must all these writers keep sounding political? And a pity the guy's saying all those famous superhero comics are merely of their time, because that kind of belief something's dated is exactly what brought them down, turning them into relics of a bygone era, regrettably enough.

Labels: dc comics, history, indie publishers, marvel comics, misogyny and racism, msm propaganda, politics