“It’s a genre dominated by white, straight males, so American actress Nafessa Williams admits she was moved to tears when she pulled on her costume for the first time to play a black, lesbian superhero. “It was a moment,” she says. “I mean, I’m representing a whole group of people who need to see themselves on TV.”
Williams plays Thunder in the hit television series Black Lightning – and is in London this week to promote its second series and hopefully convert more Britons to what she admits is “not your typical superhero show”.
“Yes, we’re wearing costumes but we’re not fighting aliens or creatures in an alternative universe,” she says. “We’re fighting real-life issues that are happening within our country, in our inner cities. Police brutality, gang crime, drug crime, social injustice – and we’re shedding light on it.”
Williams plays Anissa Pierce, a medical student and black-rights activist who learnt of her superhuman powers in the first series.
She tells how a teenager recently approached her and thanked her for playing a strong, black, gay woman. “She said that after seeing Anissa she now feels normal being a lesbian. It’s pretty cool because as a young black girl I didn’t have a superhero to look up to – there was no one who looked like me,” she says.”
Marvel: Are you ready for the GOD of motherFUCKING THUNDER?????? He’s six feet of RAWMUSCLE and his hobbies include SMASHING things with a HUGE, MAGICHAMMER and being a generally SEXY BEAST
The fandom:
10/10 gif usage
The funniest thing is I imagine Diana and Thor would get along very well, and bond over their dads being the head honchos of the gods. Also lightning and thunder! Diana would probably be like a slightly exasperated big sister to Thor at times. Oh and she can 100% lift Mjolnir and wield Stormbreaker.
and we all know how Thor feels about female warriors. he would think Diana is the absolute coolest
DC announced a new editorial line-up including more female creators (Ming Doyle writing Constantine, swoon) and more female-led books (Black Canary! Starfire! PREZ!).
And then, Captain Marvel & Ms. Marvel editor Sana Amanat was promoted to Marvel’s new Director of Content & Character Development.
gailsimone ain’t lying. Today is a very good day for women in comics.
Plus!!!
Cyborg, a prominent black hero, is not only getting his own book, he’s going to be written by a black man (David Walker)!
Midnighter, a gay hero, is getting his own solo title!
Annie Wu is drawing Black Canary!
Starfire is being written and drawn by female creators (Amanda Conner (with Jimmy Palmiotti) and Emanuela Lupacchino, respectively)!
Chinese-American writer Gene Luen Yang (author of the acclaimed graphic novel The Shadow Hero, which I really want to read) is writing Superman! (And Shadow Hero artist Sonny Liew drawing Dr Fate!)
Genevieve Valentine, who was originally slated to write only one Catwoman arc, is continuing as the series writer!
Look at the tonal shift! Bizarro? Bat-Mite?? Prez??? These are not the kind of books I’d have expected to see in the all grimdark, all the time New 52 even a year ago.
knitting in the dark 