Stereotyping African Americans Through Comic Books

I examined 2005's Hollywood blockbuster Batman Begins, which stereotyped African Americans. The film not only depicted African Americans as secondary citizens in the fictional world, it reinforced DC Comics-the proprietor of the Batman Series-as primary racists in the real world. With a history of stereotyping black characters in its storylines, the Time Warner-owned comic publisher has once again managed to wane the progress of the movement of Afrocentrism on and off its pages. Although many people credit DC with pursuing multiculturalism by launching its subsidiary, Milestone, just as many people condemn it. In her piece, "Heroes of a Different Color," author Irene Lacher writes, "Milestone has come under fire from some of the black independent publishers for signing on with the largely white, corporate Establishment" (248). Milestone competed (until it shut down in 1997) with other multicultural comic publications as well as enraged those involved with them. "We're trying to correct stereotypes passed down on African Americans for years and years. 

It becomes more than a money thing," says Alonzo Washington, publisher of Omega 7 comics, an independent publication (248). Washington still denounces Milestone three years after its demise, stating in an Omega 7 press release, "Milestone was designed to destroy the Black comic book movement, and it almost did… Due to the confusion all the Black comic book publishers missed out on the super hero movie explosion. A few movies were made about Black super heroes, but all were comedies or designed by white creators (…Meteor Man…)" http://www.omega7.com/html/PressRelease_09_01_00.html.