Superheroes of color are not new. There have been many ranging from tasteful (Luke Cage) to downright agonizing (Blankman.) One of the newest superheroes comes in the form of Dark Horse’s “Skyman,” by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Manuel Garcia. Judging by the preview from Dark Horse this looks promising.
The preview pages seem promising enough. The story is about a former sergeant who has lost his ability to walk in plane crash is kidnapped by the military. They fitted him with a belt that allows him to walk and a power suit that gives him superhuman powers. His mission, which is only hinted at, is to fight a racist superhero.
Of course, the story can be completely destroyed if it overplays its racism message. The quality of the final product hinges of whether the story is more interested in telling a strong story or an anti-racist message.
The art is one of the best Dark Horse has come up with. Everything looks smooth, well drawn and nice to look at.
The only downside is one of the covers where Skyman crashes into the White House and President Obama gives a speech.
There are two things wrong with this:
1. President Obama looks more like he’s constipated than surprised.
2. Putting a real life president dates the comic. Not to mention any comic where the president is a main focus is usual doomed to wholesale garbage.
In all, “Skyman†looks like it could be an interesting read if it treads carefully into where it wants to go.
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