February is Black History Month, and below is a list of books and films from our collection that feature some of the most pivotal and groundbreaking black superheroes from staples like Marvel and D.C. Comics to up and coming publishers like YouNeek YouNiverse.
Black Panther : A Nation Under Our Feet
By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Graphic Novel
As Zenzi and the people poison Wakanda’s citizens against the Black Panther, a cabal of nation-breakers is assembled. Ayo and Aneka, the Midnight Angels, are courted by Tetu to help raise their land to new glory. With his allies dwindling, T’Challa must rely on his elite secret police, the Hatut Zeraze, and fellow Avenger Eden Fesi, a.k.a. Manifold. He even calls in some old friends to lend a hand: Luke Cage, Misty Knight and Storm. But Wakanda may be too far gone for this all-new, all-different Crew. Only the Black Panther can voyage into the Djalia! Getting there is hard enough, but can even he find his sister Shuri inside Wakanda’s collective memory?
Black Panther is the first African superhero. He was created to address a lack of major black American comic superheroes during the civil rights movement.
Malika: Warrior Queen Volume 1
By Roye Okupe
Teen Graphic Novel
struggles This historical fantasy is about Queen and military commander Malika, who struggles to keep the peace in her ever-expanding empire, Azzaz. Set in fifteenth-century West Africa and created by an all-star team from Nigeria.
Malika is a new superhero created by YouNeek YouNiverse.
Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse
By Bob Persichetti
Film
Miles Morales is the new Spider-Man, but he must balance his personal high school & family life and his life as a superhero. While being Spider-Man, he becomes familiar with the Spider-Verse, where there are endless variations on Spider-Man. One of the Spider-Man variations living inside the Spider-Verse is Spider-Man Peter B. Parker. Peter Parker guides Miles in his journey as the new Spider-Man and introduces him to the multitude of other Spider-Men, including Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Ham. All of the various Spider-Men will have to band together when villains threaten the safety of the Spider-Verse and of the world itself.
Miles Morales was first conceptualized after Barack Obama was elected president in 2008.
X-Men: Apocalypse
By Bryan Singer
Film
After the re-emergence of the world’s first mutant, world-destroyer Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.
This latest film installation of X-Men includes Storm, the first major female superhero of African descent.
By Holly Grierson, Associate Librarian
