Black Adam #1-2 - "The Sandbox; Theogony: Book One"

[laughing_tree]

Sometimes I try to say something to scare an editor away. I try to get him to go away, or to explain why I'm the wrong guy for this book. 'If I was going to write a Black Adam series, I would do something like this.' I went into how I would focus more on his ethnicity. I said, 'Look, by the way, Egypt is in Africa. You gotta stop drawing him like a white guy. You gotta stop treating him like a white guy.' There's all this unexplored country within the character's makeup, and DC's never gone there. They've never said, 'OK. This is a guy from the Middle East who lives part-time in America, where he would be subject to a certain level of scrutiny and bigotry.' There would be these political forces around Kahndaq that are pressing on him externally: He's right next door to Jordan and Israel's not that far away, and then the real Egypt is to the west of them […] These are the kinds of issues that I would want to explore if I was doing a Black Adam book, and I just assumed that Paul Kaminski, my editor, would hang up on me. -- Christopher J. Priest





















Issue 2:

Flashback to one month ago:





He sees what looks like the ghost of his deceased nephew, which leads him on a chase across space, into a trap where he gets infected by whatever he has now.

Comments

[julian]

Uh. Not to complain, but a set up with a diplomatic handler and a foreign ruler is rather too like the trappings of Priest's _Black Panther_ run.

Then again, the details are all different.

Also, I like Theo Teth-Adam. Hmph on this dying thing.

[thanekos]

The way " Chuck's " red hair's parted, " Chuck " generally being short for " Charlie " - is she a redo of that lady Spider-Man killed in Priest's Spider-Man vs. Wolverine?

[windleopard2]

Kahndaq was likely created because DC didn't want to deal with the issues Priest is raising.

[blues32]

So...because Teth Adam's skin isn't dark enough, they're killing him off?

[windleopard2]

What?

Also, I seriously doubt Adam is staying dead. Not while Dwayne Johnson is playing him in a movie.

[blues32]

That's the impression I got from the writer talking about how Black Adam had to stop looking like a white guy, being treated like a white guy. Personally, I feel they could have just adjusted his appearance accordingly instead of having the immortal guy die. I don't think he looked all that much like a white guy anyway.

It's a little too close to the movie's release date to be doing this with the intent to just...undo it later. I mean, they'd have to establish this new character some more. Show how he's dealing with the powers. Do they start to corrupt him like they did Mary Marvel pre-Flashpoint? If so, does he realize and try to fight it?

[numeronone]

I mean, it never stopped them when it came to Deadshot.

[windleopard2]

Steve Rogers was still Captain America in the movies when Hydra Cap was in the comics. The Marvel Netflix shows had Jessica and Luke's relationship stop at a few scenes despite them having been married with a kid for years.

Even Marvel isn't as much of a slave to synergy as many people accuse them of being and DC is far less so. We had a Barry Allen tv show in the 90s despite him being dead and Wally being the Flash at the time. This isn't even the first time Priest wrote the titular character of a comic being replaced. He did the same with Killmonger taking over as Black Panther is his run and then undoing it. I expect the same thing to happen here.

What becomes of Malik after all this is anyone's guess.

[blues32]

Because Marvel saw how BADLY Hydra Cap was going over. They'd have to be insane to put him in the movies and there was no time to resolve it in comics without it being lazy and half assed.

[windleopard2]

And I very much doubt Black Adam will remain dead for similar reasons.

I don't even think this is the first time the guy has died.

[blues32]

Indeed, he's died many times. Might have even been in his first appearance that he died, turning to dust after reverting to Teth Adam. And then again for the same reason when Uncle Marvel kept saying "Shazam" wrong until Black Adam corrected him in frustration.

The difference here is that he's never been replaced before. He always came back because of his powers. Now he's giving them away, THEN dying. I suspect a part of him will be inside the power Malik gets.

[superfangirl1]

That a bit extreme excessive to force Milik to accept Black Adam right to transfer his powers, with shooting him. What to stop him, from killing them all? Once he got the power and is in rage for almost dying?

[blues32]

I'm more stunned by Malik's refusal to just put the damn ring on and say the word. Is he dense? This is not the time to be dismissive and flippant. There is a man who, quote, unquote, "looks like lasagna" with a very real bolt of lightning on his chest, glowing brightly. And he thinks this is something a hospital can deal with?

[windleopard2]

Why should he accept the ring? He's already made it clear he wants nothing to do with any of this craziness to begin with.

[blues32]

He's being offered super powers. He's acting like he doesn't believe any of it in a world where super powers are all over.

[windleopard2]

Seems more like he's acting like a guy who doesn't want superpowers. Especially when they're being offered from Black Adam.

[blues32]

He's acting like he has no idea who Black Adam is. And who doesn't want super powers? It's not like he'll be forced to use them if he doesn't want to. Being normal is one Shazam away.

[windleopard2]

He's acting like he has no idea who Black Adam is.

What exactly are you basing this on?

And who doesn't want super powers?

Someone who doesn't want to be a target for starters.

It's not like he'll be forced to use them if he doesn't want to. Being normal is one Shazam away.

Adam had him shot to force him to accept the ring and his powers. You really think he doesn't have some way to keep Malik under his thumb?

[blues32]

I'm basing it on the way he's acting flippant and suggesting they take him to a hospital. What does he expect a hospital to do? It's like he doesn't believe magic exists.

A target for what? By whom?

Yes, I really think he doesn't have a way to keep Malik under his thumb. What are they going to do? Just shoot him every time he refuses to change into Black Adam?

[windleopard2]

I'm basing it on the way he's acting flippant and suggesting they take him to a hospital. What does he expect a hospital to do? It's like he doesn't believe magic exists.

These guys aren't suggesting looking for a wizard to save Adam. They are forcing Malik to take Adam's powers which appeared to be the only thing keeping him alive. Malik suggesting they go to a hospital makes sense from his perspective since it's something he's familiar with. Knowing magic exists and witnessing it in person aren't the same thing.

A target for what? By whom?

DC and Marvel have written tons of stories about people with powers being targeted because of their powers. Exploitation, prejudice and preemptive measures all easily come to mind. Hell, Malik is probably going to end up on a bunch of heroes' radars because they think he's a puppet for Adam or a villain with his own agenda.

Yes, I really think he doesn't have a way to keep Malik under his thumb. What are they going to do? Just shoot him every time he refuses to change into Black Adam?

That's just one way. You mentioned part of Adam remaining in Malik when he takes the powers.

[laughing_tree]

To clarify what might not be clear from the scans, he’s suggesting going to a hospital because they’re literally not treating Adam at all. It’s not like they’re giving him some magical treatment right now. And who’s to say it’s a magical infection anyway? He got it in space; could be a sci-fi thing.

[laughing_tree]

“Being normal is one Shazam away.”

How could he possibly know that?

[lordultimus]

I dunno, whenever DC tries to explore Black Adam's heritage we get stuff like "is it morally right for a Middle Eastern man to attack the White House if Trump is inside".

[windleopard2]

Sorry, could you elaborate?

[lordultimus]

It happened in Doomsday Clock. Adam attacks the White House, we see inside from Trumps perspective people freaking out, the Superman comes in and saves them and Adam calls him out.

[windleopard2]

The difference here is that he's never been replaced before.

Which puts him in the company of Superman, Barry Allen, Bruce Wayne, Hal Jordan, Peter parker, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers... are you starting to see my point here?