Last year, Nighthawk was released by Marvel Comics, and it was quite controversial—however unsurprisingly—amongst white people. Now you may be wondering why a comic could cause such anger in white folks. It was simply because of this: it tackles racism, police brutality and white supremacy in the most straightforward way.
Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond, later Raymond Kane) is of Earth-31916, and he is a black superhero who focuses on fighting white-on-black crime. When he was a child, he had to witness the murder of his parents, Titus and Rosalie Richmond, in a racially motivated drive-by shooting. Just moments before they were violently murdered, his father explained to him the nature of the night hawk, and his father’s words stuck with him. After the death of his parents, Kane turned his father’s investments into a successful corporation, and proceeded to use the wealth he had accumulated to create a bulletproof costume and an impressive arsenal of weapons that he would then use to fight those who prey on black people.
Several storylines were seamlessly integrated into the comic by writer David Walker and artist Ramon Villalobos. The art, especially the raw violence shown in the comic, felt as if it was drawn to life (almost eerily so). Villalobos has stated that although he does not like to draw a lot of “violent sh*t”, he finds it interesting nevertheless.
“In real life, if somebody pulls out a gun, it is a very serious thing. In a lot of comics, people pull out a gun as a fun, exciting moment. I don’t like that attitude.”
Unfortunately, Nighthawk was cancelled after only 6 issues, due to low sales. A lot of fans were angered by this because not only did Nighthawk address racism and white supremacy, it also addressed one of the most horrible and unjust things black folks continue to face to this day: police brutality and police-involved shootings. Walker was understandably upset, but he tried his best to remain optimistic.
You see, most white people and non-black people of colour still refuse to accept that anti-blackness is real, and we are the ones who are responsible for perpetrating it. They refuse to accept what is happening right in front of them, so it is absolutely vital that people consume this form of media because it represents what’s going on in the real world.
When the time came for retailers and readers to spend their money, they had priorities other than NIGHTHAWK. Shit happens & I respect that.
— davidFwalker ECCC P4 (@DavidWalker1201) August 28, 2016
I am lucky to be working in comics. I do the best job I can. The quality of my work is not measured by the revenue it generates.
— davidFwalker ECCC P4 (@DavidWalker1201) August 28, 2016
