Truth, Justice And The Latino Way

By Natalia Criollo, Our Tiempo

Superheroes represent people from all walks of life, whether they are wearing a webbed based or Kryptonite laced spandex costume. They are a vessel, if you will, for an individual or communities hopes and dreams. Not only are they the most recognizable icons on the planet but they are able to speak on a multinational level- including those in the Latino community.

For decades, Latino superheroes have been prominent in comic books. As early as the 1970’s; the Sliver age of comics, we can see characters such as Bonita Juarez, a Mexican American social worker who gains her powers after surviving a meteor attack dubbing her “Firebird” or Hector Ayala as “White Tiger” a New York college student with nearly superhuman strength and skill in the martial arts gained form tiger amulets. Recently, with the Modern-age of Comics upon us, we’ve seen a substantial increase in Latino characters such as Jaime Reyes as “Blue Beetle”, Araña; Spider girl, Rene Montoya, an immigrant daughter as “the Question” Kyle Raynor, as “Green Lantern” a gifted freelance graphic artist who was raised by his Latina mother, and Miles Morales, a teenager of African American and Latino descent as ”Spider-Man”.

Over the past decade this presence has not only shifted but increased. Whether the change can be attributed to our sociopolitical views, the influence of popular culture, or the new wave of Latino creators such as Los Brothers Hernández, the Luna Brothers, and Phil Jimenez or icons such as George Perez, Umberto Ramos, and Marvel publishing titan Joe Quesada, there is no denying a positive shift in the past ten years. Not only are Latino creators appealing to a new generation of readers but are setting the story up for a new wave of content, characters and voices. With the new wave of Latino creators such as Art Baltazar , Tiny Titans; Juan Arévalo , Shojin Studios, and illustrator Dennis Calero upon us individuals can now look at comic books and see names that reflect their community. Although the battle to get more minority characters and creators in the medium is in the works, the fight has just begun.

“I think Latino’s are a HUGE force in the Comic Industry, worldwide. If you look at the amount of talent that engulfs much of the pop culture today, you will see what I mean, explained Juan…. I think there is a lot of work still ahead though. With our backgrounds and rich cultures my hope is one is in the works and hopefully will resonate with the millions who are looking to see an honest and truthful representation of we are as a people.”- Juan Arévalo, Creative Director at Shojin Studios.

For some Latinos, comic books are more than just a bunch of superheroes with intricate costumes cool gadgets or invincible powers; it is an ideology. Whether our story is that of good vs. evil, providing for our families or protecting our culture and heritage superheroes have a code of ethics that Latinos can identify with. For Elliot Serrano, columnist for Chicago’s Red Eye “Geek to me”, and writer for Dynamite Entertainment’s “Army of Darkness”, the meaning of comics is twofold.

“Comics will always remind me of my father, said Elliot. Because I grew up in a primarily Spanish speaking household and he wanted me to learn how to read English, he bought me comics to develop my reading proficiency…I fell in love with comics through that.”

With the help of his comic book heroes such as Spiderman, Elliot was able to overcome adversity and pursue his dream of working in comics.

“I was drawn to Spiderman, he said. He is my favorite superhero because he is the one that I can relate to the most. He was that nerdy kid who has to dawn a mask to be a smart, wise superhero.” Elliot said.

Superheroes are the modern day mythology, each hero has a story. With stories such as Superman immigrating from an alien planet adapting to Western Society or a nerdy awkward kid that fights crime, comic books will always reflect the culture and humanity of all people from all walks of life; you don’t have to be from Krypton or the Bronx to feel what it is to be a true hero.

Hailing from Chicago, IL, Natalia is a freelance journalist who has worked for NBC and numbers of online publications. After receiving her degree in Communications from Columbia University, Natalia’s passion for writing would follow her into the community, its culture, and the arts. During her free time, Natalia plans on publishing her first graphic novel which is poetry based later this year. Follow her on twitter @Colomitalia.