According to comic book website, Bleeding Cool whose article you can read here, Action Comics #9 which comes out in the Summer of 2012 will feature a parallel world where Superman is African-American. There have been other instances in comics where Superman is presented as a black man but they are usually for brief world-shattering stories such as "Infinite Crisis" or "Final Crisis."
In "Final Crisis," Grant Morrison gave readers a black Superman as President (A Nod to Obama). Grant Morrison is also the current writer on Action Comics. This is an update to that particular facet of the story according to the DC Source Blog which you can read here . I didn't read "Final Crisis" so I'm interested on Grant's take on an African-American Superman.
As an African-American male, I am always a little worried about how black superheroes are portrayed in comics. Our recent history in the medium has not always been accurate.
In the 70's and 80's most of the DC superheroes who were black like Black Lightning or the Green Lantern, Jon Stewart were based off of characters like John Shaft and they talked jive and beat up on "The Man."
BLACK LIGHTNING
JOHN STEWART
In this day and age comic book writers offer black characters more character development and depth and they realize that black characters don't have to be based on the blackploitation characters of the 1970's.
DWAYNE MCDUFFIE AND STATIC SHOCK
Writers like the late, great Dwayne McDuffie who created characters like STATIC SHOCK in his Milestone Imprint as well as his work on the cartoon series' "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited" changed the way creators think about black superheroes.
He added John Stewart to "Justice League" and influenced many in the television audience including this writer. I had never seen a black superhero put on the same level as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
THE JUSTICE LEAGUE
Now there are more characters of many ethnicities acknowledged in comics than ever before whether in mainstream labels like DC or MARVEL or in indie labels like IMAGE or DYNAMITE. And now we are going to visit the parallel world of an African-American Superman.
I am excited to see what the parallel world of an African-American Superman is like and appreciate that we have come this far in our culture.
Class Dismissed,
THE PROFESSOR
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