Black Manta #1 Review

Writer: Chuck Brown / Artist: Valentine De Landro and Marissa Louise / DC Comics Aquatic Black people rejoice! Black Manta is starring in his own series for the first time, and there’s not a blond king in sight! This also marks the first series written solely by Chuck Brown. You may know the name from his work on Bitter Root with David F. Walker and Sanford Greene. Black Manta’s first solo book centers the massive-masked marauder as he scourges the seas for a super rare metal with strong properties. But when you’re a guy like Manta looking for something, odds are you aren’t the only one out there sailing the seas for it.  I am admittedly not the biggest Aquaman fan, but I’ve always liked Black Manta. You can probably guess why. The answer is in his name.  It’s dope to see a story centered around him where he isn’t the foil to Aquaman’s heroics. In fact, the narration opening this debut issue has Black Manta asking himself, and by proxy, us, what will his legacy be?

Pirate? Villain? Murderer? Maybe all three, from a certain point of view. I doubt Manta himself would shy away from the things that he’s done in his life, but from his point of view he might tell you that he did what he had to do to survive, to live another day.  I enjoyed Black Manta #1 because it acknowledged his past, but in doing so it left room for growth for his character in the future. If he acknowledges that he’s been a bad person, maybe he can move past it. Or maybe not. All I know is th…