Problematic Perpetrators Get Ready For Your Worst Nightmare: The Black Dahlias!

Author: Shad Clark / Artist: Ari Syahrazad / ComiXology Watch Out Problematic Faves Is your boss so entitled he can’t keep his hands to himself? Has your pepper spray turned into “Raid” for creepy men? Problematic creatures of the night, get ready for your worst nightmare. The Black Dahlias is here to dismantle rape culture! This bad-ass femme group got me hype like when I watched Totally Spies as a kid. They’re decked out in all black, upholding intersectional feminism and preparing the funerals. The comic starts off with an unfortunate reality; at an apartment where a man exerts his power in the midst of a woman’s discomfort. The tension begins to bubble up and just when she decides to leave, her body reacts to a date rape drug. Her consciousness slips away then…BAM! Darkness. The room is lit up with evidence of his downfall.

Clapback with Accountability The best part about reading a comic that upholds intersectional feminism is that you know it will hold the readers accountable. Inserting evidence of how certain power structures are put in place in order to harm people educates the audience on matters that are unacceptable. This is not only displayed in dialogue but through the visuals. The switch in power is executed by the shadows. The artists choice of facial and scenery detail sucks the reader into the world. The occasional paint splatters, extra line marks across the face, and deep shadowing create anxiety in all the right places. I appreciated the artist’s abilit…