‘Return of the Lion:’ How Have I Never Read this Mini-Series?!

Writer: G. Willow Wilson / Artist: CAFU / DC Comics Here I am, browsing DC Universe unsure of what this week’s editorial will be. The website has a habit of showcasing characters who are in the latest DC superhero shows. I’ve long fallen off the Arrow series so imagine my surprise to see a spotlight on Vixen. Now, Vixen is one of the characters that I read very little of. Most of what I’ve seen has been some of the excellent episodes of Justice League: Unlimited so my interest was piqued. The first suggestion they gave me was this mini-series by Gwendolyn Wilson. When I looked up the writer, I was blown away that she is no other than G. Willow Wilson. The glorious writer was a co-creator and head storyteller of one of Marvel’s most successful new characters in the past decade, Kamala Khan a.k.a Ms. Marvel. By this point, it was a done deal that I was going to read this.

First, my spoiler-free endorsement. Return of the Lion is a perfect five issue hero arc. Its magic comes  from Wilson’s ability to weave in themes of cultural identity, imposter syndrome, and the intervention of developing countries. Mari Jiwe McCabe is torn between her fictional homeland ‘Zambesi’ and her life as a model and superhero based in the United States. She’s plagued with feelings of inferiority, surrounded by the iconic likes of Superman, Batman, and Black Canary. The comic is correctly critical of white, western intervention by countries and companies who will surely exploit an African countries r…