This book is absolutely gorgeous! Its beauty is unimaginable! This was such a magical read. It is so important to have representation and this book is the perfect one! I loved being able to find more cultures and learn about them!

I am honored to have been given a chance to look at this! I think it's especially magical for people very much into art/comic books/graphic design, but anyone can appreciate it for its beauty. There are intros written about African American people in art, and I really enjoyed reading them! It is always exciting to read about other cultures and people's experience being black. 

My favorite thing about it is how many different kinds of art are in it! So many diverse styles and moods and feelings and I just love it.

Damian Duffy, John Jennings, and their collaborators have produced a magnificent piece of book art that you should know, and if you have even a spark of curiosity about comic art, you should own it or have ready access. I am writing this post as a paean/review of Black Comix Returns, published 2018 by the Lion Forge, LLC. I had access to this title courtesy of #Netgalley.

My stamp of approval is such that halfway into to reading it online, I knew I had to have a copy of my own. Fortunately, this oversize, full color book is very affordable because the organizers held a Kickstarter campaign to assist in covering costs. However, don’t wait in getting your copy because this is the kind of book that will only increase in value when it is sold out. 

On to the book itself: it is a broad survey of African American comic talent ranging from recent self published breakouts to established syndicated strips. The book is a follow up to the 2010 Black Comix: African American Independent Comics, Art and Culture. Each artist has a two page display that includes a biographical entry and several images. From sweet superheroes like Jamar Nichols’ Leon to sleek steampunk figures created by the Gibbs Sisters, there is a panorama of artwork to explore. The spectrum of comic characters, from movie inspired superheroes to pin up style beauties, and styles of artwork--sketch, full color, fairy tale, movie poster...in trying to write this review I simply revert to turning the pages slowly and soaking in the colors and stories. But despite my inability to resist the joyful distractions of these pages, I would be remiss in telling you that it also includes artists that tackle history in comic form, like Joel Christian Gill, and artists like Keith Knight that address current social issues one box and panel at a time. 

The richness of images and artist information is supported by essays about the industry, taking to task the consumers and the mainstream media. Joseph Illidge shares what it is like for an artist of color to break in and hold space in a media world that values sameness and financial security. Enrique Carrion takes the measure of comics as an art style like hip-hop and a place of identity. Comic artist Brandon Thomas offers the challenge to readers to support this art--to support it in the most meaningful way, which is to buy it. So where do you buy comic art? There is a helpful section labeled “Conventional Wisdom” that describes the locations and scope of what are called Comic Cons across the country. You might have heard about the massive San Diego ComicCon, but in addition to events like the Black Comix Art Festival in San Francisco and Onyxcon in Atlanta there are also specialized book fairs and small press events around the country where you can buy comics, books, and artwork. Thomas’ essay addressing the basics of supporting diverse artists applies to library collections. You can’t have a truly diverse collection if you don’t buy those materials, and if your library has “policies” about not buying materials that don’t arrive pre-catalogued or that can only be purchased from a specific distributor...well, guess what? You are going to have to work a little harder to get these meaningful materials into your collections and into the hands of readers who seek representation.

I would also like to praise the book designers for the beauty of this book. To pack so much content into one book and make it a seamless reading experience must have been a tremendous task. The harmony of the layout, fonts, and borders make an excellent package. The heavy, coated pages rest inside sturdy covers with a sewn binding, and to add an additional flourish, a purple ribbon bookmark. 

Start with acquiring this book. The ISBN is 1942367376 and you know what to do, get it from your favorite independent bookseller or ask your favorite librarian to get it for your local library.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley

This was a beautiful collection of artwork black comix. It isn't a Comic book but a book of artwork. Every few pages is a biographical note about a black comic or graphic novelist and some of their artwork in whatever style they use. It was fascinating to read about their artwork and their inspiration.

'Black Comix Returns' edited by John Jennings and Damian Duffy is a not so much a sequel to their 2010 book Black Comix as it is an update.

This A to Z volume focuses on the amazing African American artists working in the field of comics.  From Leisl Adams to Ashley A. Woods there is a wide variety of styles.  There are short bios of each artist and samples of their art.  In some cases, the artist has a creator owned series, and these also get a paragraph or two within the artist's entry.  In some cases, the entry is an essay by the artist.  The end of the book has a list of black comics conventions in the US.

I liked the book.  The layout is good, the art is great.  While it all wasn't my favorite, I found some artists I was pretty familiar with, and it was nice to learn a bit more.  If you are looking for more representation in the comics you buy, this is a good resource of people that you can support.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

This is a MUST have book if you call yourself a true comicfan. Often African American/Black artists are overlooked in regards to comics, so I'm truly impressed and happy to see Jennings and Duffy compile such a work into one to help promote these works. For each reference artist, there was a short blurb about them and their previous works and samples of their comic strips. I believe the provided sample was a small sampling of the greater work to come, if this is true then I am definitely purchasing it to add to my permanent bookshelf.  I forgot to mention the vivid imagery of the cover is soooo beautiful that I will find a print of it to have framed!

Beautiful artwork. An excellent resource for those interested in supporting black artists nd looking to broaden there horizons in graphic novels without knowing where to begin.

Thank you to John Jennings, Damian Duffy, Diamond Book Distributors, and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy of “Black Comix Returns” for an honest review. 

From the stunning cover alone, I knew I wanted to be on the inside of this book, both receiving a review copy and devouring the content that would be taking up all the space inside of it — and I was not let down in the slightest. 

While I had expected more in-depth, longer content, per author or artist, I quickly figured out this was more of a sample book. The artwork ranged from the questionable to the, all but literal, heart stompingly gorgeous. I will be tracking down several of these author/artist to be able to read their works that went with the art I fell in love with.

While not what I expected, I did find one beautiful artwork. Still I was hoping for more story type essays, but I guess I should have read better. My bad.

Black Comix Returns is a compilation of black creators. For each artist, there is a short bio and some sneak peaks of their work. This collection is perfect if you are looking for new writers/illustrators/creators to support but don't know where to start. The book is amazing, the colors are great. 

Support this comic, and support black creators and their work.

I expected this to be a collection of short stories or teasers for upcoming comic books. It wasn't that. It is instead a gorgeous collection of art teasers. You cannot read any of the stories, but through this anthology you do get a great overview of black comic artists and their work. Most of the artwork was absolutely beautiful & there are definitely a couple that I want to read in the future. This is a great resource for people who want to read comics by black authors, but don't know where to start.

An interesting anthology. It's interesting and entertaining. Definitely worth getting.

A fascinating  and diversified collection from some very unique comic artists and storytellers. Treat yourself!

This is more of an anthology about people of color involved in graphic novel industry. This is an updated version of a prior publication. It was great for a novice to find aesthetic and styles that appeal to you. This encourages the reader to go out and find artists to support. As a bonus, there were essays on women, being an influencer for others and others. This anthology is definitely a great resource.

This was interesting, the illustrations were cool and I appreciated the fact that this was an updated version of a pre-existing text. Overall good read.

This is a great work of art and important for everyone to read. Everyone should see themselves in a work of art such as this. Important for this time. Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read this. I will recommend to everyone, that is for sure.

This is a very awesome collection of authors and writers. I look forward to seeing more from them!

I liked this, and I made quite a few notes on artists I want to check out in the future, but I fully expected this to be an anthology of some sorts, not just a collection of black artists. Oh well, guess I should have read the reviews beforehand... XD

Awesome overview and collection of some fantastic creators.

beautiful showcase of black artists in comics with brief bios and examples of their works