Cyborg Writer Calls Out DC's Problematic Approach & Attempted Redesign

While Cyborg is one of the best-loved members of the Titans and Teen Titans, DC's treatment of Victor Stone has frequently invited controversy in how it engages with racial stereotypes and harmful tropes. Now, a Twitter exchange involving writer David F. Walker reveals even more disturbing information about the hero's treatment behind the scenes. While editorial's vision apparently didn't come to fruition thanks to the writer, the direction DC allegedly intended for Cyborg shows fans are right to be concerned about how he's handled.

David F. Walker is a comic artist known for his award-winning work on Bitter Root with Image Comics as well as his work on Naomi with DC Comics. He has written numerous graphic novels, including The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History, The Life of Frederick Douglass: A Graphic Narrative of a Slave's Journey from Bondage to Freedom, and The Army of Doctor Moreau. He has also done work with Marvel involving Nighthawk, Deadpool and other heroes.

On Twitter, David F. Walker responded to a fan's argument regarding Cyborg. The discussion originally centered on the controversy surrounding Ray Fisher, Geoff Johns, and Zack Snyder. However, one Tweet mentioned criticism received by DC writer and Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns regarding Cyborg's depiction in comics, stating that Johns had not been aware of the problematic history of violating and dehumanizing the bodies of Black characters in pop culture, and had demurred to Walker in terms of the hero's revamped origin. This left the door open for rebuttal from Walker and his time working on Cyborg following DC's New 52 reboot. Walker unequivocally states, "I was the ONLY person interested in restoring his humanity," and goes on to say that DC's original plan was to give the character tattoos in order to create a more stereotypical portrayal of a young Black man.

Asked by fans whether these remarks came from Johns or someone else, Walker clarifies in another tweet that while the comments had not come from Johns, they came from "several people in positions of power and influence." In a further tweet, Walker confirms that the suggestions had explicit racial connotations, with the intent of redesigning Cyborg to make him "more thugged out." While names are not named, this reflects very poorly on the handling of Cyborg within comics and the treatment of creators telling his stories. To maintain the hero's humanity within the story, Walker states it was necessary to go behind the backs of editorial.

Cyborg is a hero who tackles questions of transhumanism and disability, while being a Black hero with his own personal struggles. He is one of DC's most prominent characters, being part of the Teen Titans, the Titans, and the Justice League. Of course, tattoos for Victor would be great if they served a purpose other than creating a racist stereotype, with Walker showing off his own body art in further messages.

DC's heroes often tackle racism and connected social issues, so trying to fit Cyborg within a racist visual framework is incredibly hypocritical. As a prominent Black superhero with over forty years of history, Cyborg deserves to be given appropriate respect, whether as a solo hero or with the Titans. With the increased inclusion of diverse voices in DC's comic output and an increase in prominence within stories for Black characters such as Nubia and Naomi, as well as the return of Milestone Comics' heroes, hopefully DC Comics is sincere in leaving behind the attitudes that apparently underpinned its earlier treatment of Cyborg, though it's clearly a journey that is at its beginning rather than its end.

Flash's Crime-Fighting Rule Makes Him Justice League's Most Vital Hero

For many fans of DC Comics, the Flash - despite his popularity over the last few years - has always been a second-tier Justice League hero. Indeed, when Darkseid or Doomsday show up on a comic book cover, Flash is more likely to be shown lying unconscious at their feet rather than striking the decisive blow against them.

While fans of the Flash might find this disrespectful, the reality is that without the Flash's presence and participation in their missions, other heroes would be severely limited in how they could respond to the threat. Indeed, having the Flash around is necessary to allow other heroes to be the best they can be. This is because of a crime-fighting rule Flash lives by that actually deprioritizes the immediate threat to fulfill the Justice League's true mission.

In Flash #783 from Jeremy Adams and Amancay Nahuelpan, Barry Allen is still trapped in an 'ideal' world based on his early adventures. Working alongside a replica of Kid Flash, he reminds Wally West of the rule the Fastest Man Alive applies when facing a threat that poses danger to normal people - "Bystanders first. Problem second." This is accurate to how Flash is generally depicted when working alongside the Justice League - while Superman and Wonder Woman trade blows with Darkseid, and Batman schemes to take him down, Flash clears the area of anyone who could be injured by the clash. It's not a glamorous task, but protecting people is what the Justice League is actually about, and it's only once people are clear that heroes like Superman can actually let loose.

This is best illustrated in Joe Kelly, Doug Mahnke, and Tom Nguyen's JLA #89, where - faced with the eruption of a nuclear reactor - Flash succeeds in moving 532,000 people safely out of harm's way, thereby freeing up the other members of the JLA to focus on finding and stopping the villain responsible for causing the reactor to explode, and keeping the damage of the explosion to a minimum.

Interestingly, there are no heroes outside the Flash Family who can truly adopt this role. While Superman is fast, he's no match for the Flash, especially in terms of moving hundreds of thousands of people in milliseconds. But while Clark Kent has been replaced on the Justice League roster by powerhouses like Black Adam and Major Disaster, the team has no true fit for Flash's role, and on those occasions where he's not on the team, civilians suddenly become a huge new factor in any fight.

Accordingly, tasking the Flash with securing the safety and security of the area of operations allows his teammates the peace of mind to do what they do best. Naturally, with Flash's speed, it's never long before safety is secured and he is ready to enter the fray anyway. However, it's in his often overlooked role as the hero who gets innocents to safety that Flash is not only essential to the Justice League, but embodies the reason they exist in the first place.

Deathstroke May Be DC's Winter Soldier In New Year One Origin

Deathstroke is getting his own Year One from DC Comics, and it may be revealed that he has quite a bit in common with Marvel's Winter Soldier. In a new preview for DC's Deathstroke Inc, it's being teased that the government experiments Slade volunteered for to enhance his body might not have been all that voluntary. If true, the potential exists that Deathstroke the Terminator is secretly DC's version of Bucky Barnes.

While previous issues of Deathstroke Inc. saw Deathstroke becoming King of the Supervillains ahead of DC's Shadow War crossover and the current Dark Crisis, a new creative team is taking over the series with this new Year One arc. Coming from Ed Brisson and Dexter Soy, Deathstroke's Year One will reveal exactly that: Slade Wilson's first year as Deathstroke. As such, new reveals and surprises about Deathstroke's origins will undoubtedly be revealed as his past is explored more than ever before.

Now, the brand new preview for Deathstroke Inc. #10 reveals the first chapter of Deathstroke: Year One. While it's well-known that Slade volunteered to receive experimental enhancements to his body such as his impressive healing factor, the new wrinkle seen in this preview is that Wilson doesn't remember volunteering. This creates the possibility that the government may have looked at Slade's service record as a soldier and selected him without his consent, only telling him that he volunteered once the deed was done. Furthermore, this would pair his origins with those of Bucky Barnes' Winter Soldier who was likewise taken and experimented on, becoming a brainwashed government assassin. 

DEATHSTROKE INC. #10- Slade Wilson's blood-drenched past and exploits are well chronicled, but how did Slade become the infamous assassin and mercenary known as Deathstroke? What dark turns did his life take that set him on the path of destruction that would tear his family apart? Find out as “Deathstroke: Year One” begins...

While Deathstroke's origins may start to match the Winter Soldier's, Bucky Barnes eventually redeemed himself in Marvel Comics, becoming a hero who often works alongside Captain America. In contrast, a similar redemption where Deathstroke becomes a hero role has not occurred. Time and time again Deathstroke has done terrible things and torn his family apart with almost every attempt at redemption either being rejected or eventually not working out as he returns to being a merciless mercenary and villain.

At any rate, seeing Slade Wilson's first year as he transforms into Deathstroke the Terminator should prove to be a dark and entertaining ride. Going beyond the Winter Soldier comparison, it will also be exciting to see what other new elements might come to light as Slade's origins are retold with this new Year One arc. The full Deathstroke Inc. #10 releases on June 28th.

Ms. Marvel Directors Compare Working on MCU Show & DC’s Batgirl

Ms. Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) compare working on the Marvel Cinematic Universe series to the DC Extended Universe's upcoming Batgirl movie. In just a matter of days, Iman Vellani makes her MCU debut in Marvel Studios' next live-action Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel. Ahead of The Marvels, the series will introduce Kamala Khan—a 16-year-old Pakistani American teenager who struggles to fit in until she gets powers like the heroes she looks up to.

Sana Amanat and Steve Wacker's Ms. Marvel comic sees its Captain Marvel superfan with the ability to alter her shape and size. Bisha K. Ali's Ms. Marvel changes the source material and sees its hero acquire a pair of cosmically powered bracelets that manifest light ala DC's Green Lantern. Ms. Marvel's trailers and clips have painted a vibrant picture of the coming-of-age story. El Arbi and Fallah directed episodes 1 and 6 of that story before working on Warner Bros./DC Films' Batgirl, which wrapped filming back in April.

El Arbi and Fallah join an exclusive group of creatives who've had the opportunity to work in both the MCU and DCEU. Furthermore, the pair are tasked with establishing what are arguably two pivotal characters for both universes in their first live-action solo projects. Ms. Marvel is one of the first series to center on a new, next-generation character in Phase 4, and Batgirl will introduce Grace's Barbara Gordon as the DCEU's primary Bat-person.

With Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader in a pocket universe, the upcoming The Flash is poised to bench Ben Affleck's Batman and implement Keaton's—who will likely serve as a mentor alongside J.K. Simmons' Commissioner Gordon while the latter's daughter combats Firefly (Brendan Fraser). Batgirl is written by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey) and promises a unique take on Gotham City. While that film likely won't exceed a TV-14/PG-13 rating, it's safe to say Gotham won't be as welcoming as Ms. Marvel's Jersey City. By the sounds of it, El Arbi and Fallah have more than enjoyed playing in both universes, which bodes well for Ms. Marvel when it premieres on June 8 and Batgirl whenever it arrives on HBO Max.