By David Betancourt January 25
“Deathstroke No. 11″ sees the DC Comics assassin head to Chicago. (Courtesy of DC Entertainment)
Before he could accept an offer to become the writer for a new Deathstroke series, veteran comic book writer Christopher Priest first had to look within himself and decide whether he could take on being the voice behind one of DC’s most violent characters.
“Deathstroke has sort of been this kind of glorification, if not deification of violence,” Priest told The Washington Post’s Comic Riffs. “[He] is kind of an anti-hero. We were kind of rooting for the bad guy as he slashed and conducted all this bloodletting, which kind of goes against my values as both a human organism walking the earth and particularly as a Christian and as a minister.”
Priest eventually decided to become the writer for Deathstroke’s new series that debuted last August as a part of DC Comics’ “Rebirth” era, but told himself the only way he could do it would be to turn the series around so that the book didn’t feel like a glorification of violence, but rather a character study on the effect living the lifestyle of an assassin has on that person.
For “Deathstroke No. 11,” now available both in print and digitally, Priest takes a break from that mission and for one issue focuses on a real-world topic that frequently weighs heavy with him: Chicago’s gun violence.
Before sending Deathstroke to Chicago, Priest reached out to director/producer/writer Reginald Hudlin (director of “House Party” and “Boomerang”). Hudlin made comic book news two years ago when Comic Riffs revealed that he would lead the efforts to resurrect Milestone Comics (now Milestone Media), a diverse group of comic book superheroes of color. Priest said he felt a Deathstroke-in-Chicago story dealing with gun violence had a Milestone vibe, and wanted to know whether Hudlin was interested in collaborating with him on it.
Many ideas where exchanged, but Hudlin couldn’t find time to help co-write the issue because he was too busy directing “Marshall,” a yet-to-be-released biographical film on the first African American Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall. That didn’t stop Priest from finding another Milestone collaborator — artist Denys Cowan, a founder of Milestone who illustrated many of their comics and who last worked with Priest during their run on the series Steel (which ended in 1998) for DC Comics. Cowan accepted the one-issue assignment and dove into drawing a script that was more of a look into part of Chicago’s soul than Deathstroke’s.
Priest uses a reporter to investigate rumors that the families of shooting victims have hired Deathstroke to take out the armed killers of their children. Deathstroke is mostly silent through the issue, while Chicago citizens debate whether an eye for an eye can ever be the right way to answer back to violence.
The silence from the assassin was intentional, according to Priest. “I wanted Deathstroke to be a force of nature more,” Priest said. “I wanted to have as objective an analysis of the crisis as I’d be able to do. So I used a reporter’s voice.”
Cowan told Comic Riffs that he knew when working on Deathstroke No. 11 that he was getting away from the standard superhero comics he has become accustomed to illustrating over the years.
“Most of the stories that we do in comics, especially stories that I’ve done, are not about violence. They’re about action. You got people flying through the air and doing impossible things that real people can’t do. That’s action. It’s fantasy,” Cowan said. But in this issue, “things become very real. It takes you beyond the typical comic book story. So to try to capture all of that was the challenge with this. And hopefully we pulled it off.”
(Courtesy of DC Entertainment)
(Courtesy of DC Entertainment)
(Courtesy of DC Entertainment)
(Courtesy of DC Entertainment)
BY COMEDY HYPE TV OCTOBER 13, 2016
Before there was the current pool of talent shows on TV, there was one; Showtime At The Apollo. The hit series filmed at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NYC is now returning to television for a special hosted by Steve Harvey. The series is also being spear-headed by director Reginald Hudlin of Boomerang, and House Party. If you can recall Steve Harvey was once a former host of the series.
Showtime At The Apollo is returning to television with a two-hour Fox special on December 5. The re-imagining of the long-running syndicated variety show will be hosted by Steve Harvey, the most in-demand emcee for the last few years. The comedian, who will be joined in the special by comedy and music stars, has a personal connection to the Apollo theater where he launched his career. He also will host a second, one-hour Showtime At The Apollo special to air on Fox in early 2017. Reginald Hudlin, writer-producer, former president of an entertainment for BET and producer of the 2016 Academy Awards, will executive produce and serve as showrunner. The show’s original executive producer and director, Don Weiner, will executive produce and direct the special.
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Once and for all let’s try and put an end to this debate on who wrote the better Black Panther series between Christopher Priest and Reginald Hudlin?
For years now I have been on the internet talking comic books and sparing minds with some of the most creative and intelligent people out here, you know very knowledgeable folks whose wisdom stretch way beyond pop culture such as music, film, and movies etc. When we talk Black Panther there are two names that always seem to pop up, Christopher Priest and Reginald Hudlin. Neither one of these guys created The Black Panther or it’s fabulous characters such as T’Challa or Ulyesses Klaw, nor are they the first writers of the BP, hell I’m not even saying they are the best writers of the BP especially the way the new series is taking off, but today my focus is between these two extraordinary storytellers who have a completely different background but share the same passion for the same character.
Let’s start with Christopher Priest who has written the bible when it comes to the BP according to most Marvel fans. He has the blue print, the foundation that makes the Black Panther great to this day. His series ran from 1998-2003. I missed the boat when he was actually writing this stuff, so I recently went back and did my homework. His take on T’Challa is EPIC, it’s very different from Hudlin not in a worse or better way, I mean he made T’Challa a smooth character who took no BS. He reminded me more of a politician or a business man than a king or even a superhero, he was just a Bad Ass. Priest also used a huge political overtone that Hudlin would later admit he borrowed from. Lead actor Chadwick Boseman always refers to Christopher Priest’s work when it comes to the BP. He talks about how Priest allows T’Challa to rely on his wits and intelligence to defeat his enemies and if that didn’t work he would simply just kick their asses! Priest once described himself as a big kid who get’s paid to day dream about superheroes, very true his genius shines through his work! Great job!
When I came aboard was in 2005, the reign of Reginald Hudlin and the BP comics. I brought a toybiz Marvel Legend Black Panther, the figure came with one Jack Kirby Comic of the BP, and it was a good read but it was a little dated for my taste. It looked like it was a copy from the 70’s or who knows, still it was a good read. So I asked my brother who is a huge comic book fan, where can I find some newer BP stuff, and wouldn’t you know it a brand new Black Panther series had just launched. From the first read I was hooked. Reginald Hudlin’s take on T’Challa was very royal to me, he was every bit a king. The storyline focused on a Brave Young ruler coming into power and being forced to face his own anger and demons. I loved it! The only downfall, and this isn’t a bad thing, is that Hudlin’s version is based off of a lot of Priests’ ideas, but he did find a way to add on to them. I love the fact that he was able to commercialize and bigger the BP’s brand. At the time Hudlin agreed to write the Black Panther he was in charge of B.E.T television, and being a movie director he was able to push the BP through the higher ranks over at Marvel resulting in him getting a cartoon series that was great along with a high profile wedding with the X-Men’s mutant Storm. The cartoon series was the best Marvel cartoon DVD in my opinion. In closing I think this newly found fame for the BP is directly from Hudlin’s commercial work taking the Black Panther to a new level. In my opinion I’m going with Hudlin on this one, what do you think? Leave a comment below. Peace Gab.
Here is the trailer for the BP animated series!
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Some of the stars from the Hollywood Bowl Black Movie Music concert: bass master Marcus Miller, Ralph Johnson of Earth Wind & Fire, Paul Anthony of Full Force,Verdine White of Earth Wind & Fire Reggie Hudlin, Bowlegged Lou & B-Fine of Full Force.
