Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley (“12 Years A Slave”) swears that “I talk too much” but I disagree, vehemently. He has the gift of gab, he’s a straight-up storyteller and I can listen for hours, curled up beside the proverbial hearth because there is great passion in his stories, and where there is passion there is drama. And where there is drama, well that’s where great storytelling lives.
Three years ago Ridley pitched “The Other History of the DC Universe,” a five-part comic book series that looks at pivotal events through the sharp eyes of several nonwhite DC heroes, and he knew that Black Lightning would be at its center. A comic book aficionado, he was introduced to that hero in 1977, when he was just 11 years old.
Before stepping up the DC challenge, Ridley’s career included writing stints for television and film, which earned him an Academy Award in 2014 for Best Adapted Screenplay for “12 Years a Slave.”
In the first issue of “The Other History of the DC Universe,” released Nov. 23, striking images abound, drawn by Giuseppe “Cammo” Camuncoli, Andrea Cucchi and colorist José Villarrubia, with covers by Camuncoli (with Marco Mastrazzo) and Jamal Campbell (Far Sector, Naomi).
Ridley is no stranger to comic book storytelling at DC, having written “The Authority: Human on the Inside” (with artist Ben Oliver) in 2004 in addition to an issue of 2005 “The Razor’s Edge: Warblade” series. Ridley also collaborated with artist Georges Jeanty on the limited series “The American Way” (2006) and its sequel, “The American Way: Those Above and Those Below” (2017). On Sept. 29, the “Batman: The Joker War Zone” anthology will feature a short story by Ridley, with art by Olivier Coipel.
This new series promises to be an experience unlike any other. DC fans may think they know the history of the DC Universe, but its true history is far more complex. “The Other History of the DC Universe” isn’t about saving the world—it’s about having the strength to simply be who you are.
“The Other History of the DC Universe” debuted at open and operating comic book stores and participating digital retailers Tuesday, Nov. 24. New issues ship bi-monthly, and the series carries DC’s Black Label content descriptor, with content appropriate for readers ages 17+.
The story begins with Jefferson Pierce revealing his inner thoughts, bearing his soul, and taking it further into his most private thoughts where we learn about his family and see him become Black Lightning. Some of DC’s other champions, including John Stewart, who became Green Lantern in 1971 and is the company’s first Black superhero, and the original Justice League, an organization that was packed-to-the-gills with white men, will also appear in future episodes.
In a Zoom interview last week, we had an opportunity to speak with John Ridley about his newest graphic novel, “The Other History of the DC Universe.”
AmNews: Growing up, I confess, that I was not a comic book fan. I felt uncomfortable with the white superheroes. What made you connect with Jefferson Pierce? Wait—I would like to say, if I started with the Black Lighting, then maybe I would have been a fan.
John Ridley: I understand.
AMN: Gosh, I forgot to ask the obvious question. I know the answer (I think) but were you a comic book fan growing up?
JR: I was.
AMN: Do you remember “Black Lightning #1” (Volume 1) with a cover in April 1977? According to my research, it was published on January 4, 1977.
JR: The first cover that blew my mind, I mean I loved comics. I read comics but I remember the first that I saw Black Lighting as a hero. When I went to the comic book shop in the mid ’70s and I was young but I knew how it worked. I had my pull bag ready. I remember like it was yesterday. I remember when Black Lightning came out. I remember pulling that issue out of this brown paper bag and being blown away. Here is a hero that looked like me. And the story wasn’t just about fighting super villains, it was about fighting for your community, fighting to make sure students got the quality education they deserved. I still have that very first issue.
AMN: Who did the remarkable images?
JR: The images are by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Andrea Cucchi and it was painted by José Villarrubia.
AMN: Who is your favorite DC character?
JR: My all-time favorite character is the Question. It was in the mid-1980s when that series came out. The big series was Watchman and Dark Knight, huge, but for my money, literally and figuratively, a series that embraced the gray as The Question. He had no real powers. In the first issue, he is beaten to a pulp by Lady Shiva. He was shot in the head, dumped into the river—that’s your hero? It was grey. You can have all the superhero powers in the world but that does not mean that things are going to work out. [The Question] was a mess. He was in love with his ex who became the wife of an alcoholic mayor. It was just an amazing series.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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