Reading And Writing

Miles, an afro-latino with dark skin and kinky hair who loves art and is fascinated by physics (literally wanting to cross the multiverse by his own hands!!!!). Hobie, a british black boy with an afro who is an anarchist and built his own interdimensional travel device. Pavitr, an Indian boy who is so amazingly perfect and doesn't have to suffer for his happiness. Margo, a black girl who is smart enough to operate something as powerful and extraordinary as the go-home machine (did she create it herself or was she just in charge of it?). Jess, a pregnant black woman with dark skin and a big ass afro who fights with a motorcycle. Miguel, a fucking hispanic vampire spiderman who is the leader of the interdimensional police. (acab fr tho)

LIKE BITCH DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW HAPPY I AM THAT THIS MOVIE EXISTS!!!

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of the global majority being told that we can only see ourselves in two ways; white-catering and a flat tool for the protagonist's goal, or white-catering and bad for the protagonist's goal. Either way, we (speaking specifically for black people because that's what I am) are often not given the grace of multidimensional characters and perspective in western media.

If it were up to tv producers ten years ago that still wouldn't have happened. First of all there would've only been one black character. Said character would be one dimensional and most likely a joke. And if their opinion dared to diverge from the protagonist's, they probably would've become a canon villain or would've been villainized by the fandom so much that they may as well have been.

For so long we've never been given the benefit of absolute indigeneity - it's been a luxury to us. We've always been reminded that we are the different ones, unnatural factors in civilization who should be thankful that we've been granted the privilege of citizenship (which to many means humanization).

"Even if we're treated horribly, at least we're allowed to be here, right?"

Across The Spiderverse laughs at that sentiment. The inclusion and primary perspective of poc is a given in the narrative. The way the black characters are unashamedly black [afros, noses, skin, lips] and not degraded for it in a blatant nor subtextual level is literally everything so many of us have been asking for.

Most of the main characters in ATSV are all black and brown people who are written to exist unburdened by the nuance-stripping gaze of white supremacy. They have their powerful abilities, powers, goals, and personalities that don't force them into the box of do-you-serve-the-white-gaze-or-not.

And honestly that's why I like Namor so much as a character too. His first priority is his people and he will do anything to keep them safe from any perceived threat. He's about that life one hundred percent and isn't scared to do some bullshit to get his way.

Now don't get me wrong I'm a shuriri truther ten toes down, but Namor is so fascinating to me. The will to stand up, look at the absolute devastation that a mass of empires has brought to thousands of people's civilizations, and say "fuck no" with every fiber of your being is so god-damned sexy. I can see why people want to ship him with someone. Though I'll never forgive him for killing the baddest queen to ever walk the earth, her fiercest majesty Ramonda, I'll be a ride or die for that destroying-the-colonizers plot. ( Even though we all know Marvel would never. The fucking cowards.)

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that I love how black and brown people are taking more control of our narratives in the media. We're showing Euro-centric people that their attempts to colonize us may have worked bodily, but our minds have not been taken. We remember. And we intend to take it back.

Seeing unapologetic blackness on the big screen and getting praise is so exciting because I know that I'm not alone in my desire to be black without having to first define myself by whiteness. I love seeing black people be friends and be romantic with each other, and also be enemies and dislike each other with authenticity. ATSV gives me that a thousand fold and now I'm obsessed.