The Darker Mask: Heroes from the Shadows

Editors: Gary Phillips and Christopher Chambers

Tor/Tom Doherty Associates

2008

The Dark Knight and Iron Man (even though the much-anticipated scene between Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark and Ghostface Killah’s Tony Starks was cut) have made 2008 pretty much the best year ever for superhero flicks, and like many other folks, I’ve been a little nutty about crimefighters in costumes this summer.

And don’t forget that Heroes is one of the top-ranked shows on television and superhero comics still are selling way more than you think.

So The Darker Mask, an anthology of noir-ish stories featuring mostly nonwhite superheroes, is right on time.

Some of the best black authors in speculative fiction show up here to color between the lines of traditional superhero tropes. L.A. Banks jumps in, as do Mat Johnson, editors Phillips and Chambers, the big dog Walter Mosley and relative newbie Doselle Young, best known for his comics work. Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, the Bonnie and Clyde of black speculative fiction, join the party, too.

They’re all at the top of their game, and they’re offering up gritty characters as varied as a tattoo artist whose work can come to life (“Tat Master,” Naomi Hirahara); a homeless, scarred, HIV-positive junkie who finds a purpose for her life (“Dred,” Jerry A. Rodriguez); and henchmen, the generally-nameless-but-absolutely-necessary members of any villainous crew worth its salt (“Henchman,” Mat Johnson).

Several of these characters are down-and-out, for various reasons. Victor, the hero known as Veritas (the standout “In Vino, Veritas,” Peter Spiegelman), is a human lie detector, and can only stand to be around most people if he’s completely soused. For some, their (often newfound) powers are as much an escape for them as they are for the reader. Follow along with Andrew Piedmont, the ex-con hero of Walter Mosley’s “The Picket,” who’s first shocked and disgusted by his new power, a sort of empathy, before it begins to provide an exquisite release for him from his life as a dishwasher.

This is highly recommended, y’all. I’m not tired of superheroes yet, and there’s not a clunker in the bunch here.

Also, look at the cover again and marinate for a minute in its awesomeness. Tomer Hanuka did some great work there.

Grade: A