What would you do with superpowers for 24 hours?
A new graphic novel from Dark Horse Comics will answer that question. Deadline reports, Academy Award winners Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe are writing Black Solstice, which is scheduled for publication next December.
The story “picks up following a winter solstice which saw the world transform when every Black person in America gained superpowers—powers that gave an unthinkable amount of hope, but then disappeared the following morning. Now, with only three days before the next winter solstice, the entire nation is holding its breath, waiting to see if the powers will return.”
“But not everyone’s been just waiting. Kesa, Quentin, and Deja—the Wallace siblings—have been planning the biggest heist in history, something that would change everything for Black people. And they are ready. All they need are those powers to kick in for 24 more hours.”
This sounds like a really cool, unique story. The idea of only getting superpowers for 24 hours, then waiting to see if they come back, is refreshing. And we really need to know more about this heist.
“This journey began on December 21, 2020, when practically every Black person on Twitter started declaring, almost spontaneously, what superpower they were gonna get on the winter solstice,” said Free. “It was an amazing day, one of those moments that reminds you why you love the Internet, where each post was cleverer than the last and every emotional beat you can think of got hit, from hilarious to disturbing to profound.”
Free and Roe won an Oscar at this year’s show for Best Live Action Short Film with Two Distant Strangers.
“It felt like magic, and it kinda was, because in putting together this book we traced the idea back to its origin and after a lot of digging it turned out…there really wasn’t just one,” Free continued. “Instead it kinda formed piece by piece, bouncing from tweet to tweet, and from sincerity to irony in the weeks leading up to the solstice when it just dumped joy all over the timeline for everyone and proved, once again, that Black Twitter is the most creative place in the known universe.”
This announcement comes on the heels of the news that Dark Horse has been acquired by Swedish video game company Embracer Group.
Here’s the thing, this could be great news that signals a sorely needed refresh for Dark Horse. Of course, this could also be the beginning of the end for Dark Horse as we know it, and we’ll be waiting a while to get Black Solstice.
We’re excited and hopeful for this graphic novel, and will keep you posted on its status. Also, what superpower would you want for 24 hours?