Quincredible Vol 2: The Hero Within

Publication Date: July 13, 2021

My Thoughts:

My review of Quincredible Volume 1 still holds true in volume 2, which  is a great thing because I don't like when heroes (or villains) suddenly change. Batman should always be moody/broody, Spiderman is always kind of dorky and Quinton is a good guy who loves his parents and is a hopeless romantic who does not seem to really get the girl. I think that is why he reminds me so much of Spiderman, especially the Miles Morales version of Spiderman. 

Another thing that is very evident about Quin is he is not a solo act. He may be invincible, but he is young and not very strong so in his second adventure, he again must rely on others like Glow to get him out of jams. His love for New Orleans, his passion for social justice is very admirable. But his skill set or lack of a skill set definitely gets him into hot water. He is definitely not an international or even national hero. Perhaps, though, with help, he can continue to be the New Orleans version of the friendly neighborhood Quincredible. 

As volume 2s go, what I really appreciated was Quin's relationship with his parents. Now that they know that Quin is "enhanced," they are not sure how to parent him. His father is not sure what he can offer his son. He questions what his worth is as a father when his son can actually save the world. This was an honest conversation and not something we always see in hero comics. Even the girl talk with his mom was genuine and a nice reprieve from the action.  I look forward to volume 3 with the very great team of Rodney Barnes (writer) and Selina Espiritu (illustrator).

From the Publisher:

Rodney Barnes and Selina Espiritu return for another Quincredible adventure, this time diving into the world of Voodoo. Quinton West is back as the would-be hero of his city New Orleans, battling against a new enemy who wishes to claim the historical land for himself.

When meteors fell to Earth Quinton West was gifted with the power of invulnerability. Seeing others take up hero identities, Quinton decided to help his city of New Orleans in his own way. Using his smarts, creativity and a bit of training from his mentor Glow, Quinton is on his way to becoming Quincredible, hero of New Orleans!

But even superheroes must do homework, and Quinton’s newest assignment is to learn the history of New Orleans and Voodoo. An assignment that leads him to the mysterious Madame Adelaide who gives him a new task to fulfill for the good of New Orleans. Is Madame Adelaide a spirit? An enhanced human? And what is the evil that threatens New Orleans that Quinton must stop? 

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance

 

Nikki Grimes is on fire! Not only does this beautiful book allow these Harlem Renaissance female poets to step forward in their own power, using their own voices, but when Grimes uses the Golden Shovel poetry form originated by Terrance Hayes, these new poems are used as praise songs for the originals. 

This is the first time I have seen this form (Golden Shovel) but what a wonderful way to create voice and word play. This is also a fabulous way to take analysis out of the realm of academic "mansplaining" and into the realm of possibility and deep reverberations.  Read this book, coming out in January 2021, to see what Grimes can do with this form. 

The "rules" of Golden Shovel: 

• grab a striking line from a poem, or for short poems, take it in its entirety. Bold that striking line or poem.
• Arrange that striking line or poem in a line, word by word, in the right margin
• You then create. your new poem, keeping the borrowed line or poem as the last words of each line

The result is a lovely call and response from the ancestors to Ms. Grimes and back again. What a fabulous homage to these, until now, forgotten names that sit equal to Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Paul Laurence Dunbar.