POPSUGAR

This Is What Multicultural Superheroes Look Like: Awesome

Feb 11 2016 - 6:45am

Ever heard of a superhero from Colombia, who's female and can hack an electrical grid? You're about to get to know her thanks to a new novel-meets-comic-book series featuring multicultural superheroes.

Created by Jazmin Truesdale [1] — a 28-year-old entrepreneur — in January, the novel is called The Keepers: Origins and is available in a digital format [2] for $7. It focuses on five different female superheroes called The Keepers. Each has her own set of unique skills and attributes that will help her save the world in the Aza Universe [3].

The best part? Kala, Ixchel, Fenna, Adanna, and Amaya are all racially diverse. Their stories are meant to change the conversation in comic books. To do this, Truesdale is including "real struggles and real issues" into the comics. "I hope my heroes inspire people to stop being colorblind and start being colorful," she said in an email. "Right now, everyone seems to have an opinion about everyone's struggle and most of those opinions are based off ignorance and stereotypes."

Truesdale thought a novel with illustrated scenes would resonate better with people, and she created the book after polling women about what they liked and didn't like about comic books. "I hope my stories help people understand each other better," she added. "Everyone doesn't have to hold hands and sing kumbaya but we should at least be respectful to each other."

Take a look ahead at exclusive artwork of the characters. Each one has her description directly from Aza Entertainment's website. Hopefully, this isn't the last push into diversity we see, considering it's something that the comic world definitely needs.

Adanna

"A tomboy at heart, this Mumbai girl [4] can fix anything mechanical. Her powers include super strength and morphic abilities allowing her to change into water, gas, or a solid of any shape she chooses no matter how big or small. Raised by her father, she is from Realm 2 which is comparable to the Middle East and Southeast Asia on Earth."

Amaya

"An orphan at 10, she [5] has lived on her own making her own way in life. Her ability to open portals allows her to travel to different realms and meet amazing people! She has powers in agility and speed while also being self-taught in various fight styles and weaponry. She hails from Realm 3 which is comparable to the continent of Asia on Earth."

Fenna

"This British-super-vixen-fashionista [6] has the power to regenerate while also possessing the power of empathy. Her ability to manipulate people’s emotions has proven to be quite useful and hilarious at times. She considers herself more of a lover not a fighter but has no problem kicking butt when necessary. She is from Realm 4 which is comparable to the continent of Europe on Earth."

Ixchel

"Raised in Bogota, Colombia this shy super genius [7] has the power to manipulate electricity. She is the youngest and the heart and soul of the keepers. She received her PhD in Genetics and an MD by the time she was 18 and occasionally serves as the team doctor. She’s tech savvy and an experienced hacker having once hacked the electrical grid in Rio shutting down the city for 2 hours. Ixchel is from Real 5 which is comparable to Latin America on Earth."

Kala

"Raised in the Gullah Sea Islands of SC, Kala [8] is a fierce hero from the female warrior tribes of Arjana in Realm 1 (the oldest planet of the oldest realm in the universe also known as the Pangeatic Realm) and is always cool under pressure. She is trained in all forms of combat and gifted in languages. Kala has the power to manipulate force and energy which allow her to fly, overpower her opponents in strength and speed, and throw energy balls."


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/tech/Multicultural-Superheroes-40068214