The Crew (comics)

Last updated
The Crew
Thecrew4shot.png
Cover to The Crew #6 (Dec. 2003), art by J. H. Williams III.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
ScheduleMonthly
Format Ongoing series
Publication dateJuly 2003 – January 2004
April 2017 – Nov. 2017
No. of issues(1st series) 7
(2nd series) 6
Main character(s)
    Creative team
    Created by Christopher Priest (writer)
    Joe Bennett (artist)
    Written by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    Penciller(s) Butch Guice

    The Crew is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring teams of superheroes primarily of African descent banding together in New York City to fight injustice.

    Contents

    The first series was published in 2003 and ran for seven issues. The series was written by Christopher Priest and illustrated by Joe Bennett. The second series, a revival known as Black Panther and the Crew, was published in 2017 and ran for six issues. It was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and illustrated by Butch Guice.

    Publication history

    2003 series

    According to writer Christopher Priest's pitch, The Crew was about four hardened heroes who had all lost their families and came together initially out of self-interest, but would soon discover their commonality of loss. The Crew consisted of orphans. These men were dedicated to their respective goals, but each had a hole in his center. The seven stories released prior to cancellation were introductory pieces. If the series had continued, it would have highlighted each man's personal evolution. [1]

    The first story arc, Big Trouble In Little Mogadishu, was focused on the origin of Josiah X, son of Isaiah Bradley from Truth: Red, White & Black . Writer Priest intended that Josiah would eventually lead the team. [1] [2]

    2017 series

    After the success of his run on Black Panther , Coates launched the spin-off title Black Panther and the Crew, a revival of the 2003 series. [3]

    Coates originally wanted to use the same characters from the 2003 series, but found that a number of them weren't available. [3] After selecting a new Crew, he ultimately added two female members — Misty Knight and Storm. Poet Yona Harvey also contributed to the series (as she did on another short-lived Black Panther spin-off, World of Wakanda ). Black Panther and the Crew ran six issues before being canceled due to low sales. [4] [5]

    Plot

    2003 series

    The Crew takes place in the No man's land between the streets of the fictional "Little Mogadishu" and those of the fictional exclusive gated community of "Princeton Walk" in Brooklyn, New York. Princeton Walk was developed by Grace & Tumbalt, a largely black-owned corporation, who cleaned up a section of Brooklyn and moved the criminal element and the poverty line residents out. [1] Little Mogadishu is a side effect of the gentrification process so that displaced criminal and poverty elements are now concentrated in a war zone outside Princeton Walk's walls. [1]

    Jim Rhodes, formerly War Machine, comes to Little Mogadishu to look into the murder of his estranged sister. He delivers the men responsible for his sister's murder to the police, coming across the local Muslim preacher Josiah X along the way. However, this is not enough to satisfy Rhodey, and he sets his sights on the 66 Bridges leader, Triage. His covert, vigilante action and contact with Josiah puts him on Kasper Cole's radar, making Kasper suspicious of what a guy like Rhodey is doing in a place like the Mog. Rhodey hits Little Mogadishu like a force of nature, derailing the secret money train that delivered bribes in bulk to a large number of corrupt officials. This action draws in Junta, who wants to leverage his way back into the spy business. He finds himself drafted into Rhodey's plan along with Kasper Cole and eventually a reluctant Josiah X.

    Together, the Crew blackmails a long list of corrupt officials to turn in evidence against 66 Bridges and Triage and then goes after Triage directly. As Triage is no lightweight, the situation gets messy and some of the Crew must decide between their self-interests and being heroes. For Josiah, the decision to do the right thing is simple and instant. Junta reluctantly turns Triage into the authorities, blowing his chance to use Triage to get back in with his former bosses. Kasper Cole keeps busy saving lives as the White Tiger, sacrificing his chance to get in on the big bust as Kasper Cole and further his police career.

    The Crew apparently did not remain together after this event. Rhodey soon went back to being War Machine, and Josiah was said to have disappeared.[ citation needed ]

    While many of the characters in The Crew were members of racial minorities, Priest chose not to center The Crew around race:

    So I find myself having to say, more than what The Crew is, what The Crew is not. The Crew is not The Black Avengers. The Crew is not "A Ghetto Book". The Crew is not even remotely about race. Race is never even mentioned in The Crew. It is a complete non-issue.

    Christopher Priest

    Nonetheless, critics have called Priest's The Crew, "The blackest superhero story that Marvel Comics ever published." [6]

    2017 series

    Black Panther and the Crew takes place in the context of All-New, All-Different Marvel. Following Black Panther's evidence of outside influences fueling dissent in Wakanda, T'Challa calls on Luke Cage, Misty Knight, Storm, and Eden Fesi. Luke Cage describes the group as "The Crew". The series is set in Harlem and the plot is set into motion by an episode of police brutality. [4]

    Characters

    Original Crew

    Black Panther and the Crew

    See also

    Notes

    1. 1 2 3 4 See Digital Priest: The Crew Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine
    2. See Marvel Universe: The Crew
    3. 1 2 Dockterman, Eliana (January 20, 2017). "Ta-Nehisi Coates Is Expanding the Black Panther Universe with The Crew". Time.
    4. 1 2 Nazaryan, Alexander (May 15, 2017). "Marvel Cancels Ta-Nehisi Coates's Black Panther & The Crew Comic After Two Issues". Time.
    5. Charles Pulliam-Moore (May 14, 2017). "Marvel's Cancelling Black Panther & The Crew, One of Its Most Important Comics Right Now". IO9. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
    6. Narcisse, Evan. "The Blackest Superhero Story That Marvel Comics Ever Published," Gizmodo (8/03/16).

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Storm (Marvel Comics)</span> Fictional comic book character

    Storm is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1. Descended from a long line of African witch-priestesses, Storm is a member of a fictional subspecies of humans born with superhuman abilities known as mutants. She is able to control the weather and atmosphere and is considered to be one of the most powerful mutants on the planet. Storm is a member of the X-Men, a group of mutant heroes fighting for peace and equal rights between mutants and humans. She was the most prominently featured X-Men character in the 1980s, at which time it was the best-selling comic book in America. During this decade, she also acted as the acknowledged leader of the team.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Panther (character)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

    Black Panther is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #52, published in July 1966. Black Panther's birth name is T'Challa, and he is the son of the previous Black Panther, T'Chaka. He is the king and protector of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, a technologically advanced society drawing from a supply of vibranium, a fictional metal of extraordinary properties. Along with possessing enhanced abilities achieved through ancient Wakandan rituals of drinking the essence of the heart-shaped herb, T'Challa also relies on his proficiency in science, expertise in his nation's traditions, rigorous physical training, hand-to-hand combat skills, and access to wealth and advanced Wakandan technology to combat his enemies. The character became a member of the Avengers in 1968, and has continued that affiliation off and on in subsequent decades.

    Wakanda, officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in Fantastic Four #52. Wakanda is located in sub-Saharan Africa and has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is home to the superhero Black Panther.

    White Tiger is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of White Tiger, Hector Ayala, first appeared in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19. The second incarnation, an actual white Bengal tigress, debuted in Heroes for Hire #1. The third incarnation, Kevin Cole, made his first appearance in Black Panther #50. The fourth incarnation, Angela del Toro, made her debut in Daredevil vol. 2 #58. The fifth incarnation, Ava Ayala, was first featured in Avengers Academy #20.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Gentle (character)</span> Marvel Comics superhero

    Gentle is a fictional mutant character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a member of the student body of the Xavier Institute.

    Bast is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an idol in Fantastic Four #52, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and is based on the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet. Bast is a member of the Heliopolitan and Wakandan pantheons. and the patron of the superhero Black Panther.

    T'Chaka is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the father of T'Challa and Shuri. He was the king of Wakanda and Black Panther before T'Challa; he inherited both titles following the death of his father, T'Chanda aka Azzuri the Wise.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Killmonger</span> Fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics

    Erik Killmonger is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Don McGregor and Rich Buckler, he first appeared in Jungle Action #6. The character is commonly depicted as a skilled hunter and mercenary born in the fictional African nation of Wakanda, who holds a grudge against the country and its people after his biological parents were killed when he was young. Raised outside of Wakanda, he eventually returns as a revolutionary leader and terrorist to exact his revenge, and repeatedly challenges the nation's king and protector, Black Panther, who becomes his most prominent adversary.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Shuri (character)</span> Fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics

    Black Panther / Aja-Adanna (Shuri) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Reginald Hudlin and artist John Romita Jr., the character first appeared in Black Panther vol. 4 #2. Shuri is the princess of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. She is the daughter of T'Chaka and younger sister of T'Challa, who is the king of Wakanda and the Black Panther, an earned title and rank given to the paramount chief of the nation.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Eden Fesi</span> Comics character

    Eden Fesi, also known as Manifold, is a fictional, mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli, the character first appeared in Secret Warriors #4, and joined that comic's regular cast. Fesi is an Aboriginal Australian mutant with the ability to shape the universe and bend time and space, connecting one piece to another and allowing him to teleport. Fesi joined the Avengers as a part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch. In 2013, ComicsAlliance ranked Manifold as #12 on their list of the "50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Everett K. Ross</span> Fictional character

    Everett Kenneth Ross is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Primarily an ally of superhero Black Panther, the character exists within Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Dora Milaje</span> Fictional team of female characters within the Marvel universe

    The Dora Milaje are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are a team of women who serve as special forces for the fictional African nation of Wakanda.

    Nakia Shauku is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira, the character first appeared in Black Panther vol. 3 #1.

    Okoye is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Christopher Priest and artist Mark Texeira, the character first appeared in Black Panther #1. Okoye is the General of the special forces for the fictional African nation of Wakanda called Dora Milaje.

    <i>World of Wakanda</i> Comic book spin-off of Marvels Black Panther

    Black Panther: World of Wakanda is a comic book series and a spin-off from the Marvel Comics Black Panther title. It published six issues before being canceled. The series was primarily written by Roxane Gay, with poet Yona Harvey contributing a story to the first issue. Alitha E. Martinez drew the majority of the art for the series, for which Afua Richardson contributed cover art to the first five issues, as well as art for a short story in the first issue. Gay and Harvey became the first two black women to author a series for Marvel; counting Martinez and Richardson, upon its debut the series itself was helmed entirely by black women. Ta-Nehisi Coates served as a consultant for the series.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alitha Martinez</span> American comic book artist

    Alitha E. Martinez is an American comic book artist best known for her work on for Marvel Comics's Iron Man, the Heroes webcomics, and DC's Batgirl. Over the course of her career she has worked for all the major comic book publishers, including Marvel, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Archie Comics.

    White Wolf is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Christopher Priest and artist Mark Texeira, the character first appeared in Black Panther vol. 3 #4. Hunter is known under the codename White Wolf. He is the adopted brother of the superheroes T'Challa / Black Panther and Shuri. He is the leader of the Wakanda's secret police Hatut Zeraze. The character is an antihero who has been a mercenary and a defender of Wakanda at various points in his history.

    Evan Narcisse is an American comic book writer, journalist, and video game narrative designer. Narcisse began his working career as a journalist who has reported on video games for several media outlets, such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, Time, Kotaku, io9, and Polygon. As a comic book writer, Narcisse has authored multiple titles which feature the Marvel Comics superhero, Black Panther. Since 2018, Narcisse has been involved with designing or consulting on the narrative elements of several video games, including Insomniac Games' Spider-Man video game series, Marvel's Avengers, and Redfall.

    Tetu is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and artist Brian Stelfreeze, the character first appeared in Black Panther vol. 6 #1. Tetu, initially motivated by a desire to punish the wealthy elite who exploited the less fortunate, formed the rebellious Wakandan group known as the People and attempted to overthrow the king of Wakanda, Black Panther. Despite this defeat, has returned numerous times, continuously gathering new allies to challenge T'Challa once again. His increasing reliance on violence led him to forge increasingly dangerous alliances, drawing in organizations like Hydra, with figures such as Baron Zemo among his collaborators.

    References