DC Pride Bookclub discussion

Todays discussion “The Other DC:Renee Montoya”

3 Likes

Ok so whos read this book

3 Likes

I have read it. I have read all but the 5th issue of this series and have really enjoyed them. It really gave an in-depth background on the characters I did not know as well. They were not what I was expecting. They were a long read, which is fine, but different. I also like that these were more story driven in the narrative than relying on the artwork. What did everyone else think?

3 Likes

I’ve read em all & I think they’re amazing!!! It’s a ton of reading. But, it’s also ton of pop culture, & celebrity references. I love how they blend the real world in with the comics world, as if they were actual humans living thru the same history we are. Finally, the way they view it thru the lenses of how culture has changed is like no other comic. For instance, in Renee’s- the fact that she acted like the jabs at her being lgbtq+ never bothered her. Yet, in this series, she admits how much it ****** her off. How she basically had to wait for the world to catch up & be ok with who she was. It made for a very interesting 1st person narrative of one of my favorite characters. Which is the continued theme in all of them. Black Lightning & Thunder having to deal with discrimination & in Thunders case, three times that. Living as a black, gay, female. Sorry, if I got into one u we’re gonna use another time. It just synced up with what I was saying about Renee. Same deal for her. Minority, female & gay. Plus , in Montoya’s case. She even touched on dealing with all of that plus being in a career considered only for men. It reminded me of the case in New York when Cibella R. Borges (a young Puerto Rican female officer) was suspended w/o pay, for posing nude years b4 she took the job. Jimmy Breslin defended her in the New York Daily news article titled Por Unas Horas. In which he cited the discriminatory abuses of poverty & structural racism that minorities had suffered in NYC for generations. She was the lone minority /female cop at that precinct. He poked fun at the cops, saying they should be proud to have such a beautiful person working for them. As nobody would ever want to see any of them (the overweight male officers) naked. :joy: oh man, he was such a genius. She was ultimately rewarded $80.000 in court thanks to his article. He even looks like Harvey Bullock. She called him her champion & said he was in my corner. Check out Breslin and Hammil deadline artists on HBO Max sometime. It has the entire story, plus a ton more.

3 Likes

That reminded me of Vanessa Williams being stripped of the crown after her nude photos came out. Completely different circumstances but similar…

2 Likes

I will have to check out that article. I too wasnt expexting as much but it makes sense seeing as how they were trying to make a timeline of a character spaning almost 30 years now. I never knew about the Two Face story arch it actually makes me wanna go out and find that series to read it

3 Likes

Yes, very similar @MovieAddict . @kellythetailor That documentary is fantastic. They both (Hamlin & Breslin) took on the establishment & fought for the little guy/girl. They were immensely popular. Appeared on the tonight show a lot as guests. Did stories like nobody else. Breslin went & found the gravedigger after JFKs Assassination & did a piece on the entire day from his perspective. A black man who knew as soon as the phone rang he would be digging Kennedy’s grave. Nobody was thinking that way in the news field. Truly unique characters.

2 Likes

I didn’t pay attention to the writers, but I have to say if they aren’t the characters they are writing, they definitely understand the struggle. I mean, they point out things I would not think about…

2 Likes