Every Wednesday new comics are published that address a variety of problems ranging from morality to sexual identity. Jimmie Robinson with his new comic. Power Lines chose to address the topic of racism. Issue one of this comic set the stage as it introduced the 2 main characters of a young black man, named Derrick, and an older widowed woman named Sarah. Both these people have different economic, educational, and social backgrounds and have formed an opinion about the other yet they share a mysterious power. This characteristic bonds them together and as a result they begin to understand one another. The second issue of the comic mainly focuses on the prejudice that Derrick faces before, during, and after he saved people from a bus accident. The second issue captures the prejudice that Derrick faces but also how a variety of people react to it, which is relatable to current times.
The Good:
Now there is no question that Power Lines, issue 2, captures a real concern that many young African American males face today. The comic captures these issues through the main character of Derrick as he is waiting for a bus. Upon arrival at the bus stop there are 2 white women who immediately become more inclusive and hold their purses closer to themselves. Furthermore, a police car is in the vicinity and stops at a corner and is keeping an eye on Derrick as he waits. Both the women and police officers actions are directly linked to racial profiling of Derrick due to the color of his skin and his clothes. Furthermore, the comic as the story moves forward dives into a more complicated level of racism as Derrick goes to save an older women who is involved in a bus accident, who assumes he is trying to rob her. Now this shows how certain generations were raised and embedded with racist thoughts and habits, not out of racism but out of the standards of the time. As a result of this Jimmie Robinson is capturing another group that a young African American has to deal with, but it has to be addressed in a different way than the others. After saving the older woman Derrick comes into a third form of racism, which has become popular in America: police brutality. This is due to the police profiling and stereo typing Derrick as a drug user due to his skin color. It is interpreted, and as a result of those characteristics, he must have caused the accident. Jimmie Robinson does an excellent job of providing an inside look into 3 various common practices of racism that vary with 3 different groups that reflect every day life of a young African American.
The Bad:
The comic’s only issue is that it briefly explores the idea of internal racism among African Americans. This is the case with Tight and Derrick, as Tight is not happy that Derrick chose to save white people. Right as the comic is about to address this issue, a drive by shooting occurs orchestrated by Tight, which makes this issue a moot point. Now this weakens the comic and if the issue was explored it would provide a balance to elements of racism outside of the African American community, but rather it makes the comic semi-one sided in the area of racism when it did not have to be.
The Verdict:
Without a doubt Power Lines, as a mini-series, is a heavy comic to read. This is due to it being a reflection of things that have been and are occurring in American society today. Racism still exists on many levels. Furthermore, the comic provides an abundances of information which allows for a reader to have an inside look into daily racism scenarios from a 3 person perspective. The comic is an excellent read as it is a compelling story that provides both entertainment and information to readers. If there is one new comic series that should be picked up in 2016 it is Power Lines.
