Black Images in the Comics: A Visual History #[nn]

Fredrik Strömberg's *Black Images in the Comics: A Visual History* is a compelling survey of how Black characters have been depicted across the full sweep of the comics medium. The cover lays out its ambitious scope through a grid of nine red-bordered panels, each spotlighting a different character — from cartoon animals and caricatured figures to a stylish woman with a bold afro, a mustachioed man in a wide-brimmed hat, a sharp-eyed femme fatale, and a small child with natural hair — a deliberately varied lineup that hints at the range of imagery this 2003 Fantagraphics volume sets out to examine. With a foreword by Charles Johnson, this is the kind of thoughtful, visually rich reference that rewards careful reading.