By Shean Mohammed
Graphic Policy
September 22nd, 2019
As Americans, we tend to believe that our historical events are more important to history than the world’s. This fact became apparent when I watched the final season of Black Sails, which brought to light the plight of the Maroons who usually inhabited the mountains throughout the Caribbean. This isn’t some hidden history. I read about Nanny, the leader of the Maroons in Jamaica whose legend is as important to that country as Bob Marley. These valiant men and women rose up against their masters and became something immortal to anyone who came to find out about them. In an outstanding collection of comics from PM Press, edited by Quincy Saul, Maroon Comix: Origins and Destinies seeks to tell some of these stories of bravery.
In “Initiation,” we find about a bit of how one becomes part of their society and the different types of Maroons there were. In “Slavery and Liberation,” we find out exactly how slavery became acceptable in society and how it became outlawed first in Europe and then in the rest of the world. In “I Am Maroon,” the histories of several prominent leaders around the world which includes the aforementioned Nanny and America’s Harriet Tubman. “The Dragon Or The Hydra” tells both a chronological and ideological history of Maroons around the world and the common thread that leads to insurrections. In “Modern Maroons,” we find out about their connection to modern history and how their philosophies are at the very roots of the rebel spirit of every movement. In the final chapter of the book, Quincy Saul gives readers, an excellent manifesto which seeks to give the world a deeper understanding of these peoples and also an extensive bibliography.
Overall, an excellent collection that both educates and entertains readers. The stories are compelling and well researched. The art by the creative team is awesome. Altogether, a book that needs to be in every classroom while it will also satisfy every hardcore comic fan.
