Another letter in a comic book, another comic book by Priest. XERØ was a wonderful series that was criminally cut short due to poor sales and woeful treatment by the power people at DC – for a personal reflection on the many travesties poured on this book, read this piece written by Priest, which is depressing but fascinating.
Trane Walker, a black man, was the top spy in an agency who dressed as a white guy for his jobs. That summary does the series no justice, as it was wonderfully complex in that fantastic Priest way, mixing real-world politics, family tensions (his brother was his handler at the agency), professional basketball and action (or what Trane called, ‘the cowboy thing’). It just happened to star a black man.
Although race was a part of the book, it was not the sole and defining aspect, and it was a great read with some great CrissCross art. It was a unique book that deserved so much more, and I was so proud to have a letter printed in it, especially after finding out what went on behind the scenes. A recent meme, picked up by JB, was Five Comics You Were Sad To See Go Away; in my list, which would include the JB-nominated Chase, XERØ would be top.