Tales of the Astonishing Black Spark

This superhero origin story zaps a scanty plot with high-voltage satire. Donald McDougal is a 26-year-old pop culture nerd whose life is going nowhere fast. His fortunes turn after a lightning strike on New Year’s Eve grants him the power to shoot lightning out of his fingers. Calling himself the Spark, Donny is quick to put his newfound talents to good use by fighting crime, and his efforts soon bag him the opportunity of a lifetime: a tryout for the elite team within PantheUS, a government superhero initiative. Induction guarantees wealth, fame, and, for Donny, the rarefied honor of becoming only the second African-American to join the squad. As the Spark becomes a household name, Donny must traverse a morally bankrupt industry of superhero agents, product endorsements, and reality TV shows. Meanwhile, close friends and the black community at large question whether Donny is severely compromising his racial identity for personal gain. While Eskew’s deconstruction of the caped crusader genre has tremendous stylistic flair, a meandering narrative that lacks a major through-line conflict ultimately renders this debut one for superhero completists only. (Sept.)