Muslim Superheroes.

February 16, 2009 7:27 AM

In an attempt (flash) to provide Muslim and Arab youth with homegrown heroes, The 99 puts out comics and builds theme parks with a twist.

List of issues.

posted by gman (11 comments total)

I heard about this when they were just about to release the first issues, but never got around to checking it out. It's an interesting concept, and I'll have to give it a try.

On checking the links, I see they've released the comics in pdf... damn. So many other comics readers out there...
posted by Ghidorah at 7:59 AM on February 16, 2009

Do The 99 ever battle the Crazy 88?
posted by The Whelk at 8:13 AM on February 16, 2009

By 2010, three-fourths of the population in the Muslim world is expected to be under the age of 35.
posted by gman at 8:28 AM on February 16, 2009

By 2010, three-fourths of the population in the Muslim world is expected to be under the age of 35.

Oh great, so now they've master time travel too?
posted by DU at 8:32 AM on February 16, 2009

Am I the first person to reply after actually reading the comic?

It wasn't amazing, but for new-super-hero-team-up-origin-story stuff, it was average to decent. I've certainly read worse issues of books with a big X on the cover. Or worse issues of books about new super heros with a big I on the cover, for that matter.
posted by paisley henosis at 8:35 AM on February 16, 2009

I wish they would come out with a Buddhist superhero. Instead of fighting evil, he could just sit in the lotus position and dismiss it as an illusion.
posted by Joe Beese at 9:07 AM on February 16, 2009 [3 favorites]

With big names like Nicieza, McCrea and Dennis behind The 99, how can it be anything but a spot-on portrayal of the values and ethics of true Muslim believers?

Seriously, though, it looks less like Bibleman and more like a canny marketing hook to sell funnybooks in a previously untapped market. If they pull this off and can get mainstream comics readers to see that there are just as many kinds of Muslim as there are kinds of Christian, and help Muslim kids feel better about themselves, more power to 'em.
posted by Shepherd at 9:28 AM on February 16, 2009

unforch, nothing homegrown about the style.
posted by sidr at 11:05 AM on February 16, 2009

A critique of Islamic women in comics (focusing on the 99), from an islamic woman blogger.
posted by yeloson at 11:40 AM on February 16, 2009 [2 favorites]

I don't speak Arabic so I cant vouch for this, but this is the only comic from the region (gulf) I've seen.
posted by sidr at 2:04 PM on February 16, 2009

I read the origins issue. It's not bad. Don't really see much about Islam though, more like Arab history.
posted by parjanya at 12:22 AM on February 17, 2009