DC Comics, '12 Years a Slave' writer put spotlight on disenfranchised heroes

DC Comics is shining a spotlight on some of its most marginalized superheroes in a new miniseries written by Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave screenwriter John Ridley.

DC Comics announced the new series, The Other History of the DC Universe, focusing on characters who "come from traditionally disenfranchised groups," DC announced Friday. DC named characters John Stewart, Extraño, Vixen, Supergirl, Katana, and Renee Montoya as some of the characters being featured in the series.

The miniseries is focusing on persons of color, female characters, and LGBTQ characters, giving readers a chance to look inside the stories of characters who unfortunately don't get to enjoy the spotlight as often as straight, white, male superheroes.

Instead of going for traditional "hero saves the day" storylines, The Other History of the DC Universe will focus on "the lives of those behind the costumes, and their endeavors to overcome real-world issues."

Before Ridley was pegged to take on this project, he wrote for a handful of movies and TV shows, earning an Oscar for his work on 12 Years a Slave and earning an Emmy nomination for his writing on American Crime. Earlier in his career, Ridley wrote for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and two DC animated TV shows: Static Shock and Justice League.

Ridley expressed his excitement for the project with DC Comics in DC's announcement: "I could not be more excited by the opportunity to excavate the canon of the DC Universe through a vast array of characters who've earned their seat at the table."

John Stewart, probably the most well-known of the named heroes, is a black member of the Green Lantern Corps. Extraño is a gay Peruvian character with magical powers. Vixen is an African woman with the ability to draw upon the powers of all the animals in the world. Supergirl is a female alien from the planet Krypton. Katana is a Japanese woman who is a master swordswoman and master martial artists. Renee Montoya is a lesbian Latina who works as a police officer in Gotham City.

The Other History of the DC Universe will debut in winter 2018.