{"id":33921,"date":"2025-10-01T08:00:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T08:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=33921"},"modified":"2025-09-30T17:21:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T17:21:55","slug":"vixen-return-of-the-lion-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/10\/01\/vixen-return-of-the-lion-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Vixen: Return of the Lion"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy G. Willow Wilson<\/strong> & CAFU<\/strong>, with Bit<\/strong>, Josh Middleton<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-4012-2512-4 (TPB)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to Black History Month<\/strong> UK<\/strong> 2025<\/strong>. The theme this year is \u201cStanding Firm in Power and Pride\u201d and nobody ever accused us of being subtle…<\/p>\n

In 1978 fashion model Mari Jiwe McCabe<\/em> nearly became the first black woman to star in her own American comic book. Sadly, the infamous \u201cDC Implosion\u201d of that year saw the Vixen<\/strong> series cancelled before release. She eventually premiered three years later in Action Comics<\/strong> #521\u2019s \u2018The Deadly Rampage of the Lady Fox\u2019 <\/em>(by creator Gerry Conway and Superman<\/strong> mainstays Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte) and thereafter remained, lurking around the DC Universe until she joined a re-booted JLA<\/strong> (latterly dubbed \u201cJLA Detroit<\/em>\u201d) in Justice League of America Annual<\/strong> #2.<\/p>\n

A classic team-player, over intervening decades working within assorted JLA <\/strong>rosters, Suicide Squad<\/strong>, Ultramarine Corps<\/em>, Checkmate<\/strong> and the Birds of Prey<\/strong>, Vixen\u2019s origin has changed a lot less than most. It even remained mostly un-meddled-with when she made the jump to TV as part of the DC Legends of Tomorrow<\/strong> show.<\/p>\n

Mari Jiwe<\/em> comes from a line of warriors blessed by animist Trickster god Kwaku Anansi<\/em>. The mythical creator of all stories claims to have designed her abilities – and those of fellow bestial hero Animal Man<\/strong> – allowing Vixen, through use of an arcane artefact dubbed the Tantu Totem, to channel the attributes and signature abilities of every animal that has ever lived.<\/p>\n

As a child in M\u2019Changa Province, Zambesi, Mari\u2019s mother was killed by poachers and her missionary father murdered by his own brother over possession of the Totem. To thwart her uncle, the orphan moved to America, eventually becoming a fashion model to provide funding and cover for her mission of revenge…<\/p>\n

At first a reluctant superhero, Vixen became one of the most effective crusaders on the international scene and was a key member of the Justice League (the one just before the New 52 Reboot). Previously, when her powers began to malfunction she was forced to confront Anansi himself (for which tales see Justice League of America: Sanctuary<\/a><\/strong> and Justice League of America: Second Coming<\/a><\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Scripted by author, essayist, journalist and comics scribe G. Willow Wilson (Cairo<\/strong>, Air<\/strong>, Ms. Marvel<\/strong>, Wonder Woman<\/strong>) and illustrated by Carlos Alberto Fernandez Urbano AKA CAFU (Action Comics<\/strong>, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents<\/strong>, Imperium<\/strong>, Unity<\/strong>), Vixen: Return of the Lion<\/strong> was originally seen as a 5-part miniseries in 2009. We open here with \u2018Predators\u2019<\/em> wherein a League operation uncovers a plot by techno-thugs Intergang<\/em> to fund a revolution in troubled African nation Zambesi.
\n\"\"
\nAmongst impounded files is a record \u201cproving\u201d that 15 years earlier, Vixen\u2019s mother was actually killed by Aku Kwesi<\/em>, a local warlord working with the American criminal organisation. When Mari learns this truth, not even Superman<\/strong> can stop her from heading straight to her old village to find the man responsible. Africa is not America, however, and the lawless settlement has no time for a woman who does not know her place – even if she does have superpowers. When Kwesi appears, Vixen\u2019s abilities are useless against him and she escapes with her life only because the warlord\u2019s lieutenant Sia<\/em> intervenes…<\/p>\n

In \u2018Prey\u2019<\/em>, broken, gravely wounded Mari is dumped in the veldt by Sia and staggers her way across the war-ravaged plain, battling beasts and hallucinating – or maybe meeting real ghosts – until she is attacked by a young lion and rescued by a holy man.
\n\"\"
\nAlarmed at Vixen\u2019s disappearance and further discoveries connecting Kwesi to Intergang, the JLA mobilise in \u2018Sanctuary\u2019 <\/em>as lost Vixen slowly recuperates in a place where the constant conflicts of fang & claw survival are suspended. Here, saintly Brother Tabo<\/em> offers Mari new perspective and greater understanding of her abilities. Her JLA colleagues, meanwhile, have exposed Intergang\u2019s infiltration but fallen to a power even Superman could not resist…<\/p>\n

As the League struggles against overwhelming odds, \u2018Risen\u2019<\/em> sees a transcendent Vixen flying to the rescue, and picking up some unexpected allies before facing her greatest challenge in shocking conclusion \u2018Idols\u2019<\/em>, wherein more hidden truths are revealed and a greater mystery begins to unfold…
\n\"\"
\nFeaturing a gallery of stunning covers by Josh Middleton, this is an exceptional and moodily exotic piece of Fights \u2018n\u2019 Tights fluff to delight devotees of the genre and casual readers alike, and one long overdue for re-release and inclusion in the growing library of environmentally-beneficial digital comics and books. This gem isn\u2019t even available digitally and that\u2019s just a crime against comics consuming nature…
\n\u00a9 2006, 2009 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

Today in 1940 was the birthday of groundbreaking comics auteur Richard Corben<\/strong>, creator of Den<\/strong>, although we rather liked his Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft<\/a><\/strong>. It also marks the first appearance of Zack Mosely\u2019s Smilin\u2019 Jack<\/a><\/strong> newspaper strip, and the passing of Golden Age great Bob Powell<\/strong>, who we most recently lauded via Bob Powell\u2019s Complete Cave Girl<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By G. Willow Wilson & CAFU, with Bit, Josh Middleton & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-4012-2512-4 (TPB) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. Welcome to Black History Month UK 2025. The theme this year is \u201cStanding Firm in Power and Pride\u201d and nobody ever accused us of being subtle… In 1978 … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Vixen: Return of the Lion”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,10,258,76,239,16,225,9,254],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-batman","category-black-canary","category-dc-superhero","category-drama","category-jla","category-mystery","category-superman","category-young-adult"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8P7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33921"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33942,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33921\/revisions\/33942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}