Holy Teamups: American, Arabic Heroes to Join Forces

posted on: Jul 6, 2009

As comic book crossovers go, this one may have a longer lasting impact than Superman’s face-off with Muhammad Ali. DC Comics is planning a miniseries in which some of its most recognizable characters will join forces with a team of Islamic heroes whose adventures are produced by an Arabic publisher, The Guardian reported. On its official blog, The Source, DC Comics announced that the miniseries would see its Justice League, whose lineup includes Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, cross paths with the 99, a team of heroes charged with collecting gems that contain the power and wisdom of Baghdad’s ancient Dar Al-Hikma library. The 99, whose membership includes Jabbar the Powerful and Noora the Light, was created by Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, the founder and chief executive of Teshkeel Media Group in Kuwait.

Paul Levitz, the president and publisher of DC Comics, told The Guardian: “It is a long-standing tradition for characters to meet others in the fictional world, and over the years a lot of the superheroes have been translated into Arabic, taking on ethnic elements. But this is a nice step forward. The most difficult creative test is when you are working with the least precedent and when you’re trying to reach an audience that has a different cultural bias and different interests.”

The crossover miniseries will be written by Fabian Nicieza, a longtime American comics writer who has also written for the 99. A publication date was not announced.

Dave Itzkoff
New York Times