Books by Kyle Baker
Birth of a Nation: A Comic Novel
by Aaron Mcgruder, Reginald Hudlin, Kyle Baker
This scathingly hilarious political satire—produced from a collaboration of three of our funniest humorists—answers the burning question: Would anyone care if East St. Louis seceded from the Union?
East St. Louis, Illinois (“the inner city without an outer city”), is an impoverished town, so poor that Fred Fredericks, its idealistic mayor, starts off Election Day by collecting the city’s trash in his own minivan. But the mayor believes in the power of democracy and rallies his fellow citizens to the polls for the presidential election, only to find hundreds of them turned away for trumped-up reasons. Even sweet old Miss Jackson—not to mention the mayor himself—is denied the vote because her name turns up on a bogus list of felons. The national election hinges on Illinois’s electoral votes and, as a result of the mass disenfranchisement of East St. Louis, a radical right-wing junta led by a dim-witted Texas governor seizes the Oval Office.
Prodded by shady black billionaire and old friend John Roberts, Fredericks devises a radical plan of protest: East St. Louis will secede from the Union. Roberts opens an “offshore” bank (albeit in the heart of the U.S.) to finance the newly liberated country, and suddenly East St. Louis becomes the Switzerland of the American heartland, flush with money. It also begins to attract a motley circus of idealistic young militants, OPEC-funded hitmen, CIA operatives, tabloid reporters, and AWOL black servicemen eager to protect and serve the new nation.
Problems set in almost immediately: Controversies rage over the name and national anthem of the new country (they decide on the Republic of Blackland with an anthem sung to the tune of the theme from Good Times), and local thug Roscoe becomes a warlord and turns his gang into a paramilitary force. When the U.S. military begins to move in, Fredericks is forced to decide whether his protest is worth taking all the way.
Birth of a Nation starts with a scenario drawn from the botched election of 2000 and spins it into a brilliantly absurd work of sharply pointed satire. Along the way the authors lay into a host of hot social and cultural issues—skewering white supremacists, black nationalists, and everyone in between—drawing real blood and real laughs in equal measure in this riotous send-up of American politics.
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Marvel Action: Black Panther: Stormy Weather (Book One)
by Kyle Baker
A Marvelous new era begins here! Readers can get lost in the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda.
Follow the all-new adventures of its monarch, the Black Panther! King T'Challa is responsible for defending his people--and the world--from any threats. And he gets plenty of help--and sass--from his genius sister Shuri. With Wakanda plagued by deadly weather, Black Panther and Shuri have leaped into action to prevent their people from further suffering.
T'Challa is the king of the secretive and highly advanced African nation of Wakanda, as well as the powerful warrior known as the Black Panther. The younger sister of T'Challa, Shuri, astounds with her brilliant inventions, often providing key components to her brother's battles.
Collects issues #1-3.
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Nat Turner
by Kyle Baker
Nat Turner is the fascinating and action-packed true story of an American freedom fighter, written and illustrated by Kyle Baker as a graphic novel—collecting all four issues of his critically acclaimed miniseries.
“A hauntingly beautiful historical spotlight. A-” —Entertainment Weekly
The story of Nat Turner and his slave rebellion—which began on August 21, 1831, in Southampton County, Virginia—is known among school children and adults. To some he is a hero, a symbol of Black resistance and a precursor to the civil rights movement; to others he is a monster—a murderer whose name is never uttered.
In Nat Turner, acclaimed author and illustrator Kyle Baker depicts the evils of slavery in this moving and historically accurate story of Nat Turner’s slave rebellion. Told nearly wordlessly, every image resonates with the reader as the brutal story unfolds.
“Baker’s storytelling is magnificent.” —Variety
Find teaching guides for Nat Turner and other titles at abramsbooks.com/resources.
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