Monika Estrella Negra

Best of 2021 – Nubia and the Amazons

Written by Vita Ayala and Stephanie Williams, Art by Alitha Martinez, Mark Morales, and Emilio Lopez, Lettering by Becca Carey In the Prelude to Trial of the Amazons, Stephanie Williams and Vita Ayala create a new chapter for Nubia that expands her…

Love is the Answer in Reptil

Like so many heroes before him, Humberto is a normal kid. Except…this “normal kid” can turn into a dinosaur. Thus begins the magnificent story of Reptil, a fun and refreshing comic that features a Mexican-American superhero coming to terms with his…

‘Bad Girls Club’ and the Profitability of Misogynoir in Reality Television

The spectacle held in Bad Girls Club’s mass appeal was the promise of anti-Black violence, misogynoir, and the narrative exploitation of women who needed real help. By Monika Estrella Negra Bad Girls Club, in which a group of self-proclaimed “Bad…

19 Jul Who Gets to Tell the Story?

A Note From Our Editor-in-Chief BY MONIKA ESTRELLA NEGRA As I have come into my position as Editor-In-Chief of cinéSPEAK, I have asked myself what power is held within the stories we craft on our own. As a Black, queer filmmaker I have tried to…

Shrill, Fran, and Black queer complexity

Shrill has ended on a bittersweet note. The Hulu original series starring Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) and Lolly Adefope, loosely adapted from Lindy West’s memoir of the same name, ushered in a new discussion surrounding fatness, queerness, and…

Billie Holiday’s tragic legacy and bisexuality in life and on film

Billie Holiday has had a huge impact on U.S. culture. Why has her queerness so often been erased? The United States vs. Billie Holiday profiles the legendary Blues singer throughout her career. Battling a heroin addiction and the federal government,…

And She Was Loved: Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey

My favorite DC girl has the adventure of a lifetime in Harley Quinn and The Birds of Prey 1-4 by Amanda Connor and Jimmy Palmiotti. The very queer and vibrant four book series catapults Harley and The Birds of Prey into the spotlight, providing a…

The Many Lives of Natasha Romanov in Kelly Thompson’s Black Widow

Natasha Romanoff gets a new perspective in Kelly Thompson, Elena Casagrande and team’s Black Widow and it’s not what you might have expected. Black Widow is given an entirely new life – complete with a newfound family and, of course, more than her…

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther Retrospective

T’Challa and and the legacy of Wakanda is continued by Ta-Nehisi Coates in his recent Black Panther series. Being his first shot at writing a comic book, Coates was determined to provide a lush, vibrant story that would ensnare leagues of veteran…

How Black Star Wars Fans Create Space For Themselves Outside the Toxic Fandom

It seems that no matter what, Black Star Wars fans have to separate themselves from the online fandom discourse as a means of mental health preservation. By Monika Estrella Negra Following the removal of Gina Carano from the hit Disney+ series The…

To Harm Or To Not Harm: The Doctor Aphra Omnibus Review!

Kieron Gillen (Author), Simon Spurrier (Author), Jason Aaron (Author), Kev Walker (Illustrator), Salvador Larroca (Illustrator), Andrea Broccardo (Illustrator), Emilio Laiso (Illustrator), Wilton Santos (Illustrator), Caspar Wjingaard (Illustrator),…

‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ Explores Women’s and Queer Liberation

Portrait of a Lady on Fire explores an unexpected and forbidden romance between two women in the late 18th century. Set on the lush and grainy beaches of an island in France, this heartbreaking love story reveals the thousands of tiny deaths queer…

Black queer women and film from Audre Lorde to me

A Black queer woman and filmmaker discusses how the Women Sweet on Women Film Festival captures unique experiences and honors Audre Lorde. Like some people in quarantine, I have found myself dissecting all of the components of my past that have…

The Best of Deadpool!

Deadpool, “the Merc with a Mouth” is one of my very favorite characters. He is annoying, hilarious, and violent – but he has a tendency to curb his antics when it’s time to help other people. His voracious eating of tacos, numerous nerd references,…

Black LGBT Community Survey Reveals Disparity and Resilience

The Center for Black Equity (CBE) recently released the 2020-21 Black LGBT Community survey, and the results demonstrate the destruction caused by COVID-19. Participants reported experiencing increased social isolation and decreased mental…

The Best Venom Comics!

I have quite the love affair with the universe’s most complex symbiote. I firmly believe that Venom is an excellent example of the antihero in fiction and the numerous paths that can be taken in order to expand that character type. Formally…

Ma Rainey and the Black Femme Bi Blues

Ma Rainey fought for her place in Blues as a queer Black woman. Netflix’s new film adaptation Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom explores her legacy. August Wilson’s play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom received the cinematic adaptation of a lifetime this past year.…

Batman: The White Knight – Mirrors of Mental Illness

The White Knight (2017) takes a look into the psyche of Batman and the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. This is perhaps one of the most outwardly progressive runs that has happened in the Gotham universe, though it is heavily flawed. While we get to…

Black Panther: Panther’s Prey Epic Collection Review!

The Black Panther franchise has seen its popularity soar since the cinematic adaptation hit theaters in 2018. The newest installment into the Epic Collection, Panther’s Prey revisits Don Mcgregor’s 1988 work of the same name, Panther’s Quest (Marvel…

The Haunting of Bly Manor’s queer relationship is important representation

The Haunting of Bly Manor is the second installment of The Haunting Netflix franchise, which is based off of the Shirley Jackson book The Haunting of Hill House. The two series are created in the tradition of gothic horror and focus on the inner…