Melvin Waring wakes up in the future, where he must call on the power of Black history to rescue his wife and thwart the plans of the Modern Living Corporation. Ancestral Recall #5 is written by Jordan Clark, drawn by Atagun Ilhan, colored by Pippa Bowland and lettered by Rob Steen for AHOY Comics.
I recently treated myself to a copy of George M. Johnson’s book Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I’d Wish I’d Known. It is a book of essays and poems by the author and gorgeous artwork by Charly Palmer that tell the stories of the vibrant lives of Black queer writers and artists during the Harlem Renaissance. While I already knew about most of the people mentioned in the book, such as Langston Hughes and Josephine Baker, this is the first time I’ve ever seen their Blackness and queerness discussed simultaneously with their creative accomplishments.
As I read issue #5 of Ancestral Recall, I couldn’t help but recall Flamboyants because of how the former’s antagonist, the Modern Living Corporation, parallels so many real-life corporations and individuals who try to hide or obscure Black history so that a watered-down version is taught in schools. At the same time, they also numb us with comforts such as “same-day delivery” or gen AI so that we never question what we are told and whether that truly reflects the world around us.
For this reason, Melvin, the protagonist of Ancestral Recall, is a hero in his own right as he channels the knowledge and power of Black ancestors to rescue his wife, June, and topple the Modern Living Corporation. In the previous issue, he also uses his romantic history with June to follow her into the future.
Beautifully illustrating Melvin’s journey is Atagun IIhan’s visually striking art, Pippa Bowland’s color work and Rob Steen’s lettering. They synergize especially well in detailed pages like the double-page spread that shows Melvin freeing June’s mind from the Modern Living Corporation’s machine as they float in a sea of ones and zeroes. The confining silver and sinister wires and machinery contrast with the blank space that June and Melvin float in. It is as if by freeing June by tapping into the power of a Black ancestor, Melvin is giving himself permission to create a new future for the two of them.
Besides Melvin, June and neighbor Myran also get their moments to shine. June refutes the Modern Living Corporation’s big villain speech by saying some factual and witty things, like quoting Ida B. Wells. Meanwhile, Myran and her now-big panda sidekick Petunia get to rally the troops in a fun way. Together, all of them save the day, and Melvin is changed for the better.
I especially loved how Melvin’s artistic talent is worked into this final issue. Back in the first issue, he was creatively blocked due to a combo of minority stress and mental health issues. This issue allows Melvin to get his creative spark back, to not only save the world, but also strengthen his relationship with June.
Through the speculative and through Black history, Ancestral Recall shows that Blackness shines with an eternal light. No matter how much Black history is obscured or hidden from us, it can always be found, taught and passed on to a new generation.
Buy Ancestral Recall #5 here. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.)
Latonya "Penn" Pennington is a freelance contributor whose comics criticism can be found at Women Write About Comics, Comic Book Herald, Newsarama and Shelfdust, among others. Follow them @wordsfromapenn.com on Bluesky.
