BOOK REVIEW: The Tuskegee Heirs: Flames of Destiny

TITLE: Tuskegee Heirs: Flames of Destiny
AUTHORS: Marcus Williams and Greg Burnham
ILLUSTRATOR: Marcus Williams
COLOR ARTIST: Omaka Schultz
PAGES: 34                
                                           
SYNOPSIS: Tuskegee Heirs: Flames of Destiny” is a NEW futuristic sci-fi action-adventure comic book series set 80 years into the future that follows a squadron of young, gifted aviators, who are forced to become Earth’s last line of defense against a menacing race of artificially intelligent villains bent on destroying civilization. Trained at the legendary Moton Field, by Col. Mars (our own fictional descendant of the Tuskegee Airmen), these five teens, and their crew embody strong moral ethics and team strategies used by the Red Tails themselves to overcome their problems. Follow along as our team travels the globe in an effort to save civilization, exposing little known history and geography along the way. Also…There’s GIANT ROBOTS.

REVIEW
EXTERIOR / COVER DESIGN: The cover design for the Tuskegee Heirs comic book is captivating. The cover illustration by Marcus Williams immediately grabs your attention, and the title is intriguing. Knowing the amazing history of the Tuskegee Airmen and seeing the Tuskegee Heirs paying homage by sporting the same uniforms as their predecessors made it a no-brainer for me to be attracted to this comic book. Everything about the cover of this comic book made me want to open it up.

INTERIOR ILLUSTRATIONS: The interior of this comic book is nothing short of spectacular. These illustrations can stand neck and neck with powerhouses like Marvel and DC Comics. There is no question the Tuskegee Heirs can be easily turned into an animated series, and it seems as if Williams and Burnham already have this phase of the project in motion. From the actual illustration of the characters to the coloring and glares from the sun onto metal objects, this comic book is very striking.

REVIEW: The main characters in the story were the Tuskegee Heirs, who are Slip, Genesis, Ayanna, Omar, Able, Colonel Mars and Jena.  Slip is the wildcard in the group. He is unpredictable and has a difficult time following direction. Genesis seems to be the brains behind the team. She organizes training and places certain obstacles in those trainings. Omar was one of the bravest members of the team. He doesn’t hesitate to put his life on the line to save someone else. Ayana is the leader of the group and is also brave. Jena is the mechanic and works on the aircraft. It does not appear that she handles missions with the team, but I’m sure the creators have something up their sleeve for her character. Colonel Mars is in charge of the team’s operations. He is the contact person to reach when there is a mission. Able is the newest member of the group, and this book is his introduction to the team.

The setting for the story is in the year 2096. The book starts off with the heroes training. During this training, they are working on their flight formations, and of course, Slip does not follow directions and gets out of formation. Once he leaves formation, his aircraft is shot with paint by one of Genesis’ obstacle weapons. The next scene jumps into Able’s introduction to the team. He is in the car with Colonel Mars, and they are discussing Able’s new position and the current state of the world. During the conversation, Able mentions how he has always had a passion for flying and how he would never have that opportunity because flying an aircraft is illegal. Once Able joins the crew, they set up training, but one of the heroes is mysteriously attacked. Once that event happens, Colonel Mars receives a mission from a senator who is in imminent danger.

RATING: The Tuskegee Heirs get a five-star rating from Creedom. Not only is the story unique, the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what happens next. In the story, there is mention of the P-51 Mustangs which are the aircrafts the Tuskegee Airmen flew. There are a few more gems that pay homage to the Tuskegee Airmen, and this will allow young readers to learn a little bit of their history in a cool way. When reaching the last page in this book, I wanted so much more. It was a feeling very similar to waiting a whole year for the next season of your favorite television show to return. There are several questions that will have readers craving for more books from this series.