Eric Jerome Dickey (1961–2020)

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I'm not much of an X-Men person, so I know very little about Storm as a character. This focuses on a period where she's a street thief in Africa, her parents having been killed in a civil war. A group of hunters recognizes her weather-controlling powers, and tries to kidnap her at the same time a young T'Challa, travelling the world, finds himself captivated by her. I have no sense of how much of this would have been show more preexisting canon and how much of it was added by writer Eric Jerome Dickey.

In any case, it's a comic where all one can say, and I'm sorry, is that it's basically fine. There is, unfortunately in my opinion, a lot of emphasis on Ororo's relationship with T'Challa, who was her first lover. While I get that this is an important part of anyone's life, it seemed to me that I wasn't getting a lot of insight into her personality, her wants, her needs, other than her need for romantic companionship. She seems largely defined by other people's choices—and, to be fair, many people actually are—but I had little sense of how she reacted and built herself in response to these other people.

The art is fine; I wouldn't give it an award but there's nothing wrong with it, though I sometimes lost track of all the various hunter characters. The issues are on the longer side, a little more than the usual 20-22 pages, and I feel like they could have been cut down to the standard length without really losing anything important, to be honest.

Most frustratingly in terms of continuity, the book ends with T'Challa and Ororo still together! How did they end up separated again? The Marvel Chronology Project informs me that chronologically, Storm is followed by flashbacks from Black Panther vol. 3 #26 and Black Panther vol. 4 #14, but I don't remember the details of these despite having read them! (Maybe I should go back?) I guess Storm doesn't have to provide the complete story, but it does have what feels like an odd stopping point, all things considered.

Anyway, I'm glad I read it in the end, and it's too bad I didn't read it between issues #9 and 10 of Black Panther vol. 4, which would be my recommendation. But though perhaps this is a consequence of the context in which I read it, it feels more important to T'Challa than Ororo, and I think that does the character and the series a disservice. show less

Vincent Calvary Browne, Jr. is a Negro Black Man trying to date after divorce. His ex-wife cheated. Adding insult to injury, she left him taking their three year old daughter out of the country. Baggage, baggage, baggage. Dana Ann Smith is a single woman trying to land on her feet in Los Angeles after leaving heavy debts and an even heavier romance in New York. Baggage, baggage, baggage. When Vince and Dana meet they are immediately attracted to one another. They seem like the perfect fit. show more However, in an effort to present their best selves to one another they hide their secrets under a pile of lies and more lies. Sooner or later, those lies start to reveal themselves as the couple gets more and more involved and Dana’s ex arrives from New York. Can Dana see beyond Vince’s lie about never being married or having children? Can she respect him as a father with an ex-wife? Can Vince hear Dana over the warning bells about her debt? Can he trust she is truly over her rich and hunky ex? What makes Liar’s Game so much fun is the varying perspectives of the same story. As the saying goes, there are are always three sides to every story: his side, her side, and the truth. Dickey gives us all three.
A word of warning - the writing is a little dated. In today's society, I don’t think many people would consider a cell phone a piece of technology for players. show less

This book was everything I needed and didn’t know I was craving.

Eric Jerome Dickey delivers a spicy, soulful, and sharply written story about three sisters navigating love, betrayal, and the beautifully complicated bond of family. Frankie, Livvy, and Tommie couldn’t be more different, but each of their stories is compelling in its own way.

Frankie is fierce and driven—but never satisfied. Livvy is stuck in a toxic marriage and making questionable decisions of her own. And Tommie... she show more tugged at my heartstrings the most, trying to rebuild her sense of trust and self-worth after being hurt. Dickey doesn’t shy away from showing their flaws, but that’s what makes them feel real.

The dialogue is witty and fast-paced. The drama is drama. And the humor catches you off guard in the best ways. I found myself laughing one page and wincing the next because these characters go through it.

But at its core, this is a story about sisterhood—the kind that holds you together when everything else is falling apart.

Perfect for fans of character-driven fiction with a touch of heat, a lot of heart, and a whole lot of truth. show less

Harlem: A Short Story by Jerome Dickey packs quite a punch. I'm not sure what I expected when I started Harlem, but this short story took me on a bit of a rollercoaster ride yet was woven together beautifully. Harlem's experiences landed in my body in unexpected ways making me feel like I was experiencing what he was while still also being detached from it which he also seemed to be at times. Dickey creates a world based in reality that feels all too real and yet somehow surreal at the same show more time. Harlem kept me invested until the very end and even left me wanting more. show less