As a young POC growing up in New York, I was made aware form a very young age exactly who I was and how the world saw me. I can thank my loving parents for instilling exceptional values and a stalwart view of how infinite the world can be. They, and the world, showed me because of how I looked, what my last name was, and the many ignorant assumptions that come with it, that I was not necessarily given any hand up. The world would see me different. It’d always underestimate my intelligence, overestimating my severity, and always look at me as a threat.

This reality became even more apparent as I grew older. The looks I would get from some people with a lack of melanin and the police made me feel at times as if my life did not matter as much. This is why Alicia Garza and her army of supporters created Black Lives Matter, to reintroduce to newer generations and those in the fight that all lives do matter including POC. This is why stories which tell our stories no matter how bleak, are always important. In the original graphic novel Kaneesha, we get a harrowing story of one family’s loss and how they move forward after it.

We are brought to familiar scene. A jury is passing judgement on two officers who killed an unarmed black teenager with an outcome that has been seen before far too many times. As a reporter from a conservative news outlet makes a crass remark about the ruling, the victim’ sister, Kaneesha, has had enough, and slugs the newsman, leaving her wanted by the police for assault. From there, it’s a story of action and consequences exploring this very real world issue.

Overall, Kaneesha is a graphic novel which takes the wind out of you as this subject matter is tough but the reality of it is even more difficult. The story by Ben Miller is harrowing, well developed, immaculately researched, and a powerhouse. The art by Miller is beautiful. Altogether, an excellent comic which does more than illuminate, it normalizes the struggle for those who don’t live it.

Story: Ben Miller Art: Ben Miller
Story: 10 Art: 9.6 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy