Brave New Worlds

ike many nerds of color, Thomas “Detour” Evans longed to see more characters who look like him in sci-fi and superhero stories. So he created his own alternate universe: This month, the Denver artist will transform Five Points’ RedLine Contemporary Art Center into a Graceland-esque, is an example of Afrofuturism, a philosophy employed in books, movies, and other art forms that depicts imaginary worlds through the lens of black culture, à la . As the success of that movie suggests, the genre is gaining popularity—and not only in the Marvel Universe. A growing group of Denver avengers are weaving the African diaspora into their works. We unmask three of the heroes here.