Street Beat Web Exclusive: Urban Style Comics

Have you ever pictured yourself as a superhero? Who would you be?

As a kid growing up, Andre Batts, the founder of Urban Style Comics and creator of "Dreadlocks," "Jihad A.D." and more, said he was so much into comic books but didn't have a superhero he can relate to.

"I would get out of school rush to the store in my neighborhood to pick up the newest editions of the different Marvel comic characters such as the Avengers, X-Men, Spiderman, Doctor Strange and a host of others. But as years past [passed] by the Images in the Comic industry were dominated by the same majority race. Only a few images looked like myself and my surroundings," said Batts.

Batts explained what his purpose was for creating Urban Style Comics, a local comic book publisher located in Detroit, Michigan. was to "bring forth an urban comic book hero that would stand as a leader." His primary task was to "educate from a different perspective. Thus, entertaining the naked eye with imagery that reflects the urban cities across America's ghettos in a positive manner minus all the negativity that swarms us daily."

Batts's created a blind superhuman called Dreadlocks in order to establish that true righteousness comes from within. Dreadlocks follows an ancient order of Egypt known as Ma'at which means truth, order and righteousness. The character wears a modified cross on his chest called an ankh which symbolizes true divine life and eternal life. He represents culture that has been lost through slavery, time, and increasing fallacies.

Information for this article was taken from motorcityblackage.weebly.com and urbanstylecomics.com

Check out Andre's other Web Exclusive about the Motor City Black Age of Comics Convention HERE