Where power, identity, and justice collide.
Hey there, and welcome.
I’m glad you’re here. I’m an African American writer crafting a story that’s close to the bone: bold, layered, and unapologetically rooted in the truths many of us live and feel. My recently released graphic novel series, Born Pariah, invites young adults and comic lovers into a world that feels both extraordinary and all too real.
Four years ago, the nation was shaken when Black youth in urban Atlanta began to exhibit unexplainable superhuman abilities. These individuals, now known as Variants, have since tried to live peacefully among us. Many chose to stay hidden in plain sight, tucked inside the routines of everyday life.
But peace is fragile.
Led by conservative Senator John, a rising wave of fear and political pressure has started to swell. He calls them “pariah.” He warns of danger. And the country listens.
When an unarmed Black teen Variant dies in police custody, grief erupts into outrage. The fragile calm snaps. A radical faction of Variants calling themselves the Fam refuses to stay silent, and they’re ready to strike back.
Caught in the center of this storm is Jules, a community youth director and quiet mentor to a small group of Variants. As the world edges closer to chaos, Jules fights to guide his mentees toward peace, even as the pressure to choose sides tightens around them.
This is a story about power: how it’s seen, who’s allowed to have it, and what happens when the world fears those who do.
Born Pariah is more than a graphic novel. It’s a story of rebellion and resilience, of being misunderstood and underestimated, and rising anyway. It reflects our times through a speculative lens, asking what it really means to be dangerous in a world that’s already on fire.
Thanks for being here.
This is just the beginning.
Stay tuned. Stay awake. Stay Variant.
— B Rich
