In ‘Ling,’ The Chinese-American Hero’s Superpower is Being Normal

By N. Jamiyla Chisholm Oct 01, 2019

The world can always use another superhero, especially one like the star of “Ling,” a new comic that debuted on Monday (September 30). The Chinese-American high school girl fights back against cyberbullying, racism, sexism and a ton of stereotypes.

Created by Dennis Liu and wife Marie Iida (the interpreter on “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”), Ling is described on the comic’s website as “not a model minority … not good at math, she’s not submissive and she skateboards.” She also has a birthmark on her face. Ling is the kind of superhero who has real-world problems; even though she can transform into any girl she wants to be, she gets her butt kicked daily. “She’s not over-sexualized like Asian women have historically been in cinema, and she’s an awkward nerdy teen,” Liu told Girl Talk HQ

The comic, which also has its own short film, was created as a companion piece to “Raising Dion,” a series about a young Black boy being raised by a single mother who discovers he has superpowers. The series debuts on Netflix on Friday (October 4) and stars Michael B. Jordan and Alisha Wainwright.

Click here to learn more about “Ling” and watch the short film below: