It’s safe to say The Read has become a staple in the podcasting community. Kid Fury and Crissle are a weekly presence in many of our lives.

If you’re an avid listener like I am, then you know that Fury is very much into things that are pillars of nerd culture, such as anime, comic books and video games. Whether he identifies as a blerd specifically, I don’t know, but the fact the we enjoy many of the same forms of entertainment is extra dope.

Another group of folks that seem to appreciate Kid Fury’s love for being black and nerdy and other things in black pop culture at large, is the team behind the current run of Nighthawk for Marvel Comics. One of my personal favorite comic book writers David F. Walker and artist Ramon Villalobos snuck in a nod to our favorite social commentators in the very first issue Nighthawk #1 that hit comic book stores on May 25th.

The artist follows me. I don’t care. It’s too late. I’m excited. The Read is a part of the Marvel Universe. pic.twitter.com/LrsYlD9MCj

— Saint Pest (@KidFury) June 3, 2016

One of Walker’s many strengths as a comic book writer is his eye for environment. He has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening in culture and is able to translate that insight into the panels of his work – which is awesome for blerds like myself.

Because it’s important that we support the creators who represent us in creative spaces like comic books, I won’t drop any spoilers for the issue in this post. However, this is as good a time as any to jump into the comic book game – especially because it’s the first issue. Head to your local comic book shop or grab a digital copy of Nighthawk #1 and check it out (but fair warning, the violence does get kind of real and there’s some blood).

Are those Yeezys on his feet though?

'The Read' gets a shoutout — Photo: Marvel Comics

Hopefully, if you get a chance to read this comic book, you can relate to the inherently black narrative that Walker infuses into this story. Set in a gritty, urban Chicago, this Nighthawk oozes a familiar cultural undertone that’s hard to miss. Kid Fury sure seems like he’s happy with the way this run is going so far.

Nighthawk #1. I’m getting 30 copies.

— Saint Pest (@KidFury) June 3, 2016

What do you think about Nighthawk #1’s shout out to The Read? Let us know in the comments below!

READ NEXT: NFL partners with HBCUs to increase opportunities off the field

This is the Read

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week