Ripple Effects, about the life of a superhero with an invisible and incurable disease, is the winner of the 2022 Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity. The book, written by Jordan Hart with art by Bruno Chiroleu, was published by Fanbase Press in 2021.

The Dwayne McDuffie award celebrates diversity in comics and comic creative teams, and honors the memory of Dwayne McDuffie. McDuffie was a comics writer and co-creator of Milestone Media, which featured superheroes of varying genders, sexualities, race, and ethnicity. He died in 2011 at the age of 49. The award is given to comics that continue his legacy of featuring diversity as well as telling a compelling story.

The other finalists were:

• Blackward – Writer & Artist: Lawrence Lindell
• Clock Striker – Writer: Frederick L. Jones, Artist: Issaka Galadima
• The Man in the McIntosh Suit – Writer & Artist: Rina Ayuyang
• Young Men in Love: A Queer Romance Anthology – Writers: Various, Artists: Various

The full blurb for Ripple Effects says:

In a world that is no stranger to superheroes, George Gibson is invulnerable to physical harm but fights every day to stay alive.  Suffering from an acute case of type 1 diabetes, his invincibility is offset by a defective pancreas that must be monitored and treated daily.  This incurable disease makes George’s body both his greatest strength and his eternal weakness.  

What sets this series apart is a positive, person-first representation about life with a chronic disease . . . which just so happens to also include superhuman abilities.  But, Ripple Effects isn’t just a story about a character with an incurable disease. It’s also a thrilling and relevant superhero tale that touches on the difficulty of finding a work/life balance, the class struggles and economic inequality experienced by many in our nation, and the desire to help others during trying times.

The judging committee is led Marv Wolfman, and includes nine other prominent comics and animation professionals who personally knew and worked with McDuffie and/or have demonstrated a commitment to his vision of excellence and inclusiveness both on the page and behind the scenes. The other members are Colleen Doran, Heidi MacDonald, Jamal Igle, Joseph Illidge, Nilah Magruder, Kevin Rubio, Geoffrey Thorne, Will J. Watkins, and Matt Wayne.