Jaycen Wise: The Immortal Hero Reclaiming Lost History

One might assume that in today’s hyper-connected world, launching a new comic title would be easier than ever. But as Uraeus, creator of the Jaycen Wise franchise, quickly learned — algorithms rule everything. Thankfully, fate stepped in through a powerful collaboration with Sebastian A. Jones, founder of the independent label Stranger Comics, aligning all the right paths.

BGN sat down with Uraeus — also known as the founder of Black Heroes Matter — and Jones of Stranger Comics for an in-depth conversation about the rise of their newest hero, Jaycen Wise.

During our discussion, Uraeus explained the origin of Jaycen’s name, which began after a trip to Egypt.

“When I came back to the States, I had at the time two sons, and I would share stories of this hero with them at bedtime,” he said. “I gave the hero the name Jaycen Wise, with ‘Wise’ as an acronym for the qualities I wanted to instill in them — wisdom, intelligence, strength, and endurance. Jaycen is the name he uses in modern times, but we don’t know what his real name is.”

What began as bedtime stories for his children evolved into notes, and eventually, fully realized comic concepts.

“Those ideas took root in the imaginations of the artists,” Uraeus recalled. “They started creating work, and that rolled into me developing comic books and sharing them at independent Black comic book festivals.”

Those early grassroots efforts eventually caught the attention of Sebastian Jones.

“When I heard about it, I thought, this project deserves to win,” Jones shared. “It’s such an incredible, simple, yet elegant story within a giant framework. I don’t have a lot of bandwidth outside my own work, but when I had the chance to do Jaycen Wise, I knew I was in.”

At its core, Jaycen Wise is an anti–tomb raider, a hero who infiltrates museums and private collections to repatriate stolen artifacts and return them to their rightful cultures.

Uraeus addressed some of the criticism the story has drawn:

“A lot of trolls say things like, ‘If it wasn’t for Europeans, these artifacts would’ve been destroyed,’” he said. “But the truth is, these pieces of culture do not belong to those who hold them now. They need to be returned.”

Jones added,

“It’s the difference between sharing knowledge and desiring ownership. When you try to own culture, you’re trying to own spirit — even souls. There’s an opportunity to preserve without taking, and that’s something many culture vultures miss.”

A key element of the series involves the Tablets of Kush — a symbolic artifact representing the accumulated knowledge and culture of African and Black people across the world.

“The tablets were destroyed by Jaycen’s own hand in his youth,” Uraeus explained. “Now he’s on an eternal quest to piece them back together. It’s symbolic of Black people globally trying to reclaim the pieces of their shattered history. African history, Black history — it’s absolutely amazing.”

See Also

Rian Johnson Confirms He’s Already Working on ‘Knives Out 4’ and Says He Will Never Hand the Franchise to Another Director

As of this writing, the Jaycen Wise Kickstarter campaign is over 724% funded, with backing open until October 14, 2025.

Uraeus also shared details of a late-campaign giveaway:

“Anyone who pledges $100 or more is entered into a raffle to win a PlayStation 5. For every $100 you donate, you get a virtual key. At the end, one key will be randomly chosen to win.”

Fans can also meet the team at New York Comic Con, where Stranger Comics will host exclusives, including collectible coins containing clues to the Jaycen Wise Society and secret glyphs hidden in variant covers.

Ultimately, Jaycen Wise is a call to rediscover the past and inspire the future.

“I want readers to experience the same sense of wonder I gave my boys back then,” said Uraeus. “To captivate their inner child, have fun, learn some history, and make change in the world.”

We’re already in. Are you?