Black Panther: First Look at His New Comic Series
Marvel Comics has revealed a first look at the upcoming relaunched Black Panther comic that hits the stands next month. The new book comes from writers MacArthur Genius and Ta-Nehisi Coates, with artwork by Brian Stelfreeze. You can check out some sample artwork and pages (Courtesy of Marvel) in the gallery below. Click on the thumbnails to see the full-size images.
The first story, “A Nation under Our Fleet,” follows a dramatic upheaval in Wakanda, the home country of Black Panther aka T’Challa, and his struggle to do right by his people as their ruler. T’Challa finds his will tested by a superhuman terrorist group called The People that have caused a violent uprising among the citizens of Wakanda. The country will have to change in order to survive, but will Black Panther survive the change?
Speaking to The Atlantic on the new book, Coates stated: “Can a good man be a king, and would an advanced society tolerate a monarch? Research is crucial in both cases. The Black Panther I offer pulls from the archives of Marvel and the character’s own long history. But it also pulls from the very real history of society—from the pre-colonial era of Africa, the peasant rebellions that wracked Europe toward the end of the Middle Ages, the American Civil War, the Arab Spring, and the rise of ISIS.”
Marvel Editor in Chief Axel Alonso added: “For centuries, Wakanda has been sending would-be conquerors home in body bags. Now, it is about to face its biggest threat — and it comes from within. Under Ta-Nehisi’s unflinching gaze, the Black Panther will grapple with a threat that can’t simply be beaten into submission, one that raises questions about life, liberty and honor that are especially relevant today.”
Black Panther Issue No. 1 hits the stands and will be available digitally on April 6.