After yesterday’s release of the Captain America: Civil War trailer, most of the talk was about Spider-Man. But let’s not forget that we got an even better look at Chadwick Boseman’s take on Black Panther. We may be getting another cinematic webslinger, but more importantly, one of Marvel’s noblest and coolest characters will be making his screen debut.
Which makes the release of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze’s first issue of Black Panther poised to explode. People are talking about this character. People are going to want to know more about him. We’ve noted before that bringing Coates onboard is interesting: a critically-acclaimed essayist, Coates at the very least will have a strong voice, if Marvel editorial lets him use it. Combine with the dynamic art of Stelfreeze, and this looks like a risk worth taking. Also interesting: that Marvel is finally doing variant covers tying in to Disney Infinity. April will be the month that Black Panther joins the line-up of that toys to life videogame, so seeing the character design get utilized for a comic book might also get a few new readers. From Marvel:
A new era dawns for Wakanda and its ruler, T’Challa! Marvel is proud to offer your new look at BLACK PANTHER #1 written by national correspondent for The Atlantic, MacArthur Genius, and National Book Award winner Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) and illustrated by living legend Brian Stelfreeze, BLACK PANTHER “A Nation Under Our Feet” is a story about dramatic upheaval in Wakanda and the Black Panther’s struggle to do right by his people as their ruler.
The indomitable will of Wakanda — the famed African nation known for its vast wealth, advanced technology and warrior traditions — has long been reflected in the will of its monarchs, the Black Panthers. But now, the current Black Panther, T’Challa, finds that will tested by a superhuman terrorist group called The People that have sparked a violent uprising among the citizens of Wakanda. T’Challa knows the country must change to survive — the question is: will the Black Panther survive the change?
Exclusively revealing with The Atlantic, Coates proposes a simple question that fueled his script for BLACK PANTHER, “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.”
“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,” says Marvel Comics Editor In Chief, Axel Alonso. “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.”
Is this a bold new age for one of Marvel’s most classic heroes or his untimely downfall? Find out April 6th as BLACK PANTHER #1 arrives digitally and in local comic retailers.
BLACK PANTHER #1 (FEB160736)
Written by TA-NEHISI COATES
Art and Cover by BRIAN STELFREEZE
BLACK PANTHER #1 ALEX ROSS VARIANT (FEB160737)
BLACK PANTHER #1 BLANK COVER VARIANT (FEB160746)
BLACK PANTHER #1 COIPEL VARIANT (FEB160738)
BLACK PANTHER #1 DISNEY INFINITY GAME VARIANT (FEB160745)
BLACK PANTHER #1 FELIPE SMITH BLACK PANTHER 50TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT (FEB160742)
BLACK PANTHER #1 GREENE CONNECTING VARIANT A (FEB160740)
BLACK PANTHER #1 SOOK VARIANT (FEB160743)
BLACK PANTHER #1 STELFREEZE DESIGN VARIANT (FEB160741)
BLACK PANTHER #1 STELFREEZE HIP-HOP VARIANT (FEB160739)
FOC – 3/14/16, On-Sale – 4/06/16
