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| Marvel Studios |
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Marvel’s Black Panther is coming out this Friday, and word on the street is that people really really love it. So, because I personally care more about the comics than the films based on them, I want to use this hype to try and bring some attention to the best stories featuring our favorite African monarch. This is your homework, folks, and you wouldn’t want to let the king down, would you? Let’s get started!
T’Challa, the Black Panther, was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the pages of Fantastic Four #52, way back in 1966. The King of Wakanda has been around for a long time, with several series and miniseries, along with memberships in the FF and the Avengers, under his belt. However, it is surprisingly difficult to find truly definitive and excellent stories in his long history, with many falling under classic old “heroic monarch” tropes you can find in Aquaman or just lame plots that do nothing for the character. Thankfully, there are some great ones out there for you to read, and I’m going to list five of them here:
1. The Christopher Priest Run (Black Panther Vol. 3)
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| Marvel Comics |
If there is any one book you pick up from this list, or any book starring Black Panther in general, make it this one and do it ASAP. While a lot of the recognizable elements of the character (Wakanda, the history of the title, being a king, etc.) were established in prior runs, it was Christopher Priest that made them awesome. After years of being on the C-list, cool cameo corner, T'Challa was turned into one of the most awesome and interesting characters in the Marvel lineup. The title ran for six years and yes, that is a lot of comics, but Priest’s excellent storytelling and the great art by Mark Texeira (after a bit of a rough start) combine to tell the only true epic allotted to the king of Wakanda. Also read if you want to see the best stuff involving film antagonists Erik Kilmonger and Klaw (who is not living sound in the film, just Andy Serkis).
2. Who is the Black Panther? (Black Panther vol. 4 #1-6)
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| Marvel Comics |
After Christopher Priest, writer Reginald Hudlin took over the title, and he kicked off his run with an excellent story for anyone looking to experience for the character. This story, drawn by legend John Romita Jr., details a battle between Black Panther and Klaw while also delving into past Black Panthers and their journeys. While a good intro to the world of Wakanda, it focuses on the family aspect of Black Panther and how the title is a familial one, something that is crucial to understanding the character. It also features an incredibly badass fight between T’Challa’s grandfather (the Black Panther of his time) and Captain America set during World War II that is worth the entire asking price. Between the killer action, the involvement of Klaw and character moments based on T’Challa’s relationship to the past Panthers, this is a must read if you want to ready yourself for the film.
3. The Bride and Civil War: Black Panther (Black Panther vol. 4 #18-25)
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| Marvel Comics |
Reginald Hudlin’s run also produced a wedding that, while not having much to do with the movie (but might in the future!), gave us two great characters bound in a powerful matrimony: Black Panther and Storm. Yes, the way she is shoved into his backstory is a little hokey, but the characters are great together and Hudlin writes their love in a very convincing way. Plus, artist Scott Eaton delivers some amazing artwork. In the Civil War arc, the new couple travel on a diplomatic trip to visit monarchs such as Namor, Black Bolt and none other than Dr. Doom. As connections to the MCU go, the meeting the two have with Iron Man right in the midst of the superhero conflict is the closest this series gets, but this is just a great pair of stories that shows T'Challa doing his thing as the king of Wakanda. What more could you want from that?
4. The Deadliest of the Species (Black Panther Vol. 5 #1-6)
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| Marvel Comics |
One of the key players in the upcoming film is T’Challa’s sister Shuri, a strong and confident warrior in her own right who aids in the defense of Wakanda. However, in the comic books she got quite a major upgrade in Hudlin’s last arc with the character, where she became the Black Panther herself. T’Challa is taken out by a group of villains and Wakanda needs a ruler, so with Storm’s blessing Shuri spends the arc earning the title and defeating the sorcerer Morlun. This arc takes an interesting twist as Shuri actually is rejected by the Panther totem that gives the Black Panther his powers, and it was a good way to pump up the character to a bigger role without feeling forced. Here’s hoping Shuri gets this treatment in the films soon.
5. Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers
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| Marvel Comics |
Starting from New Avengers #1 and ending with Secret Wars, this epic storyline follows Marvel's best and brightest (Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Dr. Strange, Namor, Black Bolt, the Beast, and Black Panther) as they attempt to save their world from multiversal collapse. It's a daunting task, with the realities of what they have to do bending and breaking them all in different ways, and T'Challa is right in the middle of it from the beginning page. While not the central character (that would be Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom), T'Challa gets a lot of page time and undergoes a very serious challenge as he struggles with his heroic nature and role as king, and it goes to some pretty dark places that you wouldn't expect. Pick this one up if you can, as it also heavily relates to the upcoming Infinity War.
That’s a lot of reading, isn’t it? Better get cracking! And remember to go check out Black Panther in theaters on February 16!
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