Marvel Comics: 5 Black Panther stories to check out
By Mark Lynch
1. The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda
Wakanda has always been ahead of things. They cured cancer, have a country where everyone is treated equally, and reached space before any other country in the world. Recently, T’Challa ended up in outer space looking for the lost Wakandans he sent on a mission. This should have been an easy trip for him. Unfortunately, T’Challa lost his memory and was enslaved by an alien race. In typical T’Challa fashion, he found a way to escape. Despite not having his memory, T’Challa remains one of the most dangerous beings in the galaxy. After escaping, he joined an intergalactic militia determined to stop the slaving of alien races.
Ta-Nehisi Coates (a name you’ll hear again) hasn’t finished this run yet, and it’s already a must-read. He’s shown that he can build a world and create amazing characters. He also reinvents some older favorites and even helped show how Nakia and T’Challa can be together in the comics. This will be a guiding light for the Black Panther sequel.
In this series, Ta-Nehisi Coates created antagonists that were impossible to like. He’s also made his heroes look like true warriors. Not just great fighters, but realistic heroes. For instance, sometimes they would have to retreat and save their soldiers and other times they fight. There aren’t a lot of writers who can make their heroes lose and still look good. But Ta-Nehisi Coates did it and made it look good.