Now that you have read the headline and finished screaming like a rabid fan girl and wiping those tears, let us get back to the task at hand. Black Panther has a new series on the way. The writer of said series is the second black writer to be hired by Marvel Comics since 2009. Now that alone would be reason to be excited but I can hear the collective moans globally…who is Ta-Nehisi Coates? Well here is a bit of background before we get back to the Black Panther series excitement:
“Ta-Nehisi Coates born September 30, 1975) is an American writer, journalist, and educator. Coates is a National Correspondent for The Atlantic, where he writes about cultural, social and political issues, particularly as regards African-Americans.”
That’s from Wikipedia (I know that’s lazy reporting…sue me I’m tired!)
Now he’s an interesting pick for writing Black Panther for a number of reasons,great writer,highly controversial, aware of race and it’s importance etc. I wish Ta-Nehisi Coates all the best and leave you with these quotes from the his nytimes article:
“A Nation Under Our Feet,” the yearlong story line written by Mr. Coates and drawn by Brian Stelfreeze, is inspired by the 2003 book of the same title by Steven Hahn. It will find the hero dealing with a violent uprising in his country set off by a superhuman terrorist group called the People. “It’s going to be a story that repositions the Black Panther in the minds of readers,”
Mr. Coates’s enthusiasm for Marvel started when he was a boy. Marvel was “an intimate part of my childhood and, at this point, part of my adulthood,” he said. “It was mostly through pop culture, through hip-hop, through Dungeons & Dragons and comic books that I acquired much of my vocabulary.”
Mr. Coates, 39, began reading comics in the mid-1980s and was introduced to three minority characters: Storm, the leader of the X-Men; Monica Rambeau, who had taken on the name Captain Marvel; and James Rhodes, who was Iron Man. “They were obviously black,” he recalled, but it was not made into a big deal. Still, he said: “I’m sure it meant something to see people who looked like me in comic books. It was this beautiful place that I felt pop culture should look like.”
What do you think ?
Are you excited or disappointed?
Sound off below
More as it breaks!
[Source: NYTIMES]
On face of it this is very good news .
But then T’challa has no where to go but up given the way t that Marvel has been treating him of late, reducing our fave character to status of Reed Richard’s best Black friend and giving him very little to do in the current on going Secret wars Battle World story arc ( Given how un engaging and pointless I find that whole enterprise I can safely say that ( I think) this absence is actually a good thing )
I am not familiar with Mr Coates ‘s work or writing but I will do some research
I like that this story is supposed to last an entire year last .
The plot sounds interesting and has potential and conjures up some really great ideas and possibilities in my mind
But Marvel has let me down repeatedly in the recent past so I am wary
I will wait and see
And hope that this time they deliver the goods
to all the fan of black panther. buy 10 copies of the number one issue and five copies of the remaining issues of this soon to be dynamically historic african american comicbook writer and artist duo. oh my GOD! We are in for a treat for the comicbook ages.
With respect .
I am tempted to fallow your example
Putting my misgiving s aside , we fans should put our money where our mouths are
But I say again the the comic must justify our love
Thank you for this post
It’s about time! Haven’t collected comics in years, but I’m gonna be on this one!
I’m with you 100% Jim Johnston,I couldnt’ve said better myself! I’m surprised,excited and mostly skeptical. But like you said; there’s no where to go but up.
There are a few positives that give me some hope and that being the Stelfreeze is an gifted artist and the name Ta-Nahisi is actually the ancient (kimetic) african name for Nubia…am I reachn?!?
This should be very euphoric for black comic fans. A talented Black Writer AND a talented Black Artist TOGETHER on a long overdue Black Character’s SOLO series! Just saying it makes me giddy!
Upon reflection and research I ( happily) find I have to upgrade my initial assessment.
From reading his work in The Atlantic I see Mr Coates puts passion and politics into his work . I really like that . ( I am also going to see about picking up a copy each of his two books )
He strikes me as being thoughtful and aware and intelligent
And he really cares about the character ( as much as we do , think)
I hope all this will be reflected in the final story
I am still keeping my wait and see attitude
But now I am feeling much more positive about the project
Responding with respect
There is nothing wrong with a reach
I have to respectfully disagree with your comments. Marvel has actually been doing a lot of good for T’Challa since the onset of secret wars. Sure we have had to deal with AvX which led to the death of many Wakandans but it also ended that joke of a marriage between him and Storm. Seriously Hudlin butched that one. They was also Doom War which removed all vibranium from Wakanda and led to T’Challa giving up his throne but as you said. They can only go up from here. Jonathan Hickman is the one to thank for all this. He made T’Challa and Wakanda a focal point during the Time Runs Out event. He brought back the Calm, Collected, highly scientific, well-versed combatant and camaraderie nature that was part of T’Challa’s character before Hudlin retconed all that away in favour of “Mary-sue Black Power Panther”. Also, Hickman gave more character to not just him but Namor and the relationship between them. The fight they had was sooo well done. It showed off T’Challa’s strength, technological skill and strategic know-how. Wakanda will also FINALLY be shown as an AFRO-FUTURISTIC country not just GODDAMN MUD-HUTS AND GRASS SKIRTS! If this is the Black Panther we will be getting more of then sign me up!