Quote Originally Posted by terrancejameson View Post
Baaaaabbbbyyyyyyy.... your take is one that I greatly appreciate and regularly look forward to. Our interpretation of the text isnt always in line with one another's, but for some reason I always end up nodding in agreement. I even cackled a few times.

I totally loved Storm's side eye at T'Challa. It felt very "you're the most intelligent man I know, do not insult us both by playing stupid." Their relationship shines like never before because of the depths of theirs souls are explored and laid bare to one another. Ororo is again elevating her man, the most strategic and intelligent man that she's ever known, to a place of legend. He was forced to fight to keep the name his mother gave him and he took it upon himself to fight for the name of Wakanda that he loves, not the Wakanda that grew into a perverted idea of its former glory. No one should expect a man of his stature to sit idly by as Wakanda becomes exactly what MCU Killmonger wanted to turn the country into.

I remain in awe of the ways in which T'Challa and Ororo continue to love one another through their disagreements. Just as I predicted Coates has found a way to mimic the narrative of Storm as the one true Hadari Yao through T'Challa's elevation as the legend who put the blade where it belonged. I honestly believe this issue brought them even closer. T'Challa understands Ororo's reluctance of accepting the name Hadari Yao. He had to literally fight to reclaim his memories and his name. He fought to claim his true sense of self. He had to reject the the beliefs, the myth, the legend that only served to keep him in chains. That's no different than what Storm has done with the myth and legend of the Hadari Yao. She's going to choose her own path. The way she connects the dots for him this issue is like issue #172 all over again, but in reverse.

There's just so much for me to love here! Storm has her signature cat irises she's supposed to. I really enjoy their banter here. Storm's not a telepath, but she reads T'Challa's mind like a book. It's clear they accept one another, flaws and all.

Yes, this and so much more. Yes, the side eye was like "don't play dumb. You know what in the hell is on my mind." LOL. That's classic sista girl stuff there, and T'Challa's one word "Right," acknowledges he did indeed know why she had been quiet that evening and what she was thinking about. T'Challa and Ororo are both honest, but I think Coates depicts their honesty in different ways. Ororo's honesty is deeply reflective, where she examines self but doesn't end with her self-flagellating the way T'Challa does. His honesty is about facts and feelings but not always a true understanding of the why. He has blinders, the way all people do, but his "luxury" in life, as Ororo accurately described it prevents him from seeing much. And there was no judgment of him having grown up in luxury while she grew up experiencing poverty. Their experiences are lens through which they view themselves, each other, and the world.


And, can we talk about Coates little dig about the false comparison between the plight of mutants and that of African Americans. Too many people assume they understand the history and legacy of enslavement and oppression of Africans in America, including immigrants to America. I loved that Storm acknowledged her own erroneous assumptions about her understanding of African American racial oppression simply because she was a mutant and had also experienced discrimination. I could go on, but I'm sure I've written tons of spoilers in my response.