Black Panther Appreciation 2020

[XPac]

Nah, I don't need that in my Black Panther comics. To be clear, I don't want an infallible guy who doesn't have moments of self-doubt or weakness. But those moments should be special and carry weight, not define him. Black Panther stories shouldn't be mired in an overindulgence of guilt that casts T'Challa as some sort of perpetually tragic figure. He's supposed to be almost scary in his single-mindedness to integrate Wakanda on the world stage while protecting his kingdom and the global peace.

No one is saying those two things should never conflict. In fact, they absolutely should in order to create compelling conflict. But if it always devolves into him not even wanting the throne or seeing his people as nothing more than a burden then it's a betrayal of the idealized warrior-king he's supposed to be. T'Challa deals with a lot of internal and external turmoil but the way certain writers manifest it is lazy.

Doubly so if it always takes place in the context of Wakanda getting invaded and him having to go through the motions of questioning himself. One 5-issue arc post-Secret Wars was acceptable. Wakanda got dragged through the mud and understandably there's some soul searching to do. But it's 2020 and T'Challa is still complaining about how he doesn't want to be king? How he still hasn't truly accepted the responsibilities it entails?

There's been no sense of movement for his character because writers (Coates and his associates) are committed to a deconstructive take on his character that exclusively focuses on his seemingly irredeemable failures to Wakanda. They haven't presented a T'Challa that's proactive in his heroism and can unashamedly engage with his people and the outside world with confidence. Like I said, this isn't about T'Challa questioning himself. It's about how the only story we've been getting is him being admonished for his past mistakes and constantly questioning if he's worthy.

T'Challa is going to sometimes put the world before Wakanda. Sometimes he'll do the opposite. It's a waste of time for there to be soliloquies about how one or the other is causing him some great crisis of conscious. It doesn't have to be like that every time he makes a choice. Especially if these choices aren't occurring in the Black Panther books proper. He's a comic book character and it shouldn't be that deep.

That's sort of how modern day storytelling works now. When I was a kid most personal issues were resolved in 1-2 issues. Fast foreward a couple decades and you can probably fill a single trade paper back. But I think more an more writers are really dragging things out to literally the span of years when they have runs that can last that long. Wanda dealing with the fall out of Disassembled and House of M and Iron Man dealing with the fall out of Civil War spanned the better part of a decade.

Which of course isn't to say the same can be said here as Coates is leaving the book. The next writer may have a completely different vision of the character (not an uncommon thing at all with the BP book) and take the character in a completely different direction.

[Micabe]

This is Wakanda...





I mean... lol

What title and issue are these pages from?

[Cville]

What title and issue are these pages from?

Black Panther #1 Reggie Hudlin. Made me a Black Panther fan from the first issue. Never knew the character existed before a friend let me read it.

[XJlock]

It may have been a Doombot, but it is the intention that counts.

[charliehustle415]

These are the same people that complained about the movie awarding the crown to whoever kicks ass.

A lot of people want Wakanda to be "black people utopia"... which means a non violent, uber progressive, intellectual types where nothign bad happens and everyone walks around in robes sipping tea.


This is Wakanda...






I mean... lol

Yeah....

Even "fans" forget this is a warrior nation first, technological powerhouse second, (maybe or maybe not progressive enlightened 3rd).

These events should be a chance for T'challa to stand up and go, "yo, you mofo's forgot what is in our DNA? We live for this ****"

I'll say it before and I'll say it again, Wakanda should be fictional (emphasis on fictional) Sparta. Getting a chance to die in glorious battle defending the homeland is a blessing from Bast.

This scholarly philosophy **** is for the birds. Wakanda is TINY. Their whole technology and philosophy should centered around war as a means of survival.

Exactly, off bat Wakanda strikes no matter what they are up against. They're a warrior society who honor their Gods by taking the heads off their would be conquerors.

Spartans did it, Aztecs did it, Egyptians did it, Vikings did it, Persians did it, why not Wakanda?

Show a unified African country that stand shoulder to shoulder to defeat imperialists who want to see Wakandans in bondage and their tech exploited

[Ezyo1000]

These are the same people that complained about the movie awarding the crown to whoever kicks ass.

A lot of people want Wakanda to be "black people utopia"... which means a non violent, uber progressive, intellectual types where nothign bad happens and everyone walks around in robes sipping tea.


This is Wakanda...






I mean... lol

Exactly, where's this Wakanda? The ones that they can be the most helpful and essential ally.. but when you ever stayed your welcome, or think to try and get fresh, well...

[charliehustle415]

That's what happens when your main character is a king. You need to raise the stakes to threaten that which they care about.

Asgard gets invaded all the damn time. You don't see Thor complaining, do you

But Asgard has the cycle of Ragnarok written within it. Asgardians are destined to die and then be reborn

[XPac]

But Asgard has the cycle of Ragnarok written within it. Asgardians are destined to die and then be reborn

That sort of works for everyone. I've lost count of how many times Atlantis has been destroyed in the last couple decades but at this point it sort of doesn't matter. They're always good as new next time you see them. There are exceptions, but most of the time this stuff gets handwaved away like it never happened.

[The Cool Thatguy]

But Asgard has the cycle of Ragnarok written within it. Asgardians are destined to die and then be reborn

Technically, we've only seen them reborn once.

If a character is king, their country gets attacked. Happens to Namor, Aquaman, Thor and Panther.

[Micabe]

But Asgard has the cycle of Ragnarok written within it. Asgardians are destined to die and then be reborn

Apparently, so are mutants... But, what if Fabio Medina is brutally killed?

[dkrook]

That sort of works for everyone. I've lost count of how many times Atlantis has been destroyed in the last couple decades but at this point it sort of doesn't matter. They're always good as new next time you see them. There are exceptions, but most of the time this stuff gets handwaved away like it never happened.

Dude "because it happens to others" is no kind of in story narrative reason to have writers crap on Wakanda. There should be no issue with showing that this nation is one not to be f-ed with. I think it's peculiar for us to be Black Panther fans and accept that him and his mythos HAS to be treated like every other hero. Can he not have some uniqueness, why does every writer have follow the same tired trope?

[XPac]

Dude "because it happens to others" is no kind of in story narrative reason to have writers crap on Wakanda. There should be no issue with showing that this nation is one not to be f-ed with. I think it's peculiar for us to be Black Panther fans and accept that him and his mythos HAS to be treated like every other hero. Can he not have some uniqueness, why does every writer have follow the same tired trope?

Because Wakanda like every other fictional nation in comics is ultimately just a prop to tell stories. The actual heroes are important... but their setting be it Gotham City or Wakanda or the Daily Planet or whatever is not. It's the place or reason for bad guys to do something bad, filled with red shirts which the main bad guy can beat before the actual super heroes come in to save the day.

To a lot of readers it may be more than that, but I'm simply explaining why these things happen. If Wakanda getting f-ed creates a scenario for T'Challa or the Avengers to save it, then it will be f-ed up because for most writers progressing these sort of stories is why Wakanda actually exists. In that respect it's no different than Asgard or Attilan or whatever.

In the least we can say Wakandan red shirts are pretty much better than everyone else's red shirts. But they're still red shirts. They do great against other nameless faceless soldiers, but put a real character with an actual name in the mix, and it's time for the actual super heroes to get to work. The people who marvel actually believe matter.

[MindofShadow]

I'd argue there's the other side of the coin as well. The people that like to see high and mighty Wakanda put in it's place. Like if T'Challa and Wakanda are too competent while at the same time being composed then it's a problem. I've seen people say they want MCU Wakandans to be more "savage" or "animal-like" and in the same sentence hope for Namor to be the sequel's villain and dethrone T'Challa.

There's definitely the people who don't ever want Wakanda getting it's hands dirty but there's also those who want nothing more than to see it lose.

Those people don't count because they are just haters lol

The black utopia crowd at least like the idea of the character and the mythos to the extent. As long as they stay in that warped view of Wakanda lane.

[MindofShadow]

Technically, we've only seen them reborn once.

If a character is king, their country gets attacked. Happens to Namor, Aquaman, Thor and Panther.

And Thor broke the cycle of Ragnorak.

[MindofShadow]

Dude "because it happens to others" is no kind of in story narrative reason to have writers crap on Wakanda. There should be no issue with showing that this nation is one not to be f-ed with. I think it's peculiar for us to be Black Panther fans and accept that him and his mythos HAS to be treated like every other hero. Can he not have some uniqueness, why does every writer have follow the same tired trope?

The core tenant of Wakanda has always been that is has never been conquered.

Even before Hudlin's retcon... it still wasn't ever conquered. It wasn't a technological powerhouse... but it still was not conquered. They still isolated and killed anyone that messed with them. Hudlin just made it more believable by giving them superior tech from the beginning.

Wakanda should never have been allowed to be defeated in Marvel comics unless it was an event that EVOLVED AROUND T'CHALLA. And immediately when that event ended, T'challa's book should had revolved around Wakanda coming to terms with taking an L... and turning around and becoming scarier than ever. Other countries/villians would have saw Wakanda has finally being weakened, licked their chops, and then found out T'challa was still there, the Wakandans are still there lead by their warrior king, and this is what happens when you invade Wakanda.

This doesn't mean Wakanda is some utopia (which is usually the argument coming). It just means, in war, they win. It is what they do.