T'Challa: The Black Panther Appreciation 2023

[Ezyo1000]

Black people are a lot of different things, but I still would like to see the premier Black superhero, and many Black superheroes be written from an informed Black experience, and I think that can most easily come from Black creatives. I'm leery of the idea of Black characters simply becoming mouthpieces for white creators, who might just deracialize the character due to caution or fear of invoking a backlash. Of course, that doesn't mean that Black creatives might not do the same thing, or that their version of the Black experience might differ from, or even grate against, my own (which happens a lot in not just comics these days).

I don't think "race" is separate from "humanity" and I think our attempts to cleave these two ideas has led to some problems that disconnect Black characters from more genuine Black experience they are supposed to inhabit, exhibit, or represent. This might make non-Black writers skittish to delve into, but it also opens the door for white-owned corporations to just use Black creatives as the faces for things they want to say but know it wouldn't fly as easily if it came from non-Black creatives. And this also opens the door for Black creatives, with their own personal agendas or beefs, to trade in on their melanin as well.

I think about how Dwayne McDuffie wrote T'Challa and Storm in his New Fantastic Four or how Eric Wallace wrote the interplay of Vixen and the Black Tattooed Man in (I think) one of the Titans books. It's a kind of nuance that I find few non-Black writers have when it comes to writing Black characters. Doesn't mean they are bad writers, but when people know that nuance it makes it special to read because you can feel it.

If there's still a paltry number of Black creatives at Marvel and DC, and we start saying that they can't even write Black Panther, then who are they going to write or get a chance at? I don't think only Black creatives can write only Black characters, and I would like to see them get more opportunities on other books, but until that's the case, I am leery about even denying them a chance to write the Black characters. My concern right now is DC, Marvel, etc. picking Black creatives for these books who either don't like the characters they are writing, don't like themselves, or don't like straight Black males (though they are writing books about straight Black males, or straight Black male characters are in the books). I'm not too hung up on how good or bad the writers are right out the gate necessarily, because across the board it's been iffy when it comes to creatives these days and I'm willing to give people time and a chance-sometimes-to improve.

The thing is, no one is saying Black writers can't write BP. What is being said, is these neophyte "literary" types who have no business writing T'Challas world need to not be put on the book
because they are writing the mkat racist and stereotypical depictions og black characters, or injecting their black experience that doesn't nor should it apply to T'Challa or Wakanda. The thing with Jed, or Ewing, or JA currently have done with T'Challa lately is they write him like a hero, they may lack the nuance of a black writer, but they write T'Challa as competent and capable. And to me it doesn't matter if the writers Black, white or any other race. What are they doing with the character do they have a compelling story? Are they respecting the character? They last part had been missing from the last couple of writer's and I don't feel like it's fully there with the current.

We know the best runs T'Challa had had have been from Black writers. We just haven't been able to get the ones who will elevate him onto the book.

[MindofShadow]

I get the impression what without Ridley and Cotes utterly exhausting the fanbase’s goodwill and then some; this run would be considered acceptable if sluggish.

Oh 100%. It is why I didn't even give it a shot. I am done going, "next issue will be good" or "this is starting good" only for it to crash and burn by the end of the first arc.

I was always going to wait until this arc ended to even consider buying it.

If it isn't a WELL known writer I like like Hickman, Ewing, McKay, Chip, Saladad, Redjack.... then I'm not buying anymore until a true arc ends. I don't trust anyone

[Devaishwarya]

Although I kept abreast of the foolishness, I wasn't exhausted by Coates and Ridley because I read it for filth very early on with Coates and saved myself money and misery. What I've read of Ewing's run in passing, it's okies. It's nothing to scream and shout about but it's certainly not the rubbish that came before.

[dkrook]

Oh 100%. It is why I didn't even give it a shot. I am done going, "next issue will be good" or "this is starting good" only for it to crash and burn by the end of the first arc.

I was always going to wait until this arc ended to even consider buying it.

If it isn't a WELL known writer I like like Hickman, Ewing, McKay, Chip, Saladad, Redjack.... then I'm not buying anymore until a true arc ends. I don't trust anyone

It's crazy that the average T'Challa fan has to resort to this type of behavior. We ought to be feasting out here like other fans. Why do we have to live like this out here? Lol, it don't make no damn sense.

[The Cool Thatguy]

It's crazy that the average T'Challa fan has to resort to this type of behavior. We ought to be feasting out here like other fans. Why do we have to live like this out here? Lol, it don't make no damn sense.

I think Marvel wants a critically acclaimed Black Panther run, and thinks that the only way to get it is with black writers.

And said writers seem to graft every issue in Africa or Europe onto Wakanda/T'Challa, trying and failing to give them that run.

[Devaishwarya]

Yupp. They've taken the "World outside our windows" nonsense and decided to just run with it...while forgetting Wakanda and its peoples and its Gods were much, much more and far different.

[Mantis-Ray]

Honestly its not really a race issue, its just bagging writers of bad quality with bad ideas.

Like not every white writer is an Al Ewing, Jonathan Hickman, and Kelly Thompson. Plenty are along the lines of Matthew Rosenberg, Ed Brisson, and Tini Howard who are either mediocre otherwise or straight up awful. Shitty writers are universal to every group.

There are plenty of great black writers, Marvel just hasn't been bringing them in for the character.

[Agent Z]

She is a thief. He met her while she was stealing stuff.
What privacy was warrented?

They are partners now and you don't go snooping into your partner's business. This is exactly what caused problems for him in the last run.

[Dariel81]

They are partners now and you don't go snooping into your partner's business. This is exactly what caused problems for him in the last run.

last run was just bad writing and him being cautious has always been a thing .
we want semi paranoid Tchalla back not what we have now

[Ekie]

They are partners now and you don't go snooping into your partner's business. This is exactly what caused problems for him in the last run.

So the logic is that he never looked into her when she was a thief but now that she's a partner there's no need to look into her? I wouldn't be nitpicking if this wasn't used as a slight dig at the titular character for her soliloquy

[XJlock]

So the logic is that he never looked into her when she was a thief but now that she's a partner there's no need to look into her? I wouldn't be nitpicking if this wasn't used as a slight dig at the titular character for her soliloquy

If Susan Storm, who is a good friend of his, was not spared from a smell test back in the days, then yes, it is natural to expect due diligence from him towards Natima.

[Ezyo1000]

It's crazy that the average T'Challa fan has to resort to this type of behavior. We ought to be feasting out here like other fans. Why do we have to live like this out here? Lol, it don't make no damn sense.

It really sucks. Like, you tell me 8 years ago that this was how T'Challa coming off the biggest event and his debut in the MCU would turn out, I wouldn't believe it. Yet...

[BPStorm2]

So is tchalla into trans women (men) or not ?

[XJlock]

So is tchalla into trans women (men) or not ?

Judging by his romantic history over the years, the answer his no.

[BPStorm2]

Okay they got that community saying some crazy stuff