T'Challa: The Black Panther Appreciation 2024

[skyvolt2000]

There are, in my opinion, two major approaches to writing action stories nowadays. You might call them "plot-dominant" and "character-dominant".

A plot-dominant story is usually fairly high-concept (i.e. bare-bones). The Hero™ (occasionally accompanied by his Love Interest™/Sidekick™) battles The Villain™ and their Minions™. It is usually fairly exciting, if sometimes a bit shallow. Most of the Bond films up to 2006 operated in this mode. They might not win many awards, but they are FUN.

A character-dominant story gets deep into the hero's head, exploring his (or her) motivations, flaws, and/or trauma. Again, look at the Craig Bond films, and their deep focus on Bond's character growth. These stories are usually meatier, and hence more interesting for the writer. But they work best in isolation... when part of a franchise, you are often confronted with the challenge of "what happens AFTER they've explored said issues?"
.

If you are Batman and lesser Peter Parker or Superman-you can do as many character driven ones that you want.

When we are dealing with BLACK (and other demographics) you have zero choice but to the plot dominant story and slide in character segments.

Dr Ewing's book. Her book works as a OGN not the main book. It's a side book that should be more reference and expanding Wakanda. Not the main book.

[DigiCom]

If you are Batman and lesser Peter Parker or Superman-you can do as many character driven ones that you want.

I'd argue that the first two (at least, I don't pay attention to the Superman line) have reached a saturation point regarding character stuff. There's only so much torment you can put a character through before it ceases to become entertaining, and their status quo has been shaken up more than most. I recently had a discussion on Reddit with someone who described Bruce as "a very mentally ill, untreated, traumatized man", and considered that his canon personality. And Peter... seriously, the editors must HATE him. He's basically Fate's bitch at this point...

[skyvolt2000]

I'd argue that the first two (at least, I don't pay attention to the Superman line) have reached a saturation point regarding character stuff. There's only so much torment you can put a character through before it ceases to become entertaining, and their status quo has been shaken up more than most. I recently had a discussion on Reddit with someone who described Bruce as "a very mentally ill, untreated, traumatized man", and considered that his canon personality. And Peter... seriously, the editors must HATE him. He's basically Fate's bitch at this point...

Well it's hard to stop that when you have stores that have no issue over ordering the books.

I mean as out of character those Batman stories have been-the only time I have seen folks OPENLY say enough and they are not going touch the book is when Duke Thomas was in it.

Otherwise I hear those complaints yet whose books are top "sellers" every month. It's those two.

Batman with a black partner who BARELY appeared in the books until he was gone in 2018 was more bothersome than the actual stories that make all the folks look out of character.

[DigiCom]

Well it's hard to stop that when you have stores that have no issue over ordering the books.

I mean as out of character those Batman stories have been-the only time I have seen folks OPENLY say enough and they are not going touch the book is when Duke Thomas was in it.

Otherwise I hear those complaints yet whose books are top "sellers" every month. It's those two.

Batman with a black partner who BARELY appeared in the books until he was gone in 2018 was more bothersome than the actual stories that make all the folks look out of character.

Fair point.

Of course, a top seller these days would be mid-range at best when I started reading comics.

[skyvolt2000]

Met Julian Shaw today at the comic book show (along with Ashley Scott (Birds of Prey Show) and Muriel Fahrion (creator/designer of the Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and Get Along Gang).

He did art for Marvel Voices-the Black Panther and Storm as grandparents story and Spiderverse Voices that introduce Recluse (he's cocreator).

He also did Wakanda #4.

I did get a print of his that he worked on Black History Month of 28 (29) different black heroes.

https://julianshawart.carrd.co/

[KingNomarch]

I do like this cover with the exception of the mouth

[XJlock]

An interview was recently made with Maurice Broaddus, the author of Black Panther: T'Challa Declassified.

[Customizer]

That's what ticks me off the most, Shuri has been solidly established as a capable fighter and super genius 3 issues in a row. All we have seen from T'Challa is talking. He has the Bass in his voice but so far has shown no bote behind it. His action scenes has him beat foot soldiers with Shuris tech, then get Bodied and needing storm to save him. If issue 4 doesn't have him putting hands on someone of worth I'm writing this one off as another miss to go with Coates, Ridley and Ewing.

We are far and wide past slowburns.

THIS.



The story has already been tainted a bit IMO. I'd like a course correction but...damn... it's only 3 issues in and i already feel the need for a course correction?

Ehhhhhhhh.....

[KingNomarch]

I don’t think we’ll get anything from T’Challa next issue and because he decided to go weeks of no contact with Wakanda they think he’s dead and puts Shuri on the throne meanwhile according to the solicit he’ll be busy “learning” from Killmonger and Storm. Going by solicits it looks like it likely won’t be until issue 5. Hill’s slow cooking ain’t it and I don’t think that world building is an excuse because there isn’t much of a difference and it doesn’t feel like it, feels too safe and familiar and not in a good way.

[Marvell2100]

Finally read #3 and it does read a slow. I can see the reason for some of the complaints as T'Challa really hasn't done much so far. Hill is going to have to have T'Challa do something significant at some point or this will continue to turn people off.

For my part, I'm not to jump ship yet because I like the pieces that Hill is setting up and his supporting cast is way better than what we've seen in the 616 BP solos lately. I get tht he is also giving T'Challa sort of a learning curve but at some point, we need some kind of significant pay off.

I hope that he makes it worth the wait.

[Username taken]

For wrestling fans, Swerve Strickland with a Killmonger themed entrance.

[Ezyo1000]

I don’t think we’ll get anything from T’Challa next issue and because he decided to go weeks of no contact with Wakanda they think he’s dead and puts Shuri on the throne meanwhile according to the solicit he’ll be busy “learning” from Killmonger and Storm. Going by solicits it looks like it likely won’t be until issue 5. Hill’s slow cooking ain’t it and I don’t think that world building is an excuse because there isn’t much of a difference and it doesn’t feel like it, feels too safe and familiar and not in a good way.

The biggest difference between Ult and 616 is the addition of the mystic clan. Which we still know nothing about. T'Challa declared Wakanda in a state of war and yet we have seen none of it at all. This should've played out like SWaD, we don't need to get bogged down with a bunch of frankly redundant world building. As I said I don't care about Eriks thoughts and opinions, Nor Storms for that matter. They don't matter, we needed to see T'Challa and Wakanda going to war and fighting Khonshu and Ra. Slow burn also doesn't mean there can't be action or plot movement.

Otherwise this kinda feels like MCU with how much T'Challa apparently needs to be educated, his recent rise to king, and Shuri being the super genius on full display instead of him

[AJpyro]

The biggest difference between Ult and 616 is the addition of the mystic clan. Which we still know nothing about. T'Challa declared Wakanda in a state of war and yet we have seen none of it at all. This should've played out like SWaD, we don't need to get bogged down with a bunch of frankly redundant world building.

this is why we need rogue galleries.

Or minibosses. If this was dbz, we'd gone thru Vegeta and Nappa, then moving onto the Ginyu force.

[marhawkman]

this is why we need rogue galleries.

Or minibosses. If this was dbz, we'd gone thru Vegeta and Nappa, then moving onto the Ginyu force.

This is also why villains shouldn't be paper targets. It's part of why Freiza is so memorable he's NOT some scrub you can easily beat. Yeah, Goku's beaten Frieza more than once.... but in one of those.... they had to use temporal shenanigans to undo it when Frieza actually blew up Earth! And the FIRST one had Namek getting blown up as collateral damage.... and it's STILL blown up!

Toriyama-sama didn't just hype Freiza, he thoroughly setup a well-developed bad guy.

[Dariel81]

Letting Hill cook is one thing, but its the ingredients I'm looking at that makes this dish less palatable. As with the three chefs who preceded him, their inclusion of GMOs (democratizing Wakanda), artificial flavoring (meaningless new characters and environs) and preservatives (repeating the deconstruction of T'Challa the Black Panther) were neither healthy nor desired. No doubt Hill is off to a much better start than Coates, Ridley and Ewing. I would thoroughly enjoy his crafting a definitive T'Challa the Black Panther for the Ultimate universe but Hill needs to follow the BP success recipe.

First off, there are rules to this game, rules that should have been observered at the outset. T'Challa the Black Panther is a polymath and strategic master; he is a scientific and technological genius; T'Challa the Black Panther is enhanced supernaturally due to his spiritual connection to his God/goddess and ancestors/ancestresses; he is an unparalleled world class combatant and among the best martial artists on the planet; as much as he is a fighter he is a lover; T'Challa the Black Panther's country is the most advanced nation technologically, militarily and socially on earth. Rules require receipts.

Secondly, selling well is one thing but if what you are providing the customer is subpar made only seemingly better due to the poor product that preceded it, then you are merely servicing a desparate consumer who will eventually fatigue of the purchase. Ultimately Hill has to course correct by centering the Ultimate Black Panther book on the ultimate version of T'Challa the Black Panther. Now why he or any other writer would choose to do otherwise I leave up to the discretion of the reader.

He doesn’t have to course correct anything his UBP is actually very good


his UBP Is well
Received