T'Challa: The Black Panther Appreciation 2024

[Ezyo1000]

I believe it’s a definite possibility in 6160. When we do get Klaw in 6160 I’m hoping that his character is more in line with Hudlin’s version in WitBP or a mix of Hudlin’s Klaw and MCU Klaw, both were great IMO.

An arms dealer/ assassin would be very cool with the look and charisma of the WfW Evil Drake version. That's a recipe for success there

I mean I doubt he’ll give concrete answers (NDA’s and all), but I’d like to see his thoughts on the older villains and whether he thinks they’re cool. Eve Ewing said in the letters section of the last issue that she likes some of the classic BP villains.

I wouldn't expect an answer lol but more so to get the word out and get the idea planted

[Redjack]

Great news. First quarter 2024?

Dunno.

But, just this morning I got the green light on something BIG. When will TPB announce? Above my pay grade.

[Marvell2100]

Dunno.

But, just this morning I got the green light on something BIG. When will TPB announce? Above my pay grade.

Man, I am so happy to hear this right now. Just knowing that you're involved is a great feeling.

It feels like the sun is finally starting to shine after years of gloomy weather.

[BlackClaw]

Man, I am so happy to hear this right now. Just knowing that you're involved is a great feeling.

It feels like the sun is finally starting to shine after years of gloomy weather.

Same. You can’t keep the king down!

[The Cool Thatguy]

Honestly, I prefer Klaw as a sonic being, but at the same time, nowhere near the top of T'Challa's rogues. Overdone a hundred times over.

Personally, I hate how the writers functionally have the whole of Africa from which to develop villains, and yet how rarely T'Challa ever seems to step outside of Wakanda or New York/Avengers stuff.

I rather liked Hudlin's poorly executed Colonization Sinister Six idea

[Username taken]

Dunno.

But, just this morning I got the green light on something BIG. When will TPB announce? Above my pay grade.

Fantastic news.

Congratulations!.

[Marvell2100]

Honestly, I prefer Klaw as a sonic being, but at the same time, nowhere near the top of T'Challa's rogues. Overdone a hundred times over.

Personally, I hate how the writers functionally have the whole of Africa from which to develop villains, and yet how rarely T'Challa ever seems to step outside of Wakanda or New York/Avengers stuff.

I rather liked Hudlin's poorly executed Colonization Sinister Six idea

I don't know how long we've been saying in previous threads that T'Challa's rogues should be updated. Writers want to create their own new villains instead of revamping/revitalizing the rogues list.

[Mantis-Ray]

I don't know how long we've been saying in previous threads that T'Challa's rogues should be updated. Writers want to create their own new villains instead of revamping/revitalizing the rogues list.

It's something I've noticed that modern writers are very averse to using anyone from before the Coates run.

Which considering how continuity heavy comics as a whole is, is incredibly noticeable. I think Hunter over on the last Captain America run was the oldest Black Panther villain to get any sort of play in recent memory.

[Ezyo1000]

Honestly, I prefer Klaw as a sonic being, but at the same time, nowhere near the top of T'Challa's rogues. Overdone a hundred times over.

Personally, I hate how the writers functionally have the whole of Africa from which to develop villains, and yet how rarely T'Challa ever seems to step outside of Wakanda or New York/Avengers stuff.

I rather liked Hudlin's poorly executed Colonization Sinister Six idea

I don't mind Klaw being a Sonic being, I just think his "Normal" form should looks like the WfW version. Like he can temporarily change his appearance back to "Normal" but it can't last and it's a constant reminder of what T'Challa did to him when they had their showdown.

Klaw doesn't need to show up early, but he should show up, and he should be shown to be a credible villain and threat, no more jobbings like he has suffered for years.

I think that the supremacists needs to come back revamped or a version of it. King Cadaver & Baron Macabre could form a team up.

Hell get 6 million man back to make an appearance in the same vein as those aliens from Invincible. That would be cool to see T'Challa match wits with a force like that

[Marvell2100]

It's something I've noticed that modern writers are very averse to using anyone from before the Coates run.

Which considering how continuity heavy comics as a whole is, is incredibly noticeable. I think Hunter over on the last Captain America run was the oldest Black Panther villain to get any sort of play in recent memory.

You would believe that some people think that BP has only two villains: Klaw and Killmonger.

There are villains/organizations outside of BP that could become a regular part of his rogues list:

Viper
Moses Magnum
High Evolutionary
Deviants
Zodiac
Serpent Society
HydraCap

[Tofali]

That was Thunderball I don’t think Moses Magnum showed up in Coates stuff.

LOL! OK that's enough for me today.

[chief12d]

Happy new years all!

Honestly, I prefer Klaw as a sonic being, but at the same time, nowhere near the top of T'Challa's rogues. Overdone a hundred times over.

Personally, I hate how the writers functionally have the whole of Africa from which to develop villains, and yet how rarely T'Challa ever seems to step outside of Wakanda or New York/Avengers stuff.

I rather liked Hudlin's poorly executed Colonization Sinister Six idea

And what’s interesting is that Klaw has been dead since 2017 or so. I feel like enough time has passed for him to be reintroduced as a villain in the main series but it would probably get a resounding shrug from readers because it doesn’t feel like T’Challa’s gained any big new villains since his death. And after years of poor showings I don’t think there’s much interest in seeing him return unless a writer is really doing something different with him.

The problem with Klaw has always been twofold. He’s generally not depicted up to par with his stated powerset and he’s lacking in any real charisma or thematic depth. For someone called the master of sound he should be treated like an omega-level sound manipulator, a verifiable team buster. Yet most writers show T’Challa two piecing dude with minimal planning in his regular suit. He hasn’t felt like a legitimate threat in years so there’s no tension whenever he’s brought into a story because he doesn’t physically challenge T’Challa, let alone the whole of Wakanda, in any meaningful way. Klaw should be the type of villain that requires extensive prep and use of innovative tech and strategies to take down, someone that pushes T’Challa to his absolute limit instead of a villain of the week.

And outside his powers he doesn’t have real thematic weight. His relationship with T’Challa is very bare bones and entirely based around the fact he killed T’Chaka. Writers feel that because of that history and how Klaw is a generic embodiment of the colonial European explorer that they don’t have to add more depth to his interactions with T’Challa. They’ve been very slow to build up genuine tension between them that goes beyond Klaw taunting him about his childhood trauma or his frustration about losing his body. I don’t think he needs to be made sympathetic or anything but the least writers can do is modernize the tropes associated with the character and give him compelling subordinates that highlight his goals/other aspects of his personality. Writers have played around with giving him family members but they haven’t stuck and don’t seem to fix the core issue.

[Frontier]

Happy new years all!



And what’s interesting is that Klaw has been dead since 2017 or so. I feel like enough time has passed for him to be reintroduced as a villain in the main series but it would probably get a resounding shrug from readers because it doesn’t feel like T’Challa’s gained any big new villains since his death. And after years of poor showings I don’t think there’s much interest in seeing him return unless a writer is really doing something different with him.

The problem with Klaw has always been twofold. He’s generally not depicted up to par with his stated powerset and he’s lacking in any real charisma or thematic depth. For someone called the master of sound he should be treated like an omega-level sound manipulator, a verifiable team buster. Yet most writers show T’Challa two piecing dude with minimal planning in his regular suit. He hasn’t felt like a legitimate threat in years so there’s no tension whenever he’s brought into a story because he doesn’t physically challenge T’Challa, let alone the whole of Wakanda, in any meaningful way. Klaw should be the type of villain that requires extensive prep and use of innovative tech and strategies to take down, someone that pushes T’Challa to his absolute limit instead of a villain of the week.

And outside his powers he doesn’t have real thematic weight. His relationship with T’Challa is very bare bones and entirely based around the fact he killed T’Chaka. Writers feel that because of that history and how Klaw is a generic embodiment of the colonial European explorer that they don’t have to add more depth to his interactions with T’Challa. They’ve been very slow to build up genuine tension between them that goes beyond Klaw taunting him about his childhood trauma or his frustration about losing his body. I don’t think he needs to be made sympathetic or anything but the least writers can do is modernize the tropes associated with the character and give him compelling subordinates that highlight his goals/other aspects of his personality. Writers have played around with giving him family members but they haven’t stuck and don’t seem to fix the core issue.

Honestly I had forgotten Klaw was dead.

[Ekie]

Achebe has to come back. T'Challa needs that kind of unpredictable crazy villain. Need a power/magic upgrade though. Or maybe make him a Mr. Sinister type abusing and controlling Wakandans

[chief12d]

It's something I've noticed that modern writers are very averse to using anyone from before the Coates run.

Which considering how continuity heavy comics as a whole is, is incredibly noticeable. I think Hunter over on the last Captain America run was the oldest Black Panther villain to get any sort of play in recent memory.

Marvel views the Coates run as the foundation for modern BP and at most pays lip service to anything that came before. The pre-Coates era of BP is viewed as old-fashioned at best and problematic at worst by both parts of Marvel editorial and the “newer” BP fandom so writers have an aversion to mining it for new stories. They can’t look past the loincloths Wakandan used to wear and awkward stuff like the OG Dora Milaje so the entire pre-Coates era is kinda put on the shelf for fear of validating the old material or sparking controversy by digging up an old story. Rather than use the old stuff as the basis for new stories Marvel would rather invest in entirely original content with a heavier emphasis on worldbuilding and writers’ OCs.

Also, I think because Priest has been very outspoken about his distaste for Marvel’s mistreatment of him, there may be an active attempt to avoid using his run as a big reference point for modern BP stories. And then there’s rights issues that prevent stuff like the Supremacists from coming back.

Honestly I had forgotten Klaw was dead.

Because since he died in 2017 there’s only been like 3 BP arcs. Klaw got unceremoniously killed off in a one off issue or two during the first Coates run. T’Challa then spent 25 issues in that garbage space arc, 16 issues in an MCU-driven attempt to sideline the character, and now he’s cosplaying as Batman. Black Panther writers seem to be uniquely terrible at pacing, even by modern comic standards. That’s probably the biggest reason Ewing’s run is doing even worse than Ridley’s, anyone who’s been reading modern BP knows there’s no point reading monthly for these drawn out, 12+ issue “epics”.

That’s part of why bringing Klaw back despite being dead all these years still wouldn’t feel fresh. It doesn’t feel like much has been done to build any rogues in his place. There’s basically only been 3-4 arcs since 2017 and all the villains for those were bad.