Count me as another who doesn't get the complaints about the art.
Count me as another who doesn't get the complaints about the art.
Dude, the minute some readers chose to ignore Ta Nehisi-Coates wholesale stripping away of Hudlin's Shuri characterisation in favour of the wannabe "Queen of the Dead" Shuri remake, that showed me how mercurial some fans really are.
Griot was a joke from day one but some chose to ignore this blatant fact.
I don't think the art fits for a Shuri led book and there should of been a better artist to capture the full scope of Wakanda and the BP world.
But if that's what people want to focus on then whatever, the story is still bad and this is character assassination of the worst kind. Drags Shuri down, Wakanda, T'Challa and everything the mythos stands for, and this was all done in the preview pages.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one Maj. Power set and appearance aside, I felt Griot Shuri had a lot in common with previous Shuri iterations, especially Hickman’s. The similarities outweighed the difference, imho. A lot of the stuff Shuri said and did in the Coates run, I could see Hickman’s Shuri, for example, say and do as well. Griot Shuri has flaws but with a few tweaks, I felt there was a lot of potential there. Not to mention, she was still regal, a leader, had the respect of her people, and someone I could see step up and do so effectively if anything happened to T’Challa.
I cannot say the same about this current version of Shuri. It’s a huge departure from all previous Shuri iterations, including Coates—which says a lot—and not for the better. Feels like a different character altogether. Little to no similarities. Everything Shuri was positively known for, she doesn’t have it, and instead has been replaced with negatives so far, imho.
Sorry Realdealholy, but I stand solidly on my point simply based upon the fact that Coates's Shuri bore ZERO resemblance to any iteration of Shuri that came before from Reginald Hudlin all the way through to David Piss.
Hickman's portrayal of Shuri as Queen of Wakanda up into the point where he had her inexplicably handing the mantle of Wakandan Ruler back to one of the architects of the nation's demise, (her brother) before going on to commit ritual suicide against Proxima Midnight. (Off panel)
Hickman was one of the primary writers who on the initial face of it, seemed to have a solid handle on both Shuri and T'Challa's respective characteristics and motivations, only to fumble the ball with the siblings as his ages long New Avengers/Secret Wars II saga drew to a close.
Griot, was a complete bastardization of Shuri's character and motivation under Coates pen and this destruction of Shuri as a character, has been taken up by the wholly inept and tone deaf Nneddi who goes off on wild flights of fancy that do nothing other than further obliterate the BP Mythos.
So maybe using art is bad is the wrong words. I understand that art subjective and I am normally try not be super critical of artist especially when their style is necessary going for realism.
So I will try to rephrase my point DC and Marvel have "house style" and most books artist tend to be in this house style. Lashley is with in the norms for Marvel comics and the artist style is comparable to some of better sellers in genre. Romero is different style which is sometimes good and it makes book stand out from the standard. It works best(imo) in off beat or non standard stories stuff that is darker or more comedic work great with more abstract styles. So I was wrong for saying the style is out right bad that is not my intent . The bigger point is sales and appeal to masses I think it is fair to say that Romero style doesn't appeal to masses but more of a niche. If you are doing a new property trying for mass appeal should be the goal unless you are target a specific niche. What appears to be happening and this just my opinion that Marvel just threw out Shuri book as test Best case MCU fanboy and hardcore comics eat up and with worse case scenario that they have trade to push when movies come out and market along with character. Also they get do a little backdoor Shuri RnD for a possible spin off movie or cartoon.
This Shuri book doesn't have long term appeal in the comic market namely because of the style of art and the writer being unknown to most comic fans. I am hardcore comic fan I will pick up anything by anyone with many different styles .I don't think most fans fit my profile and I have been a fan genre long enough to recognize art that I think is not going to do good. To bring the point home have you seen artist like Romero or Aja or even Kris Anka on an event book? When Marvel or DC is trying to sell books you see the mostly the house style. And that is my point Shuri feels like an experiment,Shuri isn't going attract to comic book fans who just come for cool action art, Shuri isn't going to get fans coming for establish writer in the genre. For new character I don't get why they do this and it is little bit frustrating because after the newness wears off the book is behind. Shuri was set up for success better the first time establish writer in the genre who has built in fans, an artist who will attract a wide base of fans and she was The Black Panther.
The gripe is they seem content to just to use Shuri MCU popularity for a small burst success and not build her for a long term comic run. I wish the current team well I am not cheering for failure I hope to eat my words and next Shuri issue stabilize at high enough amount that keep using her in future. I would rather see a big name writer and big name artist for the first arc and the second arc of the book this team. I think a bigger name team would have given Shuri a bigger cushion starting at say 50,000 because the interest feels there for the character right now
Last edited by Killerbee911; 11-21-2018 at 12:51 AM.
I think Marvel has a split personality these days. On the one hand, they do traditional superhero books, which tend to be in the "house style" and get drawn into crossovers and the like. On the other, they have what I would call "literary" comics, which are often written by (and targeted to) folks outside of the comics world, and get a more cartoony "indie" style.
Shuri is being positioned as the latter, i think.
(I glanced at the issue. Looks like Okorafor is still trying to make the Mute Zones a thing. Plus, I strongly suspect that Shuri's powers are going to be transferred to that girl who was at the tree, because Okorafor loves her teen heroines.)
You almost have to have a split personality in this day and age.
You're still trying to retain that old school comic book shopping in the local comic stores, while simotaneiusly trying to attract a newer readership online and in bookstores.
If you're marvel and you're capable of publishing as many books as they do, might as well mix it up.
Not a bad issue, kinda boring. Felt like an info dump issue without much info. Lol
Unless you have a Coates on the book, who has somewhat of a built in fan base, you really can't market to non comic book readers because odds are if they aren't already reading comics they won't care.
But that's why they occasionally try to get more literary type writers doing comics. They can market to their existing fanbases.
Issue was just boring. Just like Long Live the King. Just like Wakanda Forever. Just a bunch of meh.
and this Shuri is not muh Shuri at all. It is like I am reading about a whole new character.
Nnedi stripped all the good stuff about comic Shuri while adding in just the bare bones of MCU shuri so you have an abomination of boring.
bleh RIP
Black Panther Discord Server: https://discord.gg/SA3hQerktm
T'challa's Greatest Comic Book Feats: http://blackpanthermarvel.blogspot.c...her-feats.html
So... you try to sell a book targeted to non-comic book readers by marketing to comic book readers? And then cancel the book before the non-comicbook readers can buy it?
(I may be wrong, but has anyone actually seen an ad outside the comics press for some of her comics? Whether it mentions "by the best-selling author of BINTI?" or not?)