You guys hear about this Black Panther movie?
In Rise of the Black Panther, whose third issue hit shelves Wednesday, T’Challa’s story is getting a reboot. Much like Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, Rise of the Black Panther retells the story of T’Challa’s ascension to Wakanda’s king and protector in a modern age. This time around we see a new king excited to offer up the powers and technology of Wakanda to the world, shunning the secrecy of his ancestors and peers and inviting outsiders in—which ends up welcoming skeptics and threats. It’s a fast, fun, breezy superhero story, and for better or worse, not much else. Given the creative team’s pedigree, I was expecting more social commentary and politics, but beyond the debates involving foreign aid and isolationism (things that have been discussed in the book since the 60s), it doesn’t bust down nearly as many doors of racism or sexism as the comic has done in the past.
