T’Challa Seeks To Define Himself in Black Panther #1 Review
Credit: Marvel Comics
Self-discovery is the name of the game in Black Panther #1 on shelves today from the creative team of Eve L. Ewing writing, Chris Allen penciling, and Jesus Aburtov on colors. It’s a powerful and moving introduction to a series that seeks to explore the legacy of T'Challa, the meaning of the Black Panther title, and the future of Wakanda.
Picking up after the events of the previous Black Panther run, the issue starts with T’Challa in exile from Wakanda by order of the new Prime Minister after the country shifted from a monarchy to parliamentary democracy to avoid a civil war. After spending time away, including rehabilitating his relationship with the Avengers, and failing to feel part of any other society he was amongst, T’Challa returns to Wakanda, the only place that ever felt like home, to truly discover who he is as a person.
““If I no longer held the kingship of my birthright, who was I?””
Ewing's writing is sharp and insightful, and she brings a fresh perspective to T’Challa without completely changing who he has always been. Some of my favorite superhero (and villain) story arcs focus on the why of a character’s actions and based on what Ewing is doing with this first issue, it appears that will be at the core of her time with the character. I’m excited to see how she evolves T’Challa into a more confident person compared to his current state, which will only make his role as Black Panther and what that means for himself and the people of Wakanda more impactful.
The artistic combo of Allen & Aburtov do an amazing and important job world-building the city of Birnin T'Chaka, the area of Wakanda where the majority of the issue takes place. Unlike the futuristic, technologically advanced capital we’re used to seeing, Birnin T’Chaka is rougher around the edges and its inhabitants live a more humble life. The backgrounds and colors of the city show a sense of imperfection, while still evoking vibrancy and culture that many depictions of these types of areas can often rely on. Yes there may be more nefarious things happening here, yes there may be more shady individuals walking around, but that doesn’t mean the area is devoid of community.
Credit: Marvel Comics
Ewing is careful to avoid traditional tropes and ensures the reader understands how this compares to underserved areas of US cities by having T’Challa note:
Wakanda provides for its people. There is nothing of the struggle I saw in my day in New York, for instance. All are housed. Fed. Clothed. But my father used to say that it is many days’ walk between necessities and abundance. Birnin Zana is a land of abundance. Birnin T’Chaka is a land of necessities.
The artistic work also shines where it may be recognized most — T’Challa’s new Black Panther costume. The new suit is sleek without being gaudy, simple without being boring, and unique without being gimmicky. While more may be explained in future issues, it felt as though T’Challa was deep in his thoughts exploring the connection between the mantle of Black Panther and the nation of Wakanda when he made these design updates.
Credit: Marvel Comics
Overall, this was an impressive debut issue that had a tall task in distancing itself from some of the more controversial decisions made by the previous series’ creative team. Without disregarding or overlooking what they were left with, Ewing has seemingly picked up the pieces and is dedicated to restoring Black Panther, both the character and series, to a level of sophistication it deserves. I’m invested in how she will continue give T’Challa the space to find himself and I’m excited to continue exploring the world of Wakanda that Allan and Aburtov create.
