Black Panther Rockets into the Marvel Cosmic Universe!

John F. Trent |

Feb 21, 2018

Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates will team up with artist Daniel Acuña to relaunch T’Challa in Black Panther #1 this May.

Black Panther has been fighting to protect his homeland of Wakanda for years. He’s defeated meddling governments and even long-lost gods. In this new adventure he will discover that Wakanda is bigger than he could have ever dreamed of. There’s an entire empire founded in his name that exists in the Multiverse. That empire is the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda.

Series editor Will Moss explains this is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers who just sunk their teeth into Marvel Studios’ blockbuster Black Panther film.

“I can’t emphasize enough how clean of an entry point this is for new readers. Readers are going to be learning about this mysterious ‘Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda’ right alongside T’Challa, so everyone is going to be on the same page. And oh man, is Daniel Acuña delivering the goods! He ‘gets’ the character of Black Panther like no other, and his designs for the Intergalactic Empire are…well, they’re out of this world!”

Speaking of Daniel Acuña, he explained what his vision for T’Challa will look like:

“T’Challa has a life of his own—he’s full of personality and charisma. He can be a mysterious silhouette or a powerful warrior. It’s so inspiring. I really, really hope people can see this new and personal vision of Black Panther—and I’ll still follow the brilliant lead of Brian Stelfreeze’s design and settings.”

He added:

“My inspiration is T’Challa’s legacy, the unique history of the character, and the amazing artists that have come before. I feel like I’m a part of something very different to what I’ve done until now. This is a very significant work that I hope lasts a long time.”

Ta-Nehisi Coates describes the book as a “true #1.”

“Black Panther fans should be excited because this is a true #1. It’s a new story—with connections to the old story—but it’s taking him into a different space…literally. And I think people will be excited about that. Black Panther #1 is a creative challenge for me. My first few books were more philosophical, and while that still rings true here, this is a fast-paced, high-octane story. And with Daniel Acuña’s art, I think people are really going to feel the energy and intensity here. I wanted people to feel like this is a really fresh storyline, and I think we succeeded in that. It’s meaty, it’s different, and it’s perfect for new readers just coming to the world of T’Challa and Black Panther.”

It’s not a lot of information to go on. This empire founded in T’Challa’s name is still a giant mystery. Does it follow the principles of Wakanda or has it been perverted to fit someone else’s idea of what Wakanda is? And if it’s an empire, does it plan on expanding and conquering its enemies or does it keep to itself and protect its borders? I’m mixed on whether or not this story sounds interesting. On the one hand, an intergalactic Wakanda seems a little hypocritical, but on the other it would be interesting to see how T’Challa handles things on an intergalactic scale. Would he still make the same decisions on a larger scale?

What do you think?

Black Panther #1 will come to comic book shelves on May 23, 2018.