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Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection
Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1
Black Panther reinvented as a sharp and witty political satire? Believe it! T’Challa is the man with the plan as Christopher Priest puts the emphasis on the Wakandan king’s reputation as the ultimate statesman, as seen through the eyes of the U.S. government’s Everett K. Ross. As the Panther investigates a murder in New York, Ross plays Devil’s Advocate in an encounter with Mephisto, and a new regime seizes control in Wakanda. When the truth behind the coup becomes clear, T’Challa finds himself an enemy of the state — and a major revelation threatens to destroy his relationship with the Avengers! Plus: Meet Queen Divine Justice — is she ready to join T’Challa’s deadly crew of female bodyguards, the Dora Milaje? Are they ready for her? Hold onto your pants, because Ross sure can’t! Collecting BLACK PANTHER (1998) #1-17.
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2000
1387 people are currently reading
1349 people want to read
About the author
Christopher J. Priest
1,058 books188 followersFormerly (before 1993) known as James or Jim Owsley.
Christopher James Priest is a critically acclaimed novelist and comic book writer. Priest is the first African-American writer and editor for Marvel and DC Comics. His groundbreaking Black Panther series was lauded by Entertainment Weekly and The Village Voice and will serve as the basis for the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe adaption.
Besides Black Panther, Priest has written comics for Conan, Steel, Green Lantern, The Crew and edited The Amazing Spider-Man. He also co-created Quantum & Woody along with Mark Bright and co-founded Milestone Media.
After a decade long hiatus he is currently writing comic books again and recently concluded a stint writing the comic book Deathstroke (2016-2019).
In addition to being a writer, Christopher J. Priest is also a baptist minister.
Christopher James Priest is a critically acclaimed novelist and comic book writer. Priest is the first African-American writer and editor for Marvel and DC Comics. His groundbreaking Black Panther series was lauded by Entertainment Weekly and The Village Voice and will serve as the basis for the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe adaption.
Besides Black Panther, Priest has written comics for Conan, Steel, Green Lantern, The Crew and edited The Amazing Spider-Man. He also co-created Quantum & Woody along with Mark Bright and co-founded Milestone Media.
After a decade long hiatus he is currently writing comic books again and recently concluded a stint writing the comic book Deathstroke (2016-2019).
In addition to being a writer, Christopher J. Priest is also a baptist minister.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
July 31, 2017
Alright. I didn't quite love-love everything about this, but it had a pretty decent fun factor to it. To me, the 1st volume (The Client) started out strong, but as everything progressed...? Meh, it just petered out.
The biggest problem (for me) was that due to the wonky way the story was told, I kept thinking I had missed an important plot point or accidentally skipped an issue somehow. Government liaison Everett K. Ross is the narrator of the story, and he has a backward/scatty way of telling you (well, actually telling his boss/girlfriend) how everything went down in each issue. Sometimes it worked, but I felt like I spent far too much time and effort flipping back and re-reading stuff...only to find out that Ross had started out in the middle of the story to be cute or whatever.
For those who are turned off by Ross' twitchy white guy shtick, I feel your pain. As someone who wasn't overly fond of Chandler Bing (or the tv show, Friends) I can relate to the fact that there's really only so much of a character like him that a lot of us can tolerate, and I was relieved to see him play less of a role as the title went on.
But, hey! Looks like the MU isn't going to subject us to Matthew Perry, so there's that!
Still, it was an enjoyable read with enough action and silliness to keep me flipping the pages till the end. Sure, some of it may have been over the top, but at least it wasn't dull. There were a lot of political intrigues complete with the backstabbings, multiple issues with T'Challa's various love interests, and a look at how the king of a country balances being an (ex?) Avenger.
Ok. Having not read much solo Black Panther stuff, I'd say that I personally found this title to be a good jumping off point for a newbie like myself. I got a great feel for the badassery of the character, enough of his origin and backstory to not feel completely lost, and a good taste of what a decent person he is underneath that mask. On the whole, this was not bad at all.
October 15, 2016
I bought this one (thankfully on sale, heavily marked down) three and a half months ago and I’ve since managed to read 202 pages out of 383. That’s after numerous times of stop-start reading, forcing myself on, and I’ve only just now passed the halfway mark! This is a Marvel comic, not War and fucking Peace and yet I’ve read 600 page novels in shorter timeframes! Well, no more - I give up here and won’t torture myself with the remaining 180 pages of this absolute rubbish.
I have no clue why but an unfunny cunt called Everett Ross is our narrator for too many issues. Har har, he’s wearing underpants AND he’s cowardly! Who the hell finds this shit funny?! He’s the most annoying little fuck I’ve come across in a Marvel comic. Ooo hoo hoo, he’s sitting on a couch - IN HIS UNDERPANTS AHAHAHAHAHA - with the Devil! How outrageous and hilarious! Look, Black Panther punched the Devil! …
The “story” doesn’t know what it is. Near as I can tell, Black Panther’s in the US to fight Kraven the Hunter (and punch the Devil to save the almighty shit-weasel Everett Ross apparently) and, while he’s stateside, a madman with a hand puppet has taken over Wakanda. I thought Wakanda was a highly-evolved society? Why wouldn’t they see this twat for what he is and leave him be, raving on the street corner instead of swearing fealty to him or whatever?? How was this guy ever a credible threat to anyone let alone ruler of a nation!?
Black Panther himself doesn’t come across as an actual character, he’s just a guy with a Batman-esque costume who effortlessly beats up everyone and gets the hawt laydees. He’s beyond boring. This isn’t the first Black Panther book I’ve read so I know there’s more to him but if this were all he was, he wouldn’t have his own movie on the way. Oh and how I hated Mark Texeira’s stupid character design, making Black Panther look like a grossly ‘roided out meathead!
If I ever read another Christopher Priest comic again it’ll be too soon. Packed full of horrible writing and art, bad idea after bad idea with no fucking clue what’s entertaining to anyone with more than two braincells to rub together, and more boring than you could conceive a superhero comic has any right to be, DO NOT, under any circumstances, even if this is the only reading material left after a comicspocalypse, consider reading Priest’s Black Panther - it’s a steaming pile of panther shit!
I have no clue why but an unfunny cunt called Everett Ross is our narrator for too many issues. Har har, he’s wearing underpants AND he’s cowardly! Who the hell finds this shit funny?! He’s the most annoying little fuck I’ve come across in a Marvel comic. Ooo hoo hoo, he’s sitting on a couch - IN HIS UNDERPANTS AHAHAHAHAHA - with the Devil! How outrageous and hilarious! Look, Black Panther punched the Devil! …
The “story” doesn’t know what it is. Near as I can tell, Black Panther’s in the US to fight Kraven the Hunter (and punch the Devil to save the almighty shit-weasel Everett Ross apparently) and, while he’s stateside, a madman with a hand puppet has taken over Wakanda. I thought Wakanda was a highly-evolved society? Why wouldn’t they see this twat for what he is and leave him be, raving on the street corner instead of swearing fealty to him or whatever?? How was this guy ever a credible threat to anyone let alone ruler of a nation!?
Black Panther himself doesn’t come across as an actual character, he’s just a guy with a Batman-esque costume who effortlessly beats up everyone and gets the hawt laydees. He’s beyond boring. This isn’t the first Black Panther book I’ve read so I know there’s more to him but if this were all he was, he wouldn’t have his own movie on the way. Oh and how I hated Mark Texeira’s stupid character design, making Black Panther look like a grossly ‘roided out meathead!
If I ever read another Christopher Priest comic again it’ll be too soon. Packed full of horrible writing and art, bad idea after bad idea with no fucking clue what’s entertaining to anyone with more than two braincells to rub together, and more boring than you could conceive a superhero comic has any right to be, DO NOT, under any circumstances, even if this is the only reading material left after a comicspocalypse, consider reading Priest’s Black Panther - it’s a steaming pile of panther shit!
November 6, 2018
Warning, this is not for everyone. The story is told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator, a U.S. attache assigned to the Black Panther while he's in the states. Everett Ross has a sarcastic wit and is incapable of telling a story straight through from beginning to end. He's retelling the events of the first year's worth of comics in a Pulp Fiction like manner. You rarely see the Black Panther's thoughts, you just see him look brilliant when his plans bear fruition at the end of each arc. The first arc, The Client, drawn by Mark Texeira is brilliant and funny. T'Challa comes to the U.S. to investigate a murder having to do with one of his charities. The next arc gets very complicated. It has a lot to do with subversive international politics and is often hard to follow. Plus, the art by Mike Manley is a terrible imitation of Bruce Timm. The final arc gets things back on track with Killmonger's return.
July 28, 2016
3.5 stars.
Finally! What a mammoth book to read.
I got this on sale and I thought to myself "I've never read a black panther book before, but absolutely love the character in all the avenger comics and everything else he appears in. He's badass! Must give this a go!"
So I didn't hype this up to myself as I've never read anything by the author and had no idea what to expect.
I'm glad this was written by a black writer, it gives the character and the story a more accurate perspective. It's also very relevant to today. There's even a scene where thousands of black people come to the city to see a glimpse of the black panther. The police get edgy and start getting aggressive towards all the black crowds and even start firing. Coincidence or just the fact that nothing has changed?
It's told from a third persons POV to a woman in hospital trying to remember how she ended up in hospital. Her boyfriend 'Ross' is the one telling the story, he works for the government and was asked by the president to escort black panther and his crew around while in the US.
While BP is away from Wakanda things go tits up and someone from his home country tries to take the throne and kill BP while he is in the US. Havoc ensues and BP assumes his Batman persona and becomes a strategic detective to try and find out who is behind it all.
There are some great supporting characters in this and a brilliant unforgettable scene which will stay with me forever, where Mephisto visits BP's flat while he is out. Ross who is telling the story hears a knock on the door and opens it and Mephisto is standing there...
They both then sit down in the flat and Ross has lost his trousers because of the Incredible Hulk, while Mephisto is sat on a throne of skulls. What ensues after that is fantastic.
The bad guy who is after BP is not entirely figured out in this volume and not all questions are answered, but BP really does take a bashing, but he has friends who help him out.
This is a good book to get to know the black panther and what he is about, it also goes into detail on who his enemies are, his way of life as King, his personal life and his country.
The writing starts of pretty well and the first 3/4 of the book kept me hooked, but it tailed off towards the end, becoming very 90' unrealistic typical marvel comic style instead of grounded and thoughtful like the rest of the story.
Overall a good insight and an enjoyable read.
Finally! What a mammoth book to read.
I got this on sale and I thought to myself "I've never read a black panther book before, but absolutely love the character in all the avenger comics and everything else he appears in. He's badass! Must give this a go!"
So I didn't hype this up to myself as I've never read anything by the author and had no idea what to expect.
I'm glad this was written by a black writer, it gives the character and the story a more accurate perspective. It's also very relevant to today. There's even a scene where thousands of black people come to the city to see a glimpse of the black panther. The police get edgy and start getting aggressive towards all the black crowds and even start firing. Coincidence or just the fact that nothing has changed?
It's told from a third persons POV to a woman in hospital trying to remember how she ended up in hospital. Her boyfriend 'Ross' is the one telling the story, he works for the government and was asked by the president to escort black panther and his crew around while in the US.
While BP is away from Wakanda things go tits up and someone from his home country tries to take the throne and kill BP while he is in the US. Havoc ensues and BP assumes his Batman persona and becomes a strategic detective to try and find out who is behind it all.
There are some great supporting characters in this and a brilliant unforgettable scene which will stay with me forever, where Mephisto visits BP's flat while he is out. Ross who is telling the story hears a knock on the door and opens it and Mephisto is standing there...
They both then sit down in the flat and Ross has lost his trousers because of the Incredible Hulk, while Mephisto is sat on a throne of skulls. What ensues after that is fantastic.
The bad guy who is after BP is not entirely figured out in this volume and not all questions are answered, but BP really does take a bashing, but he has friends who help him out.
This is a good book to get to know the black panther and what he is about, it also goes into detail on who his enemies are, his way of life as King, his personal life and his country.
The writing starts of pretty well and the first 3/4 of the book kept me hooked, but it tailed off towards the end, becoming very 90' unrealistic typical marvel comic style instead of grounded and thoughtful like the rest of the story.
Overall a good insight and an enjoyable read.
November 30, 2023
Pretty much same feelings. It's solid, fun, first arc being the strongest part imo. I like Panther and his entire support cast for sure.
Old Review: It's more of a 3.5 but I'ma score it a 4 because it's a lot of fun even at it's worst. This is the best run on BP you can read at this point. They take the character seriously, he's well crafted, great supporting cast, and you see multiple sides to him. I really loved the art too, feeling fresh at all times, and giving us some great action scenes with our favorite Wakanda. Overall if you want to know more about the Black Panther, check this run out, you won't be disappointed.
Old Review: It's more of a 3.5 but I'ma score it a 4 because it's a lot of fun even at it's worst. This is the best run on BP you can read at this point. They take the character seriously, he's well crafted, great supporting cast, and you see multiple sides to him. I really loved the art too, feeling fresh at all times, and giving us some great action scenes with our favorite Wakanda. Overall if you want to know more about the Black Panther, check this run out, you won't be disappointed.
August 30, 2015
The Client (1-5). A brilliant work, ever bit as great as Priest's contemporary work on Quantum & Woody, and if anything, this is the comic that has more depth to it. The storytelling is phenomenal, with a fun first-person narrative that totally screws with chronology (and convention). Priest also does a great job of making the Black Panther an interesting character with many facets to his personality. [10/10]
Kraven & The Avengers (6-8). This arc starts off a little slow. As Ross tells another time-challenged story in unlikely circumstances, you feel like you've seen it before. However, as Kraven takes a back seat to the Avengers, this arc again knocks it out of the park, between faux '60s stories, interesting interactions with the Avengers, and great race relations [8/10].
Enemy of the State (9-12). Priest's explanation of exactly what happened to get Panther into trouble gets a little over-convoluted, and this arc is a little too heavy on the exploding-and-fighting to be as great as its predecessors. Still, it's a nice ending to the first year of Black Panther, and it has a great scene of Ross stuck with a naked Panther in plastic globe, which is hilarious [7/10].
The End (13-17). The first issue of this "arc" shows off Priest at his best, as he plays around with his writing style. It seems to set up an interesting storyline ... that never quite gels do the annoying use of way-too-many other heroes. (The Hulk seems particularly egregious.) It also feels like there's an overly-abrupt dropping of the Killmonger story. Despite the problems, this is still a strong storyline. I love the fidelity to really classic Black Panther stories (even if I'm not familiar with them!), and I find the weirdness and humor of the story to still be great [7+/10].
Overall, this is an exceptional collection. The unusual storytelling, the funny, and the great, ongoing plots are things that just aren't matched by most comics out there. It's terrific that Marvel is finally reprinting these!
Kraven & The Avengers (6-8). This arc starts off a little slow. As Ross tells another time-challenged story in unlikely circumstances, you feel like you've seen it before. However, as Kraven takes a back seat to the Avengers, this arc again knocks it out of the park, between faux '60s stories, interesting interactions with the Avengers, and great race relations [8/10].
Enemy of the State (9-12). Priest's explanation of exactly what happened to get Panther into trouble gets a little over-convoluted, and this arc is a little too heavy on the exploding-and-fighting to be as great as its predecessors. Still, it's a nice ending to the first year of Black Panther, and it has a great scene of Ross stuck with a naked Panther in plastic globe, which is hilarious [7/10].
The End (13-17). The first issue of this "arc" shows off Priest at his best, as he plays around with his writing style. It seems to set up an interesting storyline ... that never quite gels do the annoying use of way-too-many other heroes. (The Hulk seems particularly egregious.) It also feels like there's an overly-abrupt dropping of the Killmonger story. Despite the problems, this is still a strong storyline. I love the fidelity to really classic Black Panther stories (even if I'm not familiar with them!), and I find the weirdness and humor of the story to still be great [7+/10].
Overall, this is an exceptional collection. The unusual storytelling, the funny, and the great, ongoing plots are things that just aren't matched by most comics out there. It's terrific that Marvel is finally reprinting these!
February 5, 2022
Great artwork, but a far too confusing story. I felt like I was watching a movie dubbed in a different language.
October 14, 2020
A shifty saga and an unusual choice of narration, a fairly tame and exciting story that really gets hairy along the way. B (75%/Good)
October 23, 2017
Lately, when comic book fans talk about the Black Panther, they often reference the Christopher Priest run. Having read both this and the Ta-Nehisi Coates run, I have to assume it read better in the early 2000's.
I'm not an art snob when it comes to comics, but this book made me realize I still have a certain set of expectations. I expect comic art to communicate motion and action clearly, and to have good acting and expressions on characters who are clearly recognizable. While I will give Mark Texeira credit for the acting part of this, the bulk of the artwork for this volume is a sort of murky smudge, a swamp of hazy coloring and sometimes awkwardly rendered lines.
I can forgive a lot when it comes to art (reading older Vertigo series damn near requires it), but the narrative structure here put me off almost immediately.
The bulk of this story, at least in the first volume, comes from a character so achingly late-90's that it feels like an advertising executive trying to sell a comic on the original MTV's Total Request Live. This guy is our narrator, and he's a constant grab bag of lame jokes and pop culture references that probably sounded cool to someone who watched a lot of Kevin Smith movies on VHS. These references are uniformly dated as hell, but I can imagine them working that well even then. If jokes about Hansen really get you going, then this is your book.
What's disappointing is that there's some quality plotting. When the book gets to the business of actually discussing the Black Panther trying to solve problems, there's some value there. But the fact that it all had to be filtered through an annoying white guy deflates everything just when I start to get into a rhythm.
I can see why this book might have seemed like a big deal when it was released, a lot of comics didn't have this style back in the day, but between the Marvel Knights and Ultimate imprints, they sort of ran that style into the ground.
I'm not an art snob when it comes to comics, but this book made me realize I still have a certain set of expectations. I expect comic art to communicate motion and action clearly, and to have good acting and expressions on characters who are clearly recognizable. While I will give Mark Texeira credit for the acting part of this, the bulk of the artwork for this volume is a sort of murky smudge, a swamp of hazy coloring and sometimes awkwardly rendered lines.
I can forgive a lot when it comes to art (reading older Vertigo series damn near requires it), but the narrative structure here put me off almost immediately.
The bulk of this story, at least in the first volume, comes from a character so achingly late-90's that it feels like an advertising executive trying to sell a comic on the original MTV's Total Request Live. This guy is our narrator, and he's a constant grab bag of lame jokes and pop culture references that probably sounded cool to someone who watched a lot of Kevin Smith movies on VHS. These references are uniformly dated as hell, but I can imagine them working that well even then. If jokes about Hansen really get you going, then this is your book.
What's disappointing is that there's some quality plotting. When the book gets to the business of actually discussing the Black Panther trying to solve problems, there's some value there. But the fact that it all had to be filtered through an annoying white guy deflates everything just when I start to get into a rhythm.
I can see why this book might have seemed like a big deal when it was released, a lot of comics didn't have this style back in the day, but between the Marvel Knights and Ultimate imprints, they sort of ran that style into the ground.
September 17, 2022
3.5 stars. Pretty solid book. I liked the way Black Panther was portrayed in this one. I liked the plot idea of Panther being lured out of Wakanda so a coup go down there. It was great watching T’Challa go after everyone who was involved with it. The Everett Ross narrating and the whole comic relief thing he had going on was a bit weird tho. Kind of clashed with the seriousness of what Black Panther had going on. But again, still ended up being pretty solid overall along with the art as well.
December 16, 2022
Christopher Priest's vaunted run on Black Panther is all over the place, as are the reviews for this first volume, which is something I entirely understand as my own response to the book went careening from one end of the spectrum to the other, first thinking it was just about the best damn thing I'd read from Marvel in years and then cursing Priest for driving his story into the ground with some really stupid choices on his part as the author, undermining the promise he began with. About halfway through, I thought I'd cop out and give Priest a luke warm three-star review, but now that I'm finished I've come around to that extra star, although the dumbstuff in the middle precludes me from giving it all the stars I earlier thought it deserved.
A three-star review would have been weak on my part anyway, the kind of lame, whitebread response you might expect from our less-than-intrepid narrator, Everett K. Ross, an asshat working for the State Department, tasked with picking up T'Challa at the airport and attending to his needs while in New York. Ross is simultaneously a delight and a pain...and did I mention he's an asshat? Well, moving on...more to come after lunch...
+++++++++++++++
Needless to say, more didn’t come after lunch on Jan. 5 or for nearly the next 12 months. But yesterday I saw Wakanda Forever, and all I really need to add to this review is recognize what a thoroughly more competent and functional human being Martin Freeman’s version of the MCU’s Everett Ross is compared to the self-proclaimed Emperor of Useless White Boys created by Priest in these comics. And of course he is. Disney couldn’t really make a two-hour-plus movie featuring scores of self-sufficient, even heroic Africans without adding at least one noble white man into the mix, could they?
Such is not the case with Christopher Priest. And whether Ross is perched on a toilet cowering in fear from a rat, as we first meet him in these pages, or obliviously blasting “Jungle Boogie” in his slick red convertible on his way to the airport to pick up the king of Wakanda and his retinue, the original Everett K. Ross is quite the feckless dipshit, utterly without a clue and way in over his head. And yet, Priest gives Ross his own humorous heroic journey in these comics as Ross gradually earns the trust of T’Challa, spends some quality time with Mephisto, and by the end of this collection grows from Emperor of Useless White Boys to regeant of Wakanda.
A three-star review would have been weak on my part anyway, the kind of lame, whitebread response you might expect from our less-than-intrepid narrator, Everett K. Ross, an asshat working for the State Department, tasked with picking up T'Challa at the airport and attending to his needs while in New York. Ross is simultaneously a delight and a pain...and did I mention he's an asshat? Well, moving on...more to come after lunch...
+++++++++++++++
Needless to say, more didn’t come after lunch on Jan. 5 or for nearly the next 12 months. But yesterday I saw Wakanda Forever, and all I really need to add to this review is recognize what a thoroughly more competent and functional human being Martin Freeman’s version of the MCU’s Everett Ross is compared to the self-proclaimed Emperor of Useless White Boys created by Priest in these comics. And of course he is. Disney couldn’t really make a two-hour-plus movie featuring scores of self-sufficient, even heroic Africans without adding at least one noble white man into the mix, could they?
Such is not the case with Christopher Priest. And whether Ross is perched on a toilet cowering in fear from a rat, as we first meet him in these pages, or obliviously blasting “Jungle Boogie” in his slick red convertible on his way to the airport to pick up the king of Wakanda and his retinue, the original Everett K. Ross is quite the feckless dipshit, utterly without a clue and way in over his head. And yet, Priest gives Ross his own humorous heroic journey in these comics as Ross gradually earns the trust of T’Challa, spends some quality time with Mephisto, and by the end of this collection grows from Emperor of Useless White Boys to regeant of Wakanda.
August 12, 2017
Opinions appear pretty divided on this one, so I'd say it's an acquired taste. The 'Pulp Fiction'-style narrative - backwards, forwards, sideways, etc - will be off-putting to some. I thought it was an enjoyable - and original - collection of issues. The crazy story-line was mostly just a lot of fun. Our dignified badass of a hero wades through the irreverent humor, action scenes, and energetic cast of characters (this was almost more of an ensemble piece) with aplomb.
April 15, 2016
Excellent read. I'll get the bad out of the way first: the art. The art over the first major arc is (to me) brilliant because it's done in a realistic fashion with Panther and the Milaje appearing almost as if they'd stepped off a movie screen. Then the artist is changed and it becomes more of a traditional, muscle-saturated cartoon-like depiction. Which is okay: art is very subjective.
The writing is truly the strength of this book. Priest's depiction and storytelling must be taken in context. That is, the book was written/started almost twenty years ago (1998, I think?) and so the constant "in media res" followed by flashback may become a little overbearing and repetitive for some modern readers. However, what Priest brings to the world of BP must not be ignored or belittled. The Dora Milaje, the Panther as a political figure who is balancing politics with super-heroics, the perception of Black Panther as an African superhero and what that means to white- and African-Americans.
Some dislike the Ross character but I like what Priest (according to interviews) was trying to do: use Ross as a representative of the viewpoint that traditional comic book readers (and perhaps white Americans) would have concerning BP: either underestimating him or making snap judgements about who he might be, being a king and...y'know, African.
Like all writing, Priest's serves (and is of) it's time. In my opinion, it also transcends it's time and can probably be read today and fifty years from now.
The writing is truly the strength of this book. Priest's depiction and storytelling must be taken in context. That is, the book was written/started almost twenty years ago (1998, I think?) and so the constant "in media res" followed by flashback may become a little overbearing and repetitive for some modern readers. However, what Priest brings to the world of BP must not be ignored or belittled. The Dora Milaje, the Panther as a political figure who is balancing politics with super-heroics, the perception of Black Panther as an African superhero and what that means to white- and African-Americans.
Some dislike the Ross character but I like what Priest (according to interviews) was trying to do: use Ross as a representative of the viewpoint that traditional comic book readers (and perhaps white Americans) would have concerning BP: either underestimating him or making snap judgements about who he might be, being a king and...y'know, African.
Like all writing, Priest's serves (and is of) it's time. In my opinion, it also transcends it's time and can probably be read today and fifty years from now.
May 5, 2016
This disappointed me a little. I'd heard a lot of good things about Priests Black Panther run, and decided to give it a read since Black Panther is the movie break out character of the year. But it feels like he's barely in it. Most of the book is told, and not really all that well, through the perspective of his attaché Everett K Ross. The way he tells it doesn't make much sense (which I think I was a little intentional, but still). The artwork isn't all that great in most of the book. It seems like transitional art between the 90s and naughties at times. The best bits are when he teams up. I don't know if I'm going to read the rest of Priests run yet.
January 29, 2018
The ultra-serious Black Panther comes to America to settle a few things, with the Whitest White Guy Ever at his side. The content is torn between the serious plot and the White Guy's dorky retelling. This just hit my sweet spot, I think.
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January 30, 2018I knew going into this why Priest used Ross as the POV character, and it seemed like a perfectly fine idea, but in practice I really wasn't into it.
At one point fairly early on I nearly noped out, ready to declare that Priest just wasn't for me (I hadn't been particularly taken with Quantum and Woody, but I'd hoped Black Panther would be better).
I didn't mind the jumping around in the story, but I'm totally down with the premise of superhero comics, so having the narrator being ... the way he was about it, made it feel like this book wasn't for me.
Priest explains it as "Ross interpreting the Marvel Universe through his Everyman's eyes rather than through the eyes of someone who's been reading comics all his life. It was a new voice, seemingly hostile towards the Marvel Universe itself (and, by extension, its fans), but actually, the intent is more to be a social observer and deconstructionist," but I felt like all the smart commentary (whether about superheroes as a concept or anything else) was surface-level -- exacerbated by the way the narrative is constantly jumping around, so not only are you only getting one-off quips, but you're never sitting with any particular situation for very long -- so the overall vibe was ... I don't wanna go so far as to say "of someone not taking the story very seriously," but kinda. (Also, Ross just isn't all that likable, and he's supposedly really good at his job but I honestly don't get the impression that he is, even when he's dealing with a regular international diplomat instead of T'Challa, King of Wakanda and also the Black Panther.)
The volume reads quickly, though, and as we get deeper into the plot Ross' narrative voice recedes, which I appreciated.
The end of this volume feels a bit ... rushed? randomly throwing in a whole lot of other Marvel characters? Though there's definitely some good stuff -- the plot twist about Black Panther and the Avengers was smart, Queen Divine Justice is great...
I'll be reading the next volume, but mostly I'm looking forward to the movie.
At one point fairly early on I nearly noped out, ready to declare that Priest just wasn't for me (I hadn't been particularly taken with Quantum and Woody, but I'd hoped Black Panther would be better).
I didn't mind the jumping around in the story, but I'm totally down with the premise of superhero comics, so having the narrator being ... the way he was about it, made it feel like this book wasn't for me.
Priest explains it as "Ross interpreting the Marvel Universe through his Everyman's eyes rather than through the eyes of someone who's been reading comics all his life. It was a new voice, seemingly hostile towards the Marvel Universe itself (and, by extension, its fans), but actually, the intent is more to be a social observer and deconstructionist," but I felt like all the smart commentary (whether about superheroes as a concept or anything else) was surface-level -- exacerbated by the way the narrative is constantly jumping around, so not only are you only getting one-off quips, but you're never sitting with any particular situation for very long -- so the overall vibe was ... I don't wanna go so far as to say "of someone not taking the story very seriously," but kinda. (Also, Ross just isn't all that likable, and he's supposedly really good at his job but I honestly don't get the impression that he is, even when he's dealing with a regular international diplomat instead of T'Challa, King of Wakanda and also the Black Panther.)
The volume reads quickly, though, and as we get deeper into the plot Ross' narrative voice recedes, which I appreciated.
The end of this volume feels a bit ... rushed? randomly throwing in a whole lot of other Marvel characters? Though there's definitely some good stuff -- the plot twist about Black Panther and the Avengers was smart, Queen Divine Justice is great...
I'll be reading the next volume, but mostly I'm looking forward to the movie.
didnt-finish
May 23, 2018Hard to follow with the plot jumping around so much and too many characters. The Black Panther Universe is a weird one indeed.
July 24, 2018
The one thing I did not expect Black Panther to be was funny. But Priest has managed to instill a lot of humor in this title, mostly in the form of Ross, the comedic foil and token white man in the orbit of Black Panther.
There's a lot of comics here - 16 issues at least, over 350 pages. It doesn't start things fresh - there are previous events that are alluded to, but readers are given enough detail to get by without having read them. I was a little thrown on the timing - the copyright date on some of the pages was 2015, but this is a repackaging of Priest's run from the late 90's, I think. There are some topical comments that didn't age well, but not too many.
What there is is a lot of action. T'Challa spends most of the collection in New York dealing with various enemies while also wrestling with an exile from Wakanda; it doesn't start off making T'Challa look very capable outside of combat, but by the end of the first storyline, it's clear that he is a tactician first and foremost. The storytelling throughout is a bit haphazard, but that's due to the characterization of Ross and is keeping with his bumbling persona. Achebe reminded me a bit too much of Scar from the Lion King (especially in the later days), and never really seems a credible threat. But the introduction of Killmonger definitely ups the stakes, even if the conclusion to that storyline feels forced and phoned in.
The artwork varies a bit throughout - it starts off very distinctive, but then reverts back to a more traditional Marvel style that is acceptable, if uninspired.
There's a lot here, and it's a good introduction to the main characters. The last couple of issues are a little odd (especially with the character crossovers - some of it seems a little too on the nose, but the cameos at least get to be silly), but overall a good collection.
There's a lot of comics here - 16 issues at least, over 350 pages. It doesn't start things fresh - there are previous events that are alluded to, but readers are given enough detail to get by without having read them. I was a little thrown on the timing - the copyright date on some of the pages was 2015, but this is a repackaging of Priest's run from the late 90's, I think. There are some topical comments that didn't age well, but not too many.
What there is is a lot of action. T'Challa spends most of the collection in New York dealing with various enemies while also wrestling with an exile from Wakanda; it doesn't start off making T'Challa look very capable outside of combat, but by the end of the first storyline, it's clear that he is a tactician first and foremost. The storytelling throughout is a bit haphazard, but that's due to the characterization of Ross and is keeping with his bumbling persona. Achebe reminded me a bit too much of Scar from the Lion King (especially in the later days), and never really seems a credible threat. But the introduction of Killmonger definitely ups the stakes, even if the conclusion to that storyline feels forced and phoned in.
The artwork varies a bit throughout - it starts off very distinctive, but then reverts back to a more traditional Marvel style that is acceptable, if uninspired.
There's a lot here, and it's a good introduction to the main characters. The last couple of issues are a little odd (especially with the character crossovers - some of it seems a little too on the nose, but the cameos at least get to be silly), but overall a good collection.
March 3, 2019
Der Erzählstil ist ja mal furchtbar... leider rockt mich der Film um Welten mehr...
September 16, 2015
I've heard such amazing things about this run so my expectations were high. While I liked the art by Tex and the eventually work by Velluto, I found the nonlinear narrative and voice of the narrator to be off putting. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Pulp Fiction and snarky protagonists but my Black Panther (did I really just use a possesive when referring to a comic character?!) has more authority, demands respect and deserves a more serious treatment. I'm hesitant to try the next volume unless someone tells me it's truly worth the effort. ah well, there's always old-school Jungle Action to read :)
February 26, 2018
Twenty years on, with several of its concepts now firmly lodged in pop culture via a hit film, how does Priest's Black Panther run read? Very well, I think. Priest's storytelling style - proudly non-linear, with big blocks of prose narration - was unique in 1998 and remains highly distinctive; the only mainstream writer I can think of who's this prosy is Jonathan Hickman, and Priest is way less dry. The style lets him tell two kinds of story at once - a political thriller and a comical romp, with a serious backbone (US government agencies fomenting a coup in an African state) fleshed out by terrific comedy business (Queen Divine Justice taking the Hulk disco dancing, for instance). The comic it reminds me most of, in its building a complex underlying story by means of near-continuous farce, is Cerebus The Aardvark, circa High Society and Church And State. Not everything has aged well - villain Achebe is a central casting madman with a tiresome gimmick, and the art is (to be polite) highly variable, the curse of many mid-tier Marvel titles then and now. But mostly this is a joy, thanks to Priest's copious imagination, delightfully indulgent plotting and easy command of character voice.
June 29, 2020
This book was entertaining, but in the way that a mindless Michael Bay film is entertaining. There wasn't any big message, just a lot of panels filled with over-the-top fights, elaborate traps, superstar cameos, and occasional romance. While reading it, I found myself pulled into the story and wanting to continue, but once I stepped away it was hard to come back.
Something I didn't like about the issues selected as part of this Black Panther anthology: the majority of the stories were told from the perspective of a federal agent named Everett Ross and his style of storytelling is disjointed and out of sequence. The first few times, the concept is novel. However, it's repeated for many of the issues collected in this anthology (I would venture at least ten out of the 18) and gets old.
Additionally, I was disappointed to get to the end of the anthology only to discover that the story arch did not complete. I understand this is volume 1 of several, but it would have been nice for the publishers to self-contain the volumes.
I will not be continuing my reading to subsequent volumes.
Something I didn't like about the issues selected as part of this Black Panther anthology: the majority of the stories were told from the perspective of a federal agent named Everett Ross and his style of storytelling is disjointed and out of sequence. The first few times, the concept is novel. However, it's repeated for many of the issues collected in this anthology (I would venture at least ten out of the 18) and gets old.
Additionally, I was disappointed to get to the end of the anthology only to discover that the story arch did not complete. I understand this is volume 1 of several, but it would have been nice for the publishers to self-contain the volumes.
I will not be continuing my reading to subsequent volumes.
February 18, 2018
Amazon prime made this possible. Read in 24 hours. Man of honor like Captain America, with much more responsibility on his shoulders. Achebe, highly entertaining. More Achebe!
Luke Cage was in here. Netflix show does him more justice with character. Danny Rand was in here too. Using Tae bo...
Luke Cage was in here. Netflix show does him more justice with character. Danny Rand was in here too. Using Tae bo...
August 4, 2017
Trying to read this again. I skimmed it the first time. The art isn't great, and having Everett Ross narrate is just annoying. Only about halfway through, because I keep putting it aside.
*Update August 4, 2017: After getting 2/3 of the way through, I ended up skimming the rest of the book. Stereotypical in so many ways and disappointing.
*Update August 4, 2017: After getting 2/3 of the way through, I ended up skimming the rest of the book. Stereotypical in so many ways and disappointing.
April 20, 2018
This was an Amazon freebie that I decided to read between two heavy non-fiction books.
I was a bit surprised at the humor. This was LOL funny at times. Its jokes were often quite politically incorrect. It was a fun read. This volume was divided into about 18 comic books. After about 15 books, the creator left. The last comic book was pretty lame, though. It was a chaotic mess of super heroes/villains. It was hard to keep track and I didn't really care.
This was a fun breather. The artwork was pretty good. It was a pleasant experience to read it on the tablet. It's a good way to read these comic books. It also introduced me to the Black Panther character. I should probably see the movie.
I was a bit surprised at the humor. This was LOL funny at times. Its jokes were often quite politically incorrect. It was a fun read. This volume was divided into about 18 comic books. After about 15 books, the creator left. The last comic book was pretty lame, though. It was a chaotic mess of super heroes/villains. It was hard to keep track and I didn't really care.
This was a fun breather. The artwork was pretty good. It was a pleasant experience to read it on the tablet. It's a good way to read these comic books. It also introduced me to the Black Panther character. I should probably see the movie.
June 28, 2020
getting back to Black Panther though, warning for a view point character who makes several overly sexual comments about adolescence/underage women.
Back when I was first getting into Black Panther in 2017 every time anyone said anything about the character Christopher Priest came up. The library didn't have it though, so then took a while to get my hands on my own copy (and now they do have the entire series sigh) but then I was sort of moving away from superhero comics for a bit... And I probably should just stay away but here we are. I'm resigned to the fact that I literally have no taste and that's ok. I certainly don't make these videos for the fame and notoriety.
But who is Christopher Priest. Well he's a man. Probably a straight one. He was the first Black man to work in mainstream comics as a writer/editor, and like most firsts, is reportedly hard to work with. He also self describes as a jerk, but it is an amazing coincidence that so many minorities After Black Panther he apparently felt pigeonhole into just writing black characters, took a break from writing comics, was ordained as a minister, drove a Greyhound bus, and only came back reportedly when DC offered him the white character Deathstroke. The first thing that pops up when you duckduckgo Priest is a handful of excited takes by comicsgate folx about the fact that Priest always says he wants to be considered a writer, not just a Black writer. Listening to him answer questions about diversity over and over and over again however I think this specific point, and similar dismay to type casting creators to characters, is balanced out by his comments about how the companies that make comics need to be more diverse and that things like being black, latino, or a woman means creators bring something different to the things they write. While I'm bored of reading stuff like white creators doing black characters, and men writing women, I do think that BIPOC creators, people who fall outside the cis gender heterosexual binary do have something to bring to the white bread mainstream establishment. For shadowing some of the points I'll be making later I do think that Priest has some shortcomings when it comes to female and queer representation, but he certainly has some interesting things to say about race and his white characters are different.
And then there's all the other people involved. It's really hard to highlight every single person involved in Marvel and DC comics so I think I'll just combine it with my art commentary. That said, flipping through all the relevant Comics Vine pages I did want to note that, for better or worse, Joe Jusko really stood out as having a lot of scantily clad bodies with boobs in his timeline. I'll probably touch on this a bit more in the gender section of the review.
+ In the first issue had inks and pencils by Mark Texeira (Alitha E. Martinez on background assist) with Brian Haberlin on colours. This is the point where it really felt like a vertigo title, and while it lacked cross hatching it did have some nice grit to it.
+ Things lightened up ever so slightly when Avalon Color briefly took over on colours in issue two.
+ The linework became more streamlined with guest artist Vince Evens in issue five
+ Issue six we see another guest artist with Joe Jusco and the return of Avalon Color on colours. Technically very skilled, this part of the run had the least amount of character.
+ Issue seven mixed things up a bit more with Joe Jusco still listed as teh artist, with Jummy Palmiotti on inks with the odd edition of Vinc eEvans on washes. Which I guess denotes that different art materials were used?
+ In issue eight, we see a rather fun five pages of more classic looking comic art with poppy primary colours before things to back to more normal. Joe Jasko and Amanda Connor were on pencils, with Jimmy Palmiotti and Vince Evans on inks (and in the latter washes again) and Brian Haberlin is back on colours.
+ Issue nine saw another dramatic change that set a tone shift for the rest of the book. Not totally classic comic, the colour scheme remained largely the same, but the character proportions and line quality felt less gritty and more cartoony. Mike Manley was on art with Chris Sotomayor on colours.
+ Less noticeable visually, Mark Bright took over on art with Nelson Decastro on inks and Chris Sotomayor stayed on colours.
+ Issue thirteen, THE END, is another shift with more elongated character designs and slightly shinier colour finish. Sal Velluto on pencils, Bob Almond on Inks, Brad Vancata on colours and a font offensively close to Papyrus used for these credits.
+ In issue 14 Priest and Sal Velluto are jointly credited with writer, storytellers and pencils with Bob Almond on inks again. Brad Vancata was on colours. This team continues thru the end of this collection with issue seventeen.
Assuming that the sexualization of apparently female characters is a given, the thing that actually bothered me the most visually about this graphic novel was how Achabe resembled one of the racist caricature of the former president Obama. Obviously this pre-dates Obama's most visible job, but it still felt like Acabe was a caricature of an evil African... I don't know. Otherwise the coloration of all of the Black characters is very good.
Flipping the book over, goodreads has this to say about this complete collection volume one:
" Black Panther reinvented as a sharp and witty political satire? Believe it! T’Challa is the man with the plan as Christopher Priest puts the emphasis on the Wakandan king’s reputation as the ultimate statesman, as seen through the eyes of the U.S. government’s Everett K. Ross. As the Panther investigates a murder in New York, Ross plays Devil’s Advocate in an encounter with Mephisto, and a new regime seizes control in Wakanda. When the truth behind the coup becomes clear, T’Challa finds himself an enemy of the state — and a major revelation threatens to destroy his relationship with the Avengers! Plus: Meet Queen Divine Justice — is she ready to join T’Challa’s deadly crew of female bodyguards, the Dora Milaje? Are they ready for her? Hold onto your pants, because Ross sure can’t! Collecting BLACK PANTHER (1998) #1-17."
Overall the plot, especially the initial one with the Devil, reminded me a lot of a Constantine story which certainly increased my enjoyment as a Virtago fan. I've rarely run into Marvel titles that played with spiritual realm but I guess that is something that happens in Black Panther somewhat regularly. The story was not always the easiest to follow, due to the nature of the unreliable narrator, but it was an interesting way to tell your story in a genuinely different sort of way. Much like what I appreciate in Moore and not so by the check list like how Jason Aaron seems to do his "complicated" stories.
So, digging into the different intersectionalities, as I've alluded to I feel like Priest has some oversights when it comes to his treatment of what are presumably all CIS women. Queerness of any kind is completely absent, unsurprisingly. Combined with the somewhat recent controversy over his now removed newsorama interview I can't say it's much more then what I expect from most older straight cis dudes. Not that everyone needs to enjoy this book, but I feel like Moore isn't that much better but is still get lots of nostalgic points from me. So I guess I'm just waiting and seeing. I certainly don't appreciate the Dora Milaje being overly sexualized and jealous fourteen year olds, even if it is "satire". On the small plus side we do get a few apparently male asses? There's perhaps a chance that things will improve as the series continues. An Enby can hope anyway.
Race is a very well developed aspect of this series, obviously. I feel like each Black author has brought their own spin to the series, starting with this revival from obscurity, and that they can each be of value in different ways and won't be trying to rank them. While Priest's choice of view point characters can be more then a little annoying, the decision to draw attention to the white lens most people would be reading through to be quiet smart.
Class is treated as none existence in this book. The lowest ranked and least powered person is the view point character and he's still a government employee without anything by way of financial need. Similarly, I'm not sure if disability vs ability is ever confronted.
Back when I was first getting into Black Panther in 2017 every time anyone said anything about the character Christopher Priest came up. The library didn't have it though, so then took a while to get my hands on my own copy (and now they do have the entire series sigh) but then I was sort of moving away from superhero comics for a bit... And I probably should just stay away but here we are. I'm resigned to the fact that I literally have no taste and that's ok. I certainly don't make these videos for the fame and notoriety.
But who is Christopher Priest. Well he's a man. Probably a straight one. He was the first Black man to work in mainstream comics as a writer/editor, and like most firsts, is reportedly hard to work with. He also self describes as a jerk, but it is an amazing coincidence that so many minorities After Black Panther he apparently felt pigeonhole into just writing black characters, took a break from writing comics, was ordained as a minister, drove a Greyhound bus, and only came back reportedly when DC offered him the white character Deathstroke. The first thing that pops up when you duckduckgo Priest is a handful of excited takes by comicsgate folx about the fact that Priest always says he wants to be considered a writer, not just a Black writer. Listening to him answer questions about diversity over and over and over again however I think this specific point, and similar dismay to type casting creators to characters, is balanced out by his comments about how the companies that make comics need to be more diverse and that things like being black, latino, or a woman means creators bring something different to the things they write. While I'm bored of reading stuff like white creators doing black characters, and men writing women, I do think that BIPOC creators, people who fall outside the cis gender heterosexual binary do have something to bring to the white bread mainstream establishment. For shadowing some of the points I'll be making later I do think that Priest has some shortcomings when it comes to female and queer representation, but he certainly has some interesting things to say about race and his white characters are different.
And then there's all the other people involved. It's really hard to highlight every single person involved in Marvel and DC comics so I think I'll just combine it with my art commentary. That said, flipping through all the relevant Comics Vine pages I did want to note that, for better or worse, Joe Jusko really stood out as having a lot of scantily clad bodies with boobs in his timeline. I'll probably touch on this a bit more in the gender section of the review.
+ In the first issue had inks and pencils by Mark Texeira (Alitha E. Martinez on background assist) with Brian Haberlin on colours. This is the point where it really felt like a vertigo title, and while it lacked cross hatching it did have some nice grit to it.
+ Things lightened up ever so slightly when Avalon Color briefly took over on colours in issue two.
+ The linework became more streamlined with guest artist Vince Evens in issue five
+ Issue six we see another guest artist with Joe Jusco and the return of Avalon Color on colours. Technically very skilled, this part of the run had the least amount of character.
+ Issue seven mixed things up a bit more with Joe Jusco still listed as teh artist, with Jummy Palmiotti on inks with the odd edition of Vinc eEvans on washes. Which I guess denotes that different art materials were used?
+ In issue eight, we see a rather fun five pages of more classic looking comic art with poppy primary colours before things to back to more normal. Joe Jasko and Amanda Connor were on pencils, with Jimmy Palmiotti and Vince Evans on inks (and in the latter washes again) and Brian Haberlin is back on colours.
+ Issue nine saw another dramatic change that set a tone shift for the rest of the book. Not totally classic comic, the colour scheme remained largely the same, but the character proportions and line quality felt less gritty and more cartoony. Mike Manley was on art with Chris Sotomayor on colours.
+ Less noticeable visually, Mark Bright took over on art with Nelson Decastro on inks and Chris Sotomayor stayed on colours.
+ Issue thirteen, THE END, is another shift with more elongated character designs and slightly shinier colour finish. Sal Velluto on pencils, Bob Almond on Inks, Brad Vancata on colours and a font offensively close to Papyrus used for these credits.
+ In issue 14 Priest and Sal Velluto are jointly credited with writer, storytellers and pencils with Bob Almond on inks again. Brad Vancata was on colours. This team continues thru the end of this collection with issue seventeen.
Assuming that the sexualization of apparently female characters is a given, the thing that actually bothered me the most visually about this graphic novel was how Achabe resembled one of the racist caricature of the former president Obama. Obviously this pre-dates Obama's most visible job, but it still felt like Acabe was a caricature of an evil African... I don't know. Otherwise the coloration of all of the Black characters is very good.
Flipping the book over, goodreads has this to say about this complete collection volume one:
" Black Panther reinvented as a sharp and witty political satire? Believe it! T’Challa is the man with the plan as Christopher Priest puts the emphasis on the Wakandan king’s reputation as the ultimate statesman, as seen through the eyes of the U.S. government’s Everett K. Ross. As the Panther investigates a murder in New York, Ross plays Devil’s Advocate in an encounter with Mephisto, and a new regime seizes control in Wakanda. When the truth behind the coup becomes clear, T’Challa finds himself an enemy of the state — and a major revelation threatens to destroy his relationship with the Avengers! Plus: Meet Queen Divine Justice — is she ready to join T’Challa’s deadly crew of female bodyguards, the Dora Milaje? Are they ready for her? Hold onto your pants, because Ross sure can’t! Collecting BLACK PANTHER (1998) #1-17."
Overall the plot, especially the initial one with the Devil, reminded me a lot of a Constantine story which certainly increased my enjoyment as a Virtago fan. I've rarely run into Marvel titles that played with spiritual realm but I guess that is something that happens in Black Panther somewhat regularly. The story was not always the easiest to follow, due to the nature of the unreliable narrator, but it was an interesting way to tell your story in a genuinely different sort of way. Much like what I appreciate in Moore and not so by the check list like how Jason Aaron seems to do his "complicated" stories.
So, digging into the different intersectionalities, as I've alluded to I feel like Priest has some oversights when it comes to his treatment of what are presumably all CIS women. Queerness of any kind is completely absent, unsurprisingly. Combined with the somewhat recent controversy over his now removed newsorama interview I can't say it's much more then what I expect from most older straight cis dudes. Not that everyone needs to enjoy this book, but I feel like Moore isn't that much better but is still get lots of nostalgic points from me. So I guess I'm just waiting and seeing. I certainly don't appreciate the Dora Milaje being overly sexualized and jealous fourteen year olds, even if it is "satire". On the small plus side we do get a few apparently male asses? There's perhaps a chance that things will improve as the series continues. An Enby can hope anyway.
Race is a very well developed aspect of this series, obviously. I feel like each Black author has brought their own spin to the series, starting with this revival from obscurity, and that they can each be of value in different ways and won't be trying to rank them. While Priest's choice of view point characters can be more then a little annoying, the decision to draw attention to the white lens most people would be reading through to be quiet smart.
Class is treated as none existence in this book. The lowest ranked and least powered person is the view point character and he's still a government employee without anything by way of financial need. Similarly, I'm not sure if disability vs ability is ever confronted.
June 19, 2017
This book is one of those odd transitional series that bridged the Dark Age of comics and the reaction to it that emphasized over-the-top silliness. As such, it is neither fish nor fowl. It feels more like the British comics of the '70s like 2000 A.D.'s Judge Dredd.
That said, it's impossible to overstate the importance of this series to current Marvel titles and especially the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is where we really get the Black Panther treated as a character of significance rather than an interesting but secondary member of the Avengers. And there are a number of aspects to these stories which are foundational to the MCU, namely the serious themes treated with a light touch.
There are also specific elements which have been lifted directly for the MCU films. The scene in the first Avengers film where Captain America punches the heavy bag so hard it flies across the room is seen here first. Everett K. Ross, played by Martin Freeman in Captain America: Civil War and the upcoming Black Panther movie, was created by Priest as the POV character and audience stand-in. Many of the details of Panther's Wakanda are fleshed out here, as well, including the vibranium-infused cat suit, giving Panther extra abilities.
Unfortunately, there was a bit too much silliness for me. YMMV, but having President Bill Clinton chase a rollerblading Ross around the White House with a hockey stick is the sort of thing I found too slapsticky.
Also, the main villain of the first 3/4 of the book, Achebe, comes across too much like The Joker (with a touch of Arcade), and his madness was so outlandish that it was a poor fit for the rest of the story. I would have preferred that the goofiness of Ross' recounting of his crazy adventures contained all the humor and everything else was played straight. Just the fact of superhero comics is weird enough, and having an ordinary guy caught in the middle of it trying to make sense of the crazy things he's witnessing is silly enough to carry all the humor.
Priest mentions Tarantino early on, and he's clearly utilizing Tarantino's type of disjointed flashback storytelling as his overarching template. After a while it becomes too much and I just wanted him to tell me the story without all the snarky commentary and skipping around the timeline. In the Afterword he talks about how he based Ross on Chandler Bing from Friends, which suddenly put that character in focus for me. This is Coming to America as told by Chandler in the style of Quentin Tarantino. That's a lot of push-pull for one story.
I'm glad I read this but I don't feel the need to continue on, because despite the interesting stuff here, I feel a bit exhausted by the whole thing.
That said, it's impossible to overstate the importance of this series to current Marvel titles and especially the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is where we really get the Black Panther treated as a character of significance rather than an interesting but secondary member of the Avengers. And there are a number of aspects to these stories which are foundational to the MCU, namely the serious themes treated with a light touch.
There are also specific elements which have been lifted directly for the MCU films. The scene in the first Avengers film where Captain America punches the heavy bag so hard it flies across the room is seen here first. Everett K. Ross, played by Martin Freeman in Captain America: Civil War and the upcoming Black Panther movie, was created by Priest as the POV character and audience stand-in. Many of the details of Panther's Wakanda are fleshed out here, as well, including the vibranium-infused cat suit, giving Panther extra abilities.
Unfortunately, there was a bit too much silliness for me. YMMV, but having President Bill Clinton chase a rollerblading Ross around the White House with a hockey stick is the sort of thing I found too slapsticky.
Also, the main villain of the first 3/4 of the book, Achebe, comes across too much like The Joker (with a touch of Arcade), and his madness was so outlandish that it was a poor fit for the rest of the story. I would have preferred that the goofiness of Ross' recounting of his crazy adventures contained all the humor and everything else was played straight. Just the fact of superhero comics is weird enough, and having an ordinary guy caught in the middle of it trying to make sense of the crazy things he's witnessing is silly enough to carry all the humor.
Priest mentions Tarantino early on, and he's clearly utilizing Tarantino's type of disjointed flashback storytelling as his overarching template. After a while it becomes too much and I just wanted him to tell me the story without all the snarky commentary and skipping around the timeline. In the Afterword he talks about how he based Ross on Chandler Bing from Friends, which suddenly put that character in focus for me. This is Coming to America as told by Chandler in the style of Quentin Tarantino. That's a lot of push-pull for one story.
I'm glad I read this but I don't feel the need to continue on, because despite the interesting stuff here, I feel a bit exhausted by the whole thing.
March 11, 2016
I read nothing but praise for the Black Panther by Christopher Priest, but this was not to my liking at all. The art was atrocious throughout the book, and I find it just odd that the Panther doesn't even really star in his own book. Instead, there's a government agent who is the narrator and definitely a principal actor here.
The plot at first is that someone is trying to take over Wakanda while the Panther is in New York City. That someone is drawn in such a nasty, stereotypical way for a black person: big lips, big ears, and a toothy grin that would put both the Joker and Jimmy Carter to shame. It's a weak story, and having to pour through the meandering (seriously - the government agent is constantly telling things out of sequence to when they happened) ramblings of this skinny, whiny white guy is just annoying after a while.
I've never been a huge fan of the "bwah-ha-ha" types of comics, such as the Justice League International run by Giffen and DeMatteis. That kind of jokey humor gets old really fast with me. It's not smart satire or parody, and comes across as juvenile. Since the Panther is always portrayed as the super serious King of Wakanda, it's jarring and out of place when the narrator does this.
I'd love to read a Black Panther book where the Panther himself is the star, and we know his thoughts and motivations, instead of learning about him in third person all the time. I hope the upcoming Ta-Nehisi Coates BP series is much better, because the Panther is a great character and deserves a top notch comic run. This is not it.
The plot at first is that someone is trying to take over Wakanda while the Panther is in New York City. That someone is drawn in such a nasty, stereotypical way for a black person: big lips, big ears, and a toothy grin that would put both the Joker and Jimmy Carter to shame. It's a weak story, and having to pour through the meandering (seriously - the government agent is constantly telling things out of sequence to when they happened) ramblings of this skinny, whiny white guy is just annoying after a while.
I've never been a huge fan of the "bwah-ha-ha" types of comics, such as the Justice League International run by Giffen and DeMatteis. That kind of jokey humor gets old really fast with me. It's not smart satire or parody, and comes across as juvenile. Since the Panther is always portrayed as the super serious King of Wakanda, it's jarring and out of place when the narrator does this.
I'd love to read a Black Panther book where the Panther himself is the star, and we know his thoughts and motivations, instead of learning about him in third person all the time. I hope the upcoming Ta-Nehisi Coates BP series is much better, because the Panther is a great character and deserves a top notch comic run. This is not it.
April 21, 2016
So this is my first "full" reading of King T'Challa of Wakanda and it was good overall. This is definitely a book for introducing this character. I would suspect that if one had prior knowledge, one would be satisfied, but not totally god-smacked by this volume. I am not in that camp. I thought the Black Panther was amazing and very much in the pilot seat throughout this (and the second, I am reading it out of order) volume of Christopher Priest's legendary run on the character. Though this book shows it's age with the humor, it still keeps its storytelling consistent. I only picked this up, I confess to preempt myself for Ta-Nehisi Coates' run on the character which involves a certain group of characters that were introduced in this volume. This a very good introduction to the Black Panther for a general audience.
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