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Marvel's Black Panther: The Illustrated History of a King: The Complete Comics Chronology
Explore over fifty years of history and art of the first mainstream black superhero, Marvel’s Black Panther, with insight from those who helped create the character himself.
From his first appearance in Fantastic Four #52 (1966) to his current New York Times best-selling solo series, the King of Wakanda has been a force to be reckoned with on the page—and now, on the silver screen. A veteran Avenger and a member of the Illuminati, T’Challa’s evolution from being a Jack Kirby and Stan Lee creation, to inspiring his own character-led film for Marvel Studios, to serving as a literal voice of the people and the state of race relations in twenty-first-century America has been legendary. As the first black superhero in mainstream American comics, debuting years before other industry heavy hitters like the Falcon, Luke Cage, and John Stewart (Green Lantern), Black Panther is a seminal note in pop culture history.
This deluxe hardcover book not only covers the history and creation of the character but also features exclusive concept art, layout and sketch art, and interviews with key artists and writers from Black Panther’s robust archives. Cover art and exclusive art card by acclaimed artists Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Elizabeth Breitweiser.
From his first appearance in Fantastic Four #52 (1966) to his current New York Times best-selling solo series, the King of Wakanda has been a force to be reckoned with on the page—and now, on the silver screen. A veteran Avenger and a member of the Illuminati, T’Challa’s evolution from being a Jack Kirby and Stan Lee creation, to inspiring his own character-led film for Marvel Studios, to serving as a literal voice of the people and the state of race relations in twenty-first-century America has been legendary. As the first black superhero in mainstream American comics, debuting years before other industry heavy hitters like the Falcon, Luke Cage, and John Stewart (Green Lantern), Black Panther is a seminal note in pop culture history.
This deluxe hardcover book not only covers the history and creation of the character but also features exclusive concept art, layout and sketch art, and interviews with key artists and writers from Black Panther’s robust archives. Cover art and exclusive art card by acclaimed artists Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Elizabeth Breitweiser.
- GenresNonfiction
184 pages, Hardcover
Published January 9, 2018
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39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 17, 2018
This book does an excellent job of taking you through the history and evolution of Black Panther. I loved the interviews with the writers who worked on the series through the years. The book is oversized so the pictures are big, bright, and bold. One thing I will say is if you are reading through the comic series you might want to wait to read the commentary in this book because it’s full of spoilers. Just enjoy the pictures until you finish.
August 13, 2023
An eye-opening book for me. I had thought it would just be a recap of stories from the Black Panther's story arc, instead it served as a view into the world of comics and social justice.
This book does a great job relating the evolution and back story of the Black Panther character. I have never been interested in comics, so this was all new ground for me. I found the details a convincing argument - not intended by the authors, but arrived at on my own - of comics, these American-authored comices specifically, as forming an American mythology. There are subtleties in the stories, attempts to reconcile details which sometimes do not match up. (Heck, the christian bible has those and retains adherents in defiance of common sense and reason.) So on that level it helped me to discover the attraction of this world, although it has in no way captured me, knowing this helps me process those who have invested time, effort, and passion in navigating it.
Moreso for me, the value of this book comes in the history of social justice present in the character and in the Marvel Comics creators. Creating a black superhero well ahead of a time when it was safe to do so says a lot for them. Black Panther had to be brave enough to exist, and creating the character as a thoughtful monarch of a technologically advanced country with command of its own unique and valuable resources and without any actual superpowers except those of a mental and physical discipline of exceptional yet reachable levels was new to this comic universe. The book is honest in how the character's progress struggled, an early story arc relegating them back to the jungle. In the end, Black Panther emerges as a philosopher king, flawed and knowing their flaws. They fight the klan in an arc which was terminated without conclusion at the time due to fears of public backlash, they address the crack epidemic, they recognize BLM, the story empowers women and LGBTQ actors. I was happy to find Ta-Nehisi Coates was a writer for the series, which bodes well for future progress.
This one almost lost a star for the font size, it seemed smaller than it should have been. Not in the drawings provided which were understandably sometimes tiny, but in the actual test of the book. That my old eyes soldiered through is an endorsement for the value I found in the content.
Going into my classroom library for my 7th grade students to explore.
This book does a great job relating the evolution and back story of the Black Panther character. I have never been interested in comics, so this was all new ground for me. I found the details a convincing argument - not intended by the authors, but arrived at on my own - of comics, these American-authored comices specifically, as forming an American mythology. There are subtleties in the stories, attempts to reconcile details which sometimes do not match up. (Heck, the christian bible has those and retains adherents in defiance of common sense and reason.) So on that level it helped me to discover the attraction of this world, although it has in no way captured me, knowing this helps me process those who have invested time, effort, and passion in navigating it.
Moreso for me, the value of this book comes in the history of social justice present in the character and in the Marvel Comics creators. Creating a black superhero well ahead of a time when it was safe to do so says a lot for them. Black Panther had to be brave enough to exist, and creating the character as a thoughtful monarch of a technologically advanced country with command of its own unique and valuable resources and without any actual superpowers except those of a mental and physical discipline of exceptional yet reachable levels was new to this comic universe. The book is honest in how the character's progress struggled, an early story arc relegating them back to the jungle. In the end, Black Panther emerges as a philosopher king, flawed and knowing their flaws. They fight the klan in an arc which was terminated without conclusion at the time due to fears of public backlash, they address the crack epidemic, they recognize BLM, the story empowers women and LGBTQ actors. I was happy to find Ta-Nehisi Coates was a writer for the series, which bodes well for future progress.
This one almost lost a star for the font size, it seemed smaller than it should have been. Not in the drawings provided which were understandably sometimes tiny, but in the actual test of the book. That my old eyes soldiered through is an endorsement for the value I found in the content.
Going into my classroom library for my 7th grade students to explore.
June 17, 2019
This was awesome! I have read most of the 2007-current titles that this went through, so I can attest that it did a great job not only discussing BP's past but also keeping current on his themes and what has been going on with him recently. It also highlights Kirby, Lee, Hudlin, Priest, and more recently Ta-Nehisi Coates and the different way these authors are portraying BP while staying true to the story.
September 4, 2019
Originally published online at BORG.com.
The most rewarding and epic read of all the new Black Panther movie tie-ins is Marvel’s Black Panther: The Illustrated History of a King–The Complete Comics Chronology from Insight Editions, an enormous over-sized look at the history of the superhero in Marvel Comics. Author Dennis Culver recounts the character from its origin up to the new film, including descriptions of the superhero’s classic story arcs, with full-sized reproductions of cover art, full-page copies of key pages, and even some larger-than-life panels and splash page art.
Culver’s history of the character doesn’t miss a beat or classic creator reference. Created by Stan Lee himself as the first black superhero, drawn by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott and first appearing in the pages of Fantastic Four. He became an adversary of the team and would return facing off against Captain America in Tales of Suspense and then the Captain America monthly. What may surprise those only familiar with the film is that with only some minor tweaks to the character, the origin story is as reflected in the new film: T’Challa is king of Wakanda, who must face an arch-enemy named Klaw who has stolen some of the rare substance called vibranium. Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Vince Colletta would take over creative duties as Black Panther joined the pages of The Avengers, with other creators working on the books including Herb Trimpe, Frank Giacoia, Bob Brown, and Ron Wilson. Don McGregor would write Black Panther into the pages of Jungle Action with a huge roster of artists including Rich Buckler, Gil Kane, Billy Graham, Klaus Janson, P. Craig Russell, and Bob McLeod. This would also be the introduction of the villain Erik Killmonger in the lauded “Panther’s Rage” story arc. The movie got this right as well, with Killmonger taking over and throwing Black Panther to his near-death over Warrior Falls. Some call this story arc the first of the mature, graphic novel stories that would later usher in books like Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns.
Jack Kirby would write and illustrate Black Panther in his own solo title finally in January 1977. A decade later Ed Hannigan would bring back the hero (after Kirby’s title wound down) in the pages of The Defenders, with Black Panther facing Namor the Sub-Mariner (who would clash with each other over the next two decades). T’Challa had appearances in Marvel Team-Up, two limited series, and Marvel Comics Presents–including a run with Gene Colan and Denys Cowan art–in the 1980s and early 1990s. As the millenium closed, Christopher Priest would write a new update to the character, inserting more humor into the stories, followed by stories from creator Reginald Hudlin and art by John Romita, Jr.–with a return of Klaus Janson, all under the Marvel Knights banner. This series would bring in characters Everett Ross and T’Challa’s sister Shuri, who would appear in the film, and love interest Storm from the X-Men. From there the character was subsumed into myriad Marvel crossovers with the rest of the publisher’s pantheon of heroes, including Civil War, Secret Invasion, and more recent series.
Fans will notice it is the King’s American, decades-long-relationship girlfriend that would not make it into the film, and readers will also notice the focus on the women warriors was a new creation for the film, too. Black Panther would appear with other key characters over the years, including with Daredevil and the cyborg Vision and the Deathloks.
Culver notes that Black Panther would pave the way for later Marvel heroes Falcon, Luke Cage, and Misty Knight.
The 184-page, deluxe 11″ x 14″ hardcover book includes a removable print of the book’s cover art by Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Elizabeth Breitweiser.
If you loved the film you’ll want to read about the history of the character from its source in the pages of Marvel Comics, and the best way to start is in Black Panther: The Illustrated History of a King–The Complete Comics Chronology, available now.
The most rewarding and epic read of all the new Black Panther movie tie-ins is Marvel’s Black Panther: The Illustrated History of a King–The Complete Comics Chronology from Insight Editions, an enormous over-sized look at the history of the superhero in Marvel Comics. Author Dennis Culver recounts the character from its origin up to the new film, including descriptions of the superhero’s classic story arcs, with full-sized reproductions of cover art, full-page copies of key pages, and even some larger-than-life panels and splash page art.
Culver’s history of the character doesn’t miss a beat or classic creator reference. Created by Stan Lee himself as the first black superhero, drawn by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott and first appearing in the pages of Fantastic Four. He became an adversary of the team and would return facing off against Captain America in Tales of Suspense and then the Captain America monthly. What may surprise those only familiar with the film is that with only some minor tweaks to the character, the origin story is as reflected in the new film: T’Challa is king of Wakanda, who must face an arch-enemy named Klaw who has stolen some of the rare substance called vibranium. Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Vince Colletta would take over creative duties as Black Panther joined the pages of The Avengers, with other creators working on the books including Herb Trimpe, Frank Giacoia, Bob Brown, and Ron Wilson. Don McGregor would write Black Panther into the pages of Jungle Action with a huge roster of artists including Rich Buckler, Gil Kane, Billy Graham, Klaus Janson, P. Craig Russell, and Bob McLeod. This would also be the introduction of the villain Erik Killmonger in the lauded “Panther’s Rage” story arc. The movie got this right as well, with Killmonger taking over and throwing Black Panther to his near-death over Warrior Falls. Some call this story arc the first of the mature, graphic novel stories that would later usher in books like Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns.
Jack Kirby would write and illustrate Black Panther in his own solo title finally in January 1977. A decade later Ed Hannigan would bring back the hero (after Kirby’s title wound down) in the pages of The Defenders, with Black Panther facing Namor the Sub-Mariner (who would clash with each other over the next two decades). T’Challa had appearances in Marvel Team-Up, two limited series, and Marvel Comics Presents–including a run with Gene Colan and Denys Cowan art–in the 1980s and early 1990s. As the millenium closed, Christopher Priest would write a new update to the character, inserting more humor into the stories, followed by stories from creator Reginald Hudlin and art by John Romita, Jr.–with a return of Klaus Janson, all under the Marvel Knights banner. This series would bring in characters Everett Ross and T’Challa’s sister Shuri, who would appear in the film, and love interest Storm from the X-Men. From there the character was subsumed into myriad Marvel crossovers with the rest of the publisher’s pantheon of heroes, including Civil War, Secret Invasion, and more recent series.
Fans will notice it is the King’s American, decades-long-relationship girlfriend that would not make it into the film, and readers will also notice the focus on the women warriors was a new creation for the film, too. Black Panther would appear with other key characters over the years, including with Daredevil and the cyborg Vision and the Deathloks.
Culver notes that Black Panther would pave the way for later Marvel heroes Falcon, Luke Cage, and Misty Knight.
The 184-page, deluxe 11″ x 14″ hardcover book includes a removable print of the book’s cover art by Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Elizabeth Breitweiser.
If you loved the film you’ll want to read about the history of the character from its source in the pages of Marvel Comics, and the best way to start is in Black Panther: The Illustrated History of a King–The Complete Comics Chronology, available now.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews