Who is the Black Panther?: A Novel of the Marvel Universe

Marvel Titan Books #7

by Jesse J. Holland

Third title in Titan Books' Marvel fiction reissue program, featuring the Black Panther.

He's known as the Black Panther. His home is Wakanda. Welcome to T'Challa's world. During the last ten centuries, as European colonial powers spread their guns and armies throughout the continent, the African nation of Wakanda stood alone as an unconquerable land inhabited by undefeatable warriors and filled with incredible technological advancements. T'Challa - the latest in a lineage of warrior-kings - is Wakanda's Black Panther, a hero endowed with enhanced speed, strength and agility - along with a suit made of the metal that secured his country's future: the indestructible Vibranium. Now, outsiders have returned to plunder Wakanda's riches, including its store of the rare metal. Leading this brutal assault is Klaw, an assassin with the blood of T'Challa's father on his hands. Klaw brings with him a powerful army of super-powered mercenaries, all hell-bent on raining death and destruction on this pristine land. Even with Wakanda's might and his own superhuman skills, can the Black Panther prevail against such a massive invading force? An all-new Black Panther novel based on Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr.'s groundbreaking 2005 tale!

Genres: Marvel, Fiction, Comics, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Fantasy, Graphic Novels

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 12, 2017

Reviews

[Fanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

November 28, 2019: Just finished reading this superhero novelization and it's definitely a great way to indulge into the Black Panther amazing-ness with words.

[Sarmistha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The powerful countries like America, Russia always vied for more control of land and technology in order to get an edge above others. The dictators thinks that they have birthright over everything precious and rare. All their attempts to gain access over Wakanda’s source of prosperity turned futile.On the other hand, an innocent boy lost his childhood to a spine chilling event, that changed his country’s course of history. The little one grew up into a confident young leader fortified with appropriate education and excellence in martial arts. But the immediate Black Panther had little inkling about the menacing danger moving towards Wakanda under the leadership of Klaw, an assassin who have unfinished business with the Royals.
The author has woven a fascinating world through words where technology along with old beliefs rules the land. The storyline oscillates between different timeframes providing the necessary depth to the characters and their actions.l loved the exchanges between the siblings and their beautiful understanding. The graphic details of the fight scenes kept me at the edge.Few characters like the Black Knight and S’Yan was not explored to their full potential. The story left many crucial questions unanswered.
:
I would recommend the book to every reader especially Black Panther lovers who adores his handiwork.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It won't change your life, but you'll have a good time reading this book. I had never read anything about Marvel's Black Panther character, so all I knew going in was the most recent Avengers movie.

That said, this was all new to me, and I enjoyed it even more than I expected to. It's full of terrific background on T'Challa and his family and the greater kingdom of Wakanda, all wrapped around a super-powered attempted invasion.

I haven't been reading quickly recently (for reasons, bleh), but I trotted right through "Who is the Black Panther?" It's smoothly written and held my attention throughout. If you're a fan of the Marvel universe, this is a good read. (One warning: The background here doesn't EXACTLY match the background given in the Avengers movie, but according to my husband it does reflect the original comic book version.)

And true confession: The author was once briefly a student of mine, and I've watched his rise through the journalism world with no small sense of pleasure. Besides now being one of the top reporters for the Associated Press, he also has two non-fiction books and a children's book in publication. Well done, Jesse!

[Corey Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Welcome to Wakanda, bitch."

Holy moly I loved this book. Admittedly, I've never read a Black Panther comic. I know, I know... I'm not alone in this, but since the film came out I've been a fan of the characters and their stories. This novel was based on the comic run written by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr. and it definitely shows that a ton of the source material for the story of the movie comes from this story.

At the same time, it's so incredibly different that I was left constantly wondering what would come next, and I just really thoroughly enjoyed it. Great characterizations of T'Challa, Shuri, Ramonda, Okoye, Nakia, Klaw, and so many others really stand out in Holland's prose.

I loved it, so if you enjoy Comic Books, Marvel's novelizations, and the Black Panther movie, this will be a definite treat for you!

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, overall. I would rate it 2.7 – 2.9 stars, rounded up. It moves at a decent pace. I am not that familiar with the background of T’Challa in the comics, so it was interesting to learn about him in this book. That being the case, the character development seemed decent. I had always had the impression that Wakanda was a land-locked country; apparently I was incorrect as the book ends with an American fleet off Wakandan shores and offering military assistance. Reading this book as made me want to find the first six or seven issues of the comic series this is based on to compare the two and see how well the comics were translated into a novelized format.

Something that “bugged” me while reading: the Americans wanted permission to overfly Wakandan airspace, for some reason, for some kind of mission. Why? If Wakanda was on one coast, the Americans could come in from the other way. It is not like Wakanda is so large it cuts Africa in half. Perhaps it was merely an excuse for America to “invade” Wakanda; I do not know – if the “explanation” was included in the novel, I missed it.

Also, despite being invaded by an adjoining country after some super-villains smash through the Wakandan defenses, nothing is ever mentioned about the ground forces following the super villains into the country. Not only that, but only a few Wakandans died? Really? Whatever. It just seemed like this “invading army” was entirely forgotten about over the course of the book, making them totally irrelevant.

There were a few things I found “funny” throughout the course of the book.
Wakandan culture is supposed to be so much more advance than Western society, and yet it also has an impressively strong military force. Granted, it uses its military exclusively for defensive purposes only. The Throne has a strong protective detail (which is no different than any other national leader or corporate executive) that uses both “primitive” weapons (such as knives, whips, and spears, at times) and “modern” weapons. The Wakandan culture is an interesting mix of “primitive” and “modern” cultures [primitive is probably the wrong word to use, but “simple” is not much better to describe how they live, except to say they live simply with their environment]. That being said, what struck me is funny is how “advanced societies” are often portrayed as “not practicing war no more” and having done away with their military. Yet, Wakanda clearly embraces its military and having strong defenses, appearing to blend technology and militarism with their culture fairly seamlessly. I do not have a problem with Wakanda being so strong, militarily-speaking. It just struck me as funny how this nation prides itself on being so much more advanced than the rest of the world also has such a strong military. I know the logical argument is that they have to have a strong defense because of the violent world in which they live.

I also found funny how author is so disparaging about Christianity, yet presents both Khonshu and the Panther God in a positive light. And yet, when the characters swear or wish to “make a point” (a couple of times), they use the name of the Christian God to denote which deity has the most “power” and “authority” by using God’s name in conjunction with their curse or statement. Very funny. There was also a moment where the Black Panther is taunting the Black Knight’s “Christian beliefs” by the mocking statement “You Christians like saying that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Seems like my weapons are doing pretty well, wouldn’t you say?” Granted, it is funny how delusional this villain is, to call himself a “Christian” while using a mystical weapon and flying around on a horse that has wings (resembling a mythological character, to boot!) and justifying his killing (or causing the death of) his opponents. Quite the stupid character. I wish a different “flying villain” had been used, to be honest.

It was equally funny to me how the “only” nations that were questioned if they had tested any nuclear bombs underground were the North Koreans, Iranians, and Americans. What about the Pakistanis, Indians, or Russians? Or even the Chinese? Why would they not have been questioned? The last American test was in 1992, twenty-five years ago. Since then, the nations that have tested nuclear weapons the “most” have been India, Pakistan, China, and North Korea. It seemed a joke to focus on the United States and Iran as two possible culprits. I suppose including the Americans worked into the storyline?

Also – a nation that was so much more technologically advanced than the rest of the modern world was unable to stop a missile heading for its “Vibranium mountain”? If the Wakandans do decide to proceed with forcefully imposing their “brand of justice” upon the rest of the world, how are they going to be able to stop an overwhelming nuclear missile attack if they do not have any kind of anti-missile defense system? Some kind of anti-ballistic missile system?

I had never heard of a Russian Radioactive Man and made me wonder if the character was merely created to be killed off in this story. The only Radioactive Man I am aware of is a Chinese scientist who has been portrayed as both villain and hero in Marvel Comics. This is not the first time this has happened, where a character has been created and named after a “current” super villain merely so that he can be killed off without killing the “current” super villain.

Also, I was surprised that Klaw was apparently killed at the end of this book. I was always under the impression he was no longer “human,” that he was composed entirely of sound energy now. I guess I was mistaken. I wonder how long he will “stay dead” (if he really was killed in the comics) as no villain ever truly remains dead.

The take on Batroc was interesting. He was always shown as being a man of some semblance of honor (to some extent) in the comics, which made his portrayal all the more interesting in the book. I thought his bout with one of Panther’s “body guards” (just before he was defeated) to be somewhat humorous as I could see him acting in the way in which he was portrayed.

The ending of the book was the height of hilarity and hypocrisy for me, to be honest. The entire book has been nothing but Wakanda saying, “We just want to be left alone!” and being the ultimate isolationists. They do have contacts and trade agreements with the outside world, but their interactions are very limited. They violently resist any attempts to subdue them and forcefully oppose any incursions into their country. The Wakandans do not allow any other nations to impose the will or intent of those nations upon Wakanda. Yet, at the end of the book, the Wakandans declare that they will no longer abide the current situation in the world around them, that they are going to force Wakandan justice upon the rest of the world. So they are now going to do the very thing they judge the rest of the world for doing – a stronger nation imposing its values and opinions upon the rest of the world. Guess they are not such an enlightened or advanced society after all, huh?

I enjoyed the description(s) of Wakandan culture and the citizens of Wakanda. I enjoyed learning more about this mysterious country that had managed to cut itself off from the outside world for such a long period of time. It was also interesting to learn more about T’Challa, the Black Panther, and what made him “so special” as a super hero. When reading about him in the Avengers, I was never quite sure if he was just a very athletic human or enhanced similar to Steve Rogers. This book helped fill in numerous gaps in my knowledge about the character. Shuri was an interesting character, as well, and I think I almost liked her character the most out of the supporting cast of characters.

Overall, I am glad that I read this book.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! I am such a huge fan of Black Panther; the first film was groundbreaking, and Wakanda Forever is perhaps the greatest super hero movie I’ve ever seen. But I’m not a huge comic book reader, so I haven’t really gotten to indulge in the Black Panther’s story beyond the films. Until now! I’m discovering a whole new world through Marvel novels, and they’re giving me everything I needed and more. This particular book was so action-packed and so badass. It revealed new things from the comics that were changed for the films, but I was here for it. I love the different approaches. And I love every single character: T’Challa, Shuri, Ramonda, Okoye, Nakia! I can’t wait to read more Black Panther stories.

[Gillian Brownlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, not amazing. A fun, quick read.

[Roos · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ster

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

329 - 2020

[Alice Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

After an absolute triumph of "The Black Panther" in theaters (I loved the movie to bits and pieces, it was nearly perfect), I decided to get to know the characters better. I'm not a huge fan of reading comics and prefer books so I bought this adaptation from the graphic novel by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr. (their story is regarded a classic among all the other stories about Black Panther). The Marvel Universe novels never impressed me much, I did not, for example, like the "Black Widow" novel as much as I'd expected I would. This one got me hooked and managed to keep me interested up to the very last word of it.

Yes, this book is not life-changing or anything of that kind, it won't turn your worldview upside down but it does tackle some important topics of the global politics such as the way the United States and the rest of the western world see African countries and nations, the 'unhealthy' appetites and damaged morals of typical dictators who are eager to torture their countries and the people for another decade or more of ruling and self-enrichment, and how influential political players cause harm, pain, and destruction to foreign lands intervening in their affairs while playing their own dirty games behind the scenes.

Also, the tragedy of a family loss and blood vengeance, the dynamics in relationships within the royal family of Wakanda, Shuri's character that I loved so much throughout the whole book - you'll find all of the above and more in this novel, well-written in a balanced manner to make you read till the end.

Honestly, the first Marvel novel adaptation that I actually liked a lot and read with great interest and full attention. If you want to read a decent Marvel comics novelization, check out "Who is the Black Panther?". Totally worth your time and money spent - just like the movie.

[Minca Huiberts (My Winged Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit verhaal gaat over, juist ja, de Black Panther. Voor degenen die de film hebben gezien is dit even goed een interessante toevoeging, want het volgt niet het verhaal dat aan ons werd verteld in de film. T’Challa is de laatste in de lijn van krijgerkoningen en benoemd tot de Black Panther. Zijn land, Wakanda stond jaren en jaren lang bekend om hun uiterst geavanceerde technologische ontwikkelingen én om het materiaal waarvan het pak van de Black Panther is gemaakt: vibranium. De sterkste en onverwoestbare metaalsoort willen natuurlijk meer mensen in handen krijgen en een uitgebreid team van huurlingen met superkrachten zijn vastbesloten om dit in de handen van Wakanda’s aartsvijand Klaw te krijgen.

De oorsprong van de Black Panther en de hiërarchie binnen zijn bevolking wordt in het verhaal wel goed uitgewerkt. De namen van de personages zijn niet altijd even goed uit te spreken, dus daar struikelde ik soms wel een beetje over. Maar desondanks haalde dat niet de vaart uit het verhaal. De vele perspectiefwisselingen waren in het begin af en toe wat nadelig, het haalde soms de vaart uit het verhaal. Sommige hoofdstukken werden beschreven vanuit personages met maar een kleine bijrol en dit zorgde soms voor wat verwarring. Toen het verhaal eenmaal op gang kwam, werd dit gemakkelijker en interessanter. Je leest namelijk niet continu uit één perspectief en leert motieven van anderen (vaak tegenstanders) kennen en dat helpt bij het opbouwen van de spanning.

Gaande het verhaal gebeurt er steeds meer, maar voornamelijk de tweede helft van het boek werd na elk hoofdstuk weer een beetje spectaculairder. Zodra de huurlingen in beeld komen en actie gaan ondernemen komt het verhaal in een stroomversnelling. In een rap tempo wisselen de hoofdstukken elkaar af. Ieder vecht tegen een andere tegenstander en ook vanuit de huurlingen wordt af en toe een hoofdstuk beschreven wat het erg interessant houdt.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exciting novel about the fictional country of Wakanda. It is a story of a proud and capable people led by a ruler who is more than a man and worshipped as a god. Americans and indeed the rest of the world don’t come off so well when held up to the mighty and intelligent people who populate this mythical country. As someone points out, Wakanda doesn’t invade other countries and other countries have tried—and failed—to invade its borders. Much like feudal Japan, it retains a cool, deliberate distance from other countries. Foreigners are expressly forbidden to land on its soil.

T’Challa is a man of contradictions yet they all add up to a powerful figure, a kind and generous leader to his countrymen and an implacable danger to his enemies, glad to be seen for himself alone and yet happy to be the ruler of his people. He is shown as admired by those who know his reputation and foolishly looked down upon by those who don’t.

The action of this book starts with an American general who is certain he can bring Wakanda to its knees-with the right kind of assistance. With the strike force he assembles, it seems very likely he could succeed. Reading how the Wakandans deal with this threat through science, mysticism, intelligence and the fierce warriors Dora Milaje is to read a novel that thrills and draws in the reader with practically every page.

If you’ve seen the current Black Panther movie, put it out of your mind. It definitely has its merits. But this book is deeper, richer and more profound on quite a few levels. If you want to know more about the strange figure that is T’Challa and the world of Wakanda, this is a great place to start.

[cosmic_truthseeker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read as many Black Panther comics as I'd like to (though I'm working on that), and I haven't read the graphic novel this adaptation is based on — to be honest, largely because I just don't get on with Romita Jr.'s art style.

So I can't attest to the accuracy of this adaptation. What I can write about is the story itself, and the writing. That being said, I do feel like Holland was restricted by the fact that this is an adaptation, and potentially couldn't make it their own.

This is a fast-paced story that explores the mythology of Wakanda alongside a narrative of duty and revenge. I don't know when the original story was published, but it felt like a story written to explain the origins of T'Challa and give context to his place in the Marvel Universe.

That being said, at times T'Challa's characterisation felt ... off. There was a bloodthirst in him, at times, that erred towards anti-hero. To be fair, though, I may not have read enough of him, and perhaps the characterisation was accurate.

At the same time, though, some of the ways female characters were written also rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not sure I can really explain what I mean, but sometimes I did cringe.

I'm not writing a very good review here. I don't really know what I'm trying to say. The storyline was interesting but not one with big revelations or surprises. The focus was on character, more, and the development there was good but not mind-blowing. The writing style didn't blow me away, some plot points felt disjointed or under-explored, and some dialogue was a little inorganic.

Overall, it was enjoyable. It was a fun story that offered insight into the Black Panther and Wakanda, and delivered a complete, mostly satisfying arc. I just struggled with the writing style, a bit, and wish the story had more surprises.

[Lori S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Though I really enjoyed this book, the opening framing device was a tad over the top with the aggressive US general wanting to put US Military might into Wakanda's territory and the right-wing, white supremacist attack on the mall in Washington, DC. The two characters who are saved by the Black Panther and his Dora Milaje and those white supremacists just flat disappear from the narrative afterword, so I'm not sure what the point of them being there was really, other than to show off the Black Panther's agility and to give some conflict for the characters to react against.

Once you get past those opening chapters, however, there's a really solid narrative to enjoy, with a introductions to various characters who make up the BP universe, such as Shuri, Nakia, Okoye, among other, as well as Klaw, Radioactive Man, and the Rhino. Also a petty dictator with delusions historical precedent. The action is great, I learned more about vibranium and the country of Wakanda and over all just enjoyed a decent book.

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay…certainly did better than others on getting to the heroic part of the Black Panther character arc. They took a shot trying to make an honest run at how to tell the wakanda story without making them out to be a nation of monsters with all the tech, money, and power to save all of Africa if not the world who just…doesn’t. But the larger difficulties aside the comic book action pace is good. The bad guys are bad, the good guys are good, and it is mostly keeps it light.

[Nabil Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and Amazing!!

This Black Panther novel was simply wonderful and excellent detailing a particular episode of T'Challa, Black Panther's illustrious life as sovereign and king of Wakanda. It makes a great change of Marvel stories typically set in America or Europe but this story is set in the country of mythical Wakanda, in the continent of Africa. It was a great insight into African culture and mythos. It was simply Fabulous and Fantastic!!

[BMR, LCSW · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY fast, fun read. Mostly unrelated to the film, it's a different origin story for T'Challa's ascent to the throne (and accepting the Black Panther alter ego) after the assassination of his father T'Chaka.

Recommended for those who don't want to go back and find the Reginald Hudlin run of the comix.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, well rounded book with amazing descriptions and plot. This is the first mcu book I’ve read and it’s inspired me to read others, which after all, it’s all about. This book shows how much more you can gather from a book to a film; many of the extraordinary character and setting description wouldn’t have such an effect in a movie. Great read overall, would recommend for anyone.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - Enjoyed the story. At first I did not love the portrayal of Shuri (my fav), but the author gave her the awesome action scenes she deserved towards the end of the novel. .5 is primarily due to the number of typos and grammatical errors that pulled me away from the action.

[Elien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, more than the Civil War novelisation. Amazing world and character building, a surprising amount of unexpected plot twists and a few elements that tie into the film. Great read!

[Old Mint · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy and quick read. The plot was quite and and so were the character. However I am unsure on the significance of the characters in the beginning and why they did not appear again within the book.

[Derrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic Audio did a great job. This was a very interesting story and while it was a bit different from the last novel I read, it fit better with the Marvel universe. If you enjoy the Black Panther story line, then you'll enjoy this one for sure.

[Foggygirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, albeit somewhat mundane read, that unfortunately didn't make much of an impression.

[Steven Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started out slow but picked up the pace in the last 100 pages. Nice adaptation of a comic book story arc. Would definitely read another Black Panther novel if Holland writes it

[monica.b.czuba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black another worth reading

Jesse J. Holland did an wonderful job writing this. Hopefully there will be more about the Black Panther and his team.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a lot of action in this book and Black Panther is one of my favorite superhero. The author was very descriptive and I was able to understand the book because of the movie.

[Ricky Kimsey]

Great Adventure

This is a novel based on Marvel's Black Panther. It's a great read even if your interest in the character comes from the movies rather the comics it's based on.

[Tyler Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

[Michael Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cool story, audiobook made it 10 times better. It was like a movie in my mind. Cannot recommend this book enough. Can’t wait to start the next titles in the series.

[Jázmin Hajnal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐️