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Penguin Classics Marvel Collection #3
Black Panther
The Penguin Classics Marvel Collection presents the origin stories, seminal tales, and characters of the Marvel Universe to explore Marvel's transformative and timeless influence on an entire genre of fantasy.
A Penguin Classics Marvel Collection Edition
Collects Fantastic Four #52-53 (1966); Jungle Action #6-21 (1973-1976). It is impossible to imagine American popular culture without Marvel Comics. For decades, Marvel has published groundbreaking visual narratives that sustain attention on multiple levels: as metaphors for the experience of difference and otherness; as meditations on the fluid nature of identity; and as high-water marks in the artistic tradition of American cartooning, to name a few.
The Black Panther is not just a super hero; as King T'Challa, he is also the monarch of the hidden African nation of Wakanda. Combining the strength and stealth of his namesake with a creative scientific intelligence, the Black Panther is an icon of Afro-futurist fantasy. This new anthology includes the Black Panther's 1966 origin tale and the entirety of the critically acclaimed "Panther's Rage" storyline from his 1970s solo series.
A foreword by Nnedi Okorafor, a scholarly introduction and apparatus by Qiana J. Whitted, and a general series introduction by Ben Saunders offer further insight into the enduring significance of Black Panther and classic Marvel comics.
The Penguin Classics black spine paperback features full-color art throughout.
A Penguin Classics Marvel Collection Edition
Collects Fantastic Four #52-53 (1966); Jungle Action #6-21 (1973-1976). It is impossible to imagine American popular culture without Marvel Comics. For decades, Marvel has published groundbreaking visual narratives that sustain attention on multiple levels: as metaphors for the experience of difference and otherness; as meditations on the fluid nature of identity; and as high-water marks in the artistic tradition of American cartooning, to name a few.
The Black Panther is not just a super hero; as King T'Challa, he is also the monarch of the hidden African nation of Wakanda. Combining the strength and stealth of his namesake with a creative scientific intelligence, the Black Panther is an icon of Afro-futurist fantasy. This new anthology includes the Black Panther's 1966 origin tale and the entirety of the critically acclaimed "Panther's Rage" storyline from his 1970s solo series.
A foreword by Nnedi Okorafor, a scholarly introduction and apparatus by Qiana J. Whitted, and a general series introduction by Ben Saunders offer further insight into the enduring significance of Black Panther and classic Marvel comics.
The Penguin Classics black spine paperback features full-color art throughout.
416 pages, Paperback
Published June 14, 2022
22 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
Don McGregor
370 books14 followersDonald Francis McGregor is an American comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics, and the author of one of their first graphic novels.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 25, 2025
The freedom of low expectations
The Marvel character Black Panther came into existence in 1966, in two issues of Fantasic Four. Those two issues (written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby) are included in this collection, and not to put too fine a point on it, they're stupid. But they introduced T'Challa, King of Wakanda, a fictional technologically advanced African nation.
He was lying around, waiting to be used when in 1973 a new author, Don McGregor, voiced a complaint about the Marvel comic Jungle Action, which he describes as "a collection of jungle genre comics from the 1950s, mostly detailing white men and women saving Africans or being threatened by them." He thought it was a shame that Marvel was printing such Dreck in 1973 and said so. It is a Universal Truth that if you complain about something, you own it.
Thus McGregor was given Jungle Action and the Black Panther, in the expectation that the title would fail.
McGregor decided to write a series, "Panther's Rage", set in Wakanda, in which almost all the characters were black. This was Not Done at the time, and he knew it. He knew that if he told editorial about his plans, he would be told "No". But he also knew that no one was paying a lot of attention to him. He gambled that he could get away with it before anyone got around to telling him to stop. He managed to find artists, most importantly Billy Graham , who stood behind what he was trying to do. Eventually the fan letters saved him.
Jungle Action did eventually die. McGregor's personal life became complicated and he had to give it up. But the Black Panther lived, and even today Black Panther and Wakanda are a part of the Marvel Universe.
Now, as for the actual content, I am sorry to say I did not love it. McGregor is no Ta-Nehisi Coates. McGregor's writing style is florid, and quickly gets old. The story of "Panther's Rage" is a sort of Vision Quest that goes on far too long. Still, "Panther's Rage" is the source material for the much better Ryan Coogler film and deserves respect for that.
Blog review.
The Marvel character Black Panther came into existence in 1966, in two issues of Fantasic Four. Those two issues (written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby) are included in this collection, and not to put too fine a point on it, they're stupid. But they introduced T'Challa, King of Wakanda, a fictional technologically advanced African nation.
He was lying around, waiting to be used when in 1973 a new author, Don McGregor, voiced a complaint about the Marvel comic Jungle Action, which he describes as "a collection of jungle genre comics from the 1950s, mostly detailing white men and women saving Africans or being threatened by them." He thought it was a shame that Marvel was printing such Dreck in 1973 and said so. It is a Universal Truth that if you complain about something, you own it.
Thus McGregor was given Jungle Action and the Black Panther, in the expectation that the title would fail.
McGregor decided to write a series, "Panther's Rage", set in Wakanda, in which almost all the characters were black. This was Not Done at the time, and he knew it. He knew that if he told editorial about his plans, he would be told "No". But he also knew that no one was paying a lot of attention to him. He gambled that he could get away with it before anyone got around to telling him to stop. He managed to find artists, most importantly Billy Graham , who stood behind what he was trying to do. Eventually the fan letters saved him.
Jungle Action did eventually die. McGregor's personal life became complicated and he had to give it up. But the Black Panther lived, and even today Black Panther and Wakanda are a part of the Marvel Universe.
Now, as for the actual content, I am sorry to say I did not love it. McGregor is no Ta-Nehisi Coates. McGregor's writing style is florid, and quickly gets old. The story of "Panther's Rage" is a sort of Vision Quest that goes on far too long. Still, "Panther's Rage" is the source material for the much better Ryan Coogler film and deserves respect for that.
Blog review.
October 23, 2023
This is a collection of the original Black Panther comics published between 1966 and 1976, as well as some commentary from contributors and modern scholars.
I mostly skipped the introduction and foreword.
Some of the material reflects the language and preoccupations of the era; in other ways the material is timeless and completely relevant.
I was never a big comic book nerd-boy (mostly because of a lack of access), and will admit I'd never heard of Black Panther until an adult Black friend told me about them (this was years before the movie). The movie however did shape my experience of these comics.
There is a scene where T'Challa is smoking; how many superheroes smoke today?
All and all, an interesting dive into the 60s and 70s, but 400 pages was a bit much for me.
I mostly skipped the introduction and foreword.
Some of the material reflects the language and preoccupations of the era; in other ways the material is timeless and completely relevant.
I was never a big comic book nerd-boy (mostly because of a lack of access), and will admit I'd never heard of Black Panther until an adult Black friend told me about them (this was years before the movie). The movie however did shape my experience of these comics.
There is a scene where T'Challa is smoking; how many superheroes smoke today?
All and all, an interesting dive into the 60s and 70s, but 400 pages was a bit much for me.
January 21, 2023
Quite different from the 'Spider-Man' Penguin Classics collection, this 'Black Panther' collection highlights the Panther's first long form story. It made for a very interesting read but sometimes the transitions between issues feel choppy, like we are missing information. We are also shown his debut in 'The Fantastic Four' but then skip over his adventures with them and the Avengers characters in favour of this 'Panther's Rage' story, which was definitely a good idea.
I did like T'Challa in his debut story with the Fantastic Four, but it took me a while to really feel much for him as a character once we got into 'Panther's Rage' as he felt a little too noble and perfect. My feelings towards him did change around issue 12 (we start on issue 6) as by this point I was really invested in the storyline. I thought the way the Black Panther was drawn was just spectacular, his brute strength and power radiates off the page. His relationship with Monica definitely adds a more human element to him that he lacks otherwise.
Something else that was very different from the 'Spider-Man' stories is that for most of the book, the majority of the text on page is by the narrator instead of speech. I did feel as though sometimes it was trying too hard to be literary, there was some convoluted word choice and an overall sense of seriousness that didn't always work. 'Panther's Rage' was published a decade after the 'Spider-Man' stories were, so it was fascinating to see the progression of comic stories. The 'Jungle Action' storylines lean far more into serious drama compared to the whacky, comedic tone of most early 'Spider-Man' comics. As I said, sometimes they become a little too melodramatic and I felt as though they were trying too hard to be serious literature, but it does all adds to the grand scale of the story.
The art was very impressive and I especially loved the different settings, from the Palace of Wakanda to the jungle and snowy mountains. everywhere was so vibrant and packed with detail. The Black Panther in costume was always drawn with the most spectacular poses and I loved seeing him in action.
Don McGregor's essay at the end discussing why 'Jungle Action' meant so much to him and the sneaky ways he had to get some of the stories published was very interesting and in my opinion is an amazing showcase of how white authors can write characters of other ethnicities with care and love. There was nothing in it for him, he just believed in the character and his stories. I also love how he snuck in a very subtle gay relationship, and later on wrote one of comic's first explicitly gay characters, again purely because he believes in representation. He knew it wouldn't make him popular with other writers and editors in comics, he just done it because he thinks it is the right thing to do.
I did like T'Challa in his debut story with the Fantastic Four, but it took me a while to really feel much for him as a character once we got into 'Panther's Rage' as he felt a little too noble and perfect. My feelings towards him did change around issue 12 (we start on issue 6) as by this point I was really invested in the storyline. I thought the way the Black Panther was drawn was just spectacular, his brute strength and power radiates off the page. His relationship with Monica definitely adds a more human element to him that he lacks otherwise.
Something else that was very different from the 'Spider-Man' stories is that for most of the book, the majority of the text on page is by the narrator instead of speech. I did feel as though sometimes it was trying too hard to be literary, there was some convoluted word choice and an overall sense of seriousness that didn't always work. 'Panther's Rage' was published a decade after the 'Spider-Man' stories were, so it was fascinating to see the progression of comic stories. The 'Jungle Action' storylines lean far more into serious drama compared to the whacky, comedic tone of most early 'Spider-Man' comics. As I said, sometimes they become a little too melodramatic and I felt as though they were trying too hard to be serious literature, but it does all adds to the grand scale of the story.
The art was very impressive and I especially loved the different settings, from the Palace of Wakanda to the jungle and snowy mountains. everywhere was so vibrant and packed with detail. The Black Panther in costume was always drawn with the most spectacular poses and I loved seeing him in action.
Don McGregor's essay at the end discussing why 'Jungle Action' meant so much to him and the sneaky ways he had to get some of the stories published was very interesting and in my opinion is an amazing showcase of how white authors can write characters of other ethnicities with care and love. There was nothing in it for him, he just believed in the character and his stories. I also love how he snuck in a very subtle gay relationship, and later on wrote one of comic's first explicitly gay characters, again purely because he believes in representation. He knew it wouldn't make him popular with other writers and editors in comics, he just done it because he thinks it is the right thing to do.
August 7, 2022
Probably the best this collection of stories has ever looked. Textured embossed hardcover, gold-edged pages, color interiors. Based on the current price on Amazon right now, I was not expecting the "Deluxe"-ness of this book.
I read McGregor's "Panther's Rage" as the issues came out in the 70's. They were special, particularly when he was joined by Billy Graham the artist. Probably over-written by today's standards, (Heck, probably by the standards of the day) McGregor's books were like no other. Wakanda as it is known today is based on ideas and portrayals in this storyline.
I read McGregor's "Panther's Rage" as the issues came out in the 70's. They were special, particularly when he was joined by Billy Graham the artist. Probably over-written by today's standards, (Heck, probably by the standards of the day) McGregor's books were like no other. Wakanda as it is known today is based on ideas and portrayals in this storyline.
June 21, 2022
I'm loving the Penguin Classics Marvel Collection! Like other Penguin Classics editions, there's a scholarly introduction, foreword from an author, relevant appendices, and lists for suggested further reading. The issues they included provided a great introduction to the character of the Black Panther, and it helped me understand the cultural origins of the character. It was a fun read and informative.
November 27, 2022
I felt the story getting pretty monotonous mid way through but the “The Panther vs The Klan” storyline really gripped my attention and was page turning till the end.
The book’s intro with historical commentary and insights into life at Marvel was fascinating.
Art is gorgeous. Long read for me while busy in life but satisfying read.
The book’s intro with historical commentary and insights into life at Marvel was fascinating.
Art is gorgeous. Long read for me while busy in life but satisfying read.
March 15, 2023
This was so gutsy for the time- T’Challa fights the Klan!
September 9, 2025
Black Panther is fine. What strikes me is the editorial comments of this Penguin collection that states it is a scholarly attempt to collect the early appearances of the famous super hero.
In the introduction, printed with an off-putting font and lack of appeal, the editor Ben Saunders makes an odd claim that the "war" in Korea was "wasteful and inconclusive". This may seem pedantic, but first of all, the US Congress never officially declared war in Korea. But the major point of concern by a laughable statement like this is that through the West's involvement in the Korean affair, South Korea was able to adapt to American consumerism and develop their own robust economy. This is stuff one can find in preschool books about the benefits that South Korea, and even North Korea to a minor extent, enjoyed.
Like most contemporary academics, however, this subtle but laughable inclusion in the introduction tips their hat to their political inclinations. The "American way" is also described as "individualism, democracy, and consumerism". Saunders gets the individualism part right, seems confused about consumerism (people want to spend their income on stuff!), and is confused in that America is a Republic, that has some democratic processes at local levels and in Congressional voting. The distinction is important, however, because as these idiots try to rewrite history, the obvious refutation is that academics do not make one an authority.
Polemics aside, the idea that Penguin Classics is now trying to lend Marvel Comics a stamp of scholarly approval is also kind of questionable. Penguin is a book publisher, and while known for reprinting classics, is hardly a scholarly publishing house. Saunders seems a little butthurt over capitalism, like most Champaign socialists are, and is trying to imbue Black Panther with unnecessary left-leaning politics. Why reinterprate history if they cannot even recognize that America is a Republic?
Black Panther was obviously meant to stir feathers, as by his name alone, but to try to infuse some scholarly importance to these early efforts that are essentially pulp fiction for children is pretty pathetic. Marvel's Comics are not that great of literature-- they are formulaic and food for the masses. They have made some great strides in international representation, but they are also about dude punching another dude.
Their true history is from American and Mexican wrestling, where the wrestler would wear a fantastical costume and cape, influencing how super heroes adorned the same style of attire. At their most basic understanding, they are people fighting for their own causes. Batman circumvented the due process of the law, while Marvel's early heroes fought villains so fantastical that only people with super human powers could stop them. Their stories are less fantasy and more wish fulfillment.
There are people who really wish they could have these powers and save people from villains who equally wish they could have these powers. It is no different than current jacked up police officers who like to make their guns go pew pew as they assert their authority through might. Authoritarianism is the streak of heroes of children who worship this schlock, and sadly, they think they are always right in their beliefs.
🥱
In the introduction, printed with an off-putting font and lack of appeal, the editor Ben Saunders makes an odd claim that the "war" in Korea was "wasteful and inconclusive". This may seem pedantic, but first of all, the US Congress never officially declared war in Korea. But the major point of concern by a laughable statement like this is that through the West's involvement in the Korean affair, South Korea was able to adapt to American consumerism and develop their own robust economy. This is stuff one can find in preschool books about the benefits that South Korea, and even North Korea to a minor extent, enjoyed.
Like most contemporary academics, however, this subtle but laughable inclusion in the introduction tips their hat to their political inclinations. The "American way" is also described as "individualism, democracy, and consumerism". Saunders gets the individualism part right, seems confused about consumerism (people want to spend their income on stuff!), and is confused in that America is a Republic, that has some democratic processes at local levels and in Congressional voting. The distinction is important, however, because as these idiots try to rewrite history, the obvious refutation is that academics do not make one an authority.
Polemics aside, the idea that Penguin Classics is now trying to lend Marvel Comics a stamp of scholarly approval is also kind of questionable. Penguin is a book publisher, and while known for reprinting classics, is hardly a scholarly publishing house. Saunders seems a little butthurt over capitalism, like most Champaign socialists are, and is trying to imbue Black Panther with unnecessary left-leaning politics. Why reinterprate history if they cannot even recognize that America is a Republic?
Black Panther was obviously meant to stir feathers, as by his name alone, but to try to infuse some scholarly importance to these early efforts that are essentially pulp fiction for children is pretty pathetic. Marvel's Comics are not that great of literature-- they are formulaic and food for the masses. They have made some great strides in international representation, but they are also about dude punching another dude.
Their true history is from American and Mexican wrestling, where the wrestler would wear a fantastical costume and cape, influencing how super heroes adorned the same style of attire. At their most basic understanding, they are people fighting for their own causes. Batman circumvented the due process of the law, while Marvel's early heroes fought villains so fantastical that only people with super human powers could stop them. Their stories are less fantasy and more wish fulfillment.
There are people who really wish they could have these powers and save people from villains who equally wish they could have these powers. It is no different than current jacked up police officers who like to make their guns go pew pew as they assert their authority through might. Authoritarianism is the streak of heroes of children who worship this schlock, and sadly, they think they are always right in their beliefs.
🥱
June 10, 2024
OK so it took me a little while to get into the feel of this collection, but by the end of it I feel like I can confidently say this was the best one so far?
Gonna be honest, I wasn't really into the writing style at first. It felt really overdone with adjectives and descriptive language and felt like a Year 10 poetry assignment, but after a few issues I like completely changed my opinion and started to really like it?!?! I don't even know what happened I just started to enjoy it more.
I think what also happened was that this was the first collection to focus on one continuous 'arc' in a character's history, as opposed to sporadic points throughout their original runs. So like at first the writing was making it really hard to follow, but as the story continued I could wrap my head around the plot and the narrative voice a little more and it didn't feel as intrusive.
I also think the continous arc made this a lot more enjoyable. It actually feels like a whole story, and thematically it feels a lot richer than any of the previous collections. Really really really enjoyed it!!!
Gonna be honest, I wasn't really into the writing style at first. It felt really overdone with adjectives and descriptive language and felt like a Year 10 poetry assignment, but after a few issues I like completely changed my opinion and started to really like it?!?! I don't even know what happened I just started to enjoy it more.
I think what also happened was that this was the first collection to focus on one continuous 'arc' in a character's history, as opposed to sporadic points throughout their original runs. So like at first the writing was making it really hard to follow, but as the story continued I could wrap my head around the plot and the narrative voice a little more and it didn't feel as intrusive.
I also think the continous arc made this a lot more enjoyable. It actually feels like a whole story, and thematically it feels a lot richer than any of the previous collections. Really really really enjoyed it!!!
March 20, 2025
I had known of the stories covered in this book, Panther's Rage and Black Panther vs the Klan, and they were high on my list to read. Panther's Rage is an iconic story that changed the face of the comics industry shifting the narratives from single issue stories to longer multi-issue stories and it was the inspiration for the 2018 movie. I truly enjoyed Panther's Rage though I felt at times Don McGregor's narration was excessive and distracting and I do with Killmonger had more motivation.
Black Panther vs the Klan, though incomplete in this collection, was much more exciting and politically relevant then and now. I do wish the final issues were included but this story was very gripping.
Billy Graham's art, however, sold this series, dear God he is incredible. The shading, the use of color, the small details every where you look, every panel was a painting. Oftentimes panels would be in a creative order on the page and Mr Graham kept the reading fluid and exciting.
I always have mixed feelings on 70's comics, but these series are definitely in the upper echelon of the era.
Black Panther vs the Klan, though incomplete in this collection, was much more exciting and politically relevant then and now. I do wish the final issues were included but this story was very gripping.
Billy Graham's art, however, sold this series, dear God he is incredible. The shading, the use of color, the small details every where you look, every panel was a painting. Oftentimes panels would be in a creative order on the page and Mr Graham kept the reading fluid and exciting.
I always have mixed feelings on 70's comics, but these series are definitely in the upper echelon of the era.
March 31, 2025
Most people in their reviews talk about the writing of Don McGregor, but this collection really stands out for the stunning artwork of Billy Graham that starts about a third of the way through the book-inventive panel layouts, dynamic action and cool character designs. You can tell he was killing himself on every page! Not a seventies Marvel expert, but I doubt they published anything better that decade. As for the writing-well, it's heady but also kind of incoherent and floridly overwritten even by the standards of the time. Kind of a perfect example of seventies Marvel weirdness, young guys busting their butt off exploring adult themes using second tier characters, but never quite making that leap to making comics wholly made for adults.
May 15, 2025
4.5/5
This collection of BP comics is by FAR the BEST I’ve read from these Marvel classics so far. Rich backstories and vibrant characters, amazing descriptions and incredible artwork, creative paneling and a righteous and introspective protagonist. The plots were fantastic and the characters arcs for everyone were entertaining and cinematic. Loved seeing T’Challa face off against Killmonger, Klaw, and The KKK. These pages are packed with intellect and education and critical thought! Not just punching colorful bad guys (but still a good amount of that too!).
Panther’s Rage alone knocks all the other (classic) Marvel comics out of the way. Such a jump in quality and purpose and execution I can’t even describe it!
This collection of BP comics is by FAR the BEST I’ve read from these Marvel classics so far. Rich backstories and vibrant characters, amazing descriptions and incredible artwork, creative paneling and a righteous and introspective protagonist. The plots were fantastic and the characters arcs for everyone were entertaining and cinematic. Loved seeing T’Challa face off against Killmonger, Klaw, and The KKK. These pages are packed with intellect and education and critical thought! Not just punching colorful bad guys (but still a good amount of that too!).
Panther’s Rage alone knocks all the other (classic) Marvel comics out of the way. Such a jump in quality and purpose and execution I can’t even describe it!
January 15, 2024
The word count is very high for a comic, especially compared to a modern one.
The art and colouring is excellent, really sets the mood for Wakanda where the bulk of T'Challa's adventures take place.
The story, Panther's Rage, is epic by today's standards and is well told. In the back of the book McGregor (the writer) talks about the push back he got from editorial for the direction of the story. I would have been surprised if he didn't back in the mid '70s. He did get support from the readers. Today I think that would be reversed.
The art and colouring is excellent, really sets the mood for Wakanda where the bulk of T'Challa's adventures take place.
The story, Panther's Rage, is epic by today's standards and is well told. In the back of the book McGregor (the writer) talks about the push back he got from editorial for the direction of the story. I would have been surprised if he didn't back in the mid '70s. He did get support from the readers. Today I think that would be reversed.
September 8, 2025
Must admit after the fantastic four volume I was scared this was a bad purchase bc why was he grey….but after reading the much superior panther’s rage that’s not even t’challa no idea who that imposter is. I hope the power of Kevin feige will be denied in my lifetime bc how can you have black panther vs the klan then go to the marvel American war propaganda machine
July 11, 2022
This was incredible, I hope they keep making these!
January 26, 2023
Great storytelling! Love the over the top camp!
October 2, 2024
Not as good as the other volumes in this series
February 23, 2025
Really enjoyable.
My favorite run was black panther vs the clan.
My favorite run was black panther vs the clan.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews