Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates / Artist: Chris Sprouse / Marvel Comics
The ambition of this arc of Black Panther is still something to be marveled at, given that it has expanded and created a mythology of such a long standing comic and world then made that mythology not only intricate to the characters involved, but seamlessly included previous stories with this new perspective as if they had always existed. With the Orisha gone, then tribes of Wakanda have turned to lesser gods, mostly those that seized power during the rebellion. It marries the previous arc to a new status quo in a beautiful way while simultaneously making us question the place of kings and queens in the hierarchy. But then, Storm is part of this arc, so I suppose we can do both.
And this is the Storm show, is it not? The profession of love from T’Challa and the equally enthusiastic reunion has been…good. Very good for comic book readers. But this isn’t just window dressing as Storm is brought into the conflict over Wakanda, as she has been dubbed Hadari Yao aka The Walker of Clouds, her return to Wakanda has been met with religious fervor and anxiety. Coates wonderfully showcases the multiple sides of that worship while giving us a smart and satisfying response from Storm herself.
Just about all of the pages or devoted to T’Challa and Ororo’s relationship and deal with a threat, but still leave room for the mystery and hardship that is to come from Shuri’s discovery while visiting another village in peril. This book keeps the momentum and mystery that began the arc without much compromise to the arc overall.
Sprouse once again does very good work here. The character models of T’Challa and Ororo mostly dominate the panels, but the brief action is done well near the end as well.
Storm Baaaaaaaaaack. An Ororo Da Gawddess focused issue leads to some cool story and character movements. Next issue looks grim. Mad grim. But we’re here for it.
Reading Black Panther? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
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