Black Panther: World of Wakanda #1

Writers: Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, & Yona Harvey / Artists: Alitha E. Martinez & Afua Richardson/ Marvel Comics On the day that gave us a Gilderoy Lockhart presidency with the Dark Lord himself as his VP, Marvel dropped highly anticipated World of Wakanda. A Black, queer love story set in the country all us Blerds were ready to wake up in and the birth of a revolutionary that looks at the darker side of that paradise. And baaaabyyy I was ready! We live in a culture with a dearth of Black superheroes. Now check for ones that are female and allowed to be strong and vulnerable, to be human. Now search the dredges for the queer ones who get to experience a full love story. We ain’t got enough of those. How many do we want? Alladem. And if you think folks was mouthy before, just you wait. Plus we get a team that departs from the usual lily-white sausage-fest we find behind the scenes of most comics? Bet. This book dropped RIGHT on time.

The primary story follows Dora Milaje members Ayo and Aneka as they fight and fall in love. Literary virtuoso Roxane Gay handles it with a deft pen. Characters don’t introduce themselves, we drop into their stories. This book runs on action first and foremost; clunky, stationary exposition gotta get on. If Gay fuels this car, Alitha E. Martinez speeds us through with her foot on the accelerator. Martinez’s art moves, energized in battle and in stillness. There’s a clarity of focus that tells you exactly what’s most important but a leve…