Black Panther #167 Review

Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates / Artist: Leonard Kirk / Marvel Comics To say Black Panther is on a roll is like saying the Golden State Warriors can hold their own. This is a fantastic comic that manages to unravel what we think we know of this long-standing character’s world while building it back up into something richer and more intellectually stimulating than it’s ever been. Ta-Nehisi Coates is masterfully elevating the Panther to the marquee status he has always deserved and we love him for it. Issue #167 has puts a couple of things into play narrative wise. First, there’s a new ally being brought into the fold to offer some insight into the new threat being posed by T’Challa’s old foe, Klaw. We didn’t get as much of this plotline as I would have liked but what we did get was on point. I love the idea of our hero offering a long standing C-list character an opportunity to matter more than he has in the past considering this book is making the Black Panther matter more than he has in years. The other storyline has Shuri and T’Challa delving further into Wakandan lore to find new answers to the solve the problem of these mysterious new “gods”.

Coates is doing an amazing job of testing the Panther by calling into question all he knows to be true about his heritage and the history of his people. Building your character’s mythology by undoing it seems like it’s been Coates’ game from the start and it’s still working for him. Leonard Kirk’s artwork is fantastic in that it maintain…