Okorafor Brings Us the Genius of Wakanda in Shuri #1 Review

Writer: Nnedi Okorafor // Artist: Leonardo Romero // MARVEL Wakanda Oil Do I Need To Un-snatch My Edges? We just started, but I see that Nnedi Okorafor is in the edge-snatching business. Shuri #1 dropped and it’s already sprinkling Black girl magic on the universe. I was waiting for this and at first I was iffy. We loved Letitia Wright’s take on Shuri in the major motion picture. Okorafor mentioned that this would be a merger between Letitia’s take as well as previous versions. Lo and behold the comic presented itself with no less vigor and no less wit than the Shuri we’ve grown to love. Wakanda Double Standard Is This? One of the first things readers should pay attention to is the presentation of our protagonist. Okorafor addresses what we have always noticed about womanhood. How it is seen as a “support system” but not the head in charge. When folks need us, we are there. When the world is without their “masculine energy” folks turn to the femmes that were behind those energies. What I love about Shuri #1 is that it highlights the power of womanhood and what it continues to bring to the table. You might have T’Challa but we’ve also got a femme with vibranium running through her veins fam.

Another aspect to appreciate is the conversation about ageism. “Youth” comes with the stigma of folks feeling like they need to baby-feed you. No matter how many capabilities one may prove to have, when you’re the youngest you run the risk of being downplayed because “the elders are b…