Writer: Nnedi Okorafor / Artist: Leonardo Romero / Marvel
Iron Feats
If you’re searching for clever action where the danger is solved with uncanny equations, Shuri #5 got you with the sauce. I learned a couple of things about science (you can hack a light bulb?!) from the help of Iron Man. This was a great start to a new arc. We begin to see the growth in Shuri. She’s got a better connection with the ancestors. Instead of side-eyeing their commentary, she’s listening and at times considering their input and viewpoints. Shuri begins to see what Wakanda needs, in spite of her own discomfort. Shuri is in the position she always deserved: on top of Wakanda, forever.
Fear and Revolution
“I trust him only because I think the guy is mostly robot”
This issue of Shuri highlights Wakandan pride. I was honestly laughing at the side-eye that kept happening throughout the comic. Even the ancestors were talking about their iffy vibes from Iron Man. On one hand this speaks volumes. Being in a technological paradise, and things working out for you (for the most part) honestly opens up the idea of American taint — how Americans ruin civilizations and seek out wars as often as they preach peace. Wakandans are smart, and sniff this out easily.
It’s both saddening and funny when you realize they trust Iron Man because of his relation to technology. The thought can be seen as endearing, since Wakanda is very technologically advanced. This might be something psychologically connected to them since they probably have a different relationship to technology than Americans. After all, most technological advances that America embraces are the ones that terrorize civilizations…but I digress. Regardless, the questioning the Wakandan people have for people outside of their own civilization is awkwardly admirable. I hope that the creative team highlights this in different ways throughout the series, allowing this to serve as an example of who they view as the villain: the ones terrorizing them, or the ones who colonize the culture.
Freedom Wings
Shuri #5 is the fun read you’d turn to during your dreadful public transit commute. At times it is sure to crack a smile, and maybe a quick “HA!”. Shuri’s black girl magic drips off her metal wings and blesses us all. I hope that there will be more integration from the ancestors as Shuri shapes the mantle to fit her goals and the needs of her people.
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