Great Expectations: Ta-Nehisi Coates Joins Forces With Marvel for ‘Black

The Post says Marvel‘s focus on Black Panther comes at a historical moment when the nation’s attention is drawn to “latent racial tensions”.

Since his ’60s debut, the King of Wakanda has enjoyed much praise from readers of color, a love passed down through generations. 1976), when Black Panther took on the Ku Klux Klan, not all at Marvel agreed with publishing Mc Gregor’s storyline because the Ku Klux Klan was a controversial subject at the time. The Black Panther vs. The Ku Klux Klan was written by a hero of mine who is a white man, Don McGregor. “It meant something to see people who looked like me in comic books. I expect it to be completely political and I expect it to be timely and provocative”. But don’t forget about T’Challa.

Case in point: the author of celebrated essays that examine race and identity in the U.S. being recruited to author a series of will be writing a series of Black Panther comics for Marvel Entertainment. Marvel always has a new series timed as a companion to go with their latest movies (Nick Spencer’s Ant-Man being the most recent).

Chadwick Boseman, right, seen with Robert Downey jnr, will star in Marvel’s Black Panther film, scheduled for 2018 release.

The Black Panther, centre, with other Marvel superheroes.

The Black Panther has been managed extremely well in the hands of writer Jonathan Hickman the past few years, with appearances in such titles as New Avengers and Secret Wars. Adding the authentic African American voice of one of my favorite writers and thinkers to one of my favorite Marvel characters?

Ta-Nehisi Coates was announced yesterday as the new writer of a Black Panther comic coming in 2016. The great thing about it is that he’s an unbelievable writer who really understands the semiotics of race, of how black people have been depicted in media, and really understands the nuances of history.

Mc Gregor and artist P. Craig Russell also engineered color comic books’ first known interracial kiss, between the “Killraven” characters M’Shulla and Carmilla Frost, in wonderful Adventures #31 (July 1975).

Coates interview with Marvel editor Sana Amanat (via Atlantic Live) in May ignited the passion of the former in comic books.

Marvel Comics is increasing efforts to diversify its storylines.

The Black Panther’s first appearance in comics was in 1966 – Fantastic Four No. 52.

“The Marvel Universe is at its best when it reflects the world outside your window – and that world looks different in 2015 than it did in 1963”, Alonso told HuffPost in an earlier interview. And yet it’s a system of governance that has not advanced beyond the idea of blood-rule. Among the monarchs of Marvel -Namor and Doctor Doom for instance- T’Challa has always been distinguished to me by his discomfort on the throne, and with the problems of one-man rule. He said, “It was mostly through pop culture, through hip-hop, through Dungeons & Dragons and comic books that I acquired much of my vocabulary”.