Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda

Marvel Press Novels

by Jesse J. Holland (Editor), Nikki Giovanni, Tananarive Due

A ground-breaking anthology celebrating Marvel’s beloved Black Panther and his home of Wakanda, penned by an all-star cast of authors such as Sheree Renée Thomas and Nikki Giovanni.

T’Challa faces the gods of his parents. Vampires stalk Shuri and a Dora Milaje in voodoo-laced New Orleans. Erik Killmonger grapples with racism, Russian spies, and his own origins. Eighteen brand-new tales of Wakanda, its people, and its legacy.

The first mainstream superhero of African descent, the Black Panther has attracted readers of all races and colors who see in the King of Wakanda reflections of themselves. Storytellers from across the African Diaspora—some already literary legends, others who are rising stars—have created for this collection original works inspired by the world of the Panther and its inhabitants. With guest stars including Storm, Monica Rambeau, Namor, and Jericho Drumm, these are stories of yesterday and today, of science and magic, of faith and love.

These are the tales of a king and his country. These are the legends whispered in the jungle, myths of the unconquered men and women and the land they love.

These are the Tales of Wakanda.

Featuring stories by Linda D. Addison, Maurice Broaddus, Christopher Chambers, Milton J. Davis, Tananarive Due, Nikki Giovanni, Harlan James, Danian Jerry, Kyoko M., L.L. McKinney, Temi Oh, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Glenn Parris, Alex Simmons, Sheree Renée Thomas, Cadwell Turnbull and Troy L. Wiggins.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Marvel, Fiction, Superheroes, Audiobook, Science Fiction

505 pages, Hardcover

First published March 9, 2021

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Experienced as an audiobook and apologies to the author of the last story, my Hoopla borrow expired before I had a chance to listen to any of it.

As is usual, this anthology by a wide variety of authors is a mixed bag but I'm glad I listened to it.

If you're looking for a lot of action and adventure featuring the title character himself you might be a trifle disappointed as the focus here is exploring the world of Wakanda and it's connections in the Marvel universe to the U.S., both past and present.

Some of the stories were harder work than others but some, such as the Marvel version of the film Girls Trip with Shuri in the lead role, were quite amusing as well.

[Chan Fry · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I averaged my ratings for all 18 of these stories and came up with 2.7 stars for the book).

It’s possible that if I hadn’t come into this with high expectations, I might have enjoyed it more — that’s on me. But I did (have high expectations), and therefore wasn’t as impressed as I’d hoped to be.

Overall, I’m glad the book exists and that I read it. Black readers ought to see themselves more often represented as both characters and authors in every genre, and readers of all colors and origins could stand to broaden their horizons. I only wish the book had been better. Most of the stories fell flat to me, with only a few turning to corner into enjoyable. None wowed me (so no five-stars), and only two felt powerful enough to warrant four stars.

The stories cover a variety of time periods in Wakanda history — though a majority are set during the reigns of the two Wakandan kings we’ve seen in Marvel movies (T’Chaka and his son T’Challa). Many emphasize the inherent moral paradox of the “Wakanda first” policy that was evident in The Black Panther movie — Wakanda can continue to hide itself, isolate itself, and protect only itself, and in doing so ensure a high quality of life for its people — but this means the rest of the world, especially the Diaspora, suffers. Or Wakanda can make greater efforts to use its superior technology and resources to bring about positive change among wider humanity — at the risk of dangerous exposure and depletion. I was startled at how many of them (eight) were set at least partly in the U.S. — though this likely reflects the intended audience as well as the pool of authors (at least 14 of them are from or in the U.S.)

(I have published a longer review on my website, including mini-reviews of all 18 stories.)

[Eugen Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original short stories that feature longing, heritage and discovery—a reliving of Wakanda.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions my own.

With the popularity of Black Panther by Disney, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that fans want more stories. Enter Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda, an anthology of 18 different stories, all based around Black Panther characters. Edited and compiled by Jesse J. Holland, Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda offers lots of different viewpoints from Wakandan characters, some well known and others that exist in the comic books and not the movie. Dedicated to Chadwick Boseman, Tales of Wakanda gives major insight into the people and environment that makes Wakanda so special in the Marvel universe.

In “Killmonger Rising” written by Caldwell Turnbull, the author gives the reader some insight into one of the MOST compelling villains in the Marvel universe. Posing as a professor, Eric Killmonger struggles with his need for revenge and power. His alter ego would rather hook up with beautiful college students, but ultimately Killmonger realizes that getting close to anyone would only hamper his ultimate mission: getting his hands on Vibranium and control over Wakanda.

Two stories follow Princess Shuri, and I really enjoyed both. My favorite story was “Bon Temps” by Harlan James. Shuri finds herself in New Orleans, battling vampires with Dr. Voodoo and MONICA RAMBEAU!! This story has a little bit of everything including lush descriptions of New Orleans, Shuri’s annoyance with T’Challa, romance and a tightly woven fight scene with two recognizable Marvel superheroes. Christopher Chambers entry “I, Shuri” is another fun adventure with Shuri traveling to Chesapeake Bay and outsmarting a group of Atlanteans who take her prisoner.

In “Heart of a Panther” written by Shree Renee Thomas, T’Challa travels to Mississippi to investigate what he thinks is a mini Wakanda nestled in the deep South. Vibranium was seeded into the soil which created mutates animals and plants. A mystical shield protects the area from the ku Kluc Klan and forces T’Challa to face the ultimate question. How many communities could have been protected if Wakanda had allowed Vibranium and Wakandan technology out into the world?

Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda really is a riveting collection of stories in the spirit of Marvel adventures. Not only for die hard Black Panther fans, even ones new to the Black Panther universe will enjoy stories of Black excellence and adventure.

[Chris Ismail Jabbar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The depiction of wakandans and Wakanda was tremendous I wouldn’t want spoil the broth. Get it!!
It’s amazing

[Sarmat Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for the Black Panther Tales of Wakanda collection - having read an earlier Black Panther novel, I was aware that the novelization (and even this anthology of authors from the African Diaspora) would follow the similar vein of basing the characters and stories with arcs and established lore from the comics. The anthology was a good mix of T'Challa stories and those that unfolded the history and relations that Wakanda has had internally and internationally both with other nation states and mythical realms as well.

Some stories did an amazing job further enriching the lore and mythos of both the Black Panther and Wakanda, while others were questionable in their intent and indeed purpose of what was being shown. Holland, the editor that worked with the 18 authors on their short stories didn't have a particular chronological order for the stories - something that I have become accustomed to when reading anthologies that work within a body of work.

I also had a few issues with the stylistic choices that some of the authors went with when it came to their story directions. Each author attempted to show T'Challa as we perceive him as both the King of Wakanda and the Black Panther, but there were stories where the characterization did not fit the overall mold. Also, when the stories were dealing with Wakandan history and development, the shift in the time was not always clear to the reader until halfway through the short story, which took away from the enjoyment.

The anthology is a must for any die hard fan of the Black Panther, if you have stayed up to date with the Marvel comics of that series. However, if your exposure is from novelizations and the movie, the anthology might throw you off and confuse you in the long run.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The choice for the order of the stories was an interesting one. There was a lack of consistency in what specific Marvel universe thread or timeline we were following at any time, but overall I had a good time with this anthology. The Killmonger story was so good I read it twice and I always enjoyed the Dora Milaje tales. Storm was has a badass cameo that I thoroughly loved. Overall, not bad but can be a bit overwhelming for those new to the Marvel universe outside of the MCU.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of the stories in Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda edited by Jesse J. Holland are good, but not all of them stood out to me as much as I was hoping. That said my favorite story from the entire collection was "Return of the Queen" by Tananarive Due which features Ororo Munroe aka Storm.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/16/2021 Full review later today at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 30/100 for 2023. Always fascinating to see how "regular" writers handle comic book (and/or MCU) tropes. By far the standout story for me was "Bon Temps" by Harlan James, which was probably the most comic-booky of the bunch featuring a Shuri, Doctor Voodoo and Monica Rambeau team-up against supernatural foes in New Orleans.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid collection but a long haul to get through. They could've cut it to 10 or 12 stories and I wouldn't have minded, 18 was too many.

I enjoyed many of these stories, but others were just meh. My favorite was "Bon Temps," where Shuri goes to New Orleans during Mardi Gras and fights vampires with Monica Rambeau. I also enjoyed the one where T'Challa goes to Mississippi and finds a lush piece of land where a variant of the heart-shaped herb grows. The Killmonger story was fantastic, too. Oh! And the one with the new Dora Milaje, Dera, who has a counterpart in an alternate reality contact her--that one was intriguing.

The ones I enjoyed the least were when they fought folks from Atlantis--there were 2 of those and they were both shockingly boring. Another I didn't like as much featured a former NYPD cop fighting white nationalists--it felt like an episode of Falcon & the Winter Soldier, and not in a good way. Too much action for a short story.

In many of these stories, I was perplexed by the way they were so plot focused. "And then X happens, and then Y happens, and then Z happens." They rarely investigated how a character was feeling in any given moment. It's a style I was unused to and found less interesting.

The themes they investigated were compelling--did Wakandans actually end up enslaved? How can Wakanda help the rest of the world more without losing the core of who they are?

All in all, a strong anthology! Definitely would recommend for diehard Marvel & Black Panther fans. I'm too casual a fan to be the target demo for this.

[Ellen Morris Prewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book. I understand I'm probably not supposed to lead with that. I can't help it. It's a beautiful cover on a hefty book that promises—actually shouts—adventure inside! The book doesn't lie.
Don't shy away from the book if you're not a Black Panther expert. Before I read the collection, I knew one thing about Black Panther: the movie. Yeah, sometimes I didn't quite get the references, but I read books all the time where the references are a little lost on me. You roll with it, and figure you'll get to an understanding, and you do.
That's good storytelling.
Such good storytelling that I found myself flipping back to the list of authors to see who this writer was. My favorites were Sheree Renée Thomas, Troy Wiggins (the humor!), Danian Darrel Jerry, Cadwell Turnbull, and Harlan James. I love it when you read the first few sentences of a story, and you know you're in good hands.
You'll like different stories than I did, depending on whether the story features your favorite character or not. Whether you want a story set in Wakanda or enjoy the characters traveling to London or New Orleans or the Mississippi Delta (yep.) Whether you prefer quick action or psychological exploration.
The collection has it all.
I'm so glad a list serve I follow recommended it. Otherwise, I might not have gotten to know the authors' writing. Just a joy.

[Wayland Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the (very deserved) popularity of the Black Panther movie, Marvel put together an anthology about the King of Wakanda and many of his allies. While there are, as you might expect, several stories featuring T'Challa, other characters who get some time on the page include Shuri and Okoye, Namor, Spectrum, Brother Voodoo, White Tiger, and a new version of Nighthawk among others. We get stories in Wakanda, Oakland, CA, New Orleans, on and under the sea, and a few other places in Africa. Some are in the modern day, some at various points in the past (a Black Panther in Revolutionary War Boston, anyone?).

It's a great collection of stories that I very much enjoyed. Fans of the MCU should take note, however, that these are based on the comics, not the movies. There are a few points where that might confuse folks. There are also several takes on what Wakandan isolation has meant to different people over the years.

I very much enjoyed this collection. There are some great stories in here. Recommended to fans of the character, superheroes in general, or anyone who just wants a good read with some interesting viewpoints.

[Edmund Bloxam · Rating 3 out of 5]

DON'T READ THE FIRST STORY FIRST. IT WILL LEAVE A BAD IMPRESSION THAT HINDERS THE REST OF THE BOOK.

Right, that said, I can honestly say that there are probably more hits than misses in this volume. I think I would have preferred fewer stories, but then I'm not much of a short story reader.

A few touch on deeper issues, on neat ideas. Some are fairly inconsequential fights. Only the first story is unredeemable.

For the most part, issues of race are dealt with with the subtlety that prevents the stories from simply becoming a lecture. The first is the exception, where it just explains colonialism in basic dialogue. In another story, the Black Panther literally fights slave owners to free some slaves, which is a bit on the nose, but is written well enough. To give an example of when it works, there is a comparison of corporate investment in Wakanda as a new form of colonialism. This is suitably deftly dealt with.

I wouldn't desperately hunt out this volume. Only a handful of stories take on a concept. And a short story without a concept is just...less...

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Sync 2022. I had no clue what was going on, going into this. I haven't read or seen any Black Panther stuff. So it took me a couple of short stories (this is a collection of short stories with a bunch of different authors; always fun) to catch up. But then I was hooked . The audiobook is nearly 20 hours and I looked forward to all of it. Now I kinda want to watch the movie. And I definitely get why people are superfans of The Black Panther. I can definitely see myself recommending this one at the library. A very strong start to Audiobook Sync 2022!

If you haven't heard of it, Audiobook Sync is a fantastic program where you get two free audiobooks each week all summer long - to keep. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it's real! Copy and paste this link to sign up. Free! https://audiofilemagazine.com/sync/

[Mary Havens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recommend having a baseline of Black Panther knowledge before reading this short story collection. The authors do not explain Black Panther specific terms or if they do/did, I didn't pay attention. I had to stop and watch the movie to get a better idea of the characters and terminology. Granted, I listened to a few other library loans in the middle of these short stories so my flow was interrupted.
My favorites were "Heart of a Panther", "Immaculate Conception", "Legacy", "Bon Temps", and "Zoya the Deserter". Most of these featured female-centered stories or taking the Black Panther characters out of Wakanda and into a different environment. The stories that had a lot of fighting scenes were a little lost on me.
Great collection for super fans, good collection for those that are fans and want to read more Black authors.

[Seth Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Panther debuted 55 years ago, so there’s a lot of material to work with. This anthology of stories from all Black writers (the first of its kind) about T’Challa and those around him are great, mixing the rich histories of these characters with contemporary darker themes of racism and slavery.

I’ll admit before starting this book, my knowledge of this superhero was largely limited to MCU movies. What I found here were some moving stories that get into the psyche of these characters, many of whom despite superhero status or the wealth of Wakanda often struggle with feelings of self-doubt, fear, and the sometime struggles of family relationships and expectations.

If you’re looking to expand your Wakanda world, check this one out!

[libreroaming · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed bag of quality and consistency about the Black Panther mythos. It is absolutely not meant to be a coherent work like some short story collections.

Strongest stories are ones that showcase adjacent characters and don't try to reinvent the wheel: "Ukubamba" by Kyoko M is a tight and tense story of Okoye rescuing a child. It feels like it could slot in the comics. "What's Done in the Dark" by Troy L. Wiggins features the third White Tiger/brief Black Panther stand-in as he works on behalf of Wakanda to recover their diplomats.

Weakest story: "Immaculate Conception" by Nikki Giovanni. A "what if?" story that's more an excuse for characters to have no semblance to canon and includes weeb T'Challa winning a fight because he knew about the kunoichi of Japan. Not written well at all.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read comics. So the only thing really I knew of Black panther was what I learned from the marvel cinematic universe. So I could not help but see Chadwick Bozeman in every one of these persons and speaking like him. That part actually made it better. These seem to be fanfiction, but like I said, I don't know how they relate to the actual universe as compared to just things made up by people who enjoyed them. Them. Others have mentioned some were better than others in these stories. The thing that baffled me the most was the book ending with a very self-centered story. So it didn't leave you with a great feeling. I think they should have ended it with one of the others that had a fantastic ending or something to deal with Unity

[Adelaide Metzger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished 1/24/23 - I can't get enough of this trend where comic book-originated characters and worlds are published into traditional novels. I usually dont like antholgies, but this collection was pretty good.

5 star stories:
Heart of a Panther - Sheree Renee Thomas
Faith - Jesse J. Holland
Ukubamba - Kyoko M
Return of the Queen - Tananarive Due
Stronger in Spirit - Suyi Davies Okungbowa

The rest vary between 4 and 3 stars, but there are none here that are bad at all. I highly recommend this collection for Black Panther fans, people who like Africa-interest stories, or people who like a good read in general.

[Beatrice Hogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this anthology written by authors of the African Diaspora. I have never followed comic books, and my only exposure to Black Panther was from the movie, so many of the characters and backstory were not familiar. I especially liked the stories that featured female characters as the protagonists. I wasn't as keen on the stories that concentrated on violence, but I guess that is part of the Black Panther universe. I would love to see a future anthology that highlights all female characters, with little violence and a lot of character development. Let's hear Ramonda's story!

[Sanya Tejani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book when I found out it existed, and I think I hyped myself up too much for it. That’s on me. The writing for some stories were amazing, and others, meh. This is what I want to make clear: I enjoyed the content of the stories a lot; I preferred some writing styles over others. We know writing style plays a huge role in how a story is received and for me, some were better than others. Overall, I did truly enjoy visualizing Wakanda and gained a lot of knowledge about the characters both past and present!

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing collection of stories involving the Black Panther and Wakanda. I felt as if I've come to a better understanding of the culture and history behind this character and others surrounding him. Though Wakanda is fictional, much of what is shared in these stories is very real, not the least being the emotions that jump from the pages. Powerful stories, each unique and yet the same. A definite must read and not just for Marvel fans. 

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun collection of short stories featuring different characters from the Black Panther comics, including Shuri, Storm, Monica Rambeau, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and more. Of course, one of the things about short story collections is that sometimes you really like certain stories and wish they would continue and explore what happens next. Narrators JD Jackson and Joy Sunday did an excellent job on the audio book.

[Ann]

superhero comics aren't my thing. short stories spun off about the Black Panther characters seemed to have some promise. As with most short story collections, some were hits for me, others not so much. Unfortunately I listened to it so sporadically that my recollection of which story was which has faded. You would probably enjoy it if you are already invested and can get over the absence of images.

[Chante · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are expecting all the stories to be about T’Challa, like I was, you will be disappointed. The stories alternate between T’Challa and other various characters in the Black Panther-verse. Also the stories vary heavily in quality, some are really good and others kind of boring (looking at you Namor) and or suffer from “nothing happens for 25 pages BOOM rushed climax in the last 4 pages”. Gave 3 stars because the stories that are good and for the effort.

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it is not something I like but it is a great collection of stories that covers a wide range of subjects related to the Marvel Universe with the Black Panther and Wakanda as the center. I also like that references stuff that has not yet been introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe like Storm from the X-Men and Namor.

[Shane Maher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tales of Wakanda was a really fun idea, though not one I feel was perfectly executed. The stories inside were creative though they varied in quality and also their lack of continuity caused some confusion when reading this one. I will say the highs were high, but unfortunately the lows were pretty low.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were stories I liked and stories that I just couldn't really get into. As a collection, it was confusing at times, especially since I don't have a whole lot of Black Panther background (just the movies), so different times and characters and seemingly contradictory things bothered me a bit.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of short stories or novellas. I feel they would make a good series of graphic novels. Much deeper than a typical comic book can go. It does jump around in different timelines and versions of the Black Panther.