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Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates #1-3
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet
Marvel’s Premier Collection gives iconic Marvel stories the treatment they deserve—newly designed cover upgrades, deluxe paper stock and all-new exclusive material! Ideal for both old and new fans—the perfect entry point into the Marvel Universe anytime, anywhere.
National Book Award-winner Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) and artist Brian Stelfreeze revolutionize the Black Panther mythos, as T’Challa faces an uprising in Wakanda that challenges his rule. This groundbreaking story redefines the king’s relationship with his people, blending high-tech futurism with deep cultural roots, transforming Wakanda into a dynamic reflection of modern struggles for justice and identity.
As esteemed author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates brings his considerable talents to Marvel, will he usher in a new age of glory for Wakanda and its king, T’Challa, A.K.A. the Black Panther? Or will he enter the proud kingdom into its final days? The high-tech African nation has been ravaged by outside forces, its queen has fallen and the people have turned against their king. As dissidents seek violent change, two of T’Challa’s own Dora Milaje forge their own brave path. And while outside forces pour fuel on the fire, the Black Panther recruits his own crew to aid in the struggle. Meanwhile, on the spiritual plane, a journey of transformation begins. This is a story of a king who must find a new way to lead. Of a queen whose tale is not yet fully told. Of angels fighting for change and devils fomenting chaos. Of allies and enemies, friends and foes, love and hate. This is the story of Wakanda.
COLLECTING: Black Panther (2016) 1-12
National Book Award-winner Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) and artist Brian Stelfreeze revolutionize the Black Panther mythos, as T’Challa faces an uprising in Wakanda that challenges his rule. This groundbreaking story redefines the king’s relationship with his people, blending high-tech futurism with deep cultural roots, transforming Wakanda into a dynamic reflection of modern struggles for justice and identity.
As esteemed author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates brings his considerable talents to Marvel, will he usher in a new age of glory for Wakanda and its king, T’Challa, A.K.A. the Black Panther? Or will he enter the proud kingdom into its final days? The high-tech African nation has been ravaged by outside forces, its queen has fallen and the people have turned against their king. As dissidents seek violent change, two of T’Challa’s own Dora Milaje forge their own brave path. And while outside forces pour fuel on the fire, the Black Panther recruits his own crew to aid in the struggle. Meanwhile, on the spiritual plane, a journey of transformation begins. This is a story of a king who must find a new way to lead. Of a queen whose tale is not yet fully told. Of angels fighting for change and devils fomenting chaos. Of allies and enemies, friends and foes, love and hate. This is the story of Wakanda.
COLLECTING: Black Panther (2016) 1-12
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2017
50 people are currently reading
648 people want to read
About the author
Ta-Nehisi Coates
285 books17.3k followersTa-Nehisi Coates is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Between the World and Me, a finalist for the National Book Award. A MacArthur "Genius Grant" fellow, Coates has received the National Magazine Award, the Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism, and the George Polk Award for his Atlantic cover story "The Case for Reparations." He lives in New York with his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
June 26, 2017
I didn't know much about Black Panther and Wakanda before reading it. It was kind of a breath of fresh air for me into marvel comics universe. The artwork is fantastic.
Black Panther 1-12
I'd give it 4,5/5 stars.
Black Panther 1-12
I'd give it 4,5/5 stars.
June 6, 2020
3.25 stars. I guess I can see and understand what some have said of this run. Yes it does move a little on the slow side and yes there is a lot of dialogue but I found myself still interested in the story and wanting to know how it would end. Plus the art was great. This is more of a political story. After the Black Order hit Wakanda ( man I need to read my Hickman Avengers and New avengers) the people were separated. Some felt as maybe T’Challa abandoned them. There were two factions, one who felt the people should rule the throne and the second group felt as no one man should have all the power. Both wanted to overthrow or liberate Wakanda from T’Challa. Coates does a good job building the world of Wakanda and the many characters that reside there and the art team does a great job with the visuals. It was nice watching the Black Panther deal with this and try to figure how to bring his counrty back together. For his first comic, not bad. However you can see how Coates is only getting better as his Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda and his Captain America show much improvement.
February 25, 2022
Reading this collection of comic books truly felt like history class. Major props to my comic book girls, because there was so much plot/backstory that I just didn’t understand, and when I tried to google it, it was way too complicated and expansive for a simple answer. But I get it! This depth of world-building is why y’all love comic books!!
Even though I didn’t totally “get” everything that happened, I still had amazing, nerdy fun. Shuri is an icon! Storm from X-men is ex-lovers with T’Challa?? Zenzi is sexy in an evil way (obvi); Manifold is sexy in a good way (even more obvi). And I’m so stoked to read the sapphic deliciousness of Ayo and Aneka’s backstory in World of Wakanda; Roxane Gay, you’re a legend!
Coates is a legitimate sorcerer when it comes to telling such a nuanced story of power, rebellion, political tact and strategy, and the philosophical quandaries of war within the panels of a Marvel comic book. The foundational tension of the series is perfectly described as: “A philosopher brandishes an impractical morality, while a king preaches an immoral practicality.” This is where the sorcery is at play! Coates is beyond successful at upending the inherent morality of our superheroes, in this case Black Panther. I suppose Marvel used this text as some sort of inspiration for Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but this is a much better execution with more fleshed-out character arcs and sociopolitical undercurrents. So despite my confusion and incessant googling of characters and locales, Coates may have officially converted me into a fan of Marvel comics (though that fandom might be limited to authors that I already adore hehe).
Even though I didn’t totally “get” everything that happened, I still had amazing, nerdy fun. Shuri is an icon! Storm from X-men is ex-lovers with T’Challa?? Zenzi is sexy in an evil way (obvi); Manifold is sexy in a good way (even more obvi). And I’m so stoked to read the sapphic deliciousness of Ayo and Aneka’s backstory in World of Wakanda; Roxane Gay, you’re a legend!
Coates is a legitimate sorcerer when it comes to telling such a nuanced story of power, rebellion, political tact and strategy, and the philosophical quandaries of war within the panels of a Marvel comic book. The foundational tension of the series is perfectly described as: “A philosopher brandishes an impractical morality, while a king preaches an immoral practicality.” This is where the sorcery is at play! Coates is beyond successful at upending the inherent morality of our superheroes, in this case Black Panther. I suppose Marvel used this text as some sort of inspiration for Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but this is a much better execution with more fleshed-out character arcs and sociopolitical undercurrents. So despite my confusion and incessant googling of characters and locales, Coates may have officially converted me into a fan of Marvel comics (though that fandom might be limited to authors that I already adore hehe).
December 22, 2020
Un repaso por toda la mitología del personaje mientras vamos viendo una lucha por el poder en que se pone en duda el funcionamiento de la monarquía en los tiempos modernos. Sumado a un repaso sobre la importancia de los relatos orales.
February 24, 2019
Speaking as someone who thinks the Black Panther film is maybe the best superhero movie of all time...boy, was this a letdown.
I get the impression that Coates, for all his skill as a writer, didn't really internalize what it would mean to tell a story in a visual medium before he took this assignment. There is a LOT of talking in this book. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, necessarily, but much of the conversation takes place around conference tables or characters relaxing in a study, which doesn't make for the most compelling material for illustration.
Speaking of which, the art in this is just DRAB--Stelfreeze and Sprouse have done incredible work in the past but they have little to work with here. Maybe it's because the coloring is so desaturated or because so much of the content is just characters jabbering fictional politics at each other, but between Coates' wall-of-text approach to writing dialogue, the mostly blank backgrounds and largely static characters, too much of this comic is a chore to get through. There are some great costume designs, but so little *happens* in this book that you rarely get to see them put to use.
Too much of the beginning is also bizarrely difficult to follow. You'd think that as an issue #1 and with a superstar crossover writer attached Marvel would want to make the intro as new reader friendly as possible, but it reads like you're picking up issue #3 of an 8 issue miniseries, not #1 of an ongoing. The story picks up right after Hickman's byzantine-to-the-point-of-incomprehensible Secret Wars event, and if you don't have at least a passing familiarity with that comic much of the world this comic plops you into will read like complete gibberish. Wakanda doesn't like Black Panther anymore because...something...and Shuri is in some kind of quasi-mystical spirit quest coma for...reasons? While you're trying to figure out the significance of any of this, here's like every memeber of the supporting cast introduced simultaneously!! Fun!!!
I really wanted to like this, and I even tried to temper my expectations to avoid having the Hype Train this thing rode on for such a long time derailed, but the one word I never expected to use to describe it was "sloppy." That's how it feels, though. This extends even to the way the hardcover is put together: the "previously on" blurb that accompanies most Marvel comics spoils the entire first act of this story (as in, the next 80 pages, which you ostensibly haven't read yet), and the ending just sort of...stops. It feels like you're reading the rather tumultuous second act of a bigger story, not that you're getting a complete tale for $35.
It definitely improves as it goes on--once you get a feel for the sprawling cast the story becomes easier to follow, Coates is a more-than-cogent political observer who has interesting things to say about Wakanda's status in a post-colonial world, and the bandit/lesbian royal guard turncoat characters are consistent highlights--but it just doesn't feel worth it to get at the nuggets of quality hiding here among the tedium and confusion. Reading this hardback is like trying to gnaw out the middle of a Toblerone bar: an occasionally delicious offering achieved through an aggravating, unsatisfying process.
I get the impression that Coates, for all his skill as a writer, didn't really internalize what it would mean to tell a story in a visual medium before he took this assignment. There is a LOT of talking in this book. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, necessarily, but much of the conversation takes place around conference tables or characters relaxing in a study, which doesn't make for the most compelling material for illustration.
Speaking of which, the art in this is just DRAB--Stelfreeze and Sprouse have done incredible work in the past but they have little to work with here. Maybe it's because the coloring is so desaturated or because so much of the content is just characters jabbering fictional politics at each other, but between Coates' wall-of-text approach to writing dialogue, the mostly blank backgrounds and largely static characters, too much of this comic is a chore to get through. There are some great costume designs, but so little *happens* in this book that you rarely get to see them put to use.
Too much of the beginning is also bizarrely difficult to follow. You'd think that as an issue #1 and with a superstar crossover writer attached Marvel would want to make the intro as new reader friendly as possible, but it reads like you're picking up issue #3 of an 8 issue miniseries, not #1 of an ongoing. The story picks up right after Hickman's byzantine-to-the-point-of-incomprehensible Secret Wars event, and if you don't have at least a passing familiarity with that comic much of the world this comic plops you into will read like complete gibberish. Wakanda doesn't like Black Panther anymore because...something...and Shuri is in some kind of quasi-mystical spirit quest coma for...reasons? While you're trying to figure out the significance of any of this, here's like every memeber of the supporting cast introduced simultaneously!! Fun!!!
I really wanted to like this, and I even tried to temper my expectations to avoid having the Hype Train this thing rode on for such a long time derailed, but the one word I never expected to use to describe it was "sloppy." That's how it feels, though. This extends even to the way the hardcover is put together: the "previously on" blurb that accompanies most Marvel comics spoils the entire first act of this story (as in, the next 80 pages, which you ostensibly haven't read yet), and the ending just sort of...stops. It feels like you're reading the rather tumultuous second act of a bigger story, not that you're getting a complete tale for $35.
It definitely improves as it goes on--once you get a feel for the sprawling cast the story becomes easier to follow, Coates is a more-than-cogent political observer who has interesting things to say about Wakanda's status in a post-colonial world, and the bandit/lesbian royal guard turncoat characters are consistent highlights--but it just doesn't feel worth it to get at the nuggets of quality hiding here among the tedium and confusion. Reading this hardback is like trying to gnaw out the middle of a Toblerone bar: an occasionally delicious offering achieved through an aggravating, unsatisfying process.
Read
January 6, 2018Seth Meyers' Introduction had me even more hyped for this than I already was
There's a lot going on, so each bit only gets brief scenes which is probably what made it a bit difficult. And it takes a while to really get into the political thoughtfulness of T'Challa that Meyers hypes up.
I loved the resolution of Shuri's spirit journey and her return (#thepowerofstories), but just when I was gonna declare her my favorite she articulates a warrior ethos that I couldn't entirely get behind.
I recognize that the theory of rebellion clashes with practical reality, and the book wrestles with that a bit, but it had a bit of a foregone conclusion because T'Challa is the hero, and I felt a little cheated because I was really sympathetic to various elements of the rebellion and didn't feel like the book did enough to sell me on the Wakandan royalty's position. There is a fair amount of political examination that happens throughout the book, but the resolution felt a bit rushed.
In Ta-Nehisi’s hands, T’Challa is a leader, but he’s not a perfect leader. He’s a good man, but he doesn’t always make good decisions. This is a book about wielding power. Not super-powers, but rather the power one wields over a people. Because in this book, punches and kicks don’t knock over opponents, they knock over dominoes, and it’s where they fall that matters most. It should come as no surprise to anyone who has read any of Ta-Nehisi’s previous works that he is a writer who understands that every decision made has a consequence. And when you’re a king, those consequences affect a nation.but I wasn't actually super into the book.
There's a lot going on, so each bit only gets brief scenes which is probably what made it a bit difficult. And it takes a while to really get into the political thoughtfulness of T'Challa that Meyers hypes up.
I loved the resolution of Shuri's spirit journey and her return (#thepowerofstories), but just when I was gonna declare her my favorite she articulates a warrior ethos that I couldn't entirely get behind.
I recognize that the theory of rebellion clashes with practical reality, and the book wrestles with that a bit, but it had a bit of a foregone conclusion because T'Challa is the hero, and I felt a little cheated because I was really sympathetic to various elements of the rebellion and didn't feel like the book did enough to sell me on the Wakandan royalty's position. There is a fair amount of political examination that happens throughout the book, but the resolution felt a bit rushed.
February 11, 2017
Growing up, I absolutely loved comic books. I know, it’s a “boy” thing, but oh well. I was and will always be a proud Tom Boy. Why I stopped reading comic books for pleasure is beyond me. Now that I think about it, I know why: joined the Army, got married, had children, went to college…. Life happened.
When I began pleasure reading again, I went to novels and didn’t get back to my love of comic books until I heard they were bringing the Black Panther back and Ta-Nehisi Coates would be the author. I’ll admit, I was a tad bit worried at first. I’d come to know him as a serious non-fiction writer and journalist. More on that in a bit.
In A Nation Under Our Feet, T’Challa (Black Panther) returns to Wakanda to find his country under terrorist attack by a group of supernatural beings. Needless to say, the government in turmoil and his people struggling to survive. This type of thing does not happen within Wakanda boarders—at least it didn’t use to. Now T’Challa must adjust to this new reality while fighting to unite and save his people.
All I can say is I worried for nothing because Ta-Nehisi “Did that thang!” Those of you who know me know I love to color. I appreciate the skill it takes to be a graphic artist. Brian Stelfreeze & Chris Sprouse brought their “A” games to the illustrations. I love, love, love the Black Panther series. I enjoy my monthly trip to the comic book store for each issue.
Deatri King-Bey
#CillasBookManiacs
When I began pleasure reading again, I went to novels and didn’t get back to my love of comic books until I heard they were bringing the Black Panther back and Ta-Nehisi Coates would be the author. I’ll admit, I was a tad bit worried at first. I’d come to know him as a serious non-fiction writer and journalist. More on that in a bit.
In A Nation Under Our Feet, T’Challa (Black Panther) returns to Wakanda to find his country under terrorist attack by a group of supernatural beings. Needless to say, the government in turmoil and his people struggling to survive. This type of thing does not happen within Wakanda boarders—at least it didn’t use to. Now T’Challa must adjust to this new reality while fighting to unite and save his people.
All I can say is I worried for nothing because Ta-Nehisi “Did that thang!” Those of you who know me know I love to color. I appreciate the skill it takes to be a graphic artist. Brian Stelfreeze & Chris Sprouse brought their “A” games to the illustrations. I love, love, love the Black Panther series. I enjoy my monthly trip to the comic book store for each issue.
Deatri King-Bey
#CillasBookManiacs
November 15, 2022
11/14/22: A tale of rebellion, power, and morality. The writing is brilliant and the artwork is gorgeous. And yes, you can definitely read & love this even if your only Black Panther background is the single movie, because same.
11/13/2022: The beautiful Folio Society edition that I'm reading:
11/13/2022: The beautiful Folio Society edition that I'm reading:
April 9, 2020
In his first ongoing series for a hell of a long time, T'Challa battles threats from within and without as a Wakandan civil war threatens to destroy everything he's built and everything his country stands for. Acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates teams with Brian Stelfreeze and Chris Sprouse to bring you a new era for Wakanda and its greatest protector.
I tried to read this series in single issues when it was originally coming out, but I couldn't get past the first few issues. But having read Coates' Cap run, I thought I'd go back and try again, and boy, am i glad I did. Coates creates a political epic that is unlike anything else I've read at Marvel for a very long time. Coates askews typical superheroics in favour of political maneuvering that puts T'Challa and his motivations under the microscope right from the word 'go'. He makes the Black Panther fallible, and imperfect, and even better for it.
This care and character work extends to all of the characters that Coates ropes into the story. Shuri gets second billing and goes through a massive transformation, while Queen Mother Ramonda manages to play a huge role despite spending most of the 12 issues in a coma, and even the villains such as Zeke Stane and new characters Zenzi and Tetu are multi-layered and interesting. Their opposing viewpoints make for great storytelling moments, and some issues are literally just characters debating, but Coates manages to make them interesting nonetheless. And he also manages all of this while keeping all of the Black Panther's recent continuity front and centre. The effects of Doomwar, Avengers Vs. X-Men, and Jonathan Hickman's Avengers epic all ring out through the entire series, and act as a catalyst and a justification all at once. It's just superbly well done.
On art, Stelfreeze and Sprouse are a winning team. Neither of them goes for big, bombastic action, but their character pieces are excellent, and they lend themselves well to the expressiveness that Coates' many talking-heads scenes require. And of course, classic colourist Laura Martin is on hand to make sure the book's colours pop.
Black Panther's a character in a unique position among the Marvel Universe; as a king as well as a superhero, he has story paths that aren't open to many other heroes (Thor probably springs to mind, but that's only really recently that he's become a king). Coates capitalizes on them all, and spins a 12 issue yarn that fundamentally changes T'Challa, Shuri, and Wakanda itself while making sure the reader knows that there are no easy answers to any of the questions the characters pose. Highly recommended.
I tried to read this series in single issues when it was originally coming out, but I couldn't get past the first few issues. But having read Coates' Cap run, I thought I'd go back and try again, and boy, am i glad I did. Coates creates a political epic that is unlike anything else I've read at Marvel for a very long time. Coates askews typical superheroics in favour of political maneuvering that puts T'Challa and his motivations under the microscope right from the word 'go'. He makes the Black Panther fallible, and imperfect, and even better for it.
This care and character work extends to all of the characters that Coates ropes into the story. Shuri gets second billing and goes through a massive transformation, while Queen Mother Ramonda manages to play a huge role despite spending most of the 12 issues in a coma, and even the villains such as Zeke Stane and new characters Zenzi and Tetu are multi-layered and interesting. Their opposing viewpoints make for great storytelling moments, and some issues are literally just characters debating, but Coates manages to make them interesting nonetheless. And he also manages all of this while keeping all of the Black Panther's recent continuity front and centre. The effects of Doomwar, Avengers Vs. X-Men, and Jonathan Hickman's Avengers epic all ring out through the entire series, and act as a catalyst and a justification all at once. It's just superbly well done.
On art, Stelfreeze and Sprouse are a winning team. Neither of them goes for big, bombastic action, but their character pieces are excellent, and they lend themselves well to the expressiveness that Coates' many talking-heads scenes require. And of course, classic colourist Laura Martin is on hand to make sure the book's colours pop.
Black Panther's a character in a unique position among the Marvel Universe; as a king as well as a superhero, he has story paths that aren't open to many other heroes (Thor probably springs to mind, but that's only really recently that he's become a king). Coates capitalizes on them all, and spins a 12 issue yarn that fundamentally changes T'Challa, Shuri, and Wakanda itself while making sure the reader knows that there are no easy answers to any of the questions the characters pose. Highly recommended.
August 26, 2025
“One man who represents the nation, but not one man who rules the people.”
“I am a King, mother. Nothing can change this. But I will not become a tyrant.”
Wow. A political drama about Wakanda’s ways, clashing real-world philosophies, a struggling king trying to keep everything together, and some lessons about family—all it one book. I loved it!
The Introduction by Seth Meyer summarized what you’ll find in this story very well. One quote that stuck with me during the entire read: “In Ta-Nehisi’s hands, T’Challa is a leader, but he’s not a perfect leader. He’s a good man, but he doesn’t always make good decisions. This is a book about wielding power. Not superpowers, but rather the power one wields over a people. Because in this book, punches and kicks don’t knock over opponents, they knock over dominoes, and it’s where they fall that matters.”
Although it took me a while to get through this one. I struggled somewhere in between to finish this story because of the lack of context I had about Wakanda’s world (general) and what T’Challa was doing before these events (the nation’s perception of him holds a great weight to the point of the story and the message it’s getting across). A great book as an introduction to who black panther is—if you can get past not knowing who the other characters within wakanda are (and there are a LOT).
Best parts of the book were definitely Shuri’s Resurrection + Changamire’s involvement towards the end (Issues 9-12).
I wish I knew the full context of how Wakanda came to be (since it makes a lot of black order references + the death of shuri). I really look forward to re-reading this one again once I’ve caught up with the past books.
Now I’m interested in Ta-Nehisi’s other works. I’ll look him up again once I need a break away from graphic novel titles.
“I am a King, mother. Nothing can change this. But I will not become a tyrant.”
Wow. A political drama about Wakanda’s ways, clashing real-world philosophies, a struggling king trying to keep everything together, and some lessons about family—all it one book. I loved it!
The Introduction by Seth Meyer summarized what you’ll find in this story very well. One quote that stuck with me during the entire read: “In Ta-Nehisi’s hands, T’Challa is a leader, but he’s not a perfect leader. He’s a good man, but he doesn’t always make good decisions. This is a book about wielding power. Not superpowers, but rather the power one wields over a people. Because in this book, punches and kicks don’t knock over opponents, they knock over dominoes, and it’s where they fall that matters.”
Although it took me a while to get through this one. I struggled somewhere in between to finish this story because of the lack of context I had about Wakanda’s world (general) and what T’Challa was doing before these events (the nation’s perception of him holds a great weight to the point of the story and the message it’s getting across). A great book as an introduction to who black panther is—if you can get past not knowing who the other characters within wakanda are (and there are a LOT).
Best parts of the book were definitely Shuri’s Resurrection + Changamire’s involvement towards the end (Issues 9-12).
I wish I knew the full context of how Wakanda came to be (since it makes a lot of black order references + the death of shuri). I really look forward to re-reading this one again once I’ve caught up with the past books.
Now I’m interested in Ta-Nehisi’s other works. I’ll look him up again once I need a break away from graphic novel titles.
May 23, 2019
3.5 stars.
I know it is a good comic when I want to read more, or read backwards to see what came before. That's my main complaint with this one, though, and with comics in general, is that it's so hard to find a place to start. There were a lot of things in this book that had their roots in previous storylines, and while most of them were explained adequately to get the reader up to speed, there will still some things I was frustrated not knowing about. Eden, Storm, Misty, and Luke Cage are all characters that I suppose Black Panther has worked with before, but not having read anything previous to this and having only seen the Marvel movies, for this to be a comic series starting from #1 there should be more background for them.
I liked all the plot lines happening simultaneously, where we got to see what was going on with Black Panther, Shuri, the Midnight Angels, and the People during the same time period. Shuri was my absolute favorite. T'Challa had a lot of inner turmoil that he carried with him wherever he went, which I thought made the story more meaningful and powerful.
I know it is a good comic when I want to read more, or read backwards to see what came before. That's my main complaint with this one, though, and with comics in general, is that it's so hard to find a place to start. There were a lot of things in this book that had their roots in previous storylines, and while most of them were explained adequately to get the reader up to speed, there will still some things I was frustrated not knowing about. Eden, Storm, Misty, and Luke Cage are all characters that I suppose Black Panther has worked with before, but not having read anything previous to this and having only seen the Marvel movies, for this to be a comic series starting from #1 there should be more background for them.
I liked all the plot lines happening simultaneously, where we got to see what was going on with Black Panther, Shuri, the Midnight Angels, and the People during the same time period. Shuri was my absolute favorite. T'Challa had a lot of inner turmoil that he carried with him wherever he went, which I thought made the story more meaningful and powerful.
September 6, 2017
I love Brian Stelfreeze's art in this book, and I love that Coates is reaching for a big story, but it reads like SparkNotes. There are some great, brilliant moments, but to me the whole Nation Under Our Feet run is overly condensed. Things bounce around so much that there isn't much time for a single moment/vignette/scene to really sink in. But even as it moves fast, it never feels light or loose or free - it feels constrained, rigid, like it has to hit its marks. I don't mind so much of the story being off the page and the reader having to connect the dots, but I like enough time with characters to get to know them a bit. If every scene here were maybe doubled in length, it could have been amazing. I read the whole run through a second time thinking it might improve with a re-read; it did, but not enough.
January 1, 2019
A bit late on this read (was a comic book club pick last year) but finally got there!
I feel bad that Black Panther is one of the super hero titles that just don't really grab me. It's always so SERIOUS BUSINESS and SACRIFICE FOR MY COUNTRY and did I mention the SERIOUS BUSINESS because omg.
Yeah it all goes a bit over my heart really, it's not something I get invested in when I read comics.
I enjoyed this series (the first volume at least) more than others I had read; even though there was quite a bit of the above, there were some other bits and pieces that shook things up. I liked how they questioned the place of monarchy at all, that was different.
There is a lot of chaotic good happening, which makes for interesting reading when no one can agree what the 'good' actually is. Still probably not enough for me to pick up the next volume, but I can totes see why everyone loves this particular run.
Adelaide Ladies Comic Book Club: August 2018
I feel bad that Black Panther is one of the super hero titles that just don't really grab me. It's always so SERIOUS BUSINESS and SACRIFICE FOR MY COUNTRY and did I mention the SERIOUS BUSINESS because omg.
Yeah it all goes a bit over my heart really, it's not something I get invested in when I read comics.
I enjoyed this series (the first volume at least) more than others I had read; even though there was quite a bit of the above, there were some other bits and pieces that shook things up. I liked how they questioned the place of monarchy at all, that was different.
There is a lot of chaotic good happening, which makes for interesting reading when no one can agree what the 'good' actually is. Still probably not enough for me to pick up the next volume, but I can totes see why everyone loves this particular run.
Adelaide Ladies Comic Book Club: August 2018
September 15, 2020
Outstanding artwork and amazing writing. Not nearly as action-oriented as most Marvel graphic novels are, and I do have to knock off a few points for that. There's a decent setup, some interesting escalation, but the climax is resolved mainly through dialogue. Which I suppose would be great if this was a play, but this is a comic book! You've already got some brilliant characters and great ideas here, why not give us a few explosions at the end? Nevertheless, definitely one of the more cerebral Marvel tales I've come across. It's definitely a delight from start to finish, even though I wish there were a few more fights!
October 19, 2023
There are the threads of a great story and a powerful narrative on the challenges of honouring the past while changing for the future, played out by individuals and on a nation state level, but the execution is always missing something, always twisting away from a satisfying explanation. I felt like an intruder on a comic that wanted a different reader, and realised that the last black panther comics I had read were from the 1980s in a different and simpler comics world.
September 6, 2018
This was a gorgeous and glorious relaunch for one of Marvel's premiere heroes. The collection here represents a long over due return to the elements that the character so unique and so interesting. Coates brings a new twist to the old standards, but also adds a vitality and verisimilitude that has never really been seen in the pages of this comic before. Brilliantly good and completely entertaining.
January 10, 2026
When a celebrity writer gets into comics, I typically shudder. But this was truly well-written, with a wisdom and sensitivity unusual for the times. Like Camus' "The Rebel" in comic book form. It's so refreshing to read a modern comic book in which the characters don't speak like morons - and there's actually plenty to read and think about.
June 9, 2018
For those who doubt that graphic novels can tell a complex and meaningful story, please read this!
December 18, 2019
Maybe not the best first comic to start with for the Black Panther since I am not overly familiar with his story overall but I enjoyed it nonetheless
August 28, 2017
The first third of this arc definitely reflects the challenge for Coates working in a different medium. I struggled to make sense of the different puzzle pieces (and I haven't tracked the MU for a couple of years so I felt there was backstory I might be missing that would have helped.) He hits his groove midway through (loved Shuri's spirit journey) and the final third really delivers on the promise of having a writer of Coates' depth crafting this story.
April 10, 2024
An interesting (if not slightly confusing as a new reader to the Black Panther lore) exploration of democracy/monarchy, what a leader owes the people of their country all through the lens of superheros.
September 17, 2019
I was expecting this to be an easy jumping on point, boy was I wrong! It’s starts with issue one but straight from the get go it references things that have happened before. Like Shuri being dead, last I knew she was Black Panther in her own title and after that T’challa was looking after Hell’s Kitchin. He now has a mum who’s alive now because it needs to be similar to the movies, which I kind of get but it just felt weird. Then you have them going on about this revolution that sounds like it’s been going on for ages before this, on top of that you have 4 different timelines going on. So not the easiest thing to read let alone a good jumping on point.
There was also a lot of tribes and mysticism, which was a bit weird being it’s not something that Black Panther has really delved into before. The astral plane was pretty cool though, still don’t have a club about half the tribes they mention them but it just seems like gibberish if you don’t know anything about them. I figured most of it out after getting through 5 issues of this, there was a lot of confusion included.
Aside from that there were quite a few bits I liked, such as T’challa not being a know it all and needing guidance. This was quite political at points, they did a good job of blending it in with the action so that it doesn’t get too boring. Black Panther also had a nice moment of showing how badass he is, he’s not someone you want to mess with.
There was also a lot of tribes and mysticism, which was a bit weird being it’s not something that Black Panther has really delved into before. The astral plane was pretty cool though, still don’t have a club about half the tribes they mention them but it just seems like gibberish if you don’t know anything about them. I figured most of it out after getting through 5 issues of this, there was a lot of confusion included.
Aside from that there were quite a few bits I liked, such as T’challa not being a know it all and needing guidance. This was quite political at points, they did a good job of blending it in with the action so that it doesn’t get too boring. Black Panther also had a nice moment of showing how badass he is, he’s not someone you want to mess with.
February 5, 2017
While this collection is yet-to-be-published, I have read all six issues to be included and they are spectacular. This is what great comics--and stories--are made of.
May 18, 2017
Took a long time to get all the pieces in place, but I really enjoyed the last third of this comic run. I prefer Coates as an essayist.
December 9, 2018
I had never read anything by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I had read maybe two issues of Black Panther. I will likely be reading more of each after this dense, fantastic take on an underutilizied classic superhero.
I feel like I need to read more Ta-Nehisi Coates to fully grasp all the concepts he packed into this Black Panther story. Seth Myers' introduction set me up for a heavy dose of commentary on our contemporary society, which might have been detrimental to my reading since I was attempting to analyze every line of dialogue rather than sit back and enjoy the superhero ride that still underlies it all. This is one of those comic book stories that bears multiple readings. There's a lot of subtext and a lot of history thrown into all the exposition so it's difficult to enjoy and absorb it all at once.
Ta-Nehisi Coates certainly has a lot to say about the relationship of a people with their ruler. At times one almost forgets Black Panther is still a superhero comic book given all the political intrigue and philosophical discussions. It's a bit like something such as Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers (although that example obviously comes from a far different perspective on society). The action serves to illustrate the philosophy of each character. That's a hard trick to pull off in a superhero comic book, but first time writer Ta-Nehisi Coates pulls it off.
The biggest flaw is the amount of information packed into the story can be overwhelming. Being unfamiliar with Black Panther, I wasn't sure if I was missing an element of this story or a reference to previous Black Panther stories. It all winds up tying together but be prepared for a bit of a learning curve as the reader is thrown into the midst of the motivating event right from page one without much introduction.
Of the course one of the most noticeable aspects of this book is the almost complete abscence of non-black characters. Given the overly white nature of major comic books, this makes Black Panther stand out even more. It almost makes it uniquely situated to tackle the topics discussed by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Having T'Challa confront the nature of leadership amonst a black population is much more relevant than any white leader; it's even more compelling than the societal battle in Marvel's own Civil War. A Nation Under Our Feet manages to comment on power on multiple levels: king versus people, people versus nation, superhero versus normal, superhero versus superhero, nation versus nation, racial and cultural identity. As I (and other reviewers) have said, it's a lot packed into these twelve issues.
The oversized hardcover helped the epic nature of the story within it. The larger format showed off the artwork and provided more room for all the voice overs and dialogue. The artwork was great and served the story well. Even with such a large cast each character was instantly recognizable, which can often be a problem with comic books as they hop from scene to scene. There aren't many splash pages or other gratuitous comic book elements, although some of that is likely due to the packed story not allowing that use of space.
A Nation Under Our Feet proves (yet again) how comic books can entertain while still providing plenty of food for thought. Well done.
I feel like I need to read more Ta-Nehisi Coates to fully grasp all the concepts he packed into this Black Panther story. Seth Myers' introduction set me up for a heavy dose of commentary on our contemporary society, which might have been detrimental to my reading since I was attempting to analyze every line of dialogue rather than sit back and enjoy the superhero ride that still underlies it all. This is one of those comic book stories that bears multiple readings. There's a lot of subtext and a lot of history thrown into all the exposition so it's difficult to enjoy and absorb it all at once.
Ta-Nehisi Coates certainly has a lot to say about the relationship of a people with their ruler. At times one almost forgets Black Panther is still a superhero comic book given all the political intrigue and philosophical discussions. It's a bit like something such as Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers (although that example obviously comes from a far different perspective on society). The action serves to illustrate the philosophy of each character. That's a hard trick to pull off in a superhero comic book, but first time writer Ta-Nehisi Coates pulls it off.
The biggest flaw is the amount of information packed into the story can be overwhelming. Being unfamiliar with Black Panther, I wasn't sure if I was missing an element of this story or a reference to previous Black Panther stories. It all winds up tying together but be prepared for a bit of a learning curve as the reader is thrown into the midst of the motivating event right from page one without much introduction.
Of the course one of the most noticeable aspects of this book is the almost complete abscence of non-black characters. Given the overly white nature of major comic books, this makes Black Panther stand out even more. It almost makes it uniquely situated to tackle the topics discussed by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Having T'Challa confront the nature of leadership amonst a black population is much more relevant than any white leader; it's even more compelling than the societal battle in Marvel's own Civil War. A Nation Under Our Feet manages to comment on power on multiple levels: king versus people, people versus nation, superhero versus normal, superhero versus superhero, nation versus nation, racial and cultural identity. As I (and other reviewers) have said, it's a lot packed into these twelve issues.
The oversized hardcover helped the epic nature of the story within it. The larger format showed off the artwork and provided more room for all the voice overs and dialogue. The artwork was great and served the story well. Even with such a large cast each character was instantly recognizable, which can often be a problem with comic books as they hop from scene to scene. There aren't many splash pages or other gratuitous comic book elements, although some of that is likely due to the packed story not allowing that use of space.
A Nation Under Our Feet proves (yet again) how comic books can entertain while still providing plenty of food for thought. Well done.
July 25, 2025
Black Panther's publishing history is fascinating. Initially conceived in 1966, during Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's iconic Fantastic Four run, not many people at Marvel knew what to do with him. The idea of a super-hero/African king was very progressive for the time, but not many writers had much of an idea how to flesh out the concept. Don MacGregor, a white liberal, apparently did the best job, both laying a lot of the ground work of Wakanda, the technologically superior, yet strangely still monarchical realm ruled by Black Panther. MacGregor also did interesting work using the character as a vehicle to explore social issues like Apartheid South Africa and the just post-Jim Crow South in the United States. But for most of his first four decades, Black Panther was an interesting supporting character, who almost never had his own series.
Marvel made up for that in this century. The company was corporate woke long before it was cool, and has chosen to mostly have the character helmed by African-American writers since the early 2000s. Christopher Priest's run was fascinating. I really enjoyed following it at the time. Priest thought more seriously about what the Black Panther and Wakanda might actually mean for geopolitics and used a great sense of humor to send-up the war on terror, as it was rolling out. Priest laid most of the groundwork for the film series. I'm not too familiar with the work of film director Reginald Hudlin that followed Priest, but my understanding is that it was very successful.
Ta-Nehisi Coates, the iconic author on contemporary US society and the writer of this series, is certainly the highest profile person to helm the series. But I included all the history to point out that he's got some huge shoes to fill. I had been mistaken about his influence on the film franchise. Coates did not in fact influence the first film much, his Black Panther comics launched at the same time. I hope he didn't influence the 2nd film much, because it wasn't any where near as good. Coates is also not anywhere near the first to play with the weirdness of the absolute monarch as superhero, that was a central concern of the Priest run as well.
But Coates may be the first to deal with ideas of Wakandan ideas of revolution and democracy as seriously as he does here. I'm not sure it's a good thing, really. Coates introduces academic revolutionary characters that seem reminiscent of his own upbringing, or what little I remember from following his blogging in the 2000s and 2010s. The themes of invasion, colonialism, and subsequent revolution are a tremendously ambitious set of issues to take on in what I believe was his first time out scripting a comic book. He does it all much better than I could imagine doing. Coates has clearly become a success as a comic book writer, going on to write Black Panther for years, and move on to other characters, perhaps as a distraction from his writing on a society that has become too depressing. The work here is competent and interesting. But I can't say I was super impressed. My expectations were too high. It was too easy to judge, and judge harshly in comparison to the classic Christopher Priest run I enjoyed in my youth.
Marvel made up for that in this century. The company was corporate woke long before it was cool, and has chosen to mostly have the character helmed by African-American writers since the early 2000s. Christopher Priest's run was fascinating. I really enjoyed following it at the time. Priest thought more seriously about what the Black Panther and Wakanda might actually mean for geopolitics and used a great sense of humor to send-up the war on terror, as it was rolling out. Priest laid most of the groundwork for the film series. I'm not too familiar with the work of film director Reginald Hudlin that followed Priest, but my understanding is that it was very successful.
Ta-Nehisi Coates, the iconic author on contemporary US society and the writer of this series, is certainly the highest profile person to helm the series. But I included all the history to point out that he's got some huge shoes to fill. I had been mistaken about his influence on the film franchise. Coates did not in fact influence the first film much, his Black Panther comics launched at the same time. I hope he didn't influence the 2nd film much, because it wasn't any where near as good. Coates is also not anywhere near the first to play with the weirdness of the absolute monarch as superhero, that was a central concern of the Priest run as well.
But Coates may be the first to deal with ideas of Wakandan ideas of revolution and democracy as seriously as he does here. I'm not sure it's a good thing, really. Coates introduces academic revolutionary characters that seem reminiscent of his own upbringing, or what little I remember from following his blogging in the 2000s and 2010s. The themes of invasion, colonialism, and subsequent revolution are a tremendously ambitious set of issues to take on in what I believe was his first time out scripting a comic book. He does it all much better than I could imagine doing. Coates has clearly become a success as a comic book writer, going on to write Black Panther for years, and move on to other characters, perhaps as a distraction from his writing on a society that has become too depressing. The work here is competent and interesting. But I can't say I was super impressed. My expectations were too high. It was too easy to judge, and judge harshly in comparison to the classic Christopher Priest run I enjoyed in my youth.
April 6, 2018
Black Panther (T'Challa) governs Wakanda at a terrible time. A terrorist group called The People is raising an army to overthrow the government. Some of the Dora Milaje (the elite all-female military force) are in rebellion and raising their own army, also to overthrow the government. The two factions have an uneasy alliance. The country has already been weakened by attacks from Prince Namor's Atlanteans and mad Titan Thanos's Black Order. One of the top political professors in Wakanda has also been agitating against the monarchy in his own scholarly way. If that wasn't enough on T'Challa's mind, he also feels guilty about his sister Shuri who had been reigning as queen and died in a fight where he could have saved her. She's not quite dead, though, she is under the living death devised to take down Thanos,. He has a chance to bring her back. The Black Panther has plenty of civil unrest and personal unrest to deal with.
The book suffers from the multitude of plot threads introduced. In addition to the two main factions and the political philosopher and the king plot lines, Shuri is in the Wakandan astral plane called the Djalia (which was depicted quite well in the movie) and has her own storyline apart from T'Challa's attempts to revive her. If I had been reading this in individual issues month by month, I probably would have quit due to the scattershot storytelling that's hard to pull together until well into the story. The references to previous events (e.g. Namor and Thanos attacking Wakanda and the fallout from those) are slim and a bit frustrating having not read those earlier stories. This volume contains twelve issues and lots of storytelling. After the first third I was pretty unsatisfied; by the end I was very satisfied.
The political philosophy mostly focused on revolutions as the tool for political change and how they always require death, even of non-combatants, and how that's bad but necessary. The book just assumes monarchy is bad and democracy is good without any attempt to look at the good and bad aspects of each. It ends with the promise of establishing a constitutional, freely-elected government. Happily, Black Panther has other things to do, so the book won't bog down in future constitutional conventions.
Recommended.
The book suffers from the multitude of plot threads introduced. In addition to the two main factions and the political philosopher and the king plot lines, Shuri is in the Wakandan astral plane called the Djalia (which was depicted quite well in the movie) and has her own storyline apart from T'Challa's attempts to revive her. If I had been reading this in individual issues month by month, I probably would have quit due to the scattershot storytelling that's hard to pull together until well into the story. The references to previous events (e.g. Namor and Thanos attacking Wakanda and the fallout from those) are slim and a bit frustrating having not read those earlier stories. This volume contains twelve issues and lots of storytelling. After the first third I was pretty unsatisfied; by the end I was very satisfied.
The political philosophy mostly focused on revolutions as the tool for political change and how they always require death, even of non-combatants, and how that's bad but necessary. The book just assumes monarchy is bad and democracy is good without any attempt to look at the good and bad aspects of each. It ends with the promise of establishing a constitutional, freely-elected government. Happily, Black Panther has other things to do, so the book won't bog down in future constitutional conventions.
Recommended.
October 24, 2017
An incredible comic debut for Ta-Nehisi Coates. I was initially a bit skeptical about picking up this hardcover collection given the sporadic quality of Marvel over the last couple years and the unseasoned talent of Mr. Coates in the comic medium. I am familiar with his work from his debut book Between the World and Me and writing for The Atlantic.
Coates is at the forefront of critical journalism in the United States and has written broadly about his own experiences growing up black and broader issues related to race in America. This volume collects the first 12 issues of his ongoing Black Panther run constituting the opening arc of his narrative. The comic as a whole is an absolute treat to read with excellent scripts from Coates and consistent artwork from Brian Stelfreeze. Stelfreeze in particular crafts a Wakanda that holds true to previous depictions while taking the concept of the country in a bold direction.
What surprised me the most about this book is the way in which Coates integrates years of Marvel storylines into his own storytelling. Previous 'events' have taken their toll on Wakanda and undermined the rule of the Black Panther and his associates. Given the lack of respect shown by so many mainstream comic writers for continuity, I was greatly impressed to see how Coates took concepts and characters going as far back as Reginald Hudlin's 2005 Black Panther book and infuses them into his own take on Wakanda.
Initially I feared that the book would carry too much racial and political commentary but I am relieved to say that Coates finds an excellent balance between super hero heroics and political intrigue. He manages to include some excellent content related to political representation and democratic development that not only ties into the established comic history of Wakanda and the Black Panther monarchy but also the present state of politics in the Western world. A unique and highly recommended comic.
Coates is at the forefront of critical journalism in the United States and has written broadly about his own experiences growing up black and broader issues related to race in America. This volume collects the first 12 issues of his ongoing Black Panther run constituting the opening arc of his narrative. The comic as a whole is an absolute treat to read with excellent scripts from Coates and consistent artwork from Brian Stelfreeze. Stelfreeze in particular crafts a Wakanda that holds true to previous depictions while taking the concept of the country in a bold direction.
What surprised me the most about this book is the way in which Coates integrates years of Marvel storylines into his own storytelling. Previous 'events' have taken their toll on Wakanda and undermined the rule of the Black Panther and his associates. Given the lack of respect shown by so many mainstream comic writers for continuity, I was greatly impressed to see how Coates took concepts and characters going as far back as Reginald Hudlin's 2005 Black Panther book and infuses them into his own take on Wakanda.
Initially I feared that the book would carry too much racial and political commentary but I am relieved to say that Coates finds an excellent balance between super hero heroics and political intrigue. He manages to include some excellent content related to political representation and democratic development that not only ties into the established comic history of Wakanda and the Black Panther monarchy but also the present state of politics in the Western world. A unique and highly recommended comic.
March 26, 2019
Coates has created a timely story about what happens when a country loses faith in its institutions.
Stephen Greenblatt writes of how tyrants come to power in Shakespeare's plays: "The starting point is weakness at the center of the realm." (Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics) Such is the case in Coates' Wakanda. The king's mistakes allow dissatisfaction to take root. Demagogues feed and water the people's discontent. And soon enough, frustration has grown into rebellion. The comparison to Shakespeare's history plays is not unwarranted...
T'Challa, a flawed leader, struggles and stumbles as he attempts to come to terms with his role as king in a country that no longer believes in kings.
A meditation on the fragility of our civic institutions, and on the necessary challenge and sacrifice of leadership.
It was a challenging read; Coates assumes readers will have a familiarity with characters and events from the Marvel comics' continuity. Approach it as a novel, not a comic book; expect to work a little and your work may be rewarded. It's a well-thought-out story with some relevance for our times.
A final note: I'm assuming the title is taken from A Nation Under Our Feet: Black Political Struggles in the Rural South from Slavery to the Great Migration Stephen Hahn's 2004 Pulitzer-Prize winning book that relates "The epic story of how African-Americans, in the six decades following slavery, transformed themselves into a political people--an embryonic black nation." ...Because Coates' 12-issue run here seems engaged in a similar project.
Stephen Greenblatt writes of how tyrants come to power in Shakespeare's plays: "The starting point is weakness at the center of the realm." (Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics) Such is the case in Coates' Wakanda. The king's mistakes allow dissatisfaction to take root. Demagogues feed and water the people's discontent. And soon enough, frustration has grown into rebellion. The comparison to Shakespeare's history plays is not unwarranted...
T'Challa, a flawed leader, struggles and stumbles as he attempts to come to terms with his role as king in a country that no longer believes in kings.
A meditation on the fragility of our civic institutions, and on the necessary challenge and sacrifice of leadership.
It was a challenging read; Coates assumes readers will have a familiarity with characters and events from the Marvel comics' continuity. Approach it as a novel, not a comic book; expect to work a little and your work may be rewarded. It's a well-thought-out story with some relevance for our times.
A final note: I'm assuming the title is taken from A Nation Under Our Feet: Black Political Struggles in the Rural South from Slavery to the Great Migration Stephen Hahn's 2004 Pulitzer-Prize winning book that relates "The epic story of how African-Americans, in the six decades following slavery, transformed themselves into a political people--an embryonic black nation." ...Because Coates' 12-issue run here seems engaged in a similar project.
July 28, 2018
A while back, I had read several of the Black Panther issues that were written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. They were interesting but somewhat confusing because it felt like they were picking up from some previous work and it wasn't clear where they were headed. Since then I've seen the movie and Coates has written more issues, which alongwith the previous issues, have been compiled in this volume.
I have a better understanding of what's happening in Coates rendition of Wakanda now that there's a more complete story arch. Reading the first several editions is like reading the first third of a book and not knowing what coming next. "A Nation Under Our Feet" at least completes some of the conflicts, projects us into the future, and ties all of the issues together.
The movie and these comic books have little to nothing in common as far as the plot is concerned. The only cross over is the setting and the characters. I'm wondering how much Infinity Wars will bring the movie franchise around to the graphic novels or if they are going to go down separate paths. I will say that having seen the movie it helped ground me in a more solid understanding of Wakanda and Wakandan society. The graphic novels drop you into Wakanda without giving you much explanation of the setting and that also left me confused on my earlier read. Now, however, I felt more grounded in their society and culture and was better able to understand some of the conflicts and motivations.
If you liked the movie and are interested in knowing more about the characters, I would recommend this volume. Just be aware that where the movie is and where this volume begins are two very different things.
I have a better understanding of what's happening in Coates rendition of Wakanda now that there's a more complete story arch. Reading the first several editions is like reading the first third of a book and not knowing what coming next. "A Nation Under Our Feet" at least completes some of the conflicts, projects us into the future, and ties all of the issues together.
The movie and these comic books have little to nothing in common as far as the plot is concerned. The only cross over is the setting and the characters. I'm wondering how much Infinity Wars will bring the movie franchise around to the graphic novels or if they are going to go down separate paths. I will say that having seen the movie it helped ground me in a more solid understanding of Wakanda and Wakandan society. The graphic novels drop you into Wakanda without giving you much explanation of the setting and that also left me confused on my earlier read. Now, however, I felt more grounded in their society and culture and was better able to understand some of the conflicts and motivations.
If you liked the movie and are interested in knowing more about the characters, I would recommend this volume. Just be aware that where the movie is and where this volume begins are two very different things.
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