Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Black Panther, Vol. 9: The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, Part Four

Rate this book
The dramatic conclusion of the spacefaring saga, "The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda," is here at last! It's the groundbreaking story of a king who became a slave - and a slave who became a legend! But how did T'Challa go from Wakandan monarch to the unwilling servant of an alien empire? Finally, witness the Black Panther's fall from grace - and the rise of an enemy now poised to exert his ruthless grip on Earth! To protect our planet from N'Jadaka's violent invasion, the nation of Wakanda must go to war against its own future...and its fi rst, best and only hope lies in its mighty king, the Black Panther!
COLLECTING: BLACK PANTHER (2018) 19-25

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2021

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Ta-Nehisi Coates

283 books17.6k followers
Ta-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.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
99 (28%)
4 stars
139 (40%)
3 stars
86 (25%)
2 stars
16 (4%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Paul.
2,936 reviews20 followers
September 1, 2021
Ta-Nehisi Coates’ epic, five year run on Black Panther comes to an end with this volume. Coates has improved as a comicbook writer a great deal over that time, although it’s his stint on Captain America that’s benefitted the most from that. This book remained a bit of a mess plot wise right up to the end, unfortunately.

Don’t get me wrong (cue Pretenders song) there are some really nice moments in here, amidst the muddle. I found T’Challa’s final communion with the spirits of his ancestors particularly moving.

The artwork was generally of a high standard, particularly Daniel Acuña’s work. Unfortunately, the constant switching back and forth between different artists made the overall visual experience jarring. Marvel doesn’t seem to be able to get one artist to complete even a single issue these days.

The thing that I find most upsetting, though, is Marvel’s message of isolationism being a good thing. What with Krakoa and Wakanda both embracing self-segregation it feels like the old Marvel message that we all need to work together and embrace one another’s differences seems to have died a death. From other readers’ positive reactions to these story elements, it is clear to me I’m behind the times but it upsets me.

Not to mention that it makes absolutely no sense for T’Challa not to call in his Avengers team to help when Wakanda is facing its greatest threat ever. He called in virtually every black superhero in the world to help, even some he’s never had any contact with prior to this story and who have no connection to Wakanda whatsoever, but not the team of Avengers he is currently the leader of. Tactically it makes no sense. Character relationships-wise it makes no sense. The only way it makes any kind of sense is to stick two fingers up in a ‘we don’t need whitey’s help’ message… which makes me sad. Sorry if my sadness isn’t currently very on trend.

Don’t misunderstand me; I’d be as horrified as anyone else if the Avengers came swooping in and ‘white saviour-ed’ the day, but for them not even to be allowed a relatively minor supporting role, just fighting in the background like a lot of the other characters did to show their long-established relationship with T’Challa, seems wrong-headed to me. Sorry.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing what the next creative team do with the book off the back of Coates’ status quo changes.

My next book: Mr. Quiet
Profile Image for Craig.
2,994 reviews31 followers
October 6, 2021
Really strong ending for a story that Coates sometimes struggled to tell clearly. He's really grown as a comics writer over the course of this series (and Captain America). I don't like this volume as much as the preceding one, but it does a very good job of wrapping the story up and bringing everything to a close. The art is variable, though consistently pretty strong, with Daniel Acuna being the standout here. I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Alex Sarll.
7,248 reviews377 followers
Read
July 12, 2021
Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther run wraps up, and he's certainly come on in leaps and bounds as a comics writer over the duration. The early issues had that slightly stilted quality which often attends a prose writer's first comics forays, but where some of them never lose that, here Coates keeps all his plates spinning with the aplomb of a veteran, Wakanda fighting an invasion born of its own corrupted scions on three fronts: on the ground, in space, and in the mystic realm where the ancestral Panthers reside. Sure, there were moments where one could think, hang on, why is Monica Rambeau looking moody in that cool line-up panel when surely she has the power to take down the armada pretty much single-handed...but these are the built-in flaws of the superteam idea, rather than something anyone's first comic can be expected to solve. I do still wonder whether the Intergalactic Empire storyline needed to run quite as long as it did – as when the X-Men head off into space, it didn't feel like it was altogether playing to the strengths of the character/s. But it certainly fed into one of the book's bolder themes where, contrary to some of the more dippily partisan readings of the Black Panther film, Coates was determined to show that like any powerful nation, Wakanda too had its flaws in the present, atrocities in its past, and the potential for worse to come if it didn't keep a constant eye on itself.

One area where the run has aligned more closely with the film, and left me at a slight distance from both, was in showing a more reactive T'challa than we saw in the Priest run, still and always my favourite take on the character. But that preparedness has gradually crept back in (as, who knows, it might have done in the films too, had the general shittiness of our own world not intervened). Leading here to a wonderful scene with his father's spirit, against a wonderful Daniel Acuña backdrop of the realm and the lineage, at once numinous and welcoming:
"T'challa is never surprised. T'challa always has a plan. T'challa is always in control."
"Is that not what I was taught?"
"Yes. But if there had been time... I would have taught you so much more."

Obviously that's given more impact by what happened to Chadwick Boseman. But then that the first issue which came out after the terrible news, the one with a memorial border, should see T'challa inciting his forces with talk of grieving fallen fighters and using that as fuel... Oof. A late adjustment, or synchronicity at work? I'd almost rather not know.
Profile Image for Bogi Takács.
Author 64 books665 followers
Read
September 12, 2021
I didn't realize before picking up the book that this was the end of Coates' run, I only thought it was the end of this particular story arc :((( It goes out with big space opera battles and as usual, interesting takes on in-universe politics (a bit more of the former, but the latter is definitely still present). I am sad that this series is over for now. Not sure who will be writing Black Panther next? I really really hope Marvel isn't going to just cancel it for now.

I thought the finale was cool and cinematic. It also left some fault lines open wrt Wakanda and imperialism that I can already see becoming further plotlines, while at the same time also giving resolution to individual characters - I thought that was great.

But I also had some frustrations. (I feel my writeup of my frustrations is relatively long, but there aren't that many of them, so please weight them accordingly.)

* I really appreciated that the comic discussed and engaged with how the original inhabitants of the land weren't just bloodthirsty monsters, and relating this to concepts of Indigeneity. But I thought that the resolution of this plotline in this volume undercut the attempt somewhat. I feel like I missed something??
* Plurality/multiplicity presented as a weakness and something bad will never not aggravate me. It wasn't a big part of the storyline, at least, but sigh. (If Marvel is going to go with a high-profile writer from outside comics next time around as well, could I recommend Akwaeke Emezi?)
____
Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library
Profile Image for Alan.
2,050 reviews15 followers
June 3, 2021
The rating might be a little high for this volume alone, but I do believe that for his overall work on the character through this and the preceding series that Coates evolved as a writer.

And, in reality I never thought he would be able to sell me on doing a Wakanda/Black Panther space opera story. I just didn't think it was in his range.

I'm wrong. Look, Coates comes from a different style of writing, and different subject matter. Transitioning from one medium to another (books, essays to comics) is not easy and not everyone can do it. The same would apply to a novelist transitioning to movies-the mediums each have different requirements. Coates, learned and improved in both this and his Captain America series (which in some ways plays more to his writer strengths).

He also avoids getting too bogged down in the company mandated event crossover.

This volume is The Panther's concluding fight against the tyrannical Wakanda Empire (not something I can explain in few sentences-best short version I can manage is an interstellar exploration experiment by T'Challa goes awry and over the course of time Wakanda grew an empire that was more feared than Marvel's Shi'ar empire in a distant galaxy).

Part of the story, over the 25 singles issues is a hero's journey as T'Challa has to re-discover himself (part of the experiment's back firing was his amnesia). Coates ties in some plot lines from the previous series as characters and being from the revolution against T'Challa's rule re-appear (as does Bast and the Orisha).

there are nice character moments to go with big action scenes.

(Full disclosure read as digital floppies).

Profile Image for Dakota Morgan.
3,606 reviews55 followers
November 10, 2022
All the aspects of The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda that I've been loving (sci-fi action! spare dialogue! new characters! new places!) unfortunately recede in this final volume in the mini-series. Black Panther (and friends) must defend Wakanda from N'Jadaka who has possessed the rebirthed body of Killmonger.

Therein lies my first issue with this volume: soooo many callbacks. Why does N'Jadaka have to possess Killmonger? It's never explained, other than the fact that Killmonger is a longtime foe of Black Panther so it's cool to resurrect him. For a mini-series that has at times been surprisingly grounded, that's a really blatantly "comic book!" thing to do.

We also see callbacks to that whole "Black Panther is the living embodiment of Wakanda's collective memory" thing. This was always the weakest, most annoying aspect of Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther run for me, so to see it return for hand-wavey reasons is exhausting.

Also exhausting: the return of Coates' love for speech-like dialogue. When he was in space, Black Panther and friends spoke like humans. On Earth, they speak like poets.

And what the heck was that conclusion?!

Still, this volume is a decently bombastic conclusion to The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. There are fun elements here and there and Daniel Acuna's action-packed art soars. But I missed space. Maybe it says something about Coates' run that I most liked Black Panther when he was far from Wakanda and had his memories wiped.
Profile Image for Vivek.
433 reviews
November 26, 2021
Lots of big battles, and good portions of this felt difficult to understand. A disappointing end to an epic and uneven run on Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I did appreciate the James Baldwin shoutout, but the half attempt at reparations, and the doubling down on monarchy, didn’t feel like a worthy resolution to the big issues (empire, enslavement, generational trauma and healing) that Coates set up earlier in his final arc of the series. To be fair, a Marvel comic book is a tough place to work those things out, and I do give Coates big props for the effort.
Profile Image for John Ward.
462 reviews7 followers
August 8, 2021
Quality last trade edition for Coates. I also enjoy the captain America series.
Profile Image for Adan.
Author 33 books28 followers
November 23, 2021
I remember starting Coates’ run on Black Panther and going, “This dude does not know how to write comics.” But it has been an absolute pleasure watching him become really friggin’ good at it. While I mostly enjoyed this final chapter, I do think the ending was a bit muddled, and I don’t quite understand what Bast did (but I guess mere mortals aren’t meant to understand the ways of gods or something). And I’m not entirely sure why T’Challa got up and said Wakanda and Wakandans were super great when a bunch of his non-Wakandan friends showed up to help out. Still, a pretty sweet ride.
Profile Image for Nicole Westen.
953 reviews37 followers
September 7, 2021
I think it's cool how in this volume, T'challa has to reckon with his duties as king and his responsibilities as an Avenger, and how he needs to decide to put one or the other first.
And I totally agree with Ororo on this, yes T'challa didn't want to be an emperor, which is why he'd make a good one. Always suspect someone who wants or welcomes becoming an authority figure, at least in fiction anyway.
Profile Image for Sean.
4,384 reviews25 followers
December 2, 2021
While this was epic in scope in just never hit with me. I felt unattached to the vast majority of these characters and it always felt odd. It wasn't a bad story by any means but I can't imagine a new reader picking this up and feeling involved. The art by Acuna, Bodenheim, and others was very good. Coates' run ends and it was full of highs and lows but it will be remembered. Overall, a decent book in an overreaching story.
Profile Image for Sesana.
6,466 reviews329 followers
September 25, 2021
The end of Coates's fascinating run. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up here, and he does an admirable job of getting it all done in six issues. There are some genuinely moving moments, some effective action sequences, and some well-earned introspection in here, too. This has been a run to remember, for sure.
Profile Image for Douglass Gaking.
448 reviews1,705 followers
July 5, 2022
“An empire sustains N’Jadaka’s rule. An empire of slaves. An empire of chains. Chains soon to be broken.”

This is the conclusion of the Ta-Nehisi Coates Black Panther series, resolving the long Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda saga. My best way of summing up this volume and the series as a whole is a line one of my music professors said to me in college: "You have moments of brilliance surrounded by lots and lots of mediocrity." Coates is a great writer–my favorite writer–and he has these moments of flow that are unbelievably good, but he is much better at writing prose than comics. Throughout this series, there have been issues moving the plot along coherently, and this volume is no exception.

Nonetheless, there are these amazing moments where the characters debate philosophical concepts crucial to the Wakanda story and relevant to the real-world African diaspora. Coates takes us pretty deep into this realm of consciousness, especially for comics, all while keeping up plenty of action.

Of particular note is the quality of the artwork in this series. Daniel Acuña's work is particularly stunning. The combination of Acuña's and Coates's brilliance makes me so happy that I own every issue of this series and can keep picking these paperbacks up off the shelf and reliving the amazing visual and intellectual moments within them.
Profile Image for Helena.
285 reviews9 followers
December 20, 2022
Volume 9 is an excellent conclusion to the arc and Coates’ run of Black Panther. It took me a while to wrap my head around it because it feels complicated and demands a lot of attention from readers, rightfully so. It’s a complex story of colonialism, purpose, history and memory that adds a lot of depth and nuance to Black Panther comics reminiscent of the first arc in this run, A Nation Under Our Feet. It expands Black Panther mythos in inventive ways, showcases Wakanda’s history, explores T’Challa as a person and king, solidifies his relationship with Storm, and gives us an incredible team-up between many of Marvel’s Black heroes. And it achieves all of this while discussing the politics of revolutions and empires. The scope of this story is amazing and the art perfectly sets the tone in every volume. It’s truly an epic sci-fi story that brings so much to Black Panther comics cannon, and it deserves your attention.
Profile Image for Mr. Stick.
491 reviews
April 14, 2025
"GIVE IT TIME. I WON'T JUST CONTAIN YOU, PARASITE. I WILL MASTER YOU."
- Killmonger to his symbiote.

The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda has come to Earth to destroy the rebels. N'Jadaka is dead (or is he?), and his symbiote has resurrected Killmonger to be its host (or has it?), which isn't weird at all (or maybe it is).
A lot of jumping around with different characters and different times. A bit onfusing. No surprises with the ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed Daniel Acuña's art more than the actual story. The "3D" blue and red outlines presented a kind of trippy effect that worked well. I preferred his distinct muted borders, which contrasted with other artists' cleaner lines and edges.
While Acuña's art was outstanding, and the story itself wasn't horrible (it just wasn't what i expected), I struggled to get through this one. Three stars.
Profile Image for Rocky Sunico.
2,280 reviews25 followers
December 19, 2022
While this last arc of Coates' Black Panther run wasn't the clearest or most focused story, it was certainly pretty ambitious and felt right up there with what Hickman had done for the X-Men. It's not a perfect story by any means and this last volume introduces a lot of weird elements in order to somehow manage a decent ending. But on the whole, I still enjoyed it and I liked how Coates had elevated Black Panther as a whole across this particular run.

It still feels like a suitable run for this chapter in Black Panther's comic book life. Can't wait to see where they they take Wakanda next, especially given the complications over in the Avengers books.
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,751 reviews41 followers
November 23, 2022
"That is your job, brother. Not to kill the slave driver. But to free the enslaved."

"And so I say to you, if this Wakandan, born and bred so far from the Golden City, would give her life so that it would not fall... What will you Wakandans called by the beacon offer? What shall you give to ensure that the beacon remains forever aflame?"
Yeah ok I admit it the entire speech made me misty eyed. If nothing else Coates made T'Challa a fucking fantastic orator.

I can safely say I thoroughly enjoyed Coates Black Panther.
Profile Image for Mark Sutherland.
417 reviews5 followers
June 15, 2022
A big comic book ending with lots of cameos, that suffers from the problems that entails. Coates' tale of empire ends with a reluctant monarch, but oddly doesn't seem to have much to say about it, given how much it wants to say about colonialism and empire. Decent art, some excellent character designs but not to the extent you'd recommend it for such. Overall a decent attempt to grapple with big ideas, but ultimately compromised by the need to conform to genre expectations.
Profile Image for Anthony Akoto.
84 reviews
August 4, 2022
3 stars

What started out as a rather unique arc has ended in a generic fashion as is with many superhero comic runs. An ensemble of heroes arrive to defeat the big bad in a massive battle and the ending leaves things pretty much status quo. Acuna's set pieces did look great as was the other art in this book but the convoluted dialogue and the aforementioned formulaic "superhero ending" left a lot to be desired.
426 reviews2 followers
November 26, 2021
A decent but frustrating end to Coates Run on Black Panther. There's elements that really work and are excellent and there are elements that fall flat in this volume. The art is inconsistent, sometimes there's huge gaps in the storyline as well.

The ending was decent but you can tell that this is a good time for someone new to take over the title
Profile Image for Rachelle.
1,410 reviews7 followers
March 8, 2022
I never seem to know that I'm reading the end of a series until I'm at the end. And this Black Panther did not disappoint. It felt like the ending of a long saga and journey. Coates writes a complicated T'Challa which makes the story all that more compelling. Putting everything in space just takes it to the next level!
Profile Image for Adam.
1,034 reviews
May 28, 2023
Ta-Nehesi Coates’ run of Black Panther was not my favourite; this series felt too ambitious for its own good. The insane amount of dialogue and text completely slows down the action of the story. At least I’m finally done with this series.
Profile Image for Andres Pasten.
1,236 reviews5 followers
December 2, 2021
Sigo sin entender si esto calza con el volumen anterior o no. Un 3 a secas.
Profile Image for Bryan.
Author 59 books22 followers
February 17, 2022
Coates nails the landing. So glad I stuck with the series through the end. The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda more than makes up for his early struggles. Writing comics is hard!
7 reviews
Read
February 19, 2022
The fact comixology transitioned to a 'new' app over the few days I was reading this strongly impacted my ability to enjoy the story. The app is very user unfriendly.
Profile Image for Sabrina.
270 reviews15 followers
April 3, 2022
What. A. Series! I’m glad to have experience the memory plane of Wakanda through the eyes of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Daniel Acuña!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews