The African nation of Wakanda is growing, and with that comes a new series for the Black Panther spinoff. T’Challa currently stars in Black Panther by writer John Ridley, which has seen the hero’s darkest secrets come back to bite him. Black Panther caused a civil war in Wakanda after his political secrets became public knowledge, and is no longer welcomed in his country. This is the backdrop for Wakanda, a new limited series that follows other important characters in the franchise like Shuri and Killmonger. With only one month until Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters, Marvel has released a preview of Wakanda #1.
Wakanda #1 includes a Shuri story by Stephanie Williams, Paco Medina, Walden Wong, Elisabetta D’Amico, and Bryan Valenza, and a “History of the Black Panthers” story by Evan Narcisse, Natacha Bustos, Jordie Bellaire, and VC’s Joe Sabino. Shuri and her mother Ramonda discuss T’Challa’s absence in Wakanda when the Rhino goes on a rampage.
“I’ve been such a huge fan of the Black Panther over the years, especially the evolution and expansion of the women of Wakanda. It’s truly an honor to kick off the new series with the Shuri story I wrote. I hope I can add to her and Wakanda’s already impressive lore,” Williams said.
The “History of the Black Panther” backup stories from Evan Narcisse and Natacha Bustos offer, for the first time, a definitive overview of all the Wakandans who have ever held the mantle of Black Panther.
“I’ve been a fan of the charm and scale of Natacha Bustos’ work for a long time and am thrilled to collaborate with her on a new look at Wakanda’s history,” Narcisse said. “The tale we’re telling will give readers a deeper look at how the Black Panthers of the past led the Unconquered Realm to glory and left a wondrous legacy that Emperor T’Challa still embodies.”
Tenoch Huerta plays Namor the Sub-Mariner in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He hails from the underwater kingdom of Talocan, which is inspired by Aztec mythology. Talocan and Wakanda will find themselves at odds, pitting Namor against Wakanda’s defenders such as Shuri, M’Baku, the Dora Milaje, and Ironheart.
Namor has also been confirmed to be a mutant in the MCU.
The actor has spoken to the comparisons between Namor and Black Panther’s first nemesis, Killmonger. “I hope so!” He chuckled about following Killmonger’s massive popularity in an interview with Total Film. “I never try to compare myself with other actors with my characters. But, of course, he made a great antagonist, and people loved him. I loved that character when I saw the first Black Panther movie. I hope that people engage in the same way with Namor.”
Tickets for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are on sale now. The movie premieres November 11th, only in theaters.
You can find the preview of Wakanda #1 below. The issue goes on sale Wednesday, October 12th.
