Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet by Ta-Nehisi Coates
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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.
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