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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
BLACK PANTHER GRAPHIC NOVEL.
THE FIRST BLACK SUPERHERO!!!
The Black Panther (T'Challa) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe who is the first modern Black superhero. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966).
Graphic Novel published by Marvel Comics in 1991, the creators of such beloved superheroes a SPIDERMAN, THE HULK, X-MEN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, IRON MAN and of course THE FANTASTIC FOUR!
Since his introduction to the Marvel universe, the Black Panther has fought alongside just about every major hero, both on his own and as a member of the Avengers. He has also fought for justice in several of his own series and miniseries, including a 1988 multi-issue story in Marvel Comics Presents, in which he ventured into an apartheid-era South Africa to find his mother... a rather dangerous time and place for a black man in a mask to be.
Indeed, Black Panther's adventures have often involved racial tensions, ecological issues, and conflicts between ancient cultures and Western nations. And given his identity as a king and an African, this is understandable. But the important thing to note is that, unlike the racist comic characters that came before him, he is not defined solely by his skin color or nationality; he is a product of the belief that every person should be judged by his or her words and actions, and not by the color of their skin.
The Black Panther is the ceremonial title given to the chief of the Panther Tribe of the African nation of Wakanda. In addition to ruling the country, he is also chief of its various tribes (collectively referred to as the Wakandas). The Panther uniform is a symbol of office (head of state) and is used even during diplomatic missions.
The Black Panther is entitled to the use of a heart-shaped herb that grants the person who consumes it enhanced strength, agility, and perception. The present-day bearer of the Black Panther mantle is T'Challa, who has had a lengthy career as a superhero, including a longstanding membership in The Avengers, alongside heroes such as CAPTAIN AMERICA, IRON MAN and THOR.
Though the Black Panther, the super hero who is also king of an isolated, technologically advanced African kingdom, Wakanda, was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, in many respects it's Don McGregor who defined the character, having been the first writer to present the Panther in a solo series in the pages of Jungle Action in the 1970s -- McGregor who has a penchant for writing ambitious, philosophical, emotionally textured, lyrical -- and rather verbose -- sagas, that can be both profound and pompous, sometimes at the same time. He helped define the Panther as a philosophical, brooding figure, torn between the conflicts of duty and personal wants, and developed a supporting cast. McGregor had finally been lured back to writing the Panther for an epic saga, "Panther's Prey"
The story has T'Challa, the Black Panther, in Wakanda being bedeviled by Solomon Prey, a taloned and winged villain who is also setting himself up as the kingdom's resident illegal drug lord -- while, at the same time, T'Challa decides to reconnect with his ex-love, the American singer Monica Lynne. Along the way there are ruminations on life, love, responsibility, obsession, loyalty, crime, drugs, old world/new world values...plus some flying dinosaurs, comic relief.
This new chapter in the Black Panther mythos is set in Wakanda, the fabled African city where T’Challa, or Black Panther, again reigns as king. But T’Challa is not typical of his royal ancestors, for he personifies an unholy marriage of jungle and city, and the two do not seem to mix. His city and people seem to be in the same situation, torn between protecting the past and advancing toward the future. T’Challa finds comfort in renewing ancient customs, but always there is the danger of new enemies attempting to invade his priceless kingdom.
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