Black Panther is getting a brand new series in the pages of Marvel Comics. As initially reported by Bleeding Cool, John Ridley is set to pen a new series centered on the beloved superhero. Marvel has now confirmed that the Oscar-winning writer of 12 Years a Slave is indeed ushering in a new era for T’Challa and Wakanda.
Ridley will write the series, which features art from Juann Cabal (Guardians of the Galaxy). The new series will debut in August. The news comes as it was revealed earlier this year that Ta-Naheis Coates’ run on Black Panther is coming to an end. Coates helped to redefine the character for a new generation with his multi-year work. Ridley will be picking up the torch.
Here is the logline for the new Black Panther series.
“In this new ongoing series, secrets from T’Challa’s past have come back to haunt him. Fresh from returning from his adventures in space, Black Panther receives an unexpected and urgent message from a Wakandan secret agent. T’Challa must race the clock not only to save his agent, but also to keep his true agenda under wraps. Because if the truth comes out, it could cost T’Challa everything…”
Ridley is coming fresh off of his work on DC’s Batman. To go along with the announcement, Marvel also released a special cover for the book’s first issue. Legendary artist Alex Ross cooked up the cover. We’ve included it below for you to check out.
“It’s a hybrid espionage-Super Hero thriller, but at its core, it’s a love story,” Ridley said in an interview with The New York Times. “And I don’t mean just romantic love, although there’s some of that as well. It’s love between friends.
“We’re coming out of a summer where we saw Black people fighting for our rights, standing up, fighting in ways that we haven’t had to do in years,” Ridley added. “And it was really important to me after the year we had where we can have these conversations with Black people and we can use words like love and caring and hope and regret and all these really fundamental emotions that everybody has.”
Black Panther was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966. The character was indeed a mainstay of the comics for decades. However, when Chadwick Boseman brought T’Challa to life in Captain America: Civil War, he became a global sensation. 2018’s Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler, cemented the hero as a true icon. Unfortunately, Boseman passed away last year but Black Panther 2, Wakanda Forever, is still happening. Someone else will be taking up the mantle, Boseman will not be recast.
Black Panther #1 hits stands on in August.
What do you think? Are you excited to see what Ridley does with the character? Do you plan on reading along? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
