Black Panther – King or Queen

In Black Panther, Wakanda is a technologically advanced African nation that is known for its vibranium, a rare metal. In some respects, I thought that this nation related to the United States of America. I believe this because political leaders and villains such as Zeke Stene are all pursuing vibranium. Similar in America, everyone tries to pursue the ‘American Dream’ or strive for prosperity and successfulness. However, I find that greed is one major factor that restricts everyone from being rich and full. Greed includes unequal distribution of resources such as food in our world and vibranium in Wakanda.

I enjoyed the images in the comic since the characters were wearing the cultural clothing of Wakanda. Throughout the comic, T’Challa is seen wearing a dashiki. I think the significance of this is to show that even though he is blinded by his passion of being a scientist, he will still pursue the role of a king and care for his people.

T’Challa is a very unique character and possesses traits that are different from the typical superhero. He constantly holds meetings with political leaders and his family and seek for advice. It also clear that he has conflicting mindsets between being a king or being scientist. He also highly values family and this is evident as he seeks to find his sister Shuri. Despite the criticism he receives from his people, he is still a highly respected individual. For example, Eden emphasized his willingness to place his body on the line for him as they were prepared to save Shuri.

Changamire is a professor that came across as wise and knowledgeable. Tetu, one of the villains in the book, is greatly influenced by Changamire’s teachings. It seems that Changamire is in distress throughout the issues since Tetu’s mindset is the result of Changamire’s teachings. Tetu reinforces violence along with Zenzi.

My favourite part in the comic is the scene where he is being intentionally being caught by Zeke Stane. As he is being captured, the author also incorporates his thoughts in the panels. I immediately thought of McCloud’s breakdown of imagine and text combinations. This was a prime example of parallel. Overall, the Black Panther was a fascinating comic book and I found it more complex, yet more interesting to read, than All-Star Superman and Ms. Marvel since it encourages readers to really interpret and understand the ideologies underlying each character and scene.