Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet
lack Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet is the graphic novel that everyone should read and it’s something that the world definitely needs right now. The way that Coates is able to have T’Challa fight this internal battle between ruling Wakanda based on the traditions and doing things his own way, there’s absolutely some internal conflict that he has to overcome and is something that I think would’ve been a great addition to the MCU adaptation of Black Panther.
The highlight of this graphic novel was the scenes where Shuri was learning the old and new traditions that were lost in the Djalia. Those moments had a calmness to them and were able to highly showcase the women of the past, present, and the unforeseen future, It was something that I loved reading and discovering alongside Shuri, as well as The Mother character. She was such a great mentor for Shuri when it came to discovering the true origins of not only Wakanda but past regions as well. These moments were a nice escape from the chaos that was happening in Wakanda. The scenes were able to provide some insight that the movies (no disrespect towards the MCU) hold back and I think, if they had a sequel, with Chadwick still alive they could’ve easily done this narrative because it’s a strong story that could explore more of T’Challa coping with the pressure of being king while also gaining deeper insight into the citizens of Wakanda.
Another element that Coates exceeded in was highlighting the themes of personal choice/history that is long forgotten. We got a deeper insight into the characters and the reasons they did what they did. The main argument where I could understand both sides was Ayo’s relationship with her girlfriend and the fight she has to risk it all in order to be with her. While I don’t condone giving up everything for love, this love was strong and authentic and never once did they waver or fall out. I wanted to see more of that complex relationship shine through the story. Despite it being T’Challa’s personal journey, there was also a chance to dig deeper into the lives of the Dora Milaje as they play a concrete role in keeping the Wakanda borders safe and are loyal to the Queen Ramona, so I wish we got more of Ayo’s thinking when she was seeing her love thought process into rebelling and being on the run.
T’Challa as well, we got more complexities from his scientific interests to his connections with Ororo, Misty Knight, Luke Cage, and Tony Stark. I love that we got to see the heroes interact with each other as it adds more chemistry/layers to the characters and in this case, it works. There was so many complexities to T’Challa that I believe if Chadwick was alive today, would nail the development of T’Challa from new ruler to father (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
Highly recommend reading this graphic novel as it explores themes of how far you’re willing to go in order to achieve what you want and if those goals are worth it in the end. T’Challa is the perfect leader for Wakanda! R.I.P. to Chadwick Boseman, Wakanda Forever.