Tag Archives: Chaos

Nov 15 2016

Black Panther World of Wakanda 1


world-of-wakanda-1Today, Ryan D. and Patrick are discussing Black Panther: World of Wakanda 1, originally released November 9th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Ryan D: Max Landis wised me up to “narrative potential” in a video from a while ago, but ever since then I can’t help but notice when a topic just screams with possibilities. This is the gift which is being presented to the collaborators of the new series Black Panther:World of Wakanda. Spinning directly off of Ta’Nehisi Coates’s current, ambitious run with the titular character, this series promises to flesh out the vibrant, complicated African nation in a way that will supplement the overarching story being told. While Wakanda may be the world’s most developed and advanced society — at once reaching forward as a progressive power-house and at the same time sitting comfortably in its heritage — it is also a nation recoiling from siege and tragedy. The opening chapter of World of Wakanda shows us two different glimpses into the prelude which lead to the current Wakanda read in the comics, one of a particular volatility, and thus far I think one of these two narrative paths is a much more gratifying path to follow.

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Sep 21 2016

Black Panther 6

Alternating Currents: Black Panther 6, Ryan and DrewToday, Ryan D. and Drew are discussing Black Panther 6, originally released September 14th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Ryan D: Maybe it’s an American thing, but culture and media have trained me to almost always root for the revolution. Revolution is often associated with the fiery passion of change, the usurpation of the dolorous and oppressive status-quo, backed by the free-thinkers and do-gooders. Or maybe it’s the idea being studied in psychology about peoples’ need to root for the underdog. This, however, has not exactly been the case in the current run of Black Panther. Or has it? Issue six takes us a bit deeper into the side of the revolutionaries and the monarchy, and bring some new variables into the mix. Continue reading →

Apr 11 2016

Black Panther 1

black panther 1

Today, Patrick and Ryan M. are discussing Black Panther 1, originally released April 6th, 2016.

Patrick: It’s tempting to believe that we live in an era of non-localized revolutions. People may be demonstrating in Ferguson, but images of those demonstrations were tweeted and shared and broadcast all over the world. Through media (both social and vanilla), I am able to experience the revolution. That is privileged belief: at most, I can only pretend to participate by engaging with those television broadcasts and facebook posts. I can always offer myself an emotional distance because I am physically removed from the actual chaos and momentum of revolution. The people actually swept up in those demonstrations aren’t so lucky — energy of the revolution pushes them ever forward, without time to craft their think-pieces about the most effective way to express their dissatisfaction. Black Panther 1 finds Wakanda on the brink of civil war, and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and artist Brian Stelfreeze expertly propel the chaos forward, while constantly reminding the reader how badly the powers that be wish they were only dealing with static, distant images on a screen. Continue reading →