This is my chance to focus on something that I like or don't like in a single post. If you know me, it will be a vehicle for my incessant bitching about said topic. Maybe it will be entertaining, maybe it won't. We'll see if the State of the Union is really strong!
The first thing I want to tackle is the Black Panther. Specifically within the comic books. He's been my favorite character for nearly 20 years now, so I've read practically every series he's starred in. I may not remember all of it, but I have a good enough sample size to have an informed opinion. Why am I talking about him right now? Simple. His comic book series have been mid to outright bad the past few years. If you read any of my thoughts last year, I railed against this book and did a think piece on why having an American black writer on the book is not enough.
My true problem is that Marvel editorial keeps throwing prose writers at a comic book. The reason I think this is a bad idea will be fleshed out more below. Just stay with me. It's a formula that doesn't normally breed success and it's especially egregious with this book. Marvel has it in their mind that getting someone outside of comics will bring new eyes and make new fans. I would love to think that is true, but comics are so intimidating and often impenetrable to new readers that I don't blame them for taking a hard pass.
Back to my problem. So the last couple of writers have been Ta-Nehisi Coates, John Ridley and Eve Ewing. All accomplished writers in their own rights, but not comic book writers. The reason prose writers don't work out in comics is because they treat comic books like they're prose books. They're not. The art does the heavy lifting so you don't have to explain every detail via overwrought dialogue, but these kind of writers tend to do that. It is a slog to get through and that is not how modern day comics work.
Also, these writers couch their stories in more high concept themes that don't fit Black Panther. You want to talk about the downfall of a sovereign nation-state, espionage, living at the ground level as your people, that's fine. Each writer is socially conscious and know how they want to relay their message. Unfortunately, that gets lost because the stories are overwrought with extraneous dialogue that is either clunky or overly verbose. There's a pace within a comic book where the art has to mesh with the words. If I'm spending too much time reading the dialogue, my eyes get tired and I don't take in the art. I power through just so I can be done. You've failed.
Given that editing comics is their JOB, you would think the editors of Black Panther would have a better eye for talent. They especially know that it takes a love of comic books and understanding of how the medium works to be successful at it. This is why I keep harping on why prose writers are not the proper course of action. I still stand by my thought that the Black Panther is a character that needs to have a person of color writing it and there are a dearth of writers out there that Marvel can find.
These last few writers have made me question myself. I've had to ask, "Do I enjoy this or am I making myself enjoy this because it's my favorite character?" Generally, that answer has been no, I'm not enjoying it at all. I have been hate reading for a few years now.
This is where we find Black Panther. He's had creative changes and new directions every volume, so much that it is making my head spin. Each writer wants to put their own stamp on things, but it doesn't tie back into the overall narrative of the character and has NO impact on the rest of the Marvel Universe, so why even bother? It's further worsened by the fact that he's a chair person on the Avengers and doing super hero stuff, while not being in his country and nothing in his own title affects that.
I've been reading comics enough to know that traditionally, Black Panther series do not sell well. It's a fact that is not lost on me. That is why they keep rebooting them because some complicated metrics show that #1 issues sell well. When the movie came out and turned him into an A-List character, I thought the quality of the books would follow. Marvel's typical penchant for synergy with their movie franchises never materialized. There was a real moment for Marvel to capitalize on. They could have ushered in an era of Afro-futurism on a grand scale and they fumbled it.
I have not heard news of a new creative team and that's worrisome to me. It means that no one has volunteered up a pitch that Marvel wants to get behind. Maybe it's just a cursed book. There is an Ultimate Black Panther title that is written by an author I like, Bryan Hill. I've always felt the Ultimate universe and any multi-verse story is a cowardly way to do something new with your characters. However, that book has been very good, so I have hope.
Who would I like to see take over? It's hard to gauge. In an ideal world, I would want someone who is from Africa that would be able to tell a tale with some nuisance that an American born person just could not convey. I don't want Black Panther cozying up with any other teams in his solo title. He needs to primarily stay in Wakanda and deal with issues there because that is the space to explore that. It's also the ONLY book we can even find out about this fictional nation, so why not spend more time fleshing that out.
Will I keep reading? Yes. I've suffered worse than this. If nothing else, my blind loyalty can help sales in some miniscule way.
State of the Union: Not Strong.
