The psychic Zenzi and her handler, the Shaman Tetu, are in their way, another force seeking to bring Wakanda down, this time from within. Their belief that they know the will of the people brings another faction to the battle, this one believes they know the Will of the People.

We learn Wakanda, the very land itself is possibly intelligent, aware and unhappy with the state of affairs, as unhappy with what has happened with the recent issues, Doom, Namor and Thanos, but displeased with Wakanda’s divergence from the truly spiritual nature of the nation itself, instead relying on Vibranium to determine the future of the people.

We see the Land having a conversation with Shuri who T’challa believes is trapped between life and death. We don’t know what this entails only that the very nation of Wakanda is displeased with what has happened within it.

This is not an ordinary run of Black Panther. It may be one of the most challenging stories I have ever read. I have heard the complaint that this series does not have enough Black Panther. As if there was a recommended amount of T’challa which should appear on every page.

Okay, I can agree with the spirit of that statement. Up to this point, for the story to fly, we need to see everyone else’s point of view to make their stories real and significant. Unlike most runs of the Black Panther, we are not the lone King, running around in the outside world having adventures. In this story, we are inside of Wakanda, giving names to places, giving ideas and background. We are world-building and you shouldn’t rush that process.

As to whether we should see more Panther, perhaps the very idea espoused by the story should be considered: “Power lies not in what a king does, but in what his subjects believe he might do. This was profound. For it meant the majesty of kings lay in their mystique…not in their might.”

This Black Panther story does not rely on the might of its primary character, but on the idea than no good story depends solely upon its protagonist, instead it revolves on a confluence of forces. I am sad to hear so few readers are willing to give this story an opportunity to finish growing to allow what might be a Black Panther for the ages. I accept I may be the only person who feels this way, but I am not afraid to be the lone voice in the wilderness.

For those of you who hate this particular version of the Black Panther and what may follow for a time, take heart: it isn’t permanent. Every time a new writer takes over this book, they appear to scrap most of whatever the previous writer has done. You will probably get your Batmanesque Black Panther back in a few years, when Ta-Nehesi is through with him.

Ta-Nehesi Coates, I admit to being a doubter, but these first three issues along with the amazing artwork and support of Brian Stelfreeze, Laura Martin and Joe Sabino is a tour de force (and I am happy to hear the sales numbers agree — Ta-Nehesi Coates’ Black Panther is this years best-selling comic).

Well done, everyone. Will be reading the next three as quickly as time will allow.

PS: If I hear one more person tell me: I need the story to pick up speed… I will be forced to remind them of this, what I deem to be the storyteller’s true credo:

Speed is for cars, not stories. Complexity is what you are looking for; depth, richness of character, with a nice smattering of well-timed, well-delivered ass-kicking to top it off. Speed is the cherry, not the sundae.

Can you fly?

The Answer-Man was indeed asked a Question about this series:

One of the things that prompted my reading of the series thus far was a question by a young reader: What is the name of the hand-held weapon used by the Dora Milaje in their powered armor suits?

It appears to be a technological version of an ancient weapon called a knobkierie. They can be thrown with some degree of accuracy and knowing Wakandan weapon-smiths, can return to their wielder via a technological means. As to whether they are a just a club or possess other abilities, we will have to wait and see.

The real-world weapon has a couple of names I could trace, the Knobkierie or the Rungu. It is basically a stylized club that could be thrown at prey or used in hand to hand with the large knob as the striking end.

By Leo za1 — Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28694392

Knobkieries were an indispensable weapon of war, particularly among southern Nguni tribes such as the Zulu (as the iwisa) and the Xhosa. Knobkieries are still widely carried, especially in rural areas, while in times of peace it serves as a walking-stick. The head, or knob, is often ornately carved with faces or shapes that have symbolic meaning.

The Answer-Man’s Archives are a collection of my articles discussing superheroes and their powers in relationship to their respective universes. We deconstruct characters, memes, profiles and how superheroes relate to real world culture. You can find other Archives on Quora and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Stack Exchange or at The World According to Superheroes.

Thaddeus Howze is a writer, essayist, author and professional storyteller for mysterious beings who exist in non-Euclidean realms beyond our understanding. You can follow him on Twitter or support his writings on Patreon.