Week Thirteen: Black Panther #1

Being that I am a total sucker for comics, the recent Black Panther film, and beautifully colored, expertly inked sequential illustration, naturally I had to read Black Panther #1. I would have read it before, in all truth, but the last time I visited the comic book store I was low on cash and I haven't been back since. Reading the comic online was a lot easier than being a delinquent and pulling the physical copy from its sleeve to (hopefully) inconspicuously read in the store, believe it or not!

Anyway, I was delighted by this comic. No surprise-- from a standpoint based purely in aesthetic and artistic merit, the work was beautiful. From the organization of the panels, to the character design, to the impressive use of color, I was in love. I was also in love with some of the characters we were introduced to that I don't believe were shown in the film. The two women from the Dora Milaje (Ayo and Aneka) that have a change of heart and decide that they no longer live to protect the king were an absolute treat. I feel like it's fairly rare that we see sapphic women and their relationships represented in the media at all, what's more these characters are also both women of color! Aside from those things I was also deeply intrigued by their circumstances; in the Black Panther film the Dora Milaje are unquestionably faithful to their king and their country, but in this issue we see these women in times of turmoil, facing issues of doubt and ultimately forging their own path despite unfavorable circumstances. 

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