Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s (WCL) Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character. This post is about the king and protector of the unconquered city of Wakanda, the Black Panther!

(Via GIHPY)


Who is the Black Panther?

The Black Panther is a ceremonial title bestowed upon the head of the royal family line of Wakanda, a technologically advanced nation in central Africa that has remained uncolonized and is known for its store of the rare energy-absorbing metal Vibranium. After the death of King T’Chaka, the role falls to his son T’Challa, a stoic and studious young prince. Empowered by a suit of Vibranium and a heart-shaped herb that increases his strength and speed, T’Challa now defends his nation and the world as the Black Panther.


Classic Black Panther

In the years before Marvel NOW!, T’Challa married Storm of the X-Men, lead the Fantastic Four, and briefly became protector of Hell’s Kitchen in Daredevil’s absence.

Black Panther : who is the Black Panther / Hudlin, Reginald
(also on Libby)

Black Panther : bad mutha / Hudlin, Reginald

Black Panther : the bride / Hudlin, Reginald

Civil War: Black Panther (only on Libby)

Black Panther : little green men / Hudlin, Reginald

Black Panther : back to Africa / Hudlin, Reginald

Secret invasion : Black Panther / Aaron, Jason

Black Panther : power / Maberry, Jonathan

Black Panther : the man without fear! : the complete collection / Liss, David

Captain America/Black Panther. Flags of our fathers / Hudlin, Reginald


New Avengers – Working with the Enemy

T’Challa discovers that Incursions (universes colliding into each other) are slowly destroying the multiverse, and he gathers the Illuminati to find a way to prevent them. However, this means working with Namor, an enemy of Wakanda since he destroyed their capital city with a tidal wave in an act of war. Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers series (and its finale Secret Wars) explores the enmity between the two kings and how far each is willing to go to protect their nations (and to spite each other).

New Avengers [1] : everything dies / Hickman, Jonathan (also on Libby)

New Avengers : Volume 2 – Infinity (only on Libby)

New Avengers [2] : other worlds / Hickman, Jonathan

New Avengers [4] : a perfect world / Hickman, Jonathan

Avengers : time runs out. Volume one / Hickman, Jonathan (also on Libby)

Avengers. Volume 2 / Time runs out / Hickman, Jonathan

Avengers : time runs out. Volume 3 / Hickman, Jonathan

Avengers : time runs out. Vol. 4 / Hickman, Jonathan

Secret wars / Hickman, Jonathan


The Ta-Nehisi Coates run

Taking place after Secret Wars, this long-running and critically acclaimed series was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, former columnist for The Atlantic and author of Between the World and Me. Here, T’Challa faces a populist uprising in Wakanda, meets the old gods that he draws power from, and comes into conflict with a universe where Wakanda became a galaxy-spanning empire.

Black Panther : a nation under our feet. Book one / Coates, Ta-Nehisi (also on Libby)

Black Panther : a nation under our feet. Book two / Coates, Ta-Nehisi (also on Libby)

Black Panther : a nation under our feet. Book three / Coates, Ta-Nehisi (also on Libby)

Black Panther. Book 4, Avengers of the New World, part one / Coates, Ta-Nehisi
(also on Libby)

Black Panther [5] : Avengers of the new world. Part two / Coates, Ta-Nehisi
(also on Libby)

Black Panther [6] : the intergalactic empire of Wakanda. Part one, Many thousands gone / Coates, Ta-Nehisi
(also on Libby)

Black Panther [7] : the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. Part two / Coates, Ta-Nehisi

Black Panther [8] : the intergalactic empire of Wakanda. Part three / Coates, Ta-Nehisi

Black Panther. Book 9, The intergalactic empire of Wakanda : part four / Coates, Ta-Nehisi


The World of Wakanda

Coates’ run had a number of spin-off series exploring the nation of Wakanda and its citizens and history, written by such famous Black writers as Roxane Gay, Yona Harvey, and Nnedi Okorafor.

Black Panther : world of Wakanda / Gay, Roxane

Rise of the Black Panther / Narcisse, Evan

Black Panther : long live the king / Okorafor, Nnedi

Black Panther : Killmonger [1] : by any means / Hill, Bryan Edward

Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda. Vol. 1, Eye of the storm / Zubkavich, Jim

Marvel action : Black Panther : stormy weather / Baker, Kyle

Marvel action : Black Panther : rise together [2] / Ayala, Vita

Black Panther vs. Deadpool / Kibblesmith, Daniel

Black Panther adventures / Parker, Jeff


John Ridley run

Black Panther’s following series was written by John Ridley, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of 12 Years a Slave. In this series, T’Challa is hunted by his own espionage unit after a long-buried secret comes to light, and then is tasked with fighting a wandering space rancher called ‘The Colonialist’.

Black Panther. Vol. 1, The long shadow / Ridley, John

Black Panther [2] : range wars / Ridley, John

Black Panther. Vol. 3, All this and the world, too / Ridley, John

Wakanda (an anthology series highlighting Black Panther’s supporting cast, including M’Baku, Killmonger, Shuri, and Okoye)


Eve Ewing run

Ironheart writer Eve Ewing is the current writer of Black Panther, which sees T’Challa stripped of his royal title but still defending the streets of Wakanda from the shadows.

Black Panther [1] : reign at dusk / Ewing, Eve L.


Shuri

Shuri is T’Challa’s younger sister, and next in line for the Wakandan throne. A sorceress and an accomplished scientist, she occasionally has to take over for T’Challa as ruler of Wakanda in his absence. She even became the Black Panther for a time in the late 2000s.

Black Panther : the deadliest of the species / Hudlin, Reginald

Shuri [1] : the search for Black Panther, 1 / Okorafor, Nnedi (also on Libby)

Shuri [2] : 24/7 vibranium / Ayala, Vita

These two Shuri volumes are also collected as Shuri : Wakanda forever (also available on Libby).

Black Panther : the saga of Shuri & T’Challa

Into the heartlands / Brown, Roseanne A


Teams

Black Panther has been a member of the Avengers, the Ultimates, and briefly lead The Crew, a team of Black and indigenous heroes that fight systemic injustice.

Black Panther & the Crew : we are the streets / Coates, Ta-Nehisi

The Ultimates [1] : start with the impossible / Ewing, Al

The Ultimates [2] : Civil war II / Ewing, Al

The Ultimates 2 [1] : troubleshooters / Ewing, Al

The Ultimates 2. Vol. 2, Eternity War / Ewing, Al

Avengers by Jason Aaron. Vol. 1 / Aaron, Jason

The Avengers [1] : the Impossible City / MacKay, Jed