Outcast from the nation he once ruled, T'Challa is a king without a crown in Black Panther #1. The new run from writer Eve L. Ewing (Marvel's Champions, Monica Rambeau: Photon) and Marvel Stormbreaker artist Chris Allen (Miles Morales: Spider-Man) picks up with T'Challa after he's banished from Wakanda amid the African nation's civil war. But as his home's sworn protector, the Black Panther prowls the shadowy streets of the Wakandan city Birnin T'Chaka to remind its citizens: "Wakanda is still a nation of law."
According to Marvel's synopsis, Black Panther "will act as an undercover vigilante in order to fulfill his duties as Wakanda's sworn protector. However, as he circles closer to the heart of this broken city, he'll face challenges unlike any he's seen before, including powerful crime families and corruption that goes against all that Wakanda stands for."
"More than anything, I'm bowled over at the opportunity to write such a marquee character. I see it as a big responsibility. Black Panther is a tremendously important legacy character for Marvel fans, but moreover, the character has become one of the most important icons in pop culture for people of the African diaspora all over the world," Ewing told ComicBookabout the run launching June 14th. "And on a personal note, the title was so indelibly shaped by my friend and mentor, Ta-Nehisi Coates, who is a big part of why I'm even in comics. There are a lot of talented creators working right now and I feel very awed that the editorial team asked me to take this on. It makes me feel really seen as a comics writer, very humbled, and very grateful. It's a big role for me and I take it extremely seriously."
Below, Marvel Comics has released the first pages from Black Panther #1 (2023), on stands June 14th.