Since it’s Black History Month and Black Panther has just hit theaters we couldn’t resist a post featuring comics! If you’ve entered comics by way of the Marvel movies it’s possible you don’t know that there are multiple incarnations of the Black Panther over the decades. Every few years Marvel reboots their favorite heroes to give new artists and authors a chance, and there have been some awesome plots for the Black Panther. We’re going to highlight the differences between the Black Panthers we own and our favorite black characters in comics.
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This is the comic incarnation that Marvel resurrected after they put the movie Black Panther into production, so it should closely match the movie. T’Challa, the current king of Wakanda and their Black Panther, finds his authority challenged by a superpowered terrorist cell.
Location in the catalog.
Black Panther: Who Is Black Panther? by Reginald Hudlin
This version of Black Panther focuses on the rise of this superhero and the country of Wakanda. This is also the Black Panther who marries Storm of X-Men fame to become superpower royalty and serious relationship goals.
Location in the catalog.
Jungle Action ft. The Black Panther by Don McGregor
This is the first Black Panther-centric storyline and the character’s first starring role, though he cropped up in some Avengers issues before this one. It’s a 1974 classic in superhero canon, and can be requested from Oak Street if you want to see where the story started.
Location in the catalog.
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If you’re interested in more black superheroes than just Black Panther, here’s some you can find in the UGL!
Storm in X-Men
Before Halle Berry took on the role in the movies, Storm had a long history of protecting mutants and kicking ass. The Dark Phoenix arc is widely considered to be one of the greatest plotlines in the X-Men universe and Storm takes her powers to a whole new level to fight her friend-turned-foe.
Location in the catalog.
Alex Wilder in Runaways
This comic was picked up for a few seasons on Hulu, and they’ve stayed true to the diverse case of the books. What would you do if you discovered your parents were supervillains? After witnessing a dark ritual, these characters run away, band together, and forge deep friendships that are constantly tested as they’re forced to face off against their parents and decide where their loyalties lie.
Location in the catalog.
Luke Cage
The UGL has both the comic books and season one of the Netflix show! If you missed Luke Cage when it broke the internet in 2016 we highly recommend you check it out. The bulletproof superhero lives in Harlem, a highly charged allegory in our political climate.
The location of the comic in the catalog.
The location of the Netflix show in the catalog.