Mamma Said Knock You Out

What if the next great Black Panther writer was decided by a ridiculous tribal challenge? Imagine Christopher Priest, Reginald Hudlin, and Ta-Nehisi Coates all fighting to the death for the coveted Black Panther gig. (We could even throw in Don McGregor and John Ridley for good measure.) It would be broadcast live from the iconic waterfall made popular in the Black Panther movie, with the Marvel editorial staff looking on, doing that African shoulder shrug.

As preposterous as this idea is, it’s no more ridiculous than the outrage this book has garnered this week. In the spirit of virtual insanity, I’d suggest that Christopher Priest’s “The World to Come” series is, in fact, an attempt to prove he’s the rightful heir to the Marvel Black Panther throne, and Issue #1 is his “best right cross.”

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself…

I interviewed Priest once in 2024 and read several of his interviews leading up to his return to Black Panther after 22 years. For the record, Priest has never, to my knowledge, taken a shot at his Black Panther brethren, and he always refers to them with reverence.

But as I was enraptured by this story, I couldn’t help but wonder if Priest wasn’t inspired by Angela Bassett yelling on the big screen, “Remind them who you are!!” Because it seems as if he went straight home and did just that with this story. This first issue reads like Christopher Priest’s Greatest Black Panther Hits — Everett Ross’s humor, the power of the Dora Milaje, the absurdity of Wakandan geopolitics are all an homage to his own Marvel Knights series. It’s as if to say, “Allow me to reintroduce myself…” Cue Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement.”

I Ain’t No Killer But Don’t Push Me

To be clear, it’s me, not Christopher Priest, inserting hip-hop bravado into this script. However, there are times the exposition seems to editorialize on the current state of Black Panther affairs. Referring to T’Challa’s marriage to Storm as “a bad idea,” for instance, seems like a subtle jab at Reginald Hudlin’s run (2005-2009). Or describing Wakanda’s current era of self-rule “like giving nuclear launch codes to your crazy aunt” — that puts Ta-Nehisi Coates (2016-2021) and John Ridley (2021-2023) squarely in the line of fire.

I assure you there’s no actual beef, but this definitely reminds me of Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” moment where he crowned himself “King of New York,” much to the chagrin of his East Coast contemporaries.

Hit ‘Em Up

All jokes aside, “The World to Come” is actually an endeavor to deconstruct the entire Black Panther mythos, including Priest’s own sacred volumes. In fact, he claims Everett Ross is the “catalyst to Wakanda’s downfall and, ultimately, the destruction of the Old World…and the emergence of The World to Come.” (See the afterword on pages 26-27.)  This implies that if there’s anyone to blame for the current state of the Black Panther legacy, it’s Christopher Priest himself.

Rap Devil

This brings me to my only problem with the book: the race-baiting twist that has everyone so worked up. My issue isn’t the race-swapping itself – that’s actually very typical of Priest. This is the same guy who created T’Challa’s adopted white brother, The White Wolf, and subbed out T’Challa for a half-Italian, half-Black crooked cop who refers to himself as Casper, for crying out loud. I assure you, race-swapping is just the tip of the iceberg with this series.

My real issue is that this plot twist becomes a distraction from a story with so many historic implications: Priest’s first major Black Panther tale after 22 years, and [Joe] Quesada’s return to Marvel Comics after retirement (and the art hasn’t missed a beat either). All this amazing work has been trampled by shoddy social media commentary and racial politics. And for that, I’m docking this book a dime.

You Best Not Miss

For Christopher Priest newbies, I suggest you conserve your emotional energy because Priest isn’t letting up on this. The title of Issue #2? “The Hosts: Wakanda in Black and White.” And for any critics thinking of coming for him and his throne, remember: “You come at the king, you best not miss.”

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