Black Panther #166 brings the return of the eponymous hero’s greatest foe! Ulysses Klaw is back and ready crush T’Challa and Wakanda. Will the King be able to fend off the man who killed his father all while his country struggles to its feet after their gods have abandoned them? The Marvel Legacy era envelopes the fan-favorite run of Ta-Nehisi Coates, bringing a classic battle between good and evil, with a lot more at stake than two enemies’ lives.
This Black Panther run has explored the world of Wakanda to an extent that few before have ever attempted and most have failed to bring together cohesively. While T’Challa will battle his own personal demons in the return of Klaw, what might be more tantalizing is that the original gods of his kingdom, the Originators, return to fill the void of beings to have faith in. While the king’s life is on the line, the faith of his people is also at stake. Now that’s a multilayered conflict to be engrossed in. But seriously, where’s the galactic empire promised in the Marvel Legacy #1 one-shot?
The biggest gripe about Marvel’s Legacy era thus far is that the sweeping status quo changes promised have begun as slow burns. Most everything teased in the rejuvenating Marvel Legacy #1 are still elusively far away from what we’re currently reading. Will readers have the patience for the set ups to those big sweeping changes that many have been wanting? Quality will always win out in the end. As long as the books deliver a compelling narrative told with striking art and character-driven stakes, that should be enough to hold our attention, right?
Maybe the best news for Black Panther fans is the fact that the status quo hasn’t changed. If a book ain’t broke then why fix it? Except, man, space opera with T’Challa ruling a galactic empire is tough to wait for!
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