Hudlin Entertainment Forum

Damn, damn, damn! Quoting the great Florida Evans in case anyone wants to label me misogynist!?!

Totally sympathize with Gessela! Never expected such a stinging betrayal from Marvel, but I suppose it was foolish of me to invest so much hope and time and money into something I have absolutely no control over, something I can’t influence in any way? I think back to “Stan’s Soapbox” and wonder if even in those simpler times it was all just a mirage? I actually had given up comics for a while, finished undergrad, got married, had a kid, worked 3 sometimes 4 jobs when Quesada’s Marvel Knights caught my attention and Christopher Preist turned me completely around with “The Client!” I was out and they pulled me back in! It was a glorious time with Avery Brooks’ Benjamin Sisko kicking ass in space and T’Challa taking names here on Earth my head was firmly somewhere in between.

As is the way with all things Sisko’s adventures ended and CJP moved on, but in Marvel at least I’ve been clinging to the hope that another inspired artist/creator would expound upon the T’Challa I’d come to admire and create more adventures I’d look forward to consuming. A decade or more of frustrating ups and downs was met with the promise of the MCU and the real possibility of seeing T’Challa on the silver screen. Assuredly we’d get the best version for “BP the Movie” likely to the chagrin of many a fanboy who couldn’t abide by an Uber competent, powerful and genius, A-list, super Black Panther, moved to the front of the Avengers class photo and helming his own celluloid franchise.

The gift of Chadwick Boseman was too good to be true and Marvel seemed to surround him with a near perfect compliment of talents. The creative team recognized the genius of CJP’s Panther and employed a heavy dose for the character’s mix, the excitement was palpable. Nation building concessions, Shuri, MBJ an elevated Ross aside, the future looked bright until the star burned out and Chadwick passed on. With his passing, the only barrier between the T’Challa centered Wakanda I loved and the revisionist, newly “Coated,” progressive Wakanda, surpassing years of tried and true Black Panther content, was gone. What was to come, anyone’s guess?

The overly sentimental, self-serving, audience dismissive and bone-headed decision to kill off T’Challa, a third death in four MCU appearances, perhaps was one that should have been expected given Marvel’s editorial disregard for their groundbreaking, iconic character and testament to diversity in a medium grossly lacking appropriate representation. The ease at which they have committed to assassinating their most tactically brilliant, wealthiest, scientifically ingenious, martially dangerous and sovereign Black superhero, the first in mainstream comics, with hardly any of his stories told, should be universally alarming. But Marvel maintains the guise of tribute and respect as if eliminating powerful Black male icons wasn’t part of an age old global agenda.

I’m with Gessela! And I will not support BP2WF despite my regard for Queen Bassett, Danai, Lupita and Duke. Marvel doesn’t give a sh*t about what I think or want and their perverse take on “the show must go on,” reliving the trauma of Chadwick’s death through T’Challa instead of sharing the same settings, costumes and action with a new talent vetted to honor he who came before, makes absolutely no sense other than in the context of the replacement of positive Black male icons who cow tow to no one and inspire generations. I’m out, again.

No peace,

Mont

Agreed EJ! Very astute and your point as to Nezhno is well put and well taken. I had very high hopes for him as a new hero out of Wakanda, but find it very frustrating how they’ve handcuffed/chained/leashed his power and further constrained him with the code name “Gentle” and a corresponding personality of someone tamed or housebroken.

Peace,

Mont

I will be out on any of it!

Peace,

Mont

It's hard for me to think of any other comic book headlining character where it seems the steady goal to is to make their books about anyone but them, outside of Black Panther. Why is it so "hard" to focus on T'Challa, build him up, give him an interesting journey that affects and changes him (for the positive), that allows him to affect the world (in generally positive ways)?

I don't see a steady drumbeat of deconstruction, of being labeled the fault and blame all the time-for any other headlining character. Certainly, there have been challenges, great failures, mistakes, tragedies, and moments for character growth, but it seems like with other books the focus is still kept on their headliners and reinforcing how necessary their headliners are in the books that bear their names.

I totally feel you EJ! Fact is Marvel don’t give a ish about what T’Challa fans want. Haven’t for years and I believe that the middling sales of the title is a direct result.

Peace,

Mont

I can see how Johnny come lately “fans” might buy into this mess replacing T’Chaka with T’Challa in BP mythology all due to the misguided notion of honoring T’Challa in this way. Think though, how the hell would a merely competent superhero with his resources, who saw his father killed allow his son and heir to ever be in danger!?! I’m out.

No peace,

Mont

Hear, hear! Excellent analysis, 100 percent on the beam!

As a society, the more we lean into gritty hyper realism and forsake imaginative, aspirational, sometimes “corny” or “sappy” storytelling, the more our innocence wanes, the harder it becomes for us to dream of let alone believe in heroes.

Redjack is right on the money! Thanks for sharing brother Ture!

Peace,

Mont

My advice to John Ridley…

Wakanda’s foray into democracy should fail, not because democracy is bad, but because Marvel should resist the urge to try to force their properties to conform to Western, post-colonial political realities. Wakanda’s meritocracy, as originally constructed, with a Bast blessed, noble and supremely competent monarch who is spiritually committed to the well-being of his people has largely worked for them and their development as a technologically unique and spiritual society. Wakanda is yin to Latveria’s yang and the stories stemming from T’Challa led Wakanda, in contrast to 616 at-large, are far from exhausted.

My Two Cents.

Peace,

Mont