And "screw" Coates' stupid idea of having Namor be the key to Shuri coming back. The Crew having to come in to help (even though it was typical "Crappy Coates Cardboard Cutout Combat"...aka "C5") save Wakanda is bad enough. But having Namor smugly throw that in T'challa's face...that "he couldn't save Shuri with Namor"...and make him indebted to him, after the fact, would be annoying. Because you know that Namor, if written properly would do that. If not by Coates, then definitely by another writer. Let them iron things out in a manner that would set either up to being indebted to another. Especially since Namor started this whole thing.
I haven't bought this book, yet. I haven't bought Coates BP with regularity, period, for months now. This is massively vomitous crap, and Coates knows better. He IS a BETTER WRITER than this.
Which means. Inescapably. He's doing this on purpose, for reasons that somehow seem good to him. I mean...somehow it seems sweet to him to have BP be chumped out in his own book. Never achieve clear cut solo dominating victories over enemies and villains who have clearly. CLEARLY. Tasked him and tapped his behind.
I mean. As a writer? I GET WHAT HE'S TRYING TO DO WITH NAMOR. But. As a writer and a Black man? An Afrikan? His approach is as inexcusably jarringly disconnected as was his idea of Rape Camps in Wakanda. I mean...if you think that "Rape Camps" and "Wakanda" are in any way plausible even in the fictitious lands of make believe? You truly don't grasp the glittering, incorruptible essence of Wakanda and Wakandans en masse. Will Wakandans do messed up, jacked up stuff? Of course. Look no further than Lord Karnaj et al for that. But. Wakandans have evolved...permanently...beyond succumbing to any urges that might even remotely lead to "Rape Camps" within the borders of Wakanda.
Similarly. Pact or not in Battleword under Hickman? There is NO. WAY. That Shuri, TChalla or any Royal would be so far off their game as to allow Namor to play ANY role in the experience of Shuri. That is...mischaracterization and stupidity that there isn't even words strong enough to abjure. And this is from me, a guy who LIKES Coates overall when he's not writing BP. A guy who GETS what he's TRYING to do.
Jagunjagun Ayaba and Shujaa Wafalme of HEF. Whatever happened to the powerful mystics, seers, sages, sorcerers, Masters and Mistresses of Natural Magic, who run thangs in The Panther Cult. Remember, they got a WHOLE RELIGION of people who ae madd powerful. Like THIS guy, Mendinao:

And The Shiesty One, Zawaviri:

Wakanda has a whole Cult of magic slingers who are as powerful as this kid, Wiccan, from Young Avengers:

Magik, from X-men

all the way up to being almost as powerful as THIS guy...

There is no reason. Zero. For BP to even remotely countenance the need for help from or the presence of Namor for this process...unless BP is tricking and trapping Namor. But Namor would have to be especially stupid to even remotely think that TChalla would be beholden to Namor for ANYTHING spiritual. Namor may be arrogant, and hot headed at times...but he was NEVER stupid. In fact, he is a GENIUS of formidable intellect and resources. Namor, more than any other King on or near Earth except for Odin, Zeus, etc. understands TChalla's predicament quite well, because Namor himself is the scion of Neptune, the Roman God of the Seas and Oceans. He knows very well that TChalla, being The King of the Dead, the guy who tasked Doom on Battleworld, the Anointed of Bast, would have no form of need whatsoever for his presence, aid, or anything else.
There is no reason. Zero. For Namor to be remotely involved in this process. At all. The decision to do so smells of anus burgers, to be honest. It's totally inexcusable. Idk this guy who Coates is writing. This guy? Not my T'Challa. This guy? Not interested in him. Hope LOTS for him. Interest? Nope.
There is no reason. Zero. For ALL of the BPs to NOT BE thoroughly versed in magicks, but manifest this knowledge in different ways as interpreted by their distinct personalities and inclinations. In fact? Given the proliferation of powerful magickal threats against the throne since the dawn of Don McGregor? There is no way that ANY BP could survive WITHOUT extensive defenses against magicks, psionics, mutant powers, etc. of all sorts.


[ Let's skip the racist, racial and hate based crime against RH and Black Love above to focus on the point that I'm making ]
Shuri's journey in the Djaliah or whatever is not too far off the beaten path traveled by all previous BP's who died. There WERE female BP's, ya know, BEFORE Shuri. RH established this beyond question.
So this whole Namor thing is not only a complete and epic fail, it is yet another demonstration by Coates of a colossal misunderstanding, mishandling, and what truly appears to be a deliberate pogrom against the qualities of TChalla that make him...TChalla. Even if the purpose was basically to reintroduce a TChalla into the MU who isn't at his unbeatable, uber cool, unknowable, inscrutable, uber prepbeast best? THIS dude RIGHT HERE in these pages is a straight sucka steeped in sweet poetic sauces and cooked on Chump Coal. TChalla...the REAL TChalla...was NEVER that bad. It's almost like Coates is reviving the Sultan of Suckaville TChalla that was hung by The Soul Snatcher
