Black Panther #5 SPOILERS and Discussion

[Ezyo]

Hudlins' end (Deadliest of the species and such) was actually a good story though. I mean, other than the Doom "fight" which was utter garbage.. the rest of it was beyond solid IMO. Even T'challa's arc (goign the mystic route) was good and Shuri's story was great.

I have some issues with it (Did Morlun really have to murk M'baku, W'kabi, and Zuri? yeesh) but it was still a good story.

Priest's end issues were... yes editorial ish forced but... they were hot garbage IMO. Like even from a story telling aspect they sucked. And even though he had to know the end was near... he left so many daggling plot threads (aneurysm, Killmonger)... just yeesh.

Oh I wouldn't say they are garbage at all, Just they eneding on low points for T'Challa and didn't get a resolution that could be satisfying (showing T'challa actually overcome Kilmonger despite having the aneurysm, T'challa being able to somehow save W'Kabi, Zuri etc. ACTUALLY BEATING DOOMS ASS, though that was a Mayberry thing) Basically Coates has a chance to do some great things for T'challa and i know for a fact he is going to atleast have another season of BP, I just hope he is paying attention to the long time fans who know their s%%t on not looking at the noobie fans that don't know any better gushing praise. He twitter should be mixed with true fans telling it like it is and Letting him know that T'Challa ain't a fool and its time to come correct (its been that time 7 years ago) and Bring out Badass Wakanda and T'Challa. Stories can still be intricate and dealing with issues wihtout having to nerf T'challa to do so

[CKW]

My take having fully read issue #5...

- T'Challa's use of Manifold was inventive, out of the box thinking which I can get behind.
- T'Challa giving out free chin checks!?!  Nah, out of character, violation!
- Seeking council from foreign counter revolutionary security chiefs...NO... I'll come back to this.
- Shuri in the Djalia...WTH!?!...I don't know what's going on here?
- T'Challa's interrogation of the captured suicide bomber was indeed the best part despite further rehashing of Hickman/T'Challa's sins. 

Long time fans should recognize Coates' channeling of Preist/Panther from The Client telling the would be suicide bomber 'they will have a pact, speak of it to know man.'  Frankly, I'm not sure if that is more homage or plagiarism?  That brings me back to this counter revolutionary council which reminded me of a whack version of T'Challa's Sturm und Drang conference with Doom, Magneto, Lord Ghaur and Namor.  Unlike that conference, Coates' version is way out of character, only making sense as a device to set up the Tetu/Stane gambit for further usurping Wakandan confidence in T'Challa's commitment to Wakandans.  Coates/Sprouse legitimize for the reader T'Challa's interest in the advice of these foreigners by having him lean in and ask Genosha's chief of thuggery, "Tell me," regarding their techniques for quashing revolutions.  Easily the most disturbing scene other than the chin checks and inadequately abated by later exposition that T'Challa, off panel, rejected all such advice. 

For a genius writer Coates seems to be having a really hard time, in this medium, laying out what few positives about T'Challa he is willing to convey to this point of his story!?!  Instead he is very effective at emphasizing T'Challa's faults and the main premise, which he does again with this ill-conceived council as Alexie of Symkaria, on panel claims their common tradition is "...holding a nation under our feet."  This faulty premise is the root of Coates' problems with this book.  Wakanda was always, from Stan and Jack's origin, a warrior's meritocracy giving any Wakandan access to the throne if he or she were capable of taking it.  He could call B.S. on the royal family's advantage from the heart-shaped herb, but to paint the monarchy as an oppressive, hereditary fascist regime, exposed as such due to an inability at last to defend the country against overwhelming foreign threats was misguided and appears to be self-serving.  Lest I seem an overly harsh critic of Mr. Coates for whom I had high hopes, I want to be clear that Chris Robinson, Wil Moss and Tom Brevoort, IMO, deserve a large amount of blame as editors who've allowed T'Challa and Wakanda to be so mischaracterized.  I'm hard pressed, having heard Coates' plans and read the results to date, to see what if anything any of them have had to do with the book produced?

I'm extremely disappointed and just about done with Marvel Comics which despite having BP on the verge of huge cinematic success have the character appearing regularly in two sub par, sub standard comics, Ultimates which has no action and Black Panther which makes no sense.

No peace,

Mont

And this is the heart of the matter..the premise is flawed because it was the clans that formed the Great Understanding under Assiri the Wise that Priest came up with in BP 60. The mantle of BP is a product of Wakanda being touched by the radiation of the meteorite and as in Hickman's version Bast's direct involvement. The mantle was not imposed on the people. Why should T'Challa care if the people don't believe he is god ordained? His role is to protect a country that is vastly different from any other in Marvel's Earth.

One more thing...Wakanda destroyed Atlantis so what more retribution could a Wakandan want for what Namor did to the point that blowing up other Wakandans seems a good idea?

[The Evasive 1]

I was gonna post my opinion of Issue #5, but after going through the 7 pages in this thread, what's the point? What can I say that most of you have already said. Basically, with a few things excepted, everyone had major criticisms with this issue. Guess it's gonna be a long season with Coates at the wheel.

But I gotta say, some of y'alls disapproving sidecraks in this thread are HIlarious! (especially looking at you Salustrade and Mind Of Shadow)