Achebe's Return

[DJfunkyPuddle]

Now that we're getting a relaunch would you want Achebe to come back as a villain/arch-enemy?  He's a very interesting character to read and still has a lot left to explore, but does he run the risk of being too Joker-like?  Thoughts?

[supreme illuminati]

1) ACHEBE!!! ACHEBE!!! ACHEBE!!! ( AND DAKI HIS HAND PUPPET TOO!!!) YAAAAAAAYYY!!

2) He will MOST DEFINITELY be compared to The Joker,and BP will be further compared to Bats.

[moneyspider]

Yes, I want to see the return of Achebe and his hand puppet. I would also like to see the return of the Dora Milaje's hair.

[Luthor Dare]

I would also like to see the return of the Dora Milaje's hair.

Nah, I think they look much better now. Like actual African amazons, whom you could imagine fighting alongside an army on a battlefield. As opposed to the supermodel "En Vogue" image they had in the previous series.

I like Achebe before, but I'm not sure he needs to be brought back, unless Hudlin comes up with a really incredible storyline. He was so clearly a Priest-creation, that I worry that bringing him back may just revise memories of how much Huldin has retconned the series since then.

I mean, think about it. Could that original story from Priest's series still have happened? First, Hudlin established that Wakanda has never been conquered, but Achebe basically did take over for awhile. And where were T'Syan, T'Shan, and Suri, while Panther was exiled in America and Ramonda was co-ruling Wakanda with Achebe? And would this version of BP have ever even brought in refugees from foreign countries in the first place?

So maybe it's better to just forget all of that, and move forward. Let Hudlin create some brand new villains.

[DJfunkyPuddle]

We could just ignore Achebe's previous attacks and start fresh.  I just watched a video in my Western Africa class about traditional mask dances.  I thought it would be cool to incorporate some of these characters (possessed or otherwise) into the BP mythos.  Achebe could be the leader of them and attack Wakanda.  You can find a link of the types of dances I'm talking about at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJDUjltm55U&feature=related.  People would make these huge masks and costumes as a way to mimic spirits for good luck with crops or to ward evil.

[moneyspider]

I liked the fact that the Dora Milaje had hair in the previous series, because at least I could tell them apart. In the current series, they look too identical. And if they look too identical, to me that just seems like a poor effort in giving them any type of characterization or differentiating them.

The way they are portrayed now, they just seem very generic. "Here, here are two female bodyguards. Let's just have them look alike...just because."

That doesn't make any sense to me.

nd I stand by my opinion...I would like the Dora Milaje to have hair...or at least ONE of them. Or find some other way to differentiate the two instead of having them look like carbon copies of each other.

[Luthor Dare]

Well, if we're just talking about looking alike, that's a fault of the various artists, who just don't know how to properly make their faces distinct, which was also a fact during the previous series, since the DM looked the same there too, most of the time. Having a similar style doesn't mean they should look like twins.

As for characterization, well, yeah, I agree. I mean, I don't even recall if they've ever been refered to by name in this series. The closest thing to any insight we've seen into their character was during the brief argument they had during the Killmonger fight. But, frankly, that's the fault of the writer. That can be fixed in upcoming stories, without having to change their looks.

I'd like to see some more of what their actual role is now. Hudlin's Wakanda doesn't appear to have the same tribal conflicts as the previous version, yet Storm still refered to them as T'Challa's "Wives in Training" back in the Wild Kingdom crossover. And now that T'Challa's married, why are they still around? I guess they're essentially the Wakandan version of the Secret Service, who bodyguard the King. But how does Storm feel about them?

These are all issues that should be explored more in the future, but, really, all of the supporting cast could stand to be fleshed out more.

[Hypestyle]

Achebe by himself isn't much of a threat, he needed Mephisto early on.. so I wonder who he may get to back him if he returns...  I'm sure Mr. Reggie's take would be interesting..

[moneyspider]

I just figured that the Dora Milaje were still around because both the King AND Queen need protecting. They should both have bodyguards...maybe the Queen should have her own Dora Milaje or something.

[J.R. LeMar]

I just figured that the Dora Milaje were still around because both the King AND Queen need protecting. They should both have bodyguards...maybe the Queen should have her own Dora Milaje or something.

I agree with that. Even though, in theory, Storm, in particular shouldn't need "bodyguards." But I like the idea of Dora Milajea being, essentially, Wakanda's Secret Service. There should be a whole order of Dora Milajae, hundreds of the baddest women in Wakanda, who are trained from childhood to be warriors. And their official mandate is to guard various members of the Wakandan government. Not just the King & Queen, but other members of the Royal family, and the High Council.

Just like I also think the Hatut Zeraze should be brought back (minus Hunter, who's role as the devious scheming "brother" should be filled by T'Shan), but instead of secret police/mercenaries they should be a special unit of the Wakanda army, ala the Navy Seals, Green Berets, Delta Force, etc. They're the elite of the elite, who go on the covert ops that the government can't always officially admit to. Like Wakanda's secret support of the ANC during Apartheid. They're the ones who would secretely break into South African prisons to break out various political prisoners, and transfer fund and weapons to rebels and such. There's much potential there.

I've thought from the beginning that the greatest contribution of Reginald Hudlin to the Black Panther mythos was retconning Wakanda's history so that the nation is filled with bad-@$$ warriors, who've never been conquered (instead of just being hidden from the rest of the world, as was previously established). I'd like to see that aspect of the nation explored in the future.

Incidentally, I voted "no" on Achebe, for much the same reasons LD mentioned. There are problems with Killmonger too, if you think about. His origin no longer exists (since his father was originally kidnapped as a slave by Klaw, when he originally invaded Wakanda, but it didn't happen like that anymore), & when last seen he was technically still the Black Panther, which was a separate office from King of Wakanda. But that's all different too. I just tried to not think about all of that during Hudlin's last arc.

[Mastrmynd]

i voted for the puppet.
maybe the puppet is an evil mindcontrolling entity...and has moved on since achebe "died" off panel.
mwahahhaa...the malevolent puppet...mwhahahah

[voodoochild]

Never cared much for the DM in Priest's run.  That whole teenager/wives in training thing was a little too R. Kelly for me.  And the tribal explanation was lame.  If you're intrigued by young chicks, own it.  Don't try to justify it with some convoluted political tribal situation.  Plus the whole idea of the baddest Brother in the country needing a pair of not yet legal female bodyguards was  .  That being said, I like JR's take on the DM and HZ.

Getting back on topic, I'd say "no" to Achebe's return, unless Hudlin can find a way to tweak the character so he won't be so "Jokerish".

[Jenn]

I'd like to see some more of what their actual role is now. Hudlin's Wakanda doesn't appear to have the same tribal conflicts as the previous version, yet Storm still refered to them as T'Challa's "Wives in Training" back in the Wild Kingdom crossover. And now that T'Challa's married, why are they still around? I guess they're essentially the Wakandan version of the Secret Service, who bodyguard the King. But how does Storm feel about them?

We better not get any stereotypical "jealous woman" crap. That's all I know.

[Luthor Dare]

We better not get any stereotypical "jealous woman" crap. That's all I know.

Is that really so implausible, though? Even for a woman like Storm?
As strong as we can all tell you are, would you really be happy if you got married and your husband had his two hot "ex-girlfriends" still hanging around him all the time?

I just thought that, from going by the original purpose of the DM, as described by Priest, they would formally be removed from their duties, once the King got married. But we haven't really seen Hudlin explanation of their purpose yet.