Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 1 by Ta-Nehisi CoatesMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The entire series is a political allegory set in Wakanda. Ta-Nehisi Coates' T'Challa is a man torn apart - he wants to be a good king to his people but can't forgive them the sacrifices they've unwittingly asked of him. He's recently lost his sister and his beloved; his world is shaken.
When a new terror rises, T'Challa begins to question everything, and everyone. The rebel group 'The People' are out to cause anarchy and without the support of the Wakandans, T'Challa is really up against it. Add to that two loyal members of the Dora Milaje (the King's loyal guards) have turned (rightfully) rogue and the royal house has their hands full.
So far the series is intriguing and captivating. It lacks action of any kind, which may be counter-productive given that it is a superhero series. Having said that, it is important to write commentary on the world we live in through art, and Coates is ably working on that.
What I find surprising is the lack of female characters. Aside from the Queen Mother, the two Dora Milaje and their supporters (the latter two we see very little of), we don't get many women in the book. It's especially striking given that Wakanda is supposed to be quite progressive - yet none of the royal court members are women. That really frustrates me.
Also, the Dora Milaje don't look like they have enough muscle on them to be strong. Anyone who's been watching the Olympics recently knows that strength requires a certain kind of muscle tone and well, this series doesn't have any female character with that look. And, I have to say this, the Dora Milaje's outfits make no sense. They are not practical. While the art is beautiful throughout, these things stand out like sore thumbs.
I have not read much Black Panther in the past, so this series is both interesting and baffling at the same time. Thanks to large portions of expository story-telling, though, we are never left confused.
The stories are uneven at best. I think the essential premise is great, the political machinations enthralling, but little niggles throughout have brought the rating of this book down quite a bit.
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