BLACK PANTHER BY CHRISTOPHER PRIEST: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL. 1

This is my first time actually sitting down and reading some of Christopher Priest's Black Panther run, so it's a little early for me to say for sure, but i'm fairly confident that this will go down as one of my favorite comic book runs in history. What you get from the series here is just that good. I've been aware of the Black Panther during most of my time reading comics and have even done an extensive amount of research into him in order to understand his character and more recent appearances he has made. I'm familiar with Priest and the impact he had on the character, but never found the time to pick up any of the older volumes featuring his Black Panther work. So this new volume, and the ones that come after it, seemed like the perfect chance for me to fill a gap in my comic collection. I think it's safe to say that Priest is the man that put Black Panther on the map and that were it not for this run the character probably wouldn't be getting a film next year. The fact that he is getting a film next year is then probably why Marvel chose to start reprinting Priest's work, so that new and old fans could have a treat to munch on before the main course. T'Challa has always been a king, always been a hero, always been honorable and resourceful, but Priest took all of that and presented it on another level. What you get in this volume are the first 17 issues of his run and they are perfectly written to show that T'Challa is one of the big dogs of the Marvel Universe. This is probably the perfect series to read if you're looking to get familar with the character, since so much of his past is covered here. You get information concerning the death of his father, Wakandan traditions and rituals are constantly mentioned, his foster brother, White Wolf, and their tumultous history takes place, alongside one of the main stories, Panther's history with Captain America is mentioned and shown to some extent. You just really get a good deal of information that is balanced out by a healthy amount of action and Marvel Universe politics. It isn't said outright, but it's clear that T'Challa is the equal to other leaders in the Marvel Universe, such as Namor, Magneto, or Dr. Doom. Similar to his recent appearance in Captain America: Civil War, everything T'Challa does is tailored to show you just how awesome he is, from tearing out Mephisto's heart to facing down the Incredible Hulk. A series like this would probably receive a good deal of criticism today for portraying T'Challa as being too perfect, but back when it was originally being written this is exactly what was needed to make people understand that he is a man who has just as many resources as Reed Richards and who is just as intelligent as Tony Stark. There is also a good chance that this is the moment where many fans of DC came to recognize that Black Panther could be looked at as a Batman expy, since he handles so many situations with the same level of calm determination and preparedness that DC's Dark Knight does. For all their similarities however, Priest is very careful to show how the two men are different in terms of their supporting casts, enemies, histories, and demeanors. Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about this series is the way that everything is connected. The story being told in issue 17 is partially due to the story that was taking place in issue 1. The book starts off with the death of a little girl who had been involved with a Wakandian charity group. While Black Panther heads to America in order to investigate how this horrible turn of events came about, tensions back in his nation reach a boiling point and a bloody civil war begins, which is quickly followed by a coup. Armed with only the weapons and gadgets that he thought to bring with him, his deceased father's trusted friend Zuri, and his favored bodyguards/assassin the Dora Milhje, T'Challa is forced to quickly make his way through the criminal underworld, while also being forced to foray into the battlefield of politics with the United States goverment. U.S. officials place T'Challa in the hands of their agent Everett K. Ross, who is assigned to act as an escort to the visiting monarch, in order to ensure that he stays out of trouble. When Ross took on the assignment he was confident, figuring that he perfectly understood his client and superheroes in general, and that this would be an easy assignment for him. He is quickly proven wrong, as before the end of the 3rd issue he finds his soul belonging to Mephisto and T'Challa nowhere to be found. This brief summary is just a small taste of the amazing adventure that awaits you within the pages of this book. The story is written in a way that i've never really seen before. Though all of the events in the story are shown to us they are not always shown in chronological order and this has to do with the fact that they are actually being told to us by Agent Ross. For the most part, Ross ends up tagging along with Panther for almost all of his adventures and the ones he doesn't tag along for he ends up being told about later, after which he relays them to his superior officer and the readers. This adds an interesting element to the story, because one of Ross' character tics is that he can't quite manage to tell the story in chronological order, leading to him jumping around all over the place, and endlessly frustrating his superior. Most importantly of all, this makes him a comedic figure. In many ways he is the reader, an average person, with average intellect and skills, that has been thrown into this fantastic situation. He therefore reacts with disbelief at many of the things that are happening around him. He really manages to shine as a supporting character and makes T'Challa shine as a titular character, because they are so different. In show terms, Ross would be the comedic relief and Black Panther would be the straight man. This is taken to new heights with just how serious T'Challa remains throughout the story, making Ross' reactions seem that much more exaggerated, but you realize that they're really not when you step back and think about just how crazy the events of the story would be for an average person. The non-chronological storytelling might be confusing for some at first, but I think that it is easy to get used to, since you'll start to see when one arc ends and when another is beginning. The previous arcs are also constantly being referenced. My only complaint is the artwork. This series features work by multiple artists, so while everyone is still recognizeable they do noticeably change, as does the world around them, in terms of just how they are drawn. This is simply annoying for me, since I enjoy consistency in my artwork. Can't blame the writer for that however, so i'd still give this work 5 starts. I highly recommend this volume to anyone looking to learn more about Black Panther or to anyone who is just looking for a new comic series to sink their teeth into.

Good read for people new to Black Panther.

Item arrived in good condition

Not much that I can add to this list of reviews that hasn't already been said. Except for explaining the Title of this review. I've been labeled Peter Pan by coworkers because of my growing collection of graphic novels & comics...a medium of storytelling I couldn't afford as a little boy in the Caribbean but can spend "vast" amounts of money on now as an adult. In my 33 years of life & 27 years of reading I'd never come across a character as important (to me) as T'Challa: a dark-skinned super-hero who's a KING, noble, powerful, cunning and (according to many of the female characters herein) sexy. I found Hudlin's (Who Is) Black Panther volume by chance, which sent me to pick up this Collection 1 by Priest. Priest's writing (for me) set a standard. There are some plot twists that I didn't see coming, with BP having double- and triple-crossed many of the enemies he encounters...there are (still relevant) explorations of race with regards to how "white" America sees "black" America and how darker-skinned Americans see themselves...using Everett Ross as the narrator and (according to Priest) voice of not only white America but ALL of comic fandom with regards to how he/we saw the BP character to that point was genius...the invention of the deadly Dora Milaje and the innate conflicts that come with having two deadly, teenage body-guards who were also (only in theory, Ross reminds us) concubines, was brilliant and made sense given the tribal make-up of Wakanda and T'Challa's status as King. My one criticism, writing-wise, is the consistent reliance on an in media res opening to many of the stories which results in stale flashbacks and "oh, let me explain how we got here" moments. The art is the only inconsistency, with the opening artist leaving soon after the first arc. The final artist in this collection is perhaps my least favorite, but none of the art is bad. T'Challa is an important character because--not to beat a dead horse--he's the first African Marvel super-hero, who beats the Fantastic 4 in his introduction, who is as powerful as Capt America (who respects him as an equal & a friend), who is loyal, smart, royal, noble to a fault, has no racial inferiority complex, is not afraid of any power structure or government, who'll kill but only if he finds it absolutely necessary, who cares about his people as well as others, and who is just plain AWESOME at his job...or, in other words, the ANTITHESIS of what the media has portrayed dark-skinned men to be over the past 200 years, and what some dark-skinned people have believed about themselves over that same time period. Regardless of their reasoning (expected sales boosts, pre-cursor to the announced BP movie, whatever else) I'm happy Marvel decided to finally release Priest's run on BP, even if the quality did taper off toward the end of it back in the late 90's/early 2000's. This is the collection and the character I will definitely introduce first to my children whenever they decided to poke at or thumb through their father's comic collection.

Priest's work here firmly established the Black Panther as a force to be reckoned with in the Marvel Universe. As smart as Iron Man, as tough as Captain America; Panther was moved out of the background for fans who thought of him as another affirmative action Avenger. Instead, he's portrayed as a stranger in a strange land as a tribal head of state searching for justice for his people in our chaotic country. This series gives great depth to the Panther's country of Wakanda, bringing it to logical conclusions without shunning years of continuity. Also, it brings with it a rich cast of supporting characters. Not the least of whom is the readers P.O.V. character: Everett K. Ross, an infinite source of racial awkwardness and misunderstanding. Equal parts West Wing, Pulp Fiction and Coming to America, the book's writing is socially, racially and politically irreverent fun*. While the narrative's linear jumble can be challenging at times but reads better here for all being in one place. Additionally, the books starts off with a gorgeous run of painted artwork before switching over to an animated style and then settling in on more traditional comic styles. This doesn't help narrative troubles, especially in regards to the political intrigue aspects of plot. But, really, this is my only complaint about this book. I am eagerly anticipating the next two volumes to this story and hope for a final and fourth installment. When my friends ask why they should be excited about an upcoming Black Panther movie, this is what I'm going to push in their direction. It's a gorgeous collection and one I've been waiting ten years for. *For fans concerned about the racial undertones of this story, I feel fairly confident in saying that many stereotypes are skewered. The author of these works is African American and fairly vocal about what the work meant to him. You can google him and find numerous discussions he's held on the topic. Or you can read his column at the end of this volume.

This collection serves as a pretty effective introduction to the character for newcomers. However, it’s not just a recap of events as much as it’s also a progression of events for the Black Panther cast and rogues gallery. The only issue is that TChalla is a little bit of a blank slate ala Bruce Wayne in the early issues but his personality starts to shine through more and more as the story progresses

I'm not a big fan. It shows how cool the character is, but there are some issues I have with. It's an odd choice having the writer of Deadpool write a series for a serious character. Too much jumping between different points in the story (it get really confusing), too much focus on the comedic Ross instead of the titular character. It's not that fun going through it.

Great book, Christopher Priest is a talented writer and his work with T'challa is nothing short of amazing. If you liked Civil War and have a desire to read some Black Panther stories, this collection is a great start. It contains the first 17 issues of Priest's run, which is an awesome value for the price. The book came well binded and the artwork was high quality, no faded pages or dull colors anywhere! Overall, an awesome story for an awesome price.

Great gift for the collector!

Pra quem é fã do Pantera Negra, vale muito à pena comprar, todas as histórias são inéditas no Brasil. Desenhos lindos e histórias muito boas também. Pra quem é colecionador como eu, é um item obrigatório na coleção.

The one and only black panther. Good see it in this format. Great concept and great art work too.

Cool story line, black panther is bad ass

Christopher Priest's run of Black Panther is quite simply the best take on the character yet in comic book form. Part of the initial line up of Quesada & Palmotti's 'Marvel Knights' imprint, Priests run firmly establishes Black Panther as one of the top superheroes in the Marvel Universe, while also exploring his political obligations as the Ruler of Wakanda. This TPB collects #1-17 of the series and the opening stories are a genre smash of super-heroics, political manoeuvring, crime drama and even some comedy. There's guest appearances from an array of Marvel Mainstays from the Fantastic Four to the Avengers, however Priests biggest contribution to the Panther legacy is his supporting cast. U.S based advisor to the Panther, Everett Ross is the breakout character - serving as the narrator of stories in this collection. Part of the fun is that Ross tends to tell things out of order in how they actually happened leading to a lot of jumping around the plots which adds an extra layer to the stories. The artwork in this collection starts off with a gorgeous four issue run by Mark Texeria. After that the art style varies a bit, with stand out contributions from Joe Jusko before more traditional comic book style art by Sal Velluto and M.D Bright. It can feel a bit disjointed jumping from one art style to another, but the story by Priest is so strong you adapt to the new takes on characters just to see what happens next. Overall this collection contains one of the defining stories of Black Panther and is the perfect place to start reading about the character - Highly recommended!