Black Panther: Avengers of the New World: Klaw Stands Supreme by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Leonard Kirk, et al.

All in all, Ta-Nehisi Coates's second Black Panther story, Avengers of the New World, runs thirteen issues. Here, I am reviewing the second half of the story (which appeared in Black Panther #166-72, even though the first half appeared in Black Panther #13-18... comics, everybody!). The first three installments are called "Klaw Stands Supreme" on the cover, but inside are still titled "Avengers of the New World." I am rapidly coming to the unfortunate conclusion that of all the extended runs on Black Panther I've read, Coates's might be the worst. I loved Priest's run for the most part, Don McGregor never fails to be interesting, Kirby's is nuts but it's still Jack Kirby, and though I never really clicked with Reggie Hudlin's, it was never boring.

This is. 

from Black Panther vol. 1 #166
(script by Ta-Nehisi Coates, art by Leonard Kirk & Marc Deering)

How is this story thirteen issues? Either characters are having long, boring conversations, or they are having long boring action scenes. Coates doesn't seem to know how to integrate these two things, and especially doesn't seem to know how to use either to reveal character in interesting ways. Again and again, creatures come through a gate to another dimension. There is a whole group of villains here, of which Klaw is just one, but I don't know why because mostly they just stand around. Does anything noteworthy come out of T'Challa confronting the man who killed his father? Not really, when they finally meet up it's all over in a second.

Then we learn someone called the "Adversary" is responsible for it all. Who's the Adversary? Don't worry, the book literally never tells you. Not what his powers are, not what he wants, not why you should care. If you want to know any of that, you need to go read an X-Men comic! For real! There's just a footnote, but the book acts like you should be excited when this guy I literally never heard of pops up. Wasn't this book drawing in new Marvel readers who were intrigued by Coates as scripter and/or what they saw in the then-recently released film? It's a baffling creative decision that undermines what little of interest was going on in this story.

Plus Queen Divine Justice is in this, but she could literally be anyone for all it matters; none of her personality carries over.

I guess Coates was trying to say something about godhood? I don't really know but at the end Black Panther and everyone else suddenly becomes their own gods and then they win??? Why??????

I got all these comics for free so I will continue to read them but man, I am dreading that there are twenty-five more issues of Coates's run to go. They keep pairing him with good artists, but it doesn't do any good to hire Leonard Kirk if you don't give him something worth drawing.

from Black Panther Annual vol. 1 #1
(script by Don McGregor, art by Daniel Acuña)

The book invites comparison to those previous runs because it was during this span that there was also Black Panther Annual #1, which had three short stories written by Priest, McGregor, and Hudlin. Priest tells a story of Everett K. Ross, of course, who despite being promoted out of field work finds himself drawn into a new escapade with T'Challa, with hilarious results of course. It's abbreviated but fun, and I enjoyed that Priest poked a bit of fun at what later writers did with his concepts; Ross is very confused that the Dora Milaje can speak to people who aren't T'Challa, in English.

McGregor's story is set in a world where T'Challa and Monica Lynne never split up... and she dies of cancer. I appreciated how well McGregor could still evoke his old style, twenty-five years after he last worked on the character; it's a perfect pastiche of his own work. I didn't know he was even still writing comics! It was neat to see all the old characters rendered in the old style once again. The Hudlin one continues a story from the previous Black Panther Annual #1 (comics, everybody!) set in a dystopian future where Wakanda conquered the world. It's mostly just exposition. But I was much happier to read this than whatever it is Coates is up to.

Lastly, one issue has a three-page origin recap for the Black Panther. It's fine.

Parts 7-13 of Avengers of the New World originally appeared in issues #166-72 of Black Panther vol. 1 (Dec. 2017–June 2018). The story was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates; penciled by Leonard Kirk (#166-67, 169-72) and Chris Sprouse (#168); inked by Leonard Kirk (#166, 169-71), Marc Deering (#166-67, 172), and Karl Story (#168), with Walden Wong (#168, 172); colored by Laura Martin (#166-67, 169-72) and Matt Milla (#167-68, 172), with Chris Sotomayor (#168); lettered by Joe Sabino; and edited by Wil Moss.

Marvel Legacy: "The Black Panther" originally appeared in issue #166 of Black Panther vol. 1 (Dec. 2017). The story was written by Robbie Thompson, illustrated by Wilfredo Torres, colored by Dan Brown, lettered by Joe Sabino, and edited by Darren Shan.

Black Panther Annual vol. 1 originally appeared in one issue (Apr. 2018). The stories were written by Priest, Don McGregor, and Reggie Hudlin; illustrated by Mike Perkins, Daniel Acuña, and Ken Lashley; colored by Andy Troy and Matt Milla; lettered by Joe Sabino; and edited by Wil Moss.

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