Black Superheroes Matter: The Importance of Black Panther

From his very first appearance in 1966 in the pages of “Fantastic Four,” the character of T’Challa, king of the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda and bearer of the title Black Panther, has been a fan favorite. With ties to the FF, the Avengers, Daredevil, the Defenders, the X-Men and the Illuminati, Black Panther is arguably one of the most important heroes in the Marvel pantheon (and definitely one of the coolest). For all his prominence in a fictional universe, however, Black Panther’s true greatness exists in the real world: he is the very first black superhero in comics, entering the public consciousness amidst the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement and emerging more than 50 years later as the star of his own multimillion-dollar film franchise.

Join the True Believers Graphic Novel Book Club this February as we take a deep dive into the history of the King of Wakanda to explore and celebrate the importance of Black Panther as both a character in the Marvel Universe and the critical role he plays in the history of comics and American culture. For our February book discussion, True Believers are encouraged to read ANYTHING you can get your eyes on featuring Black Panther – from your personal collection, your local comic book shop, your local library, or even in digital/online format!

Some suggestions:
• “Black Panther Epic Collection: Panther’s Rage” written by Don McGregor, art by various
• “Black Panther: A Nation Under our Feet” (Volume 1 and up) written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, art by various
• “Black Panther: Doomwar” written by Jonathan Mayberry & Reginald Hudlin, art by various
• “Black Panther: The Man Without Fear” by David Liss and Francesco Francavilla
• Any “Black Panther” stories written by Christopher Priest
• Any “Black Panther” stories written by Reginald Hudlin

We will explore each other's selections in a roundtable discussion. We’ll also review the recently released “Black Panther” feature film, touch upon prominent African-American heroes such as the Falcon, Blade, Luke Cage, Green Lantern and Black Lightning, and consider the fascinating topic of “Afrofuturism!”

NOTE: New members are always welcome! You don't have to read the book(s) to participate in the Meetup (but it does make for better conversations AND you'll have more fun). Come learn why Black Panther is one of the coolest and most important superheroes in comics!

AND, be sure to RSVP for our “Black Panther” movie outing on Saturday, February 17th (see separate Meetup post for complete details)!

Long live the King!

A few words about our Meetup location: College of DuPage Library is located in the Student Resource Center (SRC) on the east side of the main campus in Glen Ellyn. The college offers plenty of free parking within its lots. We'll convene inside the Student Resource Center (SRC) at the front entrance to the Library prior to our 11:00am Meetup. Our designated meeting room is SRC 3144.

Once our meeting officially adjourns at 1:00pm we’ll unofficially continue the conversation over lunch at a local eatery. Join us for a legendary epic lunch!

Suggested Supplemental Material:

“Black Superheroes Matter: Why ‘Black Panther’ is revolutionary”
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/black-superheroes-matter-why-black-panther-is-revolutionary-w509105

“The Return of the Black Panther”
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/04/the-return-of-the-black-panther/471516/

More about “Afrofuturism”:
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/623/we-are-in-the-future
https://creativedisturbance.org/channel/other-planes-afrofuturism-podcast/
https://m.soundcloud.com/ahmed-best-1/the-afrofuturist-podcast-ep1-dr-lonny-brooks-1