The best Black Panther comics read like a fabled history of the world of Wakanda - the remote, hidden kingdom that is the home of the Black Panther and the setting of some of his most iconic stories.
Black Panther's current ongoing comic title will end in March, with a new volume scheduled to debut in June, meaning more new Black Panther stories are in the works.
If you're a Black Panther superfan, the best Black Panther comics ever are must-read additions to your comic book library, stories that will deliver all the mythic, superheroic Black Panther action you're craving.
But which Black Panther stories rank as the best Black Panther comics ever?
We've got our picks for the best Black Panther comics ever right here -a list that's perfect for longtime Black Panther readers looking for old beloved gems, or brand new readers looking for the must-read list of Black Panther comics.
10. The Man Without Fear
At first glance, there are a lot of similarities between Black Panther and Batman. And the 'Man Without Fear' story arc has some fun leaning into that with a little help from Francesco Francavilla. His moody artwork immediately calls to mind the aesthetics of Batman: The Animated Series.
But writer David Liss throws some curveballs here. With T'Challa stripped of his throne and his powers, he has to make ends meet as the manager of a diner while also finding a way to answer the call of heroism. It's a side of T'Challa we don't always see and that's what makes it work.
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9. Enemy of the State II
How does a king keep himself, his country, and its greatest export safe? He keeps tabs on everyone that might be a reasonable threat, as seen in 'Enemy of the State II.' Unfortunately, that means that the dignified African dignitary might make enemies out of some of his friends - namely, Tony Stark.
The two characters are master manipulators playing a chess game with each other and their assets that is endlessly entertaining. It's a question of who can be two steps ahead of each other at all times and provides a further foundation that while T'Challa is a match for most superheroes physically, he's also one of the most cunning and intelligent characters in the Marvel Universe.
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8. Killmonger's Rage
As much as Christopher Priest's run pushed the Black Panther forward, the writer was also fond of looking back in the character's history to put his own mark on the elements that made the man with the one-issue story 'Killmonger's Rage.'
One important piece of the puzzle is T'Challa's relationship to Erik Killmonger, and so Priest honors the legacy of Don McGregor's 'Panther's Rage.' But Priest was able to take him further. His Killmonger is a Wakandan corrupted by Western values - an antithesis to T'Challa and Wakanda as well as a challenge to them.
'Killmonger's Rage' sees Priest forcing T'Challa to face an interesting mirror of himself - what would happen if he succumbed to the ways of the rest of the world - and shows how T'Challa rises above it.
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7. The Bride
The marriage of Black Panther to the X-Men's Storm is one of the biggest in Marvel history. After Hudlin explored their meeting and relationship earlier in his run, the two characters came together in the middle of Marvel's first Civil War event with 'The Bride.'
The arc provided an interesting stage for the two sides of that conflict to meet on neutral ground while also acting as a real celebration of two of the Marvel Universe's most enduring characters. Their relationship would not last after Namor flooded Wakanda and Storm chose her mutant family over T'Challa's royal one, but the impact of their pairing is still felt to this day.
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6. The Client
'The Client' is the story arc that really made the Black Panther synonymous with Christopher Priest. T'Challa travels from Wakanda to New York City to investigate the murder of a young girl and in the process, Priest showcases the skills and dignity that separate T'Challa from his fellow heroes.
Priest uses agent Everett K. Ross of the Office of the Chief of Protocol as a framing device for the story that, according to the writer, allowed him to "bridge the gap between the African culture that the Black Panther mythos is steeped in and the predominantly white readership that Marvel sells to."
He also introduces new elements to the mythos including Black Panther's now-iconic female bodyguards, the Dora Milaje.
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5. A Nation Under Our Feet
Sharing its name with Steve Hahn's Pulitzer prize-winning book about the evolution of African American political power in the six decades following the Civil War, 'A Nation Under Our Feet' establishes the Black Panther for a modern era by putting him in direct conflict with our ever-changing world.
To borrow a couple of lines sung by Frank Ocean that practically sum up this arc: "What's a mob to a king? What's a king to a god? What's a god to a non-believer who don't believe in anything?" Political intrigue abounds throughout Ta-Nehisi Coates's story as T'Challa loses control of his country to civil war and is forced to confront his relationship with his family, his people, and with the mantle of the Black Panther.
And it never hurts to have all-star artist Brian Stelfreeze handling the art even as the story hits some of its slower moments.
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4. Panther's Rage
Don McGregor's 'Panther's Rage' took the headstrong hero into new territory for the first time. Instead of playing second fiddle to the Avengers, McGregor placed T'Challa at the forefront of his own story and in his own country for the first time.
In the pages of Jungle Action, McGregor and a bevy of talented artists including Rich Buckler, Klaus Janson, and Gil Kane were finally able to deepen the mythos of a character who had been little more than a guest star elsewhere. And in doing so, they gave Wakanda and T'Challa a history and supporting cast that has remained including the first appearances of the villainous Erik Killmonger.
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3. Who is the Black Panther?
How do you follow up Priest's legendary run? You hand the King of Wakanda off to Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr. and allow them to dive back into who T'Challa is and what the mantle of Black Panther means in the Marvel Universe with 'Who is the Black Panther?'.
Hudlin tied T'Challa's personal history to Wakanda's political one, showing us what makes the man but also how the country informs him as a person and a hero. It's here that we see how T'Challa met Storm and pits the Black Panther against the threat of American Imperialism - informing a larger metaphor about Africa's relationship to would be colonizing countries.
Hudlin reminded readers that "the personal is political," and this opening salvo to his run has been referenced as the inspiration behind Chadwick Boseman's portrayal of the Black Panther.
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2. See Wakanda and Die
Jason Aaron followed Hudlin briefly on Black Panther and delivered one of the Wakandan King's greatest stories even amid a big Marvel event with 'See Wakanda and Die.'
With the Skrulls' invasion of Earth underway, Aaron shows us the impressive resiliency of Wakanda. The country that has never been conquered remains true to its reputation, beating back Skrull forces at every front. But technology fails both sides and they are forced to fight hand-to-hand.
As told through stunning artwork from Jefte Palo, T'Challa proves his mettle by taking on Super Skrull and setting a plan in motion to help Wakanda win the day. Aaron and Palo help solidify T'Challa's legacy as a warrior, strategist, and king.
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1. Enemy of the State
Obviously, Christopher Priest's run is one for all-time. But 'Enemy of the State' is the crown jewel amongst it. With Priest again using Agent Ross as a way into the Black Panther's story, T'challa uncovers a plot by the United States to undermine and replace the current Wakandan regime to control the country.
Priest believed that T'Challa's role as a king should have real political ramifications, especially considering that Black Panther really had more in common with fellow monarchs Namor and Doctor Doom than any run-of-the-mill heroes. His exploration of that gave the book a reputation among fans as the West Wing of comics.
But there was plenty of superheroing as well, as readers learned about T'Challa's motivations for joining the Avengers that cast his entire history in a new and intriguing light.
'Enemy of the State' and Priest's run on the Black Panther overall stand as a testament to what happens when talented creators believe in the stories they are telling and are able to let loose. We think of Chris Claremont when we talk about the X-Men. We think of Walt Simonson when we talk about Thor. When we talk about Black Panther, one name comes to mind.
Priest.
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