Black Panther #25 previews a war for the Wakandan Empire

Black Panther #25
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

The finale of Ta-Nehisi Coates' five-year run on Black Panther is set to hit stands on May 26, and for the occasion, Marvel is rolling out a wide array of variant covers.

In addition to the main cover by series artist Daniel Acuña, variants have been revealed from Sam Spratt, Brian Stelfreeze, Natacha Bustos, Juan Cabal, Carmen Nunez Carnero, Joshua Cassara, Iban Coello, Patrick Gleason, Peach Momoko, R.B. Silva, and Carlos Pacheco.

Here's a gallery of all 12 Black Panther #25 covers:

Interested in owning one? Click on the artists' names above for direct links to where you can order one now.

"It's the end of an era for the Black Panther as renowned writer Ta-Nehisi Coates concludes his Wakandan epic! Over five years, Coates has taken the Black Panther to hell and back and expanded Wakanda into the distant stars," reads Marvel's description of Black Panther #25. 

"Now, in his final issue, he brings T'Challa full circle, back to the home he left behind…and the crown he has never fully accepted. This is the story of a king who sought to be a hero, a hero who was reduced to a slave, a slave who advanced into legend…and the man who has struggled to hold up an empire in his bare hands. The journey will conclude, but the legend remains."

Check out this preview of Black Panther #25:

For the occasion, original series artist Brian Stelfreeze is returning to the title to draw a special epilogue written by Coates.

"Ta-Nehisi has come up with a truly special finale here, one that not only wraps up the current story of T'Challa's attempt to stop Emperor N'Jadaka's conquest of Wakanda, but also deals with elements that reach all the way back to the beginning of Ta-Nehisi's run," series editor Wil Moss said earlier this year. "Black Panther #25 is an immensely satisfying conclusion, with twists you won't see coming and repercussions that will be felt for years to come."

Black Panther #25 goes on sale on May 26. The final arc will be collected as Black Panther Book 9: The Intergalactic Empire Of Wakanda Part Four, on sale June 23.

Coates' Black Panther is among the best Black Panther stories of all time.

Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)