In August, the 'Long Shadow' arc of the current Black Panther ongoing series will end, concluding an intense battle for Wakanda that's tested T'Challa in every possible way – and may not end in triumph for the titular superhero. August's Black Panther #9 will begin a new arc, 'Range Wars,' which reintroduces T'Challa to the Avengers as a team member, but not without complications or tension.
Black Panther is written by John Ridley, and artist Germán Peralta will take over for Stefano Landini for the 'Range Wars' story. After everything that just happened in Wakanda, Captain America isn't convinced T'Challa's got his head on straight, which will make it difficult for him to contribute to the Avengers in a useful way. Things get even worse when a new galactic threat arrives: the Colonialist, who's determined to take over Earth itself.
So far, Ridley's run on Black Panther has taken T'Challa off-world and forced his younger sister, Shuri, to deal with attacks on Wakanda's secret agents. 'Long Shadow' feels much like a spy thriller, complete with painful romantic entanglements (courtesy of T'Challa and X-Men's Storm), but 'Range Wars' appears to be a shift in tone for the series overall. Starting with issue #9, Black Panther will pull back from Wakanda and focus on the larger, intergalactic threat of the Colonialist, whose means and methods have not yet been revealed.
Black Panther #9 goes on sale in August and will feature cover art by Alex Ross.
Stay tuned to Newsarama for Marvel's full August 2022 solicitations, coming later this month.
Alex Ross is nominated for best cover art in the 2022 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, alongside other industry giants.
