Writer Christopher Priest revolutionized and revitalized the Black Panther in his acclaimed run on the title when it was part of the Marvel Knights imprint, from 1998-2003. Now, over 20 years later, Priest is returning to Black Panther - and to Marvel Knights - for a story that shows what one possible future of the Marvel Universe could look like.
For the six issue limited series, titled Marvel Knights: The World to Come, Priest is joined by artist Joe Quesada, one of the original architects of the groundbreaking Marvel Knights line alongside Jimmy Palmiotti. Together, they'll lay out their vision for a future Marvel Universe inspired directly by the original Marvel Knights line, starting with the death of T'Challa, the Black Panther.
The story, which Marvel states is "almost already completed in its entirety" - no doubt a reassurance for Quesada's notoriously slow-but-worth-it pacing as an artist - was originally conceived of in 2017 when Priest pitched Quesada on the idea.
"In September 1998, Marvel Knights Daredevil #1 hit the stands, followed by The Punisher, Inhumans, and Black Panther," states Quesada. "We were confident they’d do well, but we didn’t anticipate the overwhelming fan reaction or the lasting impact Marvel Knights would have on Marvel."
"Fast forward to October 2017 - my best bud, mentor, and Marvel Knights Black Panther writer (and, for my money, the best writer in comics), Christopher Priest, pitched me an idea rooted in his original Marvel Knights take on T’Challa and Wakanda," he continues. "It was insane, beautiful, and edgy as hell. I told him I HAD to draw it - and that we should go even bigger. Priest delivered an opus - a journey that lets us - and fans - celebrate those original books while taking familiar characters to new and unexpected places. I haven’t had this much fun drawing a project since Marvel Knights Daredevil #1."
For those who weren't there, Marvel Knights was an imprint of Marvel Comics which presented new titles for flagging characters with a focus on bold creative directions that redefined and refocused the characters with a modern edge.
Top among the original class of Marvel Knights titles are Quesada's own Daredevil, written by Kevin Smith, and of course Priest and artist Mark Texeira's Black Panther, which refined the lore around T'Challa and his nation of Wakanda with new ideas that still inform how Black Panther stories are told.
Marvel Knights: The World to Come #1 goes on sale June 4.
Christopher Priest wrote many of the best Black Panther comics of all time.
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