Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther finale delayed a month

Marvel Comics has informed retailers that Black Panther #25 has been delayed four weeks, to a new release date of May 26.

The publisher has not given a reason for the delay, but readers of Coates' run have come to accept schedule changes and delays over the course of the five-year saga.

"Over five years, Coates has taken the Black Panther to hell and back and expanded Wakanda into the distant stars. 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," reads Marvel's description of Black Panther #25. "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."

T'Challa's struggle with heroism and monarchy is one of the overarching themes of Coates' Black Panther run.

"The journey will conclude, but the legend remains. Don't miss the close of a historic epoch in comic history, including an epilogue drawn by Brian Stelfreeze!"

Current series artist Daniel Acuña will be drawing the main story of the finale issue, which at 56 pages is almost double the length of a regular Marvel comic book.

"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 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 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)