World of Wakanda

World of Wakanda is a comic book title and a spin-off from the Marvel Comics' Black Panther title.[1][2] The series is written by Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates and poet Yona Harvey.[3] Gay and Harvey became the first two black women to author a series for Marvel.[3] Alitha E. Martinez drew the series for which Afua Richardson contributed cover art to the first five issues, and art for a short story in the first issue. The series won an 2018 Eisner Award for Best Limited Series.[4]

World of Wakanda
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
FormatOngoing series
GenreSuperhero
Main character(s)Ayo, Aneka
Creative team
Written byRoxane Gay
Yona Harvey
Artist(s)Alitha E. Martinez
Afua Richardson
Letterer(s)Joe Sabino
Colorist(s)Rachelle Rosenberg
Tamra Bonvillain

History

After the success of the Black Panther series relaunch in April 2016, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Marvel developed a companion piece set in the fictional African country of Wakanda, home to the Black Panther. Coates recommended Gay and Harvey to pen the series. He had seen Gay read a short story about zombies two years earlier that he recalled as "the most surprising, unexpected, coolest zombie story you ever want to see"; Harvey had been his classmate at Howard University and he felt her skills as a poet would lend themselves to the comic-book form, telling The New York Times, "That’s just so little space, and you have to speak with so much power. I thought she’d be a natural."[5]

The series debuted November 9, 2016. Harvey wrote a 10-page origin story for Wakanda's revolutionary leader Zenzi, and has said she drew on the example of Winnie Mandela as inspiration.[6] Gay has mentioned the character of Olivia Pope in the first season of Scandal and the original USA version of La Femme Nikita as influences for the series.[7]

Overview

World of Wakanda tells stories of two African women who are also lovers, Ayo and Aneka, and former members of the Dora Milaje, the Black Panther's female security force. It also describes Zenzi, a revolutionary and villain in the Black Panther series.[8]

Black Panther: World of Wakanda #1

Black Panther: World Of Wakanda #1 is a prequel to Coates's Black Panther series, describing the backstory of women in Wakanda. It stars Aneka and Ayo of the Dora Milaje, and Zenzi, a revolutionary leader in Wakanda. Contrasting World of Wakanda with its Black Panther predecessor, Caitlin Rosberg writes at The A.V. Club that "World Of Wakanda feels more intimate, and all the more powerful for it. It’s deeply invested in the identities of black women both as characters and more importantly as creators, making it clear that these aren’t just background characters in T’Challa’s [Black Panther's] life."[9] Writing for Inverse magazine, Caitlin Busch called the first installment "a tear-jerking love story for the ages, encapsulating all the emotion, romance, tragedy, and fearsome intelligence of Black Panther’s Wakandan civilization."[10]

References
  1. Blay, Zeba (2016-07-29). "Roxane Gay Is The Lead Writer Of A Marvel Comic. Here's Why That's Huge". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  2. "SDCC 2016: Black Panther: World of Wakanda". News | Marvel.com. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  3. "Get To Know 'World of Wakanda' Co-Writer Roxane Gay". Comics Alliance. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  4. Petski, Denise (July 21, 2018). "Eisner Awards 2018: The Complete Winners List — Comic-Con".
  5. Gustines, George Gene (2016-07-22). "Marvel's World of Wakanda Will Spotlight Women, on the Page and Behind It". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
  6. Pitz, Marylynne (September 28, 2016). "KA-POW! Pitt professor flips from poetry to comics". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  7. Serrao, Nivea (2016-11-02). "'World of Wakanda': Roxane Gay Explains How 'Scandal' Inspired New Comic". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  8. Scott, Sydney (11 November 2016). "Roxane Gay And Yona Harvey Didn't Hesitate To Take On The 'World Of Wakanda'". Essence. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  9. Rosberg, Caitlin (22 November 2016). "Roxane Gay's Black Panther prequel gives women a story in the World Of Wakanda". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  10. Busch, Caitlin (October 14, 2016). "Roxane Gay's New 'Black Panther: World of Wakanda' Will Break Your Heart". Inverse. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
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