Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: alex ross, black panther, john ridley, juann cabal, marvel

New York Times Confirms John Ridley and Juann Cabal on Black Panther

Earlier this month, Bleeding Cool scooped the news that we were to get a new Black Panther series by John Ridley and Juann Cabal. Today's New York Times has the confirmation of that news, with Alex Ross cover artwork to boot. And they even mentioned that BC ran the story earlier – something no other publication getting the official PR scoop has ever done. Thanks George.

They quote John Ridley – screenwriter of 12 Years A Slave, Guerillas and current writer of The Next Batman at DC Comics – as saying. "First of all, Black Panther is just a great character in and of himself. But being a young Black kid growing up, every time you saw a hero that looked like you, even if their background didn't reflect my lived experience, it was just something that made you feel closer to the wish fulfillment that is intrinsic in graphic novel writing."

As for the comic itself, "It's a hybrid espionage-superhero thriller, but at its core, it's a love story. And I don't mean just romantic love, although there's some of that as well. It's love between friends" as Black Panther receives an urgent message from a Wakandan operative who is in danger." As to the wider impact of the comic, "we're coming out of a summer where we saw Black people fighting for our rights, standing up, fighting in ways that we haven't had to do in years. And it was really important to me after the year we had where we can have these conversations with Black people and we can use words like love and caring and hope and regret and all these really fundamental emotions that everybody has."

Look for the new Black Panther #1 from Marvel Comics in August. And for me to buy George Gene Gustines a pint at the next available opportunity.

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