Book Burn 2016 #3: Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1

BY CHRISTOPHER PRIEST AND MARK TEXERIA, ET AL.

Dude. I was so thrilled when I learned Marvel was finally collecting Christopher Priest's Black Panther run. Unless I'm very mistaken, until these collections, Marvel had reprinted only the first twelve issues of Priest's 62 issue run (in two trades: Black Panther, Vol. 1: The Client and Black Panther, Vol. 2: Enemy of the State), and I owned them both. I was glad to have them but there was so much more from Priest's run that deserved reprinting. As days go by and more stories surface about Black Panther's involvement in the film Captain America: Civil War as well as 2018's Black Panther, it's clear to me that at least one of the reasons Marvel chose to finally give this run the treatment it deserves is that Priest's interpretation of the ruler of Wakanda will prove key source material for the Black Panther of the films.

Priest's Black Panther wasn't always perfect. His Pulp-Fiction-esque storytelling style can be confusing and there are times you end up wondering why - in spite of how enjoyable a character he is - narrator Everett K. Ross seems to be much more of a focus than the guy whose name is on the cover of the comic,

But even now, over a decade later, I find Priest's approach to superheroics refreshing. He invests heavily in all of his flawed, rich characters. Black Panther is clearly a bad-ass, but Priest is modest with his hero. Panther doesn't win every fight and he never comes off as the Best There Is At What He Does. Black Panther was often criticized for a lack of action, but I never had a problem with more political intrigue and less fisticuffs. And when things devolve into fisticuffs, Priest is serious about it. Fights between Panther and villains like Kraven the Hunter and Killmonger are fierce, brutal, and absent the usual super-hero banter.

The second volume of this collection is already out and in my shelf. The third volume is scheduled to be released in April. I would be very surprised if those other two volumes don't make their way onto this list by the end of the year.