Warning: contains a preview for Black Panther #25!
A new preview from Marvel Comics has been released, showing the first few pages of Ta-Nehisi Coates' final issue of Black Panther, and promising a major conflict that puts the MCU's greatest battles to shame. The final reckoning has come for the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, and T'Challa has assembled a massive coalition of heroes to fend off his newest enemies. With Emperor N'Jadaka and his forces having arrived to claim the Prime Wakanda as their own, the stakes have never been higher for the advanced African nation, and the true Wakanda is going to fight as hard as it can to protect its people.
Black Panther #25 will be coming from writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and artist Daniel Acuña, seeing the end of Coates' tenure with the character, which has covered the main series and multiple spin-offs since 2016. In his wake, the incredible John Ridley will take over with Black Panther #1 in August, though there's no telling what sort of Wakanda he'll be left with by the massive battle's end. King T'Challa has been battling with this corrupted intergalactic offshoot of Wakanda for quite some time, but having regained his memories and contacted his allies, Black Panther is determined to fight for the soul and legacy of his nation. As such, he's gathered superheroes and allies in unprecedented numbers.
Not only has Black Panther called upon his fellow superheroes, but he's also requested the assistance and help of the Originators, a conglomerate of indigenous species that existed in Wakanda before man took over the region and banished them. Seeking the chance for glory and honor as well as promised reparations from Wakanda after the battle is won, T'Challa just got a major source of support at the end of the previous issue, allowing the tide to be turned right as it seemed as though Killmonger's forces had the upper hand. Now, the preview reveals the continuation of the massive battle, seeing the King and Emperor face to face as the conflict enters its final act. Here's the synopsis and preview pages for Black Panther #25:
THE FINAL ISSUE OF TA-NEHISI COATES' LANDMARK RUN! It's the end of an era for the Black Panther as renowned writer Ta-Nehisi Coates concludes his Wakandan epic! Over four 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. 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. The journey will conclude, but the legend remains. Don't miss the close of a historic epoch in comic history!
After all this time, it's hard to imagine Black Panther without Coates, but after a truly staggering run, the themes and ideas woven into T'Challa's struggle for freedom against the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda are converging in a final battle for the ages. With the sheer amount of heroes, villains, creatures, aliens forces, symbiotes, and even the Gods of Wakanda themselves standing witness over the pivotal chapter of the nation, this particular battle rivals the Battle of Wakanda seen in Avengers: Infinity War, and even the final battle against Thanos seen in Avengers: Endgame.
This final chapter promises to be an amazing last ride, as heroes like War Machine, Luke Cage, Cloak, Ironheart, Spectrum, and more give their all in the name of Wakanda. The foundations of Wakanda are about to be rocked with the end of an era when Black Panther #25 hits physical and digital retailers May 26.