Celebrated journalist and current Black Panther writer Ta-Nehisi Coates is taking over Captain America for a brand-new comic series. When Between the World and Me author and correspondent for The Atlantic Ta-Nehisi Coates was announced as the writer for a new Black Panther series two years ago, it marked a change in Marvel Comics. Though a lifelong comic fan, Coates brought a different perspective (and a certain prestige) to the book, which quickly became one of Marvel's biggest sellers ever.
Just as Coates and artist Brian Stelfreeze were crafting a new T'Challa and Wakanda, Ryan Coogler was beginning work on Black Panther the movie. As such, many elements from the book (like Kimoyo beads and designs for Wakanda and its ships) made it into the film. The villain of Black Panther 2 may even draw from the political elements that both Coates' and Coogler's work share.
Now, the mind behind the popular Black Panther book is taking on the Sentinel of Liberty.
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Ta-Nehisi Coates announced today via a column in The Atlantic that he'll be writing a new Captain America series that will launch on July 4th of this year. Joining Coates will be artist Leinil Yu, while the iconic Alex Ross will handle the covers. The first issue's cover (by Ross) has also been revealed, while Coates spoke about why he's excited—and scared—to take on Steve Rogers.
He is “a man out of time,” a walking emblem of greatest-generation propaganda brought to life in this splintered postmodern time. Thus, Captain America is not so much tied to America as it is, but to an America of the imagined past. In one famous scene, flattered by a treacherous general for his “loyalty,” Rogers—grasping the American flag—retorts, “I’m loyal to nothing, general … except the dream.”
As Coates notes throughout his piece, Rogers is far from a stooge for the American government. As both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War have shown, he's one of the first to chafe against abuses of power. And the Captain America of the comics has been doing the same for decades. With Coates now behind Cap's words, we should see the most socio-politically relevant Steve Rogers ever.
Considering that Steve Rogers made headlines over the past year for leading HYDRA as a Nazi ally as part of Marvel's Secret Empire, the publisher is still gaining back some jilted fans. Mark Waid and Chris Samnee's current run of Captain America is aimed at building that momentum, so Coates' announcement can only help.
Along with Captain America, Coates will continue writing Black Panther. In fact, Black Panther is heading to space as part of Marvel's fresh start. While another Marvel relaunch hasn't excited fans, the comics that have been announced so far have certainly been intriguing. And with Coates' knack for character and world building—and his influence on the MCU—his time writing Captain America should lead to some interesting developments.
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Captain America #1 will hit shelves July 4, 2018.
Source: The Atlantic