{"product_id":"black-panther-isbn-9780143135814","title":"Black Panther","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe Penguin Classics Marvel Collection presents the origin stories, seminal tales, and characters of the Marvel Universe to explore Marvel’s transformative and timeless influence on an entire genre of fantasy.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eA Penguin Classics Marvel Collection Edition\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Collects \u003ci\u003eFantastic Four\u003c\/i\u003e #52-53 (1966); \u003ci\u003eJungle Action\u003c\/i\u003e #6-21 (1973-1976). It is impossible to imagine American popular culture without Marvel Comics. For decades, Marvel has published groundbreaking visual narratives that sustain attention on multiple levels: as metaphors for the experience of difference and otherness; as meditations on the fluid nature of identity; and as high-water marks in the artistic tradition of American cartooning, to name a few.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Black Panther is not just a super hero; as King T’Challa, he is also the monarch of the hidden African nation of Wakanda. Combining the strength and stealth of his namesake with a creative scientific intelligence, the Black Panther is an icon of Afro-futurist fantasy. This new anthology includes the Black Panther’s 1966 origin tale and the entirety of the critically acclaimed “Panther’s Rage” storyline from his 1970s solo series.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e A foreword by Nnedi Okorafor, a scholarly introduction and apparatus by Qiana J. Whitted, and a general series introduction by Ben Saunders offer further insight into the enduring significance of Black Panther and classic Marvel comics. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Penguin Classics black spine paperback features full-color art throughout.“A groundbreaking example of comics representation in literature.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Penguin provides introductory essays; superb analyses by the series editor, Ben Saunders; and extensive bibliographies.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Michael Dirda, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“Stories become classics when generations of readers sort through them, talk about them, imitate them, and recommend them. In this case, baby boomers read them when they débuted, Gen X-ers grew up with their sequels, and millennials encountered them through Marvel movies. Each generation of fans—initially fanboys, increasingly fangirls, and these days nonbinary fans, too—found new ways not just to read the comics but to use them. That’s how canons form. Amateurs and professionals, over decades, come to something like consensus about which books matter and why—or else they love to argue about it, and we get to follow the arguments. Canons rise and fall, gain works and lose others, when one generation of people with the power to publish, teach, and edit diverges from the one before ... A top-flight comic by Kirby—or his successor on “Captain America,” Jim Steranko—barely needed words. You could follow the story just by watching the characters act and react. Thankfully, Penguin volumes do justice to these images. They reproduce sixties comics in bright, flat, colorful inks on thick white paper—unlike the dot-based process used on old newsprint, but perhaps truer to their bold, thrill-chasing spirit.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Stephanie Burt,\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e The New Yorker\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eA regular contributor to Marvel’s letter columns as a teen, \u003cb\u003eDon McGregor\u003c\/b\u003e broke into comics writing short stories for Warren’s Publishing black-and-white magazines \u003ci\u003eCreepy\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEerie\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eVampirella\u003c\/i\u003e. Making the jump to Mar­vel Comics as a writer-editor in the mid-1970s, he combined a penchant for densely descriptive prose captions and character- riven narrative with the excitement of super hero drama on the first solo series devoted to the ad­ventures of the Black Panther. His groundbreaking run brought a new so­cial relevance to the series, and McGregor’s vision of T’Challa, his people, and the nation of Wakanda remains influential to this day. Concurrent with his work on the Panther, McGregor collaborated with artist P. Craig Russell on Killraven in \u003ci\u003eAmazing Adventures\u003c\/i\u003e: a science-fiction romance about an earthbound hero’s struggles against Martian invaders. In this series, too, McGregor pushed back against the presumptions of racism: Killraven featured mainstream comics’ first interracial kiss. His later works include the graphic novel and subsequent series \u003ci\u003eSabre\u003c\/i\u003e (with artist Paul Gulacy) and \u003ci\u003eDetectives Inc.\u003c\/i\u003e (with Marshall Rogers and Gene Colan), both published by Eclipse, and a pair of well- received noir detective miniseries, \u003ci\u003eNathaniel Dusk\u003c\/i\u003e (also illustrated by Colan) for DC comics. The 1980s would also see McGregor return to Killraven and Black Panther; the former in a lushly illustrated graphic novel with P. Craig Russell, the latter following up storylines from \u003ci\u003eJungle Action\u003c\/i\u003e in the \u003ci\u003eMarvel Comics Presents\u003c\/i\u003e anthology and a four-issue miniseries, \u003ci\u003eBlack Panther: Panther’s Prey\u003c\/i\u003e. McGregor has also written the syndicated \u003ci\u003eZorro\u003c\/i\u003e newspaper strip, and published the prose fictions \u003ci\u003eDragonflame \u0026amp; Other Bedtime Nightmares\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Variable Syndrome\u003c\/i\u003e, among other works.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRich Buckler\u003c\/b\u003e (1949–2017) was a versatile artist who drew hundreds of pages for Marvel, DC, Archie, Warren, and others, during his long ca­reer. Among his most notable work for Marvel: In the 1970s he helped introduce Deathlok in the pages of \u003ci\u003eAstonishing Tales\u003c\/i\u003e; penciled several storylines in \u003ci\u003ePeter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man\u003c\/i\u003e; and enjoyed runs on \u003ci\u003eFantastic Four\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThor\u003c\/i\u003e, and other monthly titles, including the first solo series featuring the Black Panther. Buckler’s DC work includes \u003ci\u003eLois Lane\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Society of Super-Villains\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eWorld’s Finest\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as the groundbreaking \u003ci\u003eSuperman vs. Shazam\u003c\/i\u003e. Buckler was also editor of the short-lived Solson Publications and wrote two books on comic book art.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBilly Graham\u003c\/b\u003e (or the “Irreverent Billy Graham,” as he was known around the Marvel Bullpen, a play on the name of the popular evangelist) was one of the industry’s brightest young talents in the 1970s. He honed a style born out of his love of fantasy stylists such as Frank Frazetta and Al Williamson and his adoration of comic art legend Jack Kirby. Like many young artists from the 1970s, Billy got his start on Warren’s line of black-and-white horror mags \u003ci\u003eCreepy\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEerie\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eVampirella\u003c\/i\u003e. Impressed by Graham’s all- round talent as an artist and storyteller, publisher James Warren made Graham art director for the Warren line, a position he held until he jumped over to Marvel Comics. The first book handed to him was \u003ci\u003eHero for Hire\u003c\/i\u003e; he penciled, co‑plotted, and\/ or inked the first sixteen issues of Luke Cage’s title, Marvel’s first ongoing series following the solo adventures of a Black character. Joining Don McGregor on the Black Pan­ther in \u003ci\u003eJungle Action\u003c\/i\u003e for his next assignment, Graham—the first Black creator to work on the character—would help to define the Wakandan warrior king for a generation of readers. Graham later reunited with McGregor for the writer’s Eclipse series, \u003ci\u003eSabre\u003c\/i\u003e, in the mid- 980s. His final comics work appeared in 1985’s \u003ci\u003ePower Man and Iron Fist\u003c\/i\u003e #114. Graham was also a playwright, theatrical set designer, stage and film actor, and commercial artist. He passed away in 1997 at the age of sixty-one.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWriter-editor \u003cb\u003eStan Lee\u003c\/b\u003e (1922–2018) and artist Jack Kirby made comic book history in 1961 with \u003ci\u003eThe Fantastic Four\u003c\/i\u003e #1. The success of its new style inspired Lee and his many collaborators to develop a number of super heroes, including, with Jack Kirby, the Incredible Hulk and the X‑Men; with Steve Ditko, the Amazing Spider-Man and Doctor Strange; and with Bill Everett, Daredevil. Lee oversaw the adventures of these cre­ations for more than a decade before handing over the editorial reins at Marvel to others and focusing on developing Marvel’s properties in other media. For the remainder of his long life, he continued to serve as a cre­ative figurehead at Marvel and as an ambassador for the comics medium as a whole. In his final years, Lee’s signature cameo appearances in Mar­vel’s films established him as one of the world’s most famous faces.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBorn Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917 to Jewish-Austrian parents on New York’s Lower East Side, \u003cb\u003eJack Kirby\u003c\/b\u003e came of age at the birth of the American comic book industry. Horrified by the rise of Nazism, Kirby co‑created the patriotic hero Captain America with Joe Simon in 1940. Cap’s ex­ploits on the comic book page entertained millions of American readers at home and inspired US troops fighting the enemy abroad. Kirby’s partner­ship with Simon continued throughout the 1940s and early ’50s; together, they produced comics in every popular genre, from Western to romance. In 1958, Kirby began his equally fruitful collaboration with writer-editor Stan Lee, and in 1961 the two men co‑created the foundational text of the modern Marvel Universe: \u003ci\u003eThe Fantastic Four\u003c\/i\u003e. Over the next decade, Kirby and Lee would introduce a mind-boggling array of new characters— including the Avengers, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Silver Surfer, and the X‑Men. Kirby’s groundbreaking work with Lee formed the foundation of the Marvel Universe. In the early 1970s, Kirby moved to DC Comics, where he created his interconnected Fourth World series, as well as freestanding titles such as \u003ci\u003eThe Demon\u003c\/i\u003e. He returned to Marvel in 1975, writing and illus­trating The Black Panther and Captain America and introducing series such as Devil Dinosaur and the Eternals. Kirby died in 1994. Today, he is gener­ally regarded as one of the most important and influential creators in the history of American comics. His work has inspired multiple generations of writers, artists, designers, and filmmakers, who continue to explore his vast universe of concepts and characters. He was an inaugural inductee into the Eisner Hall of Fame in 1987.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNnedi Okorafor\u003c\/b\u003e is a Nigerian American author of African-based sci­ence fiction, fantasy, and magical realism for children and adults. Her works include \u003ci\u003eWho Fears Death\u003c\/i\u003e (currently in development at HBO into a TV series), the Binti novella trilogy, \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Phoenix\u003c\/i\u003e, the Akata books, and \u003ci\u003eLagoon\u003c\/i\u003e. She is the winner of Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus, and Lodestar Awards, an Eisner Award nominee, and her debut novel \u003ci\u003eZahrah the Windseeker\u003c\/i\u003e won the prestigious Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature. Nnedi has also written comics for Marvel, including \u003ci\u003eBlack Panther: Long Live the King\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWakanda Forever\u003c\/i\u003e (featuring the Dora Milaje) and the Shuri series. Her science fiction comic series \u003ci\u003eLaGuardia\u003c\/i\u003e (from Dark Horse) is an Eisner and Hugo Award winner, and her memoir, \u003ci\u003eBroken Places \u0026amp; Outer Spaces\u003c\/i\u003e, is a Locus Award nominee. Nnedi holds two MAs (literature and journalism) and a PhD (literature).\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eQiana J. Whitted\u003c\/b\u003e is a professor of English and African American Studies at the University of South Carolina. She is the author of the Eisner Award– inning book \u003ci\u003eEC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest\u003c\/i\u003e and co‑editor of the collection \u003ci\u003eComics and the U.S. South\u003c\/i\u003e. She is also the ed­itor of \u003ci\u003eInks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society\u003c\/i\u003e and chair of the International Comic Arts Forum.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBen Saunders\u003c\/b\u003e is a professor of English at the University of Oregon. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eDesiring Donne: Poetry, Sexuality, Interpretation\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDo the Gods Wear Capes?: Spirituality, Fantasy, and Superheroes\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as numerous critical essays on subjects ranging from the writings of Shakespeare to the recordings of Little Richard. He has also curated sev­eral museum exhibitions of comics art, including the record-breaking multimedia touring show \u003ci\u003eMarvel: Universe of Super Heroes\u003c\/i\u003e— retro­spective exploring the artistic and cultural impact of Marvel Comics from 1939 to the present.\u003cp\u003eSeries Introduction\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you were suddenly gifted with powers that set you apart from ordinary humanity, what would you do?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the first generation of comic book super heroes, launched in the late 1930s, the answer was obvious: You used your special abilities for the benefit of others. You became a \"champion for the helpless and oppressed\" and waged an \"unceasing battle against evil and injustice.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was a fantasy predicated on the effortless fusion of moral certainty with aggressive action, the national appetite for which only increased after America's entry into the Second World War in 1941. More than seven hundred super-powered do-gooders debuted in the boom years of 1938-1945. Collectively, they helped to transform the comic book business from a vestigial limb of print culture into a muscular arm of the modern entertainment industry. With the social tensions and abiding inequalities of US culture temporarily obscured by the Nazi threat, super heroes even came to emblematize the (sometimes contradictory) principles of individualism, democracy, and consumerism: the American way.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter the war, comics remained big business-the genres of romance, Western, crime, horror, and humor all thrived-but audiences turned decisively away from super heroes. Indeed, by the summer of 1953, the costumed crime-fighter appeared on the verge of extinction. Of the hundreds of characters that had once crowded the newsstands, only five still had their own titles: Quality Comics' Plastic Man and DC Comics' Superman, Superboy, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Old-fashioned products of a simpler time, they were ripe targets for satire. There were sporadic attempts to revive the craze, of course-most notably in 1954, when a wave of national hysteria over the putatively negative effects of crime and horror comics on younger readers led several publishers to seek more parent-friendly alternatives. The companies of Ajax, Atlas, Charlton, Harvey, Magazine Enterprises, Prize, and Sterling all tried out a few super hero books in an effort to recapture a small portion of the market that they once had dominated. Significantly, all failed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo single factor can definitively explain this shift in popular taste, but clearly times had changed. Against the background of the wasteful and inconclusive war in Korea, the vicious theater of McCarthyism, and the ugly response to the first stirrings of the civil rights movement in Montgomery, Alabama, the moral simplicity of the super hero fantasy looked na•ve at best and reactionary at worst. Clearly, if super heroes were going to be revived successfully, they would have to be reinvented.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe process began at DC Comics, the only American comic book publisher to have a real stake in the genre at the time, with the return of the Flash in mid-1956. Writer Bob Kanigher revised the concept (which dated back to 1940), adding a self-reflexive element; his hero, Barry Allen, had a nostalgic fondness for old Flash comics. Kanigher thereby acknowledged and incorporated DCÕs earlier Flash stories while simultaneously placing them at an ironic distance-making his own tale seem more authentic and contemporary. The summer of 1959 saw a similar modernization of the Green Lantern. The origin story of the first Lantern, from almost twenty years prior, had been a messy Orientalist hodgepodge; the new version drew on science fiction tropes more suited to the age of the space race. In late 1959, these revitalized heroes joined forces with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman to form a team: the Justice League of America.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe strong sales of the JLA made other publishers sit up and take notice. Among them was Martin Goodman, the owner of the company not yet known as Marvel. Goodman had enjoyed plenty of success with super hero comics in the 1940s and owned the rights to such former hits as Captain America, the Human Torch-somewhat misnamed, as he was actually a flame-powered android-and Namor the Sub-Mariner. (A true original, the Sub-Mariner was perhaps the only super-powered character of the first generation to regard ordinary humanity with open hostility.) But Goodman had canceled all his super hero books in 1949 to pursue more popular trends. Now, at the dawn of the '60s, half the titles in his comics division were romances or \"teen humor\" titles, while the other half was divided among war, Western, and \"monster\" books-anthologies that served up a different B-movie-style menace month after month-without a single super hero in the bunch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGoodman decided that he needed a super team of his own on the shelves, fast, and assigned the job to a writer-editor named Stanley Lieber, better known today as Stan Lee. A cousin of Goodman's wife, Lee had joined the company in 1939 at the age of seventeen, rising to oversee Goodman's entire line. He'd grown up in the comic book industry, knew all its formulas and limitations, and longed to transcend them-but by his own account, he was starting to wonder if he ever would. When Goodman told him to create a copycat Justice League, Lee turned for help to Jack Kirby, a veteran artist who had co-created Captain America (among many other super heroes) with Joe Simon back in the 1940s. The result of their collaboration would be far more than a knockoff of the latest trend, however. Drawing inspiration from multiple sources, the two men managed to blend a whole new pop-cultural cocktail: a transformative take on the super hero. The comic was called The Fantastic Four, and in its pages, Lee and Kirby would also map out the basic contours of the Marvel Universe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Classics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300422340837,"sku":"NP9780143135814","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780143135814.jpg?v=1767722718","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/black-panther-isbn-9780143135814","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}