Ta-Nehisi Coates: Black Panther Book III

[bibliogramma]

Black Panther Book III continues the story of civil war in Wakanda, and the struggles of the heads of the various factions to discover what it means to be a leader, what is needed to govern justly and fairly with compassion for all.

Events are moving quickly. The Dora Milaje rebels, former members of the all-woman guard of the King, have defeated an expedition sent against the lands they have taken over and announce their secession from Wakanda. At the same time, they hesitate to join forces with a second army of rebels, led by the ambitious Tetu, who seeks to overthrow the ancient kingship and replace it with a new government. Tetu’s army has been assaulting women, and he brushes aside the requests of the Dora Milaje that he control his followers and respect women’s autonomy. Tetu himself has been criticised by his former mentor Changamire, who sees that Tetu has begun to be corrupted by the power he has gained through the rebellion.

Meanwhile, T’Challa’s sister Shuri has returned from her inner travels with new wisdom and stands beside T’Challa as tensions increase.

The battle for the future of Wakanda is beginning, and it is time for the king to emerge, and change, to become not one man above the people, but one part of a nation.

In the midst of this large story about the essence of governance (I’m suddenly reminded of how Shakespeare’s history plays also have a lot to say about learning to be a king in the midst of civil war), there are small touches that delight me. A reference by one of the leaders of the dora milaje rebels to “the parable of Zami” - that a free house is not built with a slave-driver’s tools, paraphrasing the words of Audre Lorde.

All in all, it’s a fitting conclusion to the first story arc of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ turn at the helm of the Black Panther story.