Ta-Nehisi Coates is known for a lot of things, including writer for The Atlantic, author, and nominee for the National Book Award’s nonfiction prize. As of today, he’s adding another position to his resume and it’s a bit of a dream come true for him: Marvel Comics writer.
According to Coates, via the New York Times, Marvel was “an intimate part of my childhood and, at this point, part of my adulthood.”
The renowned author and journalist will debut his comic prowess next spring with a brand new run for Black Panther.
The relationship began back in May, when Coates interviewed Sana Amanat, the creator of Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. After that, Coates began talking with Marvel, which led to a yearlong story about T’Challa (real name of Black Panther) with art by Brian Stelfreeze.
Titled “A Nation Under Our Feet,” the story will follow Black Panther dealing with an uprising in Wakanda after the People appears, a superhuman terrorist group. It’s modeled off the 2003 story of the same name by Steve Hahn.
Coates will add a certain weight to the Marvel universe, of course, but that’s not exactly how he sees it: “I don’t experience the stuff I write about as weighty. I feel a strong need to express something. The writing usually lifts the weight. I expect to be doing the same thing for Marvel.”
I’m excited to see the voice he finds writing for comics and Black Panther is a great choice because he’s going to be introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe soon with Captain America: Civil War.
Coates concludes by simply stating: “I want to make a great comic. I really, really do.”
So do I, and I have no doubt it will be.
Are you excited for Ta-Nehisi Coates to lend his talents to Marvel? Sound off in the comments!
