Ta-Nehisi Coates has been a much-needed part of the Marvel family for quite some time. He is the writer behind the comic giant’s most recent Black Panther series. It’s a role he’s used to directly address sexism and bring LGBT relationships to the forefront of an industry that has traditionally catered to straight white men. These are issues that the comic-book industry has been critiqued for ignoring. And when it comes to race, another area where Marvel has had to rethink its strategy, Coates’ previous Black Panther series managed to skirt the issue by focusing on a fictional homeland.
But Coates is moving beyond simple representation in his third story of the series, Black Panther and the Crew. This story will deal specifically with racial injustices. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Panther and the Crew essentially brings Marvel’s best Black characters together: X-Men’s Storm, Misty Knight, Luke Cage, and of course, the Panther. As such, they represent the first all-Black superhero team. When an activist in police custody is killed, it's safe to assume that the Crew moves in to right a wrong.
Similar to Donald Glover’s approach to creating Atlanta, Coates didn’t consciously plan for this to be the next step in the Black Panther saga. Instead, as Coates told Time, the series naturally unfolded as he considered the circumstances that would shape the world in which these superheroes live. Stay woke, Ta-Nehisi.
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