MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
STORY: Nnedi Okorafor
ART: Alberto Alburquerque
COLORS: Erick Arciniega
LETTERS: VC's Joe Sabino
EDITOR: Wil Moss
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Terry & Rachel Dodson
VARIANT COVER: Yasmine Putri
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2018)
Rated “T”
Dora Milaje created by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira; Spider-Man created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee
Chapter One: “A Strange Little Birdie”
Wakanda Forever is a series of one-shot comic books that feature the “Dora Milaje” of the Black Panther comic book line in team-ups with various Marvel Comics superheroes. Dora Milaje is the all-female warrior elite of Wakanda. Their original mission was to protect Wakanda's king, the Black Panther, and the royal family. They recently ended that arrangement and protect Wakanda as a whole.
The Dora Milaje first appeared in Black Panther #1, the first issue of a new Black Panther series that was released under the then new Marvel Comics imprint, “Marvel Knights.” Black Panther was created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee.
The first Wakanda Forever comic books is Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever. It is written by Nnedi Okorafor; drawn by Alberto Alburquerque; colored by Erick Arciniega; and lettered by Joe Sabino. This comic book units Spider-Man and the Dora Milaje on a mission to discover if dangerous Wakandan tech has been cloned.
Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever #1 opens in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Malice, a former Dora Milaje named Nakia, is using a “Mimic-27,” a Dora Milaje weapon, on civilians. The Amazing Spider-Man arrives on the scene to save the victims of Malice's attack, but finds himself under siege.
Okoye, Aneka, and Ayo of the Dora Milaje arrive to put a stop to Malice, but Spider-Man and these fierce warriors some discover something even more troubling. Allies of Malice may have cloned Mimic-27, and the heroes have no choice but make sure if that did or did not happen.
The Dora Milaje have exploded onto the general consciousness of American pop culture, thanks to their appearance in Disney/Marvel's record-setting, blockbuster film, Black Panther (2018). They were the stars of the short-lived series, Black Panther: World of Wakanda (2017). They are so engaging and endearing in all their bold and fierce glory. Plus, seeing Black women depicted as fierce, fearless warriors is a revelation to many comic book readers, and because such characters are a rarity, they have managed to fill a need in comics storytelling that many of us apparently have.
The Nigerian-American writer, Nnedi Okorafor, has won many awards for her writing in the genres of fantasy and science fiction, including a Hugo Award. Sadly, Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever #1 is merely a buy-the-book Marvel comic book of the Spider-Man variety. The appearance of the Dora Milaje is the only thing that is fresh and different in this comic book, and truthfully, Okorafor could have replaced the Dora Milaje and the villain with any number of Marvel Comics female characters, and the story would have basically been the same. Disappointing, but true.
The illustrations by Alberto Alburquerque and colors by Erick Arciniega are pretty, but the storytelling is nothing spectacular, especially considering the explosive potential of the Dora Milaje. Even Joe Sabino's lettering lacks spark
I was looking forward to this Wakanda Forever series, but something told me not to go overboard with my expectations. Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever #1 is not bad, but considering who the writer is and who the stars are...
6 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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