Black Panther

This seems to be the week for great programs. One of my favorites was the two part premier of the new Black Panther cartoon. I totally see why it has a late night time slot because it's not another version of 'Superhero Squad' - this superhero program is definitely for adults and that is a joy. Africa is a harsh land. Life and death exist on the thinnest of threads.

All the familiar elements are there. Wakanda, T'Challa, the Panther God, the Vibranium, the tech and Storm. Yes, they have updated the story to make it current with the comic book. The animation is reminiscent of John Romita Jr's work and the vocal talents include Stan Lee, Alfre Woodard, and Djimon Hounsou as T'Challa. It's pretty impressive stuff.

One of my favorite things about the comic was that Wakanda is not like your average Africa nation. They are the dream - high technology to match any other place in the world but with a strong adherence to their ancient culture. What Africa may have become without the centuries of colonizers, slavery, exploitation, warlords and dictators.

All the characters are very strong, especially Princess Suri who is more than a match for any man but who by tradition is expected to fulfill a role that is none to her liking. She could be the Black Panther and SHOULD be the Black Panther if tradition (and bad luck) didn't stand in her way. Trust me, she is not happy about it nor is any of a number of challengers to the throne who missed their chance to take over the nation during the once a year fight for the crown. I love this kind of palace intrigue and tradition. The writing is very good and filled with humor. We surely live in the golden age of Marvel cartoons and this one can stand with the best of them.