View source for World of Wakanda

{{Short description|Comic book spin-off of Marvel's Black Panther}}
{{Infobox comic book title
<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| image               = Black_Panther_World_of_Wakanda_Comic_Issue_1.jpg
| imagesize           = <!-- default 250 -->
| caption             = Issue #1 cover
| alt                 = 
| schedule            = monthly
| ongoing             = 
| genre               = [[Superhero comics|Superhero]]
| publisher           = [[Marvel Comics]]
| date                = Jan. 2017-June 2017
| issues              = 6
| main_char_team      = Ayo, Aneka
| issn                = 
| writers             = [[Roxane Gay]] (issues #1-5)<br />[[Yona Harvey]] (issue #1)<br />[[Rembert Browne]] (issue #6)
| artists             = [[Afua Richardson]] (covers)
| pencillers          = [[Alitha E. Martinez]] (issues #1-5)<br />[[Joe Bennett (artist)|Joe Bennett]] (issue #6)
| inkers              = [[Robert Poggi]]
| letterers           = [[Joe Sabino]]
| colorists           = [[Rachelle Rosenberg]]<br />[[Tamra Bonvillain]]
| editors             = [[Wil Moss]]
| creative_team_month =
| creative_team_year  =
| creators            = 
| CEheader            = 
| TPB                 = Black Panther: World of Wakanda
| ISBN                = 978-1-302-90650-4 
| subcat              = superhero
| altcat              = 
| sort                = 
| addpubcat1          = 
| nonUS               = 
}}
'''''Black Panther: World of Wakanda''''' is a [[comic book]] series and a spin-off from the [[Marvel Comics]] ''[[Black Panther (Marvel Comics)|Black Panther]]'' title.<ref>{{cite news |last=Blay |first=Zeba |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/roxane-gay-is-the-lead-writer-of-a-marvel-comic-heres-why-thats-huge_us_579b9aefe4b08a8e8b5df764 |title=Roxane Gay Is The Lead Writer Of A Marvel Comic. Here's Why That's Huge. |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |date=2016-07-29 |access-date=2016-10-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/comics/26499/sdcc_2016_black_panther_world_of_wakanda|title=SDCC 2016: Black Panther: World of Wakanda|website=News {{!}} Marvel.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-02-05}}</ref> It published six issues before being canceled. The series was primarily written by [[Roxane Gay]], with poet [[Yona Harvey]] contributing a story to the first issue.<ref name=":0" /> [[Alitha E. Martinez]] drew the majority of the art for the series, for which [[Afua Richardson]] contributed cover art to the first five issues, as well as art for a short story in the first issue. Gay and Harvey became the first two black women to author a series for Marvel;<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://comicsalliance.com/roxane-gay-world-of-wakanda/|title=Get To Know 'World of Wakanda' Co-Writer Roxane Gay|website=Comics Alliance|date=22 July 2016 |language=en-US|access-date=2017-02-05}}</ref> counting Martinez and Richardson, upon its debut the series itself was helmed entirely by black women.<ref name=Jones>Jones, Monique. [https://www.cbr.com/black-panther-world-of-wakanda-canceled/ "Black Panther: World of Wakanda Writer Confirms Series is Canceled: The comic book series was canceled by Marvel after only six issues, but writer Roxane Gay says she wants to return to the characters eventually,"] ''CBR'' (JUN 12, 2017).</ref> [[Ta-Nehisi Coates]] served as a consultant for the series.

''Black Panther: World of Wakanda'' won a [[List of Eisner Award winners|2018 Eisner Award]] for Best Limited Series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/07/eisner-awards-2018-winners-list-montress-my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-1202430916/|title=Eisner Awards 2018: The Complete Winners List — Comic-Con|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=July 21, 2018}}</ref> The series also won a 2018 [[GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Herviou |first1=Nicole |title=Marvel's Black Panther: World of Wakanda Wins GLAAD Media Award |url=https://www.cbr.com/black-panther-world-wakanda-glaad-award/ |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |publisher=Valnet Inc. |access-date=June 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180629193733/https://www.cbr.com/black-panther-world-wakanda-glaad-award/ |archive-date=June 29, 2018 |date=April 13, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Publication history==
After the success of the ''[[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]]'' series relaunch in April 2016, written by [[Ta-Nehisi Coates]], Marvel developed a companion piece set in the fictional African country of [[Wakanda]], home to the Black Panther. Coates recommended Gay and Harvey to pen the series. He had seen Gay read a short story about [[zombie]]s two years earlier that he recalled as "the most surprising, unexpected, coolest zombie story you ever want to see"; Harvey had been his classmate at [[Howard University]] and he felt her skills as a poet would lend themselves to the comic-book form, telling ''[[The New York Times]]'', "That’s just so little space, and you have to speak with so much power. I thought she’d be a natural."<ref name="wakanda">{{cite news |last=Gustines |first=George Gene |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/23/books/black-panther-marvel-comics-roxane-gay-ta-nehisi-coates-wakanda.html?_r=0 |title=Marvel's World of Wakanda Will Spotlight Women, on the Page and Behind It |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2016-07-22 |access-date=2016-07-23}}</ref>

The series debuted November 9, 2016 (with a cover date of January 2017). Harvey wrote a 10-page origin story for Wakanda's revolutionary leader [[Zenzi (comics)|Zenzi]], and has said she drew on the example of [[Winnie Mandela]] as inspiration.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pitz|first1=Marylynne|title=KA-POW! Pitt professor flips from poetry to comics|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/books/2016/09/28/KA-POW-Pitt-prof-flips-from-poetry-to-comics/stories/201609280021|access-date=5 February 2017|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=September 28, 2016}}</ref> Gay has mentioned the character of [[Olivia Pope]] in the [[Scandal (season 1)|first season of ''Scandal'']] and the original [[USA Network|USA]] version of ''[[La Femme Nikita (TV series)|La Femme Nikita]]'' as influences for the series.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2016/11/02/roxane-gay-world-wakanda-marvel|title='World of Wakanda': Roxane Gay Explains How 'Scandal' Inspired New Comic|last=Serrao|first=Nivea|date=2016-11-02|newspaper=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=2017-02-05|language=en-US}}</ref>

The series was canceled after six issues due to poor sales.<ref name=Jones />

==Overview==
The first ''World of Wakanda'' [[story arc]] (issues #1-5) features Ayo and Aneka, two Wakandan members of the [[Dora Milaje]], the Black Panther's female security force. Ayo and Aneka are also lovers. The first storyline also describes Zenzi, a revolutionary and villain in the ''Black Panther'' series.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Scott|first1=Sydney|title=Roxane Gay And Yona Harvey Didn't Hesitate To Take On The 'World Of Wakanda'|url=http://www.essence.com/entertainment/roxane-gay-yona-harvey-world-wakanda-exclusive|access-date=6 February 2017|work=Essence|date=11 November 2016}}</ref>

The first issue is a prequel to Coates's ''Black Panther'' series, describing the backstory of women in Wakanda. Captain Aneka of the Dora Milaje must deal with an impertinent new recruit who simultaneously challenges her and fascinates her. Meanwhile, Zenzi discovers that she has enhanced abilities and has to decide the best way to use them. Contrasting ''World of Wakanda'' with its ''Black Panther'' predecessor, Caitlin Rosberg writes at ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' that "''World Of Wakanda'' feels more intimate, and all the more powerful for it. It’s deeply invested in the identities of black women both as characters and more importantly as creators, making it clear that these aren’t just background characters in T’Challa’s [Black Panther's] life."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/roxane-gays-black-panther-prequel-gives-women-stor-245784|title=Roxane Gay's Black Panther prequel gives women a story in the World Of Wakanda|date=22 November 2016|work=The A.V. Club|last1=Rosberg|first1=Caitlin|access-date=5 February 2017}}</ref> Writing for ''Inverse'' magazine, Caitlin Busch called the first installment "a tear-jerking love story for the ages, encapsulating all the emotion, romance, tragedy, and fearsome intelligence of Black Panther’s Wakandan civilization."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/22247-black-panther-roxane-gay-world-of-wakanda|title=Roxane Gay's New 'Black Panther: World of Wakanda' Will Break Your Heart|last=Busch|first=Caitlin|date=October 14, 2016|access-date=2017-02-05|work=Inverse}}</ref>

As the story moves along, Aneka and Ayo grow closer, but concerns over the righteousness of T'Challa's priorities lead them to leave the sisterhood. Aneka is conflicted about making her relationship with Ayo more public, but she agrees to take a vacation trip together. Folami tries to cause trouble for the Dora Milaje, but [[Ramonda (comics)|Queen Ramonda]] rebuffs her attempt and alerts Zola. Aneka and Ayo cut their trip short when they are summoned back to Wakanda. They become estranged when they return from their vacation to find that [[Shuri (comics)|Shuri]] has been killed. Aneka takes on a solo mission to rescue women from an evil chieftain, and she is forced to kill him. She is arrested, and Folami, the chieftain's daughter, vows revenge. The women of Wakanda rise up to object to Aneka's imprisonment, and the Dora Milaje take a more active role in peacekeeping. Folami threatens Ayo and eventually kills Mistress Zola. Ayo breaks Aneka out of prison and the two vow to remain together and to fight injustice as the masked Midnight Angels.

The series' final issue, #6, is a standalone story by [[Rembert Browne]] and [[Joe Bennett (artist)|Joe Bennett]] about [[Kasper Cole]] and [[White Tiger (Kasper Cole)|White Tiger]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://marvel.com/comics/issue/61406/black_panther_world_of_wakanda_2016_1 ''Black Panther: World of Wakanda'' at Marvel.com]
* {{gcdb series|id= 109022 |title=''Black Panther: World of Wakanda''}}

{{Black Panther}}
{{GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:2016 comics debuts]]
[[Category:African-American literature]]
[[Category:Black Panther (Marvel Comics)]]
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[[Category:LGBTQ-related comics]]
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[[Category:Marvel Comics titles]]
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