By Ta-Nehisi Coates, Butch Guice, Scott Hanna & Dan Brown

Marvel has a long history of using superheroes as a means for discussing political topics. Steve Gerber repeatedly used four-color tropes to tackle issues as divisive as the culture wars (Howard the Duck), racial tensions (The Defenders) and the breakdown of social discourse (Foolkiller). Gerber, though, was far from the only Bullpen member engaged in such exercises. Don McGregor’s iconic run of Black Panther stories in Jungle Action broke new ground in its depiction of Africans in comic books. At the tail end of the run, McGregor brought Ta-Challa to America where he fought the Klu Klux Klan (a decision that even in the post-Civil Rights landscape of the 1970s sat uneasily with some Marvel editors). The run was never a best seller; indeed, it was abruptly canceled mid-storyline. However, it made a strong impression on those who read it, especially the next generation of African-American creators. Christopher Priest drew on it for background to his own acclaimed Black Panther title, making the material his own by swapping out the 70s earnestness for 90s satire. Towards the end of his run, Priest penned a related  (short lived) series featuring the characters James Rhodes, Josiah X and White Tiger. On Wednesday Marvel revived that property as a tie-in to the current Black Panther on-going written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The strong debut issue is worthy continuation of Marvel’s tradition of social relevance.

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