Did Quesada & Priest Return to Comics to Swipe the ‘Wakanda Forever’ Script?

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It’s reported by Superhero Hype that the editor who had a troubled tenure at Marvel Comics between 2001 and 2011, as well as the writer tasked with the Marvel Knights adaptation of Black Panther, have re-joined the company and are working on the title in a way that seems to mirror the plot of the upcoming movie sequel, “Wakanda Forever”: burying T’Challa.

In 1998, the Marvel Knights imprint established a fresh benchmark for the House of Ideas, specializing in gritty street-level superhero tales and lesser-known characters. It played a significant role in shaping the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it today. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, this line is making a comeback with a new miniseries. Entitled “Marvel Knights: The World to Come,” this six-issue series will revolve around the demise of Black Panther.

At the outset, it’s revealed that T’Challa has perished, plunging the realm of Marvel Knights into a precarious situation. The narrative commences in Wakanda, where Storm and Shuri are grappling to preserve order amidst tension over who will assume the mantle of the Black Panther. This scenario will trigger a chain of worldwide conflicts, ultimately resurfacing cherished characters from the Marvel Knights pantheon – both heroes and villains alike.

[…] The World to Come is a creation born from two comic book giants who played significant roles in the Marvel Knights imprint. Notably, Christopher Priest, known for his Black Panther work, penned all six issues of this limited series. Alongside writer/artist Joe Quesada, Priest developed the storyline. Remarkably, Quesada, a former Chief Editor at Marvel Comics, also contributed to the miniseries by providing its artwork.

It seems like this could be a revisit of something that might not hold up well, given the passage of time. Could it possibly refer to “One World Under Doom”? Or perhaps it’s another take on the unusual computer swapping trend from recent years? Whatever the intention behind this piece, it only serves to emphasize how the movie series has arguably done more artistic damage than good.

Years ago, Quesada was not a particularly remarkable artist, which makes it questionable to tarnish the brilliance of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s work. The Knights series, in retrospect, doesn’t seem as strong, especially considering Karen Page’s fate in the second Daredevil volume. Perhaps the Knights was promoted as ‘street-level’ action instead of space for complex sci-fi tales was a misstep. It’s also important to remember that Priest has shown mediocre writing skills at times throughout his career, with few standout pieces, and even his best work should be approached with caution.

I possess the three Marvel Epic Collection editions that compile Black Panther’s tales from past decades, which is more than sufficient for my needs if I want to revisit Black Panther’s storyline. There’s no need to delve into contemporary projects that are often overhyped.

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2025-03-25 16:15