Back in December we got two awesome updates about Marvel's Black Panther franchise: while Ryan Coogler was tapped to direct the upcoming Black Panther film, Ta-Nehisi Coates broke down what it was like to write the forthcoming Black Panther series (which hits comic stands in April). Today, via this massive look at the first issue of Black Panther at The Atlantic, Coates explores how he had to rework his writing style to fit the comic book style.
"An old saw in art and in journalism holds that one should show and not tell. In comic books, the notion is doubly true. Unlike in prose or even poetry, the writer has to constantly think visually. Exposition and backstory exist, but the exigencies of comic-book storytelling demand that they be folded into the action." As he points out, Coates is collaborating on Black Panther with artist Brian Stelfreeze, who's experience helped guide Coates to being more expressive in his scripting.
Judging by the pages from Black Panther #1 that he shared, it looks like their union is working wonders for fans.
