FW Presents: Black Panther vs. The Klan Sorta

Just in time for the Marvel Studios film Black Panther, Ryan Daly and guest Diabolu Frank take you through what might be the King of Wakanda's lowest point in his fifty year publication history. See Black Panther fight the Ku Klux Klan, and the Cult of the Dragon Circle, which is like a Klan splinter cell that's not as racist, and also the Soul Strangler, who might be the ghost of a Klan member but who might also hate the Klan... Wow, this is a garbage fire of a narrative! And with Ryan trying to sound woke and Frank giving this comic the Full Franky, will anyone survive?

Hey, at least the movie looks good! Check out the latest trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJBmeqpw3DY&list=PLK5HARgNfgj-ALIa2xPLXBzX8Vq9OoUU6&index=7

Find Diabolu Frank on the Rolled Spine Network right here: https://rolledspine.wordpress.com

Let us know what you think! Leave a comment or send an email to: RDalyPodcast@gmail.com.

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Music: “Legend Has It" by Run the Jewels; "All the Stars" by Kendrick Lamar, SZA

Thanks for listening!

16 responses to “FW Presents: Black Panther vs. The Klan Sorta

  1. You know the whole time I was listening to this podcast I kept thinking I wonder what Frank really thinks about the story,wish he wouldn’t hold back so much…

  2. Huh, I’ve heard this story held in very high regard for years. I think I first learned of it from a Comic Buyer’s Guide article 25 years ago. Sounds like the concept is definitely what has carried it to that level. A real shame.

    But I agree, the Panther doesn’t seem like a particularly good fit for this type of story. A Falcon/Captain America story would have worked much better.

    Chris

  3. This was a great discussion on what sounds like some pretty painful material. The two of you managed to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear with this one.

    I may be revealing my ignorance of Black Panther’s publication history, but listening to your discussion I was struck by some of the parallels between Black Panther and Doctor Doom (i.e., brilliant and capable rulers of small independent nations), and was wondering if the two of them have ever gone head-to-head? It seems like it would be an excellent opportunity to tell a political intrigue tale, featuring all sorts of plots-within-plots, which would highlight aspects of Panther’s character that set him apart from the rest of the Marvel crowd.

    1. Black Panther and Doctor Doom have fought a couple times in the last decade. In addition to their fight in the last issue of 2015’s SECRET WARS event which I mentioned at the end of the episode, back in 2010, Reginald Hudlin ended his run on the series with Wakanda being overthrown by a new government and T’Challa and Shuri forced into exile. This continued in the miniseries DOOMWAR which saw Doctor Doom conquer Wakanda and take over all the vibranium. It was only the combined efforts of the Panthers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four that stopped him, but it cost Wakanda almost all of its vibranium and really brought the nation’s power and status down.

      In the 21st century, there has been more of an effort by Marvel to knock Wakanda off its high horse–something I find particularly stupid and mean-spirited. SECRET INVASION, AvX (AVENGERS VS. X-MEN), and INFINITY have all brought death and destruction right to Wakanda’s doorstep. It’s actually the one thing I’m nervous about going into AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. I have a feeling we’re going to see how awesome Wakanda is in the Black Panther movie, only to have Thanos and his Black Order army wreck the joint three months later.

      1. Thanks, Ryan. My primary exposure to Black Panther has been through the Fantastic Four and Avengers, so it’s good to get some other recommendations. I’ll have to check out some of those stories, as well as the others you mentioned at the end of the episode.

        I hadn’t thought of it before, but it will be interesting to see what role Wakanda plays in Infinity War. If war does come to Wakanda, I hope it will be where the heroes make their triumphant last stand, and not the place that gets wiped out at the beginning of the film to demonstrate the enemy’s power.

        1. If you really want to explore more Black Panther adventures, I cannot recommend highly enough the run by Christopher Priest that started in 1998 under the Marvel Knights imprint. I think a good chunk of it has been collected recently.

          Also, the first year or so of Reginald Hudlin’s BP series from circa 2004 is pretty good.

          The current seies by Ta-Nahisi Coates is good but slow. Not a lot of action, mostly geopolitics and world-building.

  4. Wow. I loved this episode.
    A Terry Long series? Sign me up!

    Let’s see – Ryan has now made enemies of Roy Thomas and Don McGregor. What classic writer will fall into his crosshairs next?

    Also, I actually may not hate Frank now. Weird.

    1. I try to pick a fight with Denny O’Neil on every episode of Knightcast.

      Hmm… I should find more excuses to attack George Perez.

  5. I remember Jungle Action #20 being a part of the collective comics pile that I shared with my older brother. I’m fairly certain that he added it to the pile, as I was only 3 years old when it was released. I loved the Rich Buckler cover and I finally attempted to read it in 1976, or was it 1977…I was four years old, or was I five? Anyway, I couldn’t pierce the veil of terrible writing, and I soon gave up trying, preferring to look at the pictures. I assumed the problem was my kindergarten reading ability, not the writing itself. As tends to happen with children’s comics, our (or my brother’s) copy of Jungle Action #20 was eventually destroyed by frequent readings (or, picture lookings) and the general neglect that comes from being owned by a child.

    I stumbled across the entire Black Panther run in Jungle Action as an adult and I thought, “finally, after 35, or was it 36 years, I can get beyond the pictures and read this story.” I bought the run in one lump and went home with the intention of reading it in one sitting. I fought my way through the Killmonger stories, but by the time I reached the Klan stories I was too exhausted to continue. Eventually I returned to them, and discovered that the problem all those years ago hadn’t been my reading level, but McGregor’s writing level. Oh well, I still like the cover to #20.

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