BLACK PANTHER: A REVOLUTION

The new Marvel Black Panther movie is centered around T'Challa, king of Wakanda, a fictional country in West Africa. Also, it's an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of African superheroes. Wakanda, fictional kingdom of Africa, is the scene of Black Panther, the new film Marvel. After appearing in the last Captain America, the young King T'Challa, aka Black Panther, sees his power challenged by two enemies. This new album is adapted from the series of comics of the same name, created in 1966 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Black Panther was one of the first African superheroes, but today he is no longer alone. Since 2013, in Nigeria, a new generation of heroes has been developing in the premises of the start-up Comic Republic. "We do not have to be white to save the world" The Black Panther Revolution In addition to the lack of representativeness, it is also a distorted image of African countries that has long been conveyed. The idea of ​​a continent waiting to be saved by Westerners has been winning for centuries. For Jide Martins, the creation of Black Panther in 1966 was a defining moment. The comics depict a state-of-the-art country, to which the American superheroes are asking for help to save the world. "Usually, when people think of Africa, they think of a primitive place. And when they think of a sophisticated place, they think of the West. But Black Panther has changed the game. Wakanda is an African country, and it is the most sophisticated country in the world, "he says. "The Wakanda is a positive representation of Africa, but the country remains a fiction," says the creator of Comic, who prefers to situate his characters in a more realistic world. "Unlike other African nations, Wakanda has escaped the brutality of European colonization. This, in addition to natural resources, has made Wakanda one of the most advanced countries in the world. The Wakanda gives an idea of ​​what African nations would have been if they had not been colonized, but in reality every African country was touched by the negative legacy of colonial rule, "said Dwayne Wong, a specialist. of the African diaspora and history in the Huffington Post in January.


However, Jide Martins refuses to make his works political objects. He specifies that he seeks above all to inspire younger generations. According to him, his characters are not superheroes because they have powers, but because of their values. "To be a superhero is to sacrifice comfort and the things that are dear to us to help others," he says. That's why the founder of Comic Republic wants to make his comics as accessible as possible. They are free, downloadable on the internet. "Comics forge character," he says. "I want to teach today's generation to do what is good and right. "