In 1998, the Christopher Priest-penned Black Panther comic launched alongside three other books under the Marvel Knights imprint: Daredevil, The Punisher, and Inhumans. Priest’s run reinvented the monarch of Wakanda, warrior king T’Challa, a character who hadn’t headlined his own solo title since a four-issue limited series a decade earlier. The seminal run — which began with a phone call from then Marvel editor Joe Quesada — featured characters who would go on to appear in the groundbreaking Black Panther movie in 2018, including Nakia and Okoye of the Dora Milaje, Zuri, and Everett Ross.
Just as groundbreaking was Marvel Knights, an imprint that revived and reinvented then B-listers like Black Panther, Daredevil, and the Punisher at a time when publisher Marvel Comics was facing bankruptcy. Nearly 30 years later, Priest and Quesada are returning to the gritty and grounded imprint with Marvel Knights: The World to Come.
Written by Priest from a story he co-wrote with Quesada, who also serves as series artist, The World to Come is the first Marvel Knights title since the six-issue miniseries Marvel Knights marked the imprint’s 20th anniversary in 2018.
“In September 1998, Marvel Knights Daredevil #1 hit the stands, followed by The Punisher, Inhumans, and Black Panther,” Quesada said of the publisher’s gritty, grounded takes on characters who either didn’t have a book (Inhumans and Black Panther) or soon wouldn’t (Daredevil and Punisher). “Eight months earlier, [co-editor] Jimmy Palmiotti, [managing editor] Nanci Dakesian, and I, along with our creators, spent endless hours and sleepless nights producing the best books we could.”
“We knew they looked different — edgier than anything Marvel was publishing at the time — but in a struggling comic book industry, there was no guarantee anyone would notice,” the former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief continued. “We were confident they’d do well, but we didn’t anticipate the overwhelming fan reaction or the lasting impact Marvel Knights would have on Marvel.”
“Fast forward to October 2017 — my best bud, mentor, and Marvel Knights Black Panther writer (and, for my money, the best writer in comics), Christopher Priest, pitched me an idea rooted in his original Marvel Knights take on T’Challa and Wakanda. It was insane, beautiful, and edgy as hell. I told him I HAD to draw it — and that we should go even bigger,” Quesada added. “Priest delivered an opus — a journey that lets us — and fans — celebrate those original books while taking familiar characters to new and unexpected places. I haven’t had this much fun drawing a project since Marvel Knights Daredevil #1.”
Marvel Knights: The World to Come “begins in Wakanda with startling developments centered around T’Challa, Storm, Shuri and more that will reverberate across the globe, changing the Marvel mythos as you know it and boldly reinventing its most legendary heroes,” according to the synopsis. “The King of Wakanda is dead, leaving unguarded the world’s most advanced technology, most precious metal, and a cryptic vault of dark secrets while triggering global conflicts among Marvel’s heroes, villains and mutants. With T’Challa gone and the future of the Marvel Universe teetering on a vibranium knife edge, a tribal challenge ensues for the Wakandan throne and its mysterious victor will emerge as the new leader of Wakanda and usher in The World to Come.”
“More than twenty years ago I started as an Editorial Assistant on Marvel Knights books and now I get to watch Joe and Priest celebrate it with this masterwork,” added Executive Editor Nick Lowe. “We’ve been working on this for a long time (Joe’s finishing the last page of #5 this week) but I can’t believe the rest of the world gets in on it with us this June!”
Marvel Knights: The World to Come #1 (of 6) goes on sale June 4 from Marvel Comics.
In 1998, the Christopher Priest-penned Black Panther comic launched alongside three other books under the Marvel Knights imprint: Daredevil, The Punisher, and Inhumans. Priest’s run reinvented the monarch of Wakanda, warrior king T’Challa, a character who hadn’t headlined his own solo title since a four-issue limited series a decade earlier. The seminal run — which Read More