Spider-Man, Schmider-Man… if you’ve really been paying attention to all the trailers, then you know that the real badass of the upcoming Captain America: Civil War movie looks to be none other than Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman. I mean, how awesome does that costume look?? And it’s made of vibranium, so bullets just bounce off him like Superman. It seems T’Challa, King of Wakanda, looks to be stealing not only Cap’s film, but driving up anticipation for his own solo movie which hits in two years.

But before the mainstream moviegoing public are introduced to the Black Panther, Marvel is releasing an all-new series for the King of Wakanda. Written by award-winning journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates and illustrated by veteran comic book artist Brian Stelfreeze, the new series is set to redefine the Panther for modern readers.

While talking to Marvel.com, Stelfreeze spoke about bringing the Panther’s visual look into the modern era, saying “I’ve never liked when people give him flashy capes and other adornments. Perhaps if he was called the “Black Lion” those accouterments would make sense, but “Black Panther” suggests a sleek efficiency so I’m staying simple. I’m adding small touches to make him feel more aggressive and catlike, but just keeping it simple.

Along with the Panther’s costume, Stelfreeze updated T’Challa’s entire world as well, and had this to say about bringing Wakanda into the 21st Century:”Wakanda is one of the biggest characters in this new series so we’ve given that quite a bit of thought. I want the country to have a duality of old world and city of the future. Sometimes this juxtaposition should speak of a strong culture and heritage, but it should also hint at a growing schism. I’ve set the golden city as a ring surrounding a giant crater lake to suggest that it’s possibly the [result] of an ancient vibranium meteor strike.”

You can check out all 21 of Brian Stelfreeze’s early concept designs and preview pages in our gallery below. Black Panther #1 arrives in comic shops on April 6.

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Are you looking forward to the all-new Black Panther series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

HT: Marvel.com

IMAGES: Marvel Comics/Brian Stelfreeze