SHURI

The fate of Wakanda is in Princess Shuri’s hands in this original Black Panther tale.

In this apparently alternate universe to the Black Panther film’s, much is different (including many character’s personalities and the history of Shuri’s family), but one thing is the same: Shuri’s a technological genius. At 13, she loves her personal lab but is less than enthusiastic about royal duties. Third-person narration interspersed with Shuri’s first-person mission logs both use language that boomerangs from disorientingly formal to distinctly American, even though most characters are African. Furthermore, an excess of exposition bogs down the narrative. When Shuri alerts the Queen and King T’Challa (the current Black Panther) that the heart-shaped herb—which gives the Black Panther superhuman powers—is dying, bizarrely, neither one seems to take the news seriously. Thankfully, Shuri does, and her quest to find answers takes her beyond Wakanda’s borders. At one notable point, Shuri’s confusion with what Western readers may recognize as racial microaggressions teases a deeper theme. In the end, Shuri saves the day, but the supposed villain’s quarrel with Wakanda is understandable—similar to Killmonger’s in the film. But unlike the film, this narrative chooses not to engage with the issue in a rushed conclusion.

Offering an enjoyable romp but minimal depth, this demands readers willing to suspend devotion to canon.