T’Challa Becomes King Of The Undead In ‘Black Panther: Blood Hunt’
by Tony Thornley
Marvel is starting to reveal more and more details about their upcoming crossover event Blood Hunt and the latest tie-in reveal includes a doozy.
When we first learned of the new event, featuring the Avengers, Dr. Strange, Blade and more defending the world from a vampire invasion, it seemed that it might be just another superhero beat-em-up. But with the announcement of the first tie-in limited series, it seems that Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz’s massive event is so much more.
In Black Panther: Blood Hunt by Cheryl Lynn Eaton and Farid Karami, the former king of Wakanda returns to the capital city of his great nation for the first time since his exile. However, he’s greatly changed — now T’Challa is a vampire! The three issue limited series will see one of Marvel’s greatest heroes struggling with his newfound powers- and bloodlust- on a mission from the vampire overlord to find an ancient power within the borders of his great nation.
“Long live the king! Literally! While T’Challa has always been the height of human excellence, steering such a legendary character as he navigates a supernatural battlefield populated with gods and monsters — all while adapting to a form and newfound powers unfamiliar to him — has been a treat,” Eaton said. “T’Challa’s royal status is not just Wakandan in nature, but vampiric as well. And I can’t wait to explore both of those bloodlines. No pun intended!”
“Once I read the script, I was delightfully surprised about where the story was going and how cool the tone and atmosphere were,” Karami added. “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes animated series was my introduction to most of Marvel’s super heroes, and Black Panther was my favorite character there. The chance to draw T’Challa as a vampire battling other vampires and some African mythological demons in such an epic yet dark tale has been a dream come true.”
From the press release, it appears that T’Challa is the first familiar character who will be transformed, but not the last. It’s a massive tidbit for the event, but it’s one that shows this is more than just a superhero brawl. The press release also keeps the name of the king of the vampires vague, which makes us wonder if it’s a surprise or just clever marketing. Either way, it’s a lot that makes us way more interested in this event.
Check out superstar artist Andrea Sorrentino’s cover for the debut issue, and watch for more news about Blood Hunt the rest of the week.
