black panther

In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent.

We've barely made it to the quarter-post of 2016, and already Hasbro's released three separate Marvel Legends waves into the wild. Captain America has been the focal point of two of those three, with Captain America: Civil War providing the inspiration for this latest collection. Not only do you get Civil War versions of Cap and Iron Man (yes, again), but you also get the first Marvel Cinematic Universe Black Panther. Some comic book faces like Nick Fury, Red Guardian and Nuke round out the line which is based around a spoilerish build-a-figure (don't worry, those images are all at very end if you want to keep it a secret).

I'll admit, I actually forgot the Marvel Collector Corps was doing a box on Captain America: Civil War once the Women of Power box for June was announced. I just looked right past this month and was eagerly anticipating June's box and the promise of Spider-Gwen, She-Hulk and Squirrel Girl having some kind of representation inside. So imagine my surprise when this little box of Captain America goodness was dropped on my doorstep.

Would you like to watch 38 seconds of Black Panther brawling with Bucky Barnes on a rooftop in Captain America: Civil War? Of course you would. And thanks to the video above, you can. Marvel has released a new clip from their upcoming film, in which the two heroes engage in a riveting fight, and Chadwick Boseman shows off some seriously slick moves.

This post contains spoilers for Captain America: Civil War. When Captain America: Civil War screened early at fan events earlier this month, there was only one post-credits scene attached; a mid-credits sequence. Another one was coming, but Marvel wasn’t going to add it to the film until opening night. The catch is that opening night already happened in some international territories and the secret is out. So, if you want to know what both Captain America: Civil War post-credits scenes are, we have all the spoilery details for you.

Although cosplay has been present for decades within the comics, anime, and sci-fi/fantasy fandoms, social media has played an integral role in the thriving communities of costuming that exist, such as Cosplay.com and the Superhero Costuming Forum. Over the years, the cosplay community has evolved into a creative outlet for many fans to establish and showcase some impressive feats of homemade disguise, craftsmanship, and sartorial superheroics at conventions. In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent.

On this day in 1966, in the pages of Fantastic Four #52, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the world to Wakanda, the most technologically advanced civilzation in the world, hidden in the heart of the African continent. At the head of this great nation was its king, T’Challa, who had recently assumed the throne from his father, and with it the title of the Black Panther.

Since Hot Toys first started showing off its Captain America: Civil War figures, many collectors have been waiting for the first glimpse at the Black Panther. Unlike many of the other characters getting figures from the upcoming sequel, Black Panther won't merely be an update to an existing toy. This is the first time he'll be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and as such, is the first time he'll be getting a figure of Hot Toys' quality. It's unfortunate then the figure itself is a little disappointing. In the pages of his Marvel comics, Black Panther's suit is simplistic. It's loaded with all kinds of Wakandan technology, but it lacks definition. It's sleek, like the character's namesake. To pop a little more on screen, the costume designers applied some fantastic texturing that pays tribute to T'Challa's heritage. Hot Toys gets a lot of details right. The suit from the upcoming film is incredibly intricate, and that starts with the cowl. There's all kinds of wonder Wakandan art inscribed throughout, providing so much more personality to the character than his more traditional comic costume.

Even the films that are considered “lesser” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Thor, Ant-Man) still tend to generate some positive buzz, though most fans would agree that the Captain America films are superior — and Winter Soldier is almost unanimously revered as the best of the bunch. So it’s not quite surprising that early word on Civil War is good, but the reactions so far are overwhelmingly positive, especially when it comes to that new Spider-Man.

Everyone loves comic book trivia, but with 75 years of superhero comics behind us right now, there’s always some new obscure fact to learn. That’s why ComicsAlliance is going deep into the minutiae of your favorite names in comics in our continuing video series. You think you know comics? Well, here’s a few things you might not know! This week we're taking a look at King T'Challa, the chief of the Wakandas, aka the battling Black Panther! T'challa will be making his long-awaited cinematic debut in the forthcoming Captain America: Civil War, so take this opportunity before this movie hits to bone up on the history of comics' first black superhero, from his debut in Fantastic Four to his time on the Avengers to his solo adventures in America, in Africa, and across the world.