brian stelfreeze

Welcome to Costume Drama, a new feature where we turn a critical eye toward superhero outfits and evaluate both the aesthetics and the social issues that often underlie them. For this first installment we're looking at a costume created by Jack Kirby, and still in use with only minor tweaks today: T'Challa's Black Panther suit.

The comics world is full of questions — like “Who would win in a fight?”; “Which one of the Powerpuff Girls is best?”; and “Who is the handsomest hero and why is it Gambit?” Here at ComicsAlliance, we spend a lot of time thinking about everything from the big questions that matter a whole lot to the small ones that are still kinda fascinating. With The Question, we’re going to give our writers the opportunity to give their answers, because if we’re always thinking about this stuff anyway, we might as well write it down. For our latest question, we wanted to keep things simple. We’re now more than halfway through the year, and 2016 has brought so many exciting new comics. With all that in mind: What's your favorite comic of the year so far?

Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze's new volume of Black Panther has already been one of the biggest crossover success stories of the year. It seems like everyone wants to get their hands on a copy, and President Barack Obama even name-dropped it in a recent commencement speech at Howard University, Coates' alma-mater. If you missed the first issue, or are struggling to keep up with the many plates that are spinning as Wakanda begins to crumble, Marvel has put together a video that features Coates going into detail about the new characters and status quo established in Black Panther #1, and it's set to the fierce tunes of rap supergroup Run The Jewels.

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.

Celebrated journalist and author Ta-Nehisi Coates’ upcoming comics debut, alongside legenadary artist Brian Stelfreeze, has already made Marvel’s upcoming Black Panther series one of the most hotly anticipated comics of the year. Coates is known for his grounded and insightful takes on contemporary social issues, and how they affect the lives of black communities in America and beyond. Today, Coates has published an essay at The Atlantic about his transition from journalism to comics, and how his creative process has grown and adapted to a visual medium. The Atlantic has also provided a preview of several fully-lettered pages from Black Panther #1, with gorgeous art from Stelfreeze displaying T’Challa (and his new costume) in action.

At the end of last year, publisher Joe Pruett and editor Mike Marts launched AfterShock Comics, a new publisher for a new line of creator-owned comics. The first titles to carry the AfterShock banner came from creative talent including Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner; Marguerite Bennett and Ariel Kristantina; and Garth Ennis and Simon Coleby. The publisher made an immediate impression on the comics marketplace, and it's fascinating to watch them grow. AfterShock has big plans for 2016. It's finding a home at a growing number of retailers, and made its catalogue available digitally on ComiXology, and a slate of new titles are on the horizon. The question is whether a new publisher can carve out an audience. ComicsAlliance spoke to Pruett and Marts to find out how AfterShock came together, and how it plans to move forward. They also revealed three of the new series they will be launching later this year.

Marvel is releasing "Hip-Hop Variant” covers for its books in October, paying tribute to classic rap album covers using the heroes of the Marvel Universe. Mark Brooks takes on Notorious B.I.G.’s classic Ready to Die for his Ant-Man cover, while Mike Del Mundo pays tribute to both Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers for Squadron Supreme #1, and A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders for Amazing Spider-Man #1.

AfterShock Comics, the new publisher formed earlier this year by Joe Pruett, has announced a huge slate of writers who'll be penning creator-owned stories for their eventual launch line - including Justin Jordan, Garth Ennis, Marguerite Bennett and Amanda Conner.

Created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff, Poison Ivy first graced the comic page back in the historic year of 1966, when The Sound of Music won Best Picture and England somehow won the World Cup. Her first appearance was in Detective Comics #181, and since then the character has remained a constant thorn in the Dark Knight's side.

Within hours of Mad Max: Fury Road hitting theaters, Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram exploded with fan art featuring the neon wasteland desert and its high octane inhabitants. One character, though, inspired artists like no other --- Imperator Furiosa, the steely warrior of Immortan Joe's army. ComicsAlliance has compiled a collection of our favorites, including a brand-new piece by the talented Greg Ruth, and an exquisite black and white sketch by Jamie McKelvie.