Ta-Nehisi Coates, Run The Jewels Lead Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ Companion

After winning accolades for his books and his writing in The Atlantic, Ta-Nehisi Coates is taking on the comics medium, and Marvel is following his creative journey with a polished new web series. Stan Lee’s studio has released the first episode of Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, which serves as a companion to the upcoming Black Panther series authored by Coates.

The Black Panther, who first emerged in 1966 as Marvel’s first black superhero, is the powerful king of a fictional African nation. In bringing his version of the character to readers, Coates decided not to waste time with idle setup. “Page one, you just jump right into the middle of it,” he says in the first episode of A Nation Under Our Feet.

“The world is a beautiful wonderful place, sometimes we spoil it by the need to know every little thing.”

As Coates speaks, his words are accompanied by beautiful animations, and acclaimed hip-hop group Run the Jewels provides a pulse-pounding soundtrack. A Nation Under Our Feet isn’t the meatiest web companion out there, but it is an undeniable spectacle.

According to The Guardian, the first issue of Coates’ Black Panther series has already sold 300,000 copies. A second installment has since arrived, and 10 more will follow over the next 10 months. Through A Nation Under Our Feet, Marvel’s YouTube channel will follow along closely.