Dapper's Collections #3: Black Panther #1 (CGC grade 7.0/Release year: 1998)

Wakanda Forever.

Happy new year! Welcome to 2025! I hope that last year treated you well. So does this one. I’m back with my first post of the year. Today, we’re switching from action figures to comics! I’ll be discussing the first issue of Christopher Priest’s run on Black Panther that started in 1998.

This is the fourth CGC-graded comic that I own. The others are Justice League Adventures #1 (2001), Martian Manhunter #1 (1988), and Spider-Man 2099 #1 (1992). I try to collect comics that released in the time frame of 1980-2005. I love reading comics that came out in this time frame. I do this via these reading apps: DC Universe Infinite (DC Comics) and Marvel Unlimited (Marvel). This Black Panther comic is written by Christopher Priest and drawn by Joe Quesada. It features T’Challa (Black Panther) in the United States investigating a murder of a child that he had helped with his Tomorrow Fund. Meanwhile, in Wakanda, there’s civil unrest after T’Challa, before going to New York, allows refugees into Wakanda where the Wakandan citizens aren’t pleased with his decision. This series would go from 1998-2003. Priest’s run would be a witty, political satire where Everett K. Ross provides humorous commentary of Black Panther’s adventures in the states.

This isn’t the first Black Panther comic that I’ve collected. At one point, I owned Fantastic Four #55. That comic is the first appearance of Black Panther. I had it before the release of the 2018 movie. I imagine the comic is worth a lot of money now due to the movies. I gave the comic to a friend of mine who had helped me and supported me during my college years. I don’t know if he still has the comic. I haven’t seen or spoken to him in a while. I know that he was happy when I gave it to him. A good memory for sure.

I think that’s what’s great about collecting. It can give you good memories. Or remind you of past good memories. It can give you a big dose of nostalgia too. I love that part of it. Anyway, that’s all I have for today. I’ll be back soon with more action figure talk! See you later!