Comics
Published June 11, 2020

Sharing Stories by Marvel’s Black Storytellers

Read up on these free comics by Black writers and artists throughout Marvel history.

WANT TO READ THE FULL LIST? START HERE!

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This month, Marvel Unlimited has a free digital selection of prolific Black creator-led comics, spotlighting the work of incredible Black writers and artists.

Black voices, creators, and characters are an intertwined part of Marvel history. These comics aim to celebrate their legacies, whether stretching back decades or just this year.

To access Marvel Unlimited’s free comics offering, download or update the Marvel Unlimited app for iOS or Android at the respective Apple and Google Play app stores, and click “Free Comics” on the landing screen. No payment information or trial subscriptions will be required for the selection of free comics.

Want to learn more? Read about each story below.

MARVEL’S VOICES ONE-SHOT

By an all-star roster including Vita Ayala, Roxane Gay, Brian Stelfreeze, Method Man, Charlamagne tha God, and more! Marvel’s acclaimed podcast series takes to the page in MARVEL’S VOICES, a mega-sized one-shot featuring the X-Men, Killmonger, Moon Girl, Doctor Voodoo, and more.

Host and journalist Angélique Roché introduces VOICES here.

For more, visit Marvel.com to read essays and interviews from entertainment trailblazers, stories about fandom, comic history, and favorite characters.

BLACK PANTHER AND THE CREW: WRITTEN BY TA-NEHISI COATES AND YONA HARVEY, WITH ART BY BUTCH GUICE, MACK CHATER

National Book Award winner and New York Times Best-Selling author Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) teams with award-winning poet Yona Harvey (Hemming the Water) on this Harlem-set story starring Luke Cage, Misty Knight, Storm, and Manifold.

Black Panther’s Crew unravels the truth behind the death of an activist who died under mysterious circumstances. Detective Misty Knight must confront the community she has long protected and served, shedding light on the corruption, and concealment, of injustice.

POWER MAN AND IRON FIST: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN: WRITTEN BY DAVID F. WALKER, WITH ART BY SANFORD GREENE, FLAVIANO

Walker and Greene make for a dynamic duo on 2016’s POWER MAN AND IRON FIST, taking the original Heroes for Hire back to their home turf!

Encountering classic villains like Cottonmouth and Black Mariah (plus newer allies like Captain Marvel and Black Cat), this retro run has some of the same trappings as Luke Cage and Danny Rand’s original team-up series, POWER MAN AND IRON FIST (1978).

Power Man_Iron Fist
From POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #1.

BLACK PANTHER: WORLD OF WAKANDA: WRITTEN BY TA-NEHISI COATES, ROXANE GAY, YONA HARVEY, REMBERT BROWNE, WITH ART BY ALITHA E. MARTINEZ, AFUA RICHARDSON

This anthology further develops the mythos of Coates’ BLACK PANTHER (2016), offering an origin to the many characters introduced in his monumental run.

Yona Harvey focuses on the story of Zenzi, the political revolutionary who aided Changamire in The People’s rebellion for Wakanda.

Novelist Roxane Gay (Bad Feminist, Hunger) centers on the meeting and blossoming romance of Ayo and Aneka, former members of the Dora Milaje, who would go on to become their own force for good as the Midnight Angels.

Ayo_Aneka
Art by Alitha E. Martinez from BLACK PANTHER: WORLD OF WAKANDA #1

DEATHLOK: THE SOULS OF CYBER-FOLK: WRITTEN BY DWAYNE MCDUFFIE AND GREGORY WRIGHT, WITH ART BY DENYS COWAN

A legend in the world of comics and television (Static Shock), Dwayne McDuffie’s legacy is one of representation.

In DEATHLOK (1990), McDuffie, Cowan, and artist Butch Guice created an all-new Deathlok in Michael Collins, a pacifist computer programmer who was unwittingly transformed into a cyborg by his employer.

McDuffie and Cowan followed up that run with DEATHLOK (1991), continuing Collins’ story in “The Souls of Cyber-Folk,” a direct reference to writer W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk.

Deathlok (1991) #1

Deathlok (1991) #1

What is Marvel Unlimited?

IRONHEART: THOSE WITH COURAGE: WRITTEN BY EVE L. EWING, WITH ART BY KEVIN LIBRANDA, LUCIANO VECCHIO, G GEOFFO

Poet Ewing made her Marvel debut on 2018’s IRONHEART, leaving her mark on one of Marvel’s newest heroes!

In Ironheart’s first solo series, Riri Williams is pressured to step up her game when a group of world leaders are taken hostage by one of Spider-Man’s old foes. Teen Riri may still be fairly new to the armored avenging gig, (see: 2016’s INVINCIBLE IRON MAN), but she’s genius-level resourceful.

[RELATEDEve L. Ewing Is Shaping the Future of the Marvel Universe]

Ironheart (2018) #1

Ironheart (2018) #1

What is Marvel Unlimited?

BLACK PANTHER: THE CLIENT: WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, WITH ART BY MARK TEXEIRA

Priest’s prolific sixty-two-issue run on BLACK PANTHER (1998) was chock full of social and political satire, an examination of the vast differences between the African and African-American experience. What happens when T’Challa, proud king of a separatist African country, finds himself living out the Black American experience while on a diplomatic mission in New York?

This colossal run was also noteworthy for introducing the Dora Milaje, the all-female warrior force that are the Royal’s guardians and soldiers. For many, Priest’s run is the definitive Black Panther, and has been collected across several volumes, starting here.

Read the opening arc today.

Black Panther (1998) #1

Black Panther (1998) #1

What is Marvel Unlimited?

ADAM: LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL: WRITTEN BY KEVIN GREVIOUX, WITH ART BY MAT BROOME, KAARE ANDREWS, ROBERTO CASTRO

Who is the Blue Marvel? Adam Brashear is a scientific prodigy who became a human anti-matter reactor following an experiment. After serving with the U.S. Marine Corps, he would go on to become America’s most celebrated hero… until his race was revealed.

Writer and actor Grevioux teams with artists Andrews, Broome, and Castro, for Blue Marvel’s origin in ADAM: LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL. Learn the truth behind Adam’s lengthy hiatus, a hidden history that spans decades.

[RELATEDWriter-Actor Kevin Grevioux on 'New Warriors' and Creating Blue Marvel]

Blue Marvel

BLACK PANTHER BOOK 6: THE INTERGALACTIC EMPIRE OF WAKANDA PART 1: WRITTEN BY TA-NEHISI COATES, WITH ART BY DANIEL ACUÑA, JEN BARTEL

Master scribe Coates welcomes aboard fan-favorite artists Acuña and Bartel to launch Black Panther to space!

For years, T’Challa has fought off invaders from his homeland, protecting Wakanda from everything from meddling governments to long-lost gods. Now, he will discover that Wakanda is much bigger than he ever dreamed. Across the vast Multiverse lies an empire founded in T’Challa’s name… but not in his values. Start the first arc here:

Black Panther (2018) #1

Black Panther (2018) #1

What is Marvel Unlimited?

SHURI: THE SEARCH FOR BLACK PANTHER: WRITTEN BY NNEDI OKORAFOR, WITH ART BY LEONARDO ROMERO

Okorafor (Lagoon, Who Fears Death) is a Nigerian-American novelist who has been writing “African futuristic environments for over a decade.” This love and expertise in Africanfuturism led her to write Shuri’s first solo series.

Black Panther’s techno-whiz sister must step into power after her brother is lost on a space mission (see: 2018’s BLACK PANTHER)… and even though Shuri is happiest in a lab, a nation without a leader is a vulnerable one.

[RELATEDNnedi Okorafor Makes Dora Milaje History]

Shuri (2018) #1

Shuri (2018) #1

What is Marvel Unlimited?

MOSAIC: KING OF THE WORLD: WRITTEN BY GEOFFREY THORNE, WITH ART BY KHARY RANDOLPH, THONY SILAS

Who is Mosaic?

Screenwriter and novelist Thorne (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) paired with Spider-Man artist Randolph to answer just that in this origin arc.

Morris Sackett, pro basketball player and world-renowned celebrity, gains extraordinary abilities—at the grave cost of his own body. Imbued with the ability to jump from person to person like a ghost, Mosaic controls the bodies and memories of those he inhabits. But with his own form destroyed, the one-time superstar athlete relies on others to survive.

[RELATEDMosaic: Fathers and Sons]

Mosaic
An Inhuman birth from MOSAIC (2016) #1.

CAPTAIN AMERICA/BLACK PANTHER: FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS: WRITTEN BY REGINALD HUDLIN, WITH ART BY DENYS COWAN

Screenwriter, director, and producer Hudlin (Django Unchained) followed a fan-favorite run on BLACK PANTHER (2005) with this limited series co-starring the Sentinel of Liberty.

See the full story behind the meeting of Captain America and then-Black Panther, King Azzuri. This World War II adventure starts from the perspective of Gabe Jones, a young cadet in Nick Fury’s combat crew. But before everyone unites to take down Nazi scum, T’Chaka has a few “words” with Cap, an impressive showdown by Cowan that splashes across issue #1.

Black Panther_Captain America

BLACK PANTHER - LONG LIVE THE KING: WRITTEN BY NNEDI OKORAFOR AND AARON COVINGTON, WITH ART BY ANDRE LIMA ARAUJO, MARIO DEL PENNINO

Okorafor and Covington (Creed) pen BLACK PANTHER - LONG LIVE THE KING, a digital-first series that pits T’Challa against his own metaphorical monsters… and a physical one too!

Set in the world of Coates' BLACK PANTHER, Wakanda’s king must rebuild a nation in the wake of revolution, but a siege of terror causes pain before progress.

Read in full now!

Black Panther - Long Live the King (2017) #1

Black Panther - Long Live the King (2017) #1

What is Marvel Unlimited?

KILLMONGER - BY ANY MEANS: WRITTEN BY BRYAN EDWARD HILL, WITH ART BY JUAN FERREYRA

First introduced in 1973’s “Panther’s Rage,” Killmonger has long been one of T’Challa’s most persistent enemies, grounded by a righteous mission to overtake, if not overthrow, Wakanda’s throne.

Author Hill presents a further look behind Killmonger’s motivations in this 2018 series. Long before he became “Killmonger,” he was a boy known as N’Jadaka, a child who was stolen from his home and taught only the world’s cruelties. A boy who knew the Black Panther only as a fairy tale. Until…

Killmonger
From KILLMONGER (2018) #1.

FALCON: TAKE FLIGHT: WRITTEN BY RODNEY BARNES, WITH ART BY JOSHUA CASSARA, SEBASTIAN CABROL

Rodney Barnes (The Boondocks) challenges Sam Wilson as never before in this solo run starring the avian Avenger.

Following SECRET EMPIRE, Sam steps down from his role as Captain America to build his legacy, this time accompanied by protégé Rayshaun Lucas, AKA Patriot. Hitting the streets of Chicago, Falcon and Patriot are primed and ready to defend its citizens… until the mystic threat of Blackheart emerges with a sinister agenda, one that’s infected the city’s leadership.

Read the entire series now:

Falcon (2017) #1

Falcon (2017) #1

What is Marvel Unlimited?

THE NEW FANTASTIC FOUR: WRITTEN BY DWAYNE MCDUFFIE, WITH ART BY PAUL PELLETIER

Read through FANTASTIC FOUR (1998) #550 for McDuffie’s run on Marvel’s First Family!

In the aftermath to the first Superhuman CIVIL WAR, McDuffie steps up to bat with artist Paul Pelletier, steering the team into an era that rocks the foundation of the core Four. While Reed Richards and Sue Storm step down to work out their issues, the Thing and Human Torch are left to hold down the fort… with a little help from Black Panther and Storm.

BLACK PANTHER EPIC COLLECTION: PANTHER'S RAGE: WRITTEN BY DON MCGREGOR, WITH ART BY BILLY GRAHAM (ISSUES #19-22)

Read “Panther’s Rage” here!

Artist Billy Graham took writer Don McGregor’s script to revolutionary heights with his work on “Panther’s Rage,” an eighteen-issue run from 1973 that starred T’Challa, his American love interest, Monica Lynne, and introduced Killmonger. Speaking to its time, this story showcases an historic moment in Marvel storytelling.

In issues #19-22, offered for free in MU, Black Panther went up against crooked cops and the KKK. This bold battle leapt right off the page, laden with visual symbolism, while alive with heft and movement. Issue #21 is a landmark chapter too—Black Panther wields a burning cross to take out his Klansmen captors.

Panther's Rage

DAMAGE CONTROL VOL. 1: WRITTEN BY DWAYNE MCDUFFIE, WITH ART BY ERNIE COLÓN

Who do you call when Super Hero battle has destroyed your home, business, or an entire city block? DAMAGE CONTROL, duh!

McDuffie introduces an outlandish cast of characters in this series that follows an office staff whose sole mission is to keep things clean and tidy following superhuman disaster. Cameos galore in this meta read, full of Marvel in-jokes.

Damage Control

MARVEL RISING: HEROES OF THE ROUND TABLE: WRITTEN BY NILAH MAGRUDER, WITH ART BY ROBERTO DI SALVO, GEORGES DUARTE

For True Believers of all ages! Writer and animator Magruder introduces magic, monsters, and more, in this team-up series starring Ms. Marvel, the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, America Chavez, and Ghost-Spider!

Kamala Khan and Doreen Green call in super-powered reinforcements against sorceress Morgan Le Fay… who has set a plan in motion to turn the Inhumans’ home of New Attilan into New Camelot! Miles “Spider-Man” Morales, the Inhuman Inferno, and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Daisy Johnson also join the fray.

TRUTH: RED, WHITE & BLACK: WRITTEN BY ROBERT MORALES, WITH ART BY KYLE BAKER

Morales and Baker unearth the secret history behind the first Black Captain America, a soldier and veteran named Isaiah Bradley. In TRUTH: RED, WHITE AND BLACK (2003), the shocking origin of this ‘40s hero is revealed. The only difference between Bradley and Steve Rogers? The color of their skin.

Isaiah’s story mirrors the real-world from which he was drawn—"racism in the military, the Tuskegee Experiment, the Black Panther Party, and even Henrietta Lacks' legacy.” (The Legacy of Isaiah Bradley: The First Black Captain America)

Captain America

See below for the full list of titles:

 

Each of these epics owe their origins to some of Marvel’s greatest comic books released in print over the years. In celebration of that tradition, Marvel has added an information page to each story with details on how to find your local comic book shop and start your very own Marvel collection of back issues and printed trades.

 

To find these stories and more of Marvel’s greatest comic books in printplease reach out to your local comic book shop to ask about their current business policies to observe social distancing or other services they may offer, including holding or creating pull lists, curbside pick-ups, special deliveries and other options to accommodate. Find and support your local comic book shop at http://comicshoplocator.com or by visiting http://marvel.com/lovecomicshops.

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