'Black Panther' returning after a year

Marvel Entertainment has finally added the Black Panther comic book series back to its schedule, with the next issue officially announced for February 2021 — 11 months after the ostensibly monthly series' last issue. It will be available digitally and in comic book stores, reports Hollywood Reporter.

Black Panther No 23, by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Daniel Acuña, with Ryan Bodenheim assisting on art duties, will not only continue the writer's ongoing "Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda" storyline, it will mark the beginning of the end for Coates as series writer, a position he's held since relaunching the comic book in 2016 alongside artist Brian Stelfreeze.

The series, which launched its current run in 2018, had been absent from Marvel's schedules since March this year, when the publisher's entire comic book line was suspended for COVID-related reasons. While Marvel's comic book publishing was all-but-restored by summer, a number of titles remained in limbo, with Black Panther — one of Marvel's most critically acclaimed titles — arguably the most high-profile.

"We're so excited to bring Black Panther back to the stands, and we thank all our readers for their patience," series editor Wil Moss said in a statement provided by the publisher. "I promise, these last three issues will be worth the wait -- Ta-Nehisi and Daniel have been building to this finale for over two years now, and the ensuing battle between the forces of T'Challa's Wakanda and Emperor N'Jadaka's Intergalactic Empire is going to knock your socks off! Just wait'll you see who shows up to help defend Wakanda…"