Shuri and T'Challa: Into the Heartlands (An Original Black Panther Graphic Novel) by Roseanne A. Brown

Shuri and T'Challa: Into the Heartlands (An Original Black Panther Graphic Novel) Reviews

• 
  Bookishrealm

  This was a great middle grade graphic novel and it’s definitely something that I’m happy Marvel is doing in terms of making their characters and storylines more accessible to a younger audience. The story focuses on Shuri and T’Challa as they figure out what it means to be siblings while also discovering what it means to be a confident individual. What was most fascinating during my read of this was that I didn’t realize that they didn’t share the same mother. In this specific graphic novel, both of T’Challa’s parents are dead and Shuri’s mother is queen and mother to them both. This inevitable plays a big role in the relationship between the two characters. I absolutely loved this element which played well into the character development. The story was fast paced and intriguing and complemented the art well. I adored the art and found it to be vibrant and full of life. Brown did an excellent job in terms of writing her first graphic novel. There wasn’t an over saturation of text and it was clear that she kept the potential artwork in mind while crafting the story. Overall, this was great read. I would love to read more adventures surrounding these two in middle grade graphic novel format.
• 
  Cherlynn | cherreading

  4.5⭐
  
  ✨ "Grieving someone you've never know... it's like being born with a hole in your heart. Some days it's easier to ignore than other days, but you never forget that it's there."
  
  Wow! Amazing.
  
  I've never watched Black Panther so I read this with zero knowledge of the universe, but everything was easy to follow and so enjoyable. The world-building and characters are awesome! Shuri is a spirited protagonist that you can't help but root for and I love her relationship with T'Challa. Mustard the talking rat (sorry, jerboa) is sooo cute and funny!
  
  Not only is the story packed with fun action and surprising twists, it also has so much heart. I adore the lively artwork and bright colours, which will definitely appeal to its target audience of middle-graders. Purple, blue and green tones are used primarily, which felt super fitting.
  
  What a delightful and riveting graphic novel! Highly recommend to all ages.
• 
  belle ☆ﾐ (thisbellereadstoo)

  i adored it. finished in one sitting because i was captivated by the story, the dialogue, the setting, and the illustrations. shuri is a brilliant scientist and she’s wiling to take the risk despite everyone’s rejection of her idea. the relationship with her brother, t’challa, isn’t the greatest but you can see how much love and care they have for one another.
• 
  em/zainab

  this book is by rosie, and its law that any book rosie writes, i must add 😌💗
• 
  aarya

  Read via library.
• 
  Guilherme Smee

  Eu tenho ficado muito feliz e satisfeito com as séries teens e kids tanto da Marvel como da DC Comics. Bom, da Marvel um pouco menos porque eles são publicados em uma capa dura desnecessaria. Mas é verdade pra mim que algumas tramas dessas linhas para todas idades trabalham tramas mais profundas, interessantes e até mesmo mais maduras e bem escritas do que as que são feitas em seus universos regulares. Os personagens também são melhor trabalhados e desenvolvidos. No Coração de Wakanda é a terceira edição dessa linha que vem para o Brasil pela Marvel Panini, e que é publicada lá fora pela Scholastic, a mesma editora do Harry Potter. Nesta edição que vem bem na esteira de Wakanda Forever, o filme, Shuri e T'Challa provocam um desastre em um ritual wakandando quando ainda eram adolescentes. Para consertar isso, vão se aventurar em outro mundo e tentar reparar também um erro de um dos seus antepassados. O quadrinho é escrito por uma mulher afro-americana e desenhado por três latinas. Uma delas é brasileira, Dika Araújo. As cores da gaúcha Cris Peter arrematam e dão unidade às três artes diferentes e confere o clima mágico e folclórico da história em quadrinhos. Um dos trabalhos da Cris que mais gostei. No Coração de Wakanda é um quadinho honesto, divertido e melhor que muitas e muitas fases do Pantera Negra.
• 
  Rin ⭐️

  “But that never, ever meant I wish you hadn't been born. I know that big science brain of yours doesn't like contradictions, but it's true. I wish my birth mom hadn't died, but I wouldn't change having you for a sister for anything. I love you, little sis. Even if you do drive me absolutely bonkers.”
  
  t'challa and shuri :’)
• 
  Steph

  You can’t beat a bit of Black Panther! Into The Heartlands was great! Full of colour, messages about righting a wrong and trusty T’Challa and Shuri. This is perfect for fans of Marvel (young and old!). I loved seeing more of the relationship between the siblings. Would be great to read just before the new film comes out too!
• 
  Chandra

  Nice quick read. Loved the illustrations and every detail shown. The storyline was good, funny.
• 
  Renn

  Cute story about a brother and sister learning to work together. Like a lot of comics involving Shuri it’s an interesting blend of both the Black Panther movie and comics lore.
• 
  Emperor Ember

  I love the art so much
• 
  D.T.

  This was fun and the artwork was just beautiful and hilariously expressive. There is some lore here that was lost to me such as T'Challa's birth heritage, which comic readers may/may not know. But I was able to understand things quickly. I liked that the story subverted most clichés.
  
  Overall, I had an excellent reading experience.
• 
  Andréa

  Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
• 
  Nic

  
  My full review is posted on No Flying No Tights.
• 
  Tiffany

  Book provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
  
  Into the Heartlands begins with the ever important Soul Washing Day in Wakanda, and young Shuri and T’Challa kick off a series of events when they argue during the ceremony. The people of Wakanda begin falling sick including Shuri’s mother and Shuri starts to think her argument with T’Challa caused a curse to fall on their land. Determined to save the people of Wakanda, Shuri dives into her research and finds the key to healing everyone but it will take her far from the palace and into the mysterious Heartlands.
  
  T’Challa joins her and the two enter the mythical Heartlands to find the very thing that will save Queen Ramonda and the rest of the ill Wakandans. The problem is, Shuri and T’Challa will have to stop bickering and start working together to find the cure but a powerful ancestor is looking for revenge and Shuri and T’Challa might fall into his trap!
  
  The popularity of Black Panther movie has shown that there is a large audience for more Shuri stories and Into the Heartlands is a perfect read for those who love graphic novels. Sibling rivalry means that Shuri and T’Challa are in constant competition but Into The Heartlands is an adventure story that has the siblings working together to save the people of their beloved country. It also brings some interesting themes into focus, like the banishment of a Wakandan community and the eventual reparations to bring them back into the Wakandan fold.
  
  Because I received an advance copy only a handful of pages are colorized but those illustrations capture the beautiful world of Wakanda. The attention to detail is impeccable as Shuri’s braids have texture and the scenes of the Soul Washing ceremony are beautiful with pops of bold teal and aqua to represent the water. Into the Heartlands isn’t only for Black Panther fans, it’s for any graphic novel lover who appreciates superhero prequels with diverse characters.
• 
  Lindsey

  ✨ Review ✨ INTO THE HEARTLANDS by author Roseanne A. Brown and illustrators Natacha Bustos, Dika Araújo, and Claudia Aguirre
  
  Black Panther is one of my favorite parts of the Marvel Universe, and Shuri is the bomb, so I was delighted to get a copy of this middle grades graphic novel to read with my 8yo!
  
  SYNOPSIS: Follow the adventures of the prince and princess of Wakanda from before the Black Panther movie, when Shuri was just a 12-year-old genius and T’Challa was still only a teenager next in line to be the Black Panther! When an argument between the step-siblings leads to one of Shuri’s inventions accidentally destroying a sacred ceremony site, the people of Wakanda – including the Queen Mother – start falling mysteriously ill. Desperate to save their mother and their people, Shuri and T’Challa must settle their sibling quarrels, band together, and travel deep into the perilous Heartlands of Wakanda to lift the so-called curse. Can they put aside their jealousy and resentment long enough to survive the journey?
  
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  Genre: middle grades, fantasy, graphic novel
  Location: Wakanda
  Pub Date: April 19, 2022
  
  My 8yo and I read this together, and we both loved it (he rated it a solid 6 out of 5 stars!). The illustrations were GORGEOUS, and the sibling relationship between Shuri and T'Challa was a perfect showing of what happens when bickering teen siblings have the kingdom on their shoulders. The book was full of excitement and just the right amount of context, color, and thrills to keep us both engaged. We flew through this! This is a great one to read along with your kids if they like superheroes and graphic novels!
  
  Swipe through the photos to see an example of the illustrations, and you can start reading the book here:
  https://bit.ly/3vyg9Da
  
  FTC Disclosure: Thanks to @graphixbooks, @scholasticinc, and @storygramkids for this giveaway copy of this book!
• 
  Frank Chillura (OhYouRead)

  I have always been a huge X-Men fan and only knew who Black Panther was from his short-lived marriage to the African Goddess of Thunder, Storm. So seeing him come to life in the Marvel cinematic universe was pretty iconic.
  
  I fell in love with all of the characters from the movie, but Shuri really seemed to shine brightest. Her strength, humor, and incredible intellect made her someone for young girls to look up to. So when I saw that she had a new graphic novel coming out, I knew that I had to read it.
  
  Into the Heartlands takes us on a journey through Wakanda to save the Queen. After Shuri & T’Challa get into a fight during the sacred Soul Washing Ceremony, one of Shuri’s inventions accidentally destroys precious artifacts and both of them believe they have cursed the tribe. So when the tribe suddenly becomes infected by a techno-virus, including their mother, they feel completely responsible. So when the only thing that can cure everyone happens to reside in a land of fairy tales, they take off to find it.
  
  I love that they are a blended family, seeing as how T’Challa’s mother and father have already died before this book begins. He and Shuri are half siblings, only sharing the same father. They both hold quite a bit of animosity towards one another and this book really makes them work together to save their people.
  
  Thank You to Scholastic for gifting me a copy of this book.
• 
  Mariah

  I read this for work. I normally wouldn't pick it up on my own because I'm not a big fan of these kinds of adaptations. I get it, they're for kids. It's not that serious, yadda yadda yadda. They usually end up watering down the characters and they miss the larger themes at play in regards to the story beats due to the intentions of the respective media being shifted; comics don't have to have a lesson while books for children tend to have a moralistic edge.
  
  Into the Heartlands is super cute. I enjoyed the relationship between Shuri and T'Challa. It was especially sweet given the MCU context - this felt like it could slot neatly into the pre-universe for the two. If you're really jonesing after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Into the Heartlands is a perfect balm to soothe some of the loss.
  
  The story is nice enough though I found the plot point of forgiving the villain because she was only fighting for her people laughable seeing as she almost killed the Queen of Wakanda. Like good intentions or not, that's still literally Shuri's mother. It's ludicrous that she would be able to see the nuances of a situation after it almost resulted in the death of her beloved parent particularly after she had already lost her other parent and almost lost T'Challa in search of a cure.
  
  Ultimately, it's like I said before: it's for kids. While I take issue in general, the existence of these surface level graphic novels is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. This isn't harmful, it makes logical sense, the artwork is good. I have no specific notes and nothing egregious happens. It's an easy recommend if you have a younger kid underfoot or want a light pick me up.
• 
  L.L. Gappa

  I haven't reviewed much on here lately but this was absolutely great! Brought me back to the joy of being a kid and watching Spider-Man the animated series, X men evolution or Teen Titans. How fun for young girls to be able to have brainy, brilliant and brave Shuri as a protagonist they can identify with. It's magical and beautiful in illustration, really bringing the amazing Wakanda to life! It was exciting and adventure packed- all with carrying a lot of heart, dealing with really beautiful themes and questions. (Hello tackling the nuances of being half-siblings along with rectifying the mistakes of past generations? Amazingly done.) It is so fun to play in the origin stories of these beloved characters. Okoye checking in on Shuri was one of my favorites. Basically, almost everything that set Black Panther apart in the MCU as such a special movie is present here in this graphic novel, along with the absolute Joy of something that is made for children- encouraging them that they can be great people who do great things. I hope we get another adventure from young Shuri and T'Challa by Roseanne soon!!
• 
  Sierra

  This book was really cute! And it was a nice introduction into the world of Wakanda. I loved how black panther clearly and unabashedly is inspired by African mythology and culture. It's so awesome and honestly, bad ass, to see, especially in such a Euro- centric world.
  I also loved the art, it was bright, colorful, beautiful, and eye catching. The color palette is not only fun and engaging, but also peaceful. The artist clearly knows what they're doing. Colors are used to convey moods and emotions, bright pinks, neon greens, turquoises, all convey a sense of excitement, and adventure, while warm toned oranges and soft ochres are used to illustrate memories and day dreams. It's just.. MMM!!!
  All in all, I've given it five stars for the art, but not for the story. Since the book was a bit short, I do feel like some parts of the story were rushed, particularly when it came to Shuri and T'Challa's relationship. I think near the end, their make up was a bit rushed, but other than that, the story was fine. I really liked it, but I do think there are stories that do sibling relationships better.
• 
  Becky B

  When people in Wakanda start getting seriously ill with a disease no one has a cure for, Shuri thinks she knows where to find the cure. But everyone else thinks her source is just folklore. After all, her source says the cure is in the Heartlands, and everyone knows that place is just a myth. Eventually T'Challa agrees to go with Shuri, mostly to prove she's wrong but also because it is the only hope to save their mom at this point.
  
  In this book T'Challa is still young and his uncle is the Black Panther. T'Challa treats Shuri like she's just a nuisance for the first part of the book and is a bit annoying (though Shuri isn't faultless in their relationship either), but they learn how to better respect each other and work as a team through their adventure. The quest takes them to a magical land where the illustrator got to have a lot of fun with the setting. A fun sibling adventure for middle grade Marvel fans.
  
  Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There are many people in danger of dying from the disease and things are quite tense for a while. T'Challa's dead parents and missing them comes up.
• 
  Chad

  A middle school aged graphic novel featuring T'Challa and Shuri as children. The two bicker constantly and it gets the land in trouble when a techno-organic virus is introduced. This has some logic issues around the mythic Heartlands that they get to without any struggles other than falling into it. The multiple illustrators doesn't help either although they are separated by chapter breaks to keep you from noticing but they are clearly different styles. Marvel has done better with some of their other entries.
• 
  Dorthe Svendsen

  Igjen en bok anbefalt i forbindelse med engelskstudiet. Men denne fallt ikke helt inn i min smak. Føler det er godt den er laget, og kan se den er god for mange å lese, kanskje særlig de med interresse for sine forfedre og deres mytologi. Men for meg ble det litt mye fantasering og litt mye tekst i hver snakkeboble.
• 
  Lia

  It was a fun and adventures ride. It was fun to see T’Challa and Shuri as kids trying to save their people and family.
  A quote that stuck with me was: “grieving someone you’ve never known…it’s like being born with a hole in your heart. Some days it’s easier to ignore than other days, but you never forget that it’s there.”
  
• 
  Sesana

  I'm really glad that Marvel is now putting a concerted effort into publishing in the middle grade space. This is a particularly good effort. It stars Shuri and T'Challa, heavily features their relationship, and the story centers around them as siblings in a blended family.
• 
  Marisa Gettas

  Another great addition to the Marvel Graphix line (a line of graphic novels for kids). The art was gorgeous and I really liked the story-line of siblings learning that they are stronger when working together, than apart.
• 
  Hannah

  The story was cute and the illustrations made the book more lively and fun. I am a sucker for Shuri and this definitely showed her in a good light. I also liked the message of forgiveness and fighting for what is right. Great book for middle schoolers!