Just watched the Q&A with Coates about the BP book. Q&A was over 2 hours, which was very surprising. A lot of info, including about stuff we've been talking about.
Some stuff I noticed from Coates' answers:
-Ayo was supposed to die in issue #4. Aneka was hold a major grudge with T’Challa. Didn’t happen.
-Ramonda almost died in issue #4. Didn’t happen
-Coates insists that T’Challa will get his.
-T’Challa will more active from #5 onward.
-Less Midnight Angels as time goes on. Only one page of the MAs in #5. Less Zenzi as well from now on (hence them being featured first on BP: WoW).
-Shuri’s journey is influenced from various African traditions. Will see more of her journey from issue 5 onward.
-More cameos from traditional BP supporting characters in season 2.
-Big fan of Fraction’s work, who featured Zeke Stane. That led to Coates deciding to use Stane.
-W’Kabi and Zuri would’ve been in the book if they were alive.
-Guest artist's Chris Sprouse art = on point.
-Big fan of The Crew.
-Feels the whole 12-issue book will read very differently, compared to issue to issue.
-Wasn’t a fan of the BP/Storm marriage at first. Feels differently about it now.
-Feels Priest's book managed to get people to take T'Challa seriously. Feels Hudlin's book was "for us." (Black people).
Addresses the sex trafficking / rape camps in #2. Another user documented his answer better than I did, so here it is:
- says there are camps like that everywhere, even the US. says this is a wakanda that has had destruction after destruction, thats faced Thanos, phoenix force Namor, Doom... t'challa has other thigns goin on and can't keep track and tchalla has bigger problems. makes a obama is't controlling baltimore connections, tchalla simply has sooo much on his shoulders and so much going on that he can't keep track of everythign an doesn't suck because ofit.
===
Plenty of other stuff mentioned, but overall good Q&A. I think the biggest thing affecting this run is Coates' journalism background and that he's new to comic book writing. He's bringing a lot of "real world" factors in a fictional universe and even on T'Challa himself, if that makes sense. Some are well received, other are not.
It does appear that he means well and that stuff will shift a bit from issue 5 onward. #5 will be critical in terms of the book's direction, reaction by fans, and even sales.
I felt this was definitely the most confident BP looked during this run
