EYES OF WAKANDA

Eyes of Wakanda blends gorgeous animation and spellbinding stories throughout history that shows viewers a different side of Wakanda’s history, creating an immersive and unique adventure within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When Black Panther opened in theatres back in 2018, Marvel Studios had one of their biggest hits on their hands that has become a cornerstone franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and made T’Challa a cultural figure for so many to look up to. Though, sadly, T’Challa’s story was cut short with the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, but the legacy of Black Panther continued on the big screen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and now for the first time in the animated form in the latest Disney+ show, Eyes of Wakanda. At a time when superhero fatigue is constantly debated online, this new anthology miniseries from Coogler takes viewers on a journey throughout history with Wakandan warriors, breaking free from the confines of the larger shared universe storytelling and weaving its own ambitious story. It is with this creative freedom and stunning animation that Eyes of Wakanda feels like a breath of fresh air in the comic book genre full of confident and isolated storytelling, that makes for a great watch even if there is lots of untapped potential with further stories that could be told in this miniseries.

One of the best aspects of Eyes of Wakanda, is how it is not dependent on other events within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is able to tell its own stories, giving it a creative freedom to take audiences to places they never thought they would see in a comic book adaptation. Acting as an anthology miniseries following the Hatut Zaraze, Wakanda’s secret police (also known as the War Dogs), tracking down Wakandan artifacts that have fallen into human hands throughout history, each episode takes place in a distinct period in history. From the beaches of Troy during the final days of the Trojan War, China in 1400 AD, and Ethiopia in 1896, the miniseries takes human history and infuses it with the missions of the Hatut Zaraze, creating a show that feels distinctly historical with that signature excitement that Ryan Coogler brought to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Black Panther. This allows the miniseries a creative freedom to try new things not previously seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: re-interpreting history, introducing new characters such as Iron Fist, and an ability to not stress on how this storytelling is going to have to fit into the larger franchise.

Each episode is its own story, developing new characters and stakes as each central War Dog fights to recover a piece of Wakandan technology. There is a common trait within each of the heroes that the miniseries focuses on, helping to build the themes of belonging and culture, while developing the Hatut Zaraze who have not previously been a focus within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is all done while staging exciting action sequences that captures all the amazement that Marvel has been consistently conjuring up for over a decade now. But apart from each hero being a member of the Hatut Zaraze, each episode acts as its own mini movie, until the final episode of the season.

The fourth and final episode begins to tie each of the previous episodes together in a larger storyline that hints at a direction the Black Panther series can take going forward in the live action format. It’s an intriguing direction that would fit well into the current multiverse direction of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it dampens the creative storytelling seen in the previous three episodes that forces this unique piece of storytelling into a larger shared universe, rather than letting it stand on its own. Had the season been longer with more episodes and missions to thrill viewers with, it would not have been such a jarring narrative shift when the different storylines came together in a larger overarching narrative, but with only three episodes before this happened, it feels like the true potential and future viability of Eyes of Wakanda as an independent anthology series is cut short by this narrative choice.

Following in the footsteps of recent animated projects like the Spider-Verse films, The Bad Guys, and Predator: Killer of Killers, Eyes of Wakanda uses a blend of 2D animation and computer generated animation to visually tell the story of each episode. There is an undeniable influence on the artistry on display by the different cultures and time periods of each episode that informs the historical aspect of the show and distinguishes each episode from its predecessors. And when combined with the painterly art style and distinct colour scheme, the animation conjures up a mesmerizing visual experience that feels like ancient tapestries come to life that only heightens the stories being told in the miniseries.

Continuing the legacy of awe-inspiring storytelling of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Eyes of Wakanda is a worthy animated addition to the superhero franchise. Featuring incredible animation that ties together culture and history to create a visual experience unlike anything else ever attempted by Marvel, the ambitious and wondrous storytelling that puts a Wakandan spin on history on display in Eyes of Wakanda is certain to both excite and satisfy fans looking for the next thrilling entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.