Summary
When a middle school aged Shuri discovers the Wakandan heart-shaped herb is dying, she throws all of her scientific know-how at the problem. At the current rate of decay, there will be no herb left for T’Challa’s next challenge day. If T’Challa loses and there is a new leader, he or she would not have the herb and therefore not have the powers of the Black Panther.
Despite Shuri’s brilliance, the problem is too big for her to solve on her own. With support from her best friend K’Marah, a Dora in training; someone from the X-Men; and an Avenger, Shuri leaves Wakanda, racing against time to save the future of her nation.
Review
I loved this! This diverges from the Marvel movies in several ways, but Shuri’s love for her home and her brilliance are as I expected. Yes, her adventure may be a bit over the top for a 14-year-old princess, but we don’t watch Marvel movies – or read the books and comics – for their realism.
The story here was fantastic. The outlook for Wakanda’s future is dire. And Shuri is the one with the time and the intellect to pursue a solution. She finds the right support to give her clues to what she’s missing so that she can get to work on a solution.
I adored the relationship between Shuri and K’Marah. This adventure was good for their friendship. Shuri also chooses a good mentor to help her through the story. The tech and gadgets were fun, and the pacing of the story – the risks and dangers as well as the closing confrontations – was terrific!
I hope there will be future adventures for Shuri and K’Marah! (Note: This is NOT a graphic novel.)