Reconsidering the Superhero - W13

This week I read two of the Black Panther comics: "Black Panther 1" and "Black Panther World of Wakanda."  One observation I made was that the narrative and language was very serious and somber. The storylines focused on the Wakandan people and the evils that develop there. From the two pieces I read, I was surprised that the Dora Milaje, or the king's legion of woman warriors, played such a significant part in the plots of the stories. In fact, in the one by Roxanne Gay the main plot of the story i about the women of the Dora Milaje and the conflict that occurs between them. The Black Panther narratives seem to do a lot with loyalty and leadership and the hardships that happen within a kingdom.
These are really intriguing takes on the superhero reconsidered because it strays away from the typical superhero formula of hero versus villain, hero beats villain, hero saves the day and all is well in the world. These more recent Black Panther stories have expanded the label of hero past just one individual. The roles of women are also very different than other hero comics. These damsels are dangerous, and not very distressed. It's not only that these women have been portrayed as strong and just as, if not more capable than men, but that the men and the community in general, have become reliant on them for protection. This really makes the stories more dynamic and less predictable.