Black Panther (1998)

Christopher Priest's run, Black Panther #1-62 (1998-2003) The best single starting point for readers who want T'Challa as a ruler first and a superhero second. Priest tells it through Everett K. Ross, the State Department handler assigned to him, so you watch a king outmaneuver Washington from the outside. The opening arc introduces Okoye and Nakia of the Dora Milaje and ends with T'Challa in exile while his stepmother shares the throne. The timeline jumps and Ross's comic asides take a few issues to click, then the political chess becomes addictive.