Grunge and darkness
The imagery that defines the graphic novel is a street-tough animation style with a bend toward darkness and grunge. The urban setting of the kingdom makes the comic feel more city-oriented instead of the more agrarian communities of typical kingdoms. There is an ominous tone in the animation and in the plot that spells out dysfunction and a future of chaos, unless T'Challa can figure out some way to involve himself in the community in a more harmonic and effective way.
Leadership and authority
This graphic novel explores the imagery of authority with levels of authority and royalty, a citizenry who is frustrated and disenfranchised, a king who casts severe judgment even on his own son, and a system that is threatening overhaul. The major imagery of authority focuses the reader's attention on a specific kind of chaotic potential, the likelihood of rebellion or uprising. That crisis in introduced clearly and then lingers as a major threat. In response to this, the theme of leadership becomes more clear.
Domination
Despite whatever character development may await our protagonist in later editions of this story, the unfortunate truth about his character from this prologue is that he has a tendency to be exacting and dominating. He does not allow his people to get it in their heads that he is weak. He pushes them to anger and hatred by stoking their frustration by dominating them, and it is clearly a chaotic response to the unknown—a clambering for power in a moment when that power seems most threatened. Domination is a defense mechanism that clouds T'Challa's judgment, making him behave from anger.
Desire
T'Challa must balance his intentions. On the one side, there is his duty: he has a moral obligation (in the context of the story) to make peace in his kingdom, but he also wants to make peace in the kingdom. He both has to do it (duty) and he wants to do it (desire). But ironically, the imagery of desire stands as his major obstacle. He wants people to like him for reasons of desire, forgetting his ethical duty to do what is just. He wants for people to follow him, but because of his desire for power, not because of his duty for justice.
