45 reviews and counting on Rotten Tomatoes so far, all positive. The first wave of reviews for Black Panther are up, and they’re very enthusiastic, assuming you consider “the best movie Marvel has ever made” enthusiastic. Not all of the reviews are that effusive, but a fair number are, with the rest all coming down on the side of “If it’s not the best Marvel movie ever, it’s the freshest one in a good long while.”

Here’s a sampling of the reviews so far: Black Panther opens in theaters on February 16.

Matt Singer, ScreenCrush:

“[Michael B. Jordan] completely takes over Black Panther every single time he’s onscreen.”

Manohla Dargis, The New York Times:

“In its emphasis on black imagination, creation and liberation, the movie becomes an emblem of a past that was denied and a future that feels very present.”

Marc Bernardin, Nerdist:

“Like the most delicious cake you’ve ever tasted in your entire life, but which isn’t quite cooked all the way through.”

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone:

“You've never seen anything like it in your life.”

Clay Cane, NewsOne:

“What Get Out did for horror in 2017, is what Black Panther will do for superhero films in 2018.”

Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly:

“Panther’s nuanced celebration of pride and identity and personal responsibility doesn’t just feel like a fresh direction for the genre, it’s the movie’s own true superpower.”

Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds:

“Marvel has created a masterpiece.”

Peter Debruge, Variety:

“Virtually everything that distinguishes Black Panther from past Marvel pics works to this standalone entry’s advantage.”

Angie Han, Mashable

“If there's a downside to Black Panther, it's that it has to end eventually.”

David Edelstein, Vulture:

“The good news is that Coogler has proven he can play in the big boys’ house, and there’s no excuse for studios to pass on more personal projects he has in the pipeline.”

Bryan Bishop, The Verge:

“It’s gripping, funny, and full of spectacle, but it also feels like a turning point, one where the studio has finally recognized that its movies can be about more than just selling the next installment.”

Robbie Collin, The Telegraph:

“Seems to overcome the genre’s long-standing neuroses around creating rounded, exciting roles for women by just getting on with it.”

Joelle Monique, Polygon:

“The best Marvel film thus far.”

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