Usually, I see Marvel blockbusters in the theater, shortly after their release. Life prevented that pleasure with Black Panther, so I made a point of seeing it as soon as it became available on Netflix.

What a great movie! It deserves all of the accolades that have been heaped upon it.

It's an awesome superhero flick but, perhaps more importantly, it creates a very real place in its setting, the fictional African nation of Wakanda, and its people.

Sure, previous movies in the Marvel canon have given us made-up locations, but usually they're otherworldly (Asgard, Xandar) or earthbound but largely undeveloped (Sokovia).

I am somewhat unfamiliar with the traditions of many African nations, yet to me this cinematic interpretation of a wealthy and technologically advanced Wakanda feels real, steeped in rich and colorful traditions and pageantry that are entirely unAmerican in feel. It's easy to believe Wakanda to be a real place, with customs, culture and language all its own.

That's good world-building.

It shows that director Ryan Coogler and his creative team explored various African societies in-depth, borrowing here and adapting there to create a heterogeneous culture that is fantastic and impossibly advanced, yes, but also deeply African. Its roots and inspirations can be seen everywhere, from the architecture to the clothing they wear.

Beyond that, it's a damn good superhero movie.

Chadwick Boseman leads the way as T'Challa, an entirely likable hero and newly crowned king of Wakanda. He inherits the mantle of Black Panther -- a hero fueled by an otherworldly metal that's unique to Wakanda and is useful to do, well, pretty much everything, as well as a glowing plant that gives him strength (and is never really all that well explained). He has a strong sense of conscience, which wars with his country's inherent desire for secrecy.

His antagonists are M'Baku (Winston Duke), leader of an opposing tribe who wants the throne of Wakanda; Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), a jovial thief and arms dealer with a weaponized forearm and a thirst for Wakanda's vibranium supply; and Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who seems at first to be an arms trader and mercenary but whose secret ties to Wakanda eventually become apparent.

Killmonger isn't the usual sort of villain, out simply for revenge, wealth or world domination; he wants to kill T'Challa and take the throne of Wakanda so he can share its technology -- and advanced weaponry -- with the world. His arc, beginning with a traumatic incident in his youth, is more than black and white; while his actions are often unquestionably evil, his motivations (and the reasons for his grudge) have some merit.

T'Challa's allies include his ex-lover Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), his genius sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), his mother Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and his Yoda-like adviser Zuri (Forest Whitaker). Okoye (Danai Gurira), leader of an all-female royal guard, is on the fence, unsure if her loyalty should be to the throne or the person who currently holds it. And CIA operative Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) also ends up both opposing and supporting T'Challa's various gambits.

Black Panther has many moving parts. The characters are excellent, and it's surprising how well the film stands on its own without overt ties to other heroes in the Marvel stable. (T'Challa was introduced in the excellent Captain America: Civil War and so has interacted with most of the Marvel heroes, but none appear in this movie (if you don't count a brief post-credits scene).

Fans who are mourning the apparent departures of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth from the Marvel ranks can be cheered by Boseman's performance here. I can easily see him -- and his notable supporting cast -- carrying the Marvel torch into the next series of adventures.