Every month I read Ultimate Black Panther and I get reminded why I love comic books so much. We’re only four issues into this new title, but I feel like I’ve known the characters for longer. Bryan Hill, Stefano Caselli, and David Curriel have done such an exceptional job to really build this new world of Wakanda and ingratiate us into this version of Black Panther and his cast. It’s just phenomenal work, through and through, and as long as this book continues this momentum, I will be singing its praises because I truly believe this is the best Marvel book releasing each month. We’re witnessing a series that will be cemented as a quintessential Black Panther story, even with it being set in a new universe.
I didn’t get a chance to review issue #3 so I’ll take some time to talk about it later, but issue #4 picks up with the disappearance of T’Challa. Okoye stands up as Queen and reassures the people of Wakanda that T’Challa is fine, that he will return soon, and that the people need to have faith in him to return. However, Okoye doesn’t tell the truth, and the truth is: she doesn’t know whether or not T’Challa is okay. The last two issues of this series have provided some incredible growth for Okoye, as we get to learn even more about the kind of character, and Queen, she is. She wholeheartedly believes in T’Challa, even though she didn’t believe Wakanda had faith in her, and this issue showcases that so well even to the point that she will lie to ensure that the faith remains within the Wakandans. As long as Wakanda has faith, they can achieve and defend against anything. It’s such an interesting angle for a character who is normally just the bodyguard to T’Challa and the general of the Dora Milaje. As a bodyguard, she believed in the throne because she must protect it, but here Okoye believes in T’Challa, the person. She believes in his ability to lead this nation, and she will do what she can to ensure the people believe that too. We can tell the romance between T’Challa and Okoye is nonexistent, they’re definitely married by tradition and ceremony, not by choice, however there are moments where I wonder if there could be more, and if a romance were to begin, I think it would work very well. We also see Okoye and Shuri’s relationship develop some more. I hope we see more of Shuri soon, but it’s nice to see the two work together. It’s a pairing we don’t really see get focus ever, but they’ve spent a lot of time together and we see how their dynamic has grown over the course of the last 3 issues.
Eventually, the royal home is attacked by an assailant who wants to kill Okoye, however Shuri rushes in and ends up chasing her down until T’Challa returns and saves her with some interesting tech that is ripped off his suit. As they’re about to ask questions, the assailant then starts to disintegrate, as if there’s a fail safe in case of capture. We do end up learning the assailant was a Dora Milaje once, which means the Dora are compromised. We cut to Ra and Khonshu, as we also get some well deserved characterization for the two and we finally have a pretty defining conversation for them. We see Khonshu is a lot more cautious, he wants to cripple Wakanda, but notices their defenses may be more formidable than they originally thought. He warns Ra not to underestimate T’Challa. However, Ra believes Wakanda has lost faith, believing they are on the brink as the people of Wakanda look to their king and see fear, while their king looks to their Gods and sees weakness. That the death of T’Chaka, and T’Challa’s counsel with the Vodu Khan (probably) will be their undoing. I can tell Ra has a ton of confidence, he wants to end this now and cripple Wakanda even further as they are the main threat to their total dominance of Africa, but that hubris to rush always can be a villain’s undoing. Khonshu clearly understands it’s easier said than done to just strike immediately, but they move to attack Wakanda directly anyway. It’s a masterful conversation, and one I’ve been waiting for from these two because their whole concept of being twins and making up Moon Knight together was interesting. I still wonder how that works, but we at least get to see how they plan and work together outside of that and it’s a typical “twins who are opposites” trope, but it’s being handled well so far, I dig it.
This leads us to the end of the issue. Okoye and T’Challa reunite and we see even more of Okoye’s character here. She’s furious and demands T’Challa to share what he’s been up to, as they are husband and wife, there should not be secrets between them. Finally, T’Challa confesses that they can’t trust anyone, and to meet him at a non-disclosed location where he introduces Okoye to his Circle of Force that includes Killmonger, Storm, Shuri and T’Challa himself. They are the only people they believe they can trust in this fight of resistance against false gods.
This issue was incredible, it properly builds the tension between the characters as it swells to a point where we’re really going to hit the climax of this arc next issue. T’Challa is being very crafty, he understands with the death of his father going the way it did, there aren’t many people that can be trusted. Killmonger and Storm are obviously in the clear, they sacrifice their lives everyday to protect the people outside of Wakanda. These five are the resistance against the forces of Ra and Khonshu, seeking to end their grip around Wakanda, and Africa as a whole.
Issue 3 was also a wonderful issue as T’Challa, and the readers, became acquainted with Killmonger and Storm. Obviously T’Challa ends up creating an alliance with the two as they all seek the same goal. We haven’t gotten too much on Storm’s entire deal, as far as what brings her to this point in her life, why she’s with Killmonger, etc but I only assume that’s being saved for later. Killmonger on the other hand I feel like got a wonderful showing, and he seems like this soft and caring bear that wants nothing but the best for Wakanda and all of Africa. He’s a son of Wakanda, but he couldn’t bear living in paradise when people who look like him are suffering, and that struck me so deeply as so many people get inspired by figures like that. Even myself as a kid, I always gravitated to characters like Static and Black Panther because they were characters I could relate to, and seeing them do great things only further inspired me too.
The team on this book is wonderful, every month I get inspired to talk about this series, and I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon. I am very passionate about Ultimate Black Panther, please go buy this book and buy the last 3 issues if you haven’t, it deserves to be read.