It’s T’Challa vs. the Progenitors in a final showdown for control of not only vibranium and Wakanda, but the whole world. And what role will the mysterious “Child of Light” play in all this? Ultimate Black Panther #24 is written by Bryan Edward Hill, drawn by Stefano Caselli, colored by David Curiel and lettered by Cory Petit.
The Black Panther is trapped off-world, face to face with an enemy he’s never encountered before and a technological threat that even Wakandan science may not be able to overcome. But he’s not the only Wakandan in trouble: Shuri has been mysteriously abducted as well and must survive while trying to track T’Challa down. To what lengths must they go to discover who sits at the controls of this deadly new threat? Black Panther: Intergalactic #2 is written by Victor LaValle, drawn by Stefano Nesi, colored by Bryan Valenza and lettered by Ariana Maher.
Indulge me as I reflect on an old partnership. She and I looked good on paper and looked pretty good height wise (aka she was short). Still, I never got the feeling she really liked me … not all of me. She didn’t want to go to the concerts I was excited about; she never really showed care for the issues I was passionate about. I’m not sure if she ever gave me feedback on my writing, if she read my writing at all.
I think she loved the idea of me, but was pretty averse to my reality.
As it goes with her, so goes it with both Black Panther comics this week, Intergalactic and Ultimate. Both build on (or end on) ideas I find fascinating, appealing and alluring — even though the actual issues are significantly more pedestrian. Still, unlike that ex, I find myself intrigued and invested to push forward … where pushing forward is still an option.
Ultimate Black Panther #24
Unfortunately, pushing forward isn’t an option here, as this is the final issue for a line that’s slated to end in the coming months.
I used the word “pedestrian” earlier, and that, to be fair, described most of the issues of this comic: The pacing felt off, the adherence to the “all issues happen in real time” ethos choked off character work and deep plot development. These complaints still ring true for most of the final issue, which feels more like a valedictory address than a full-fledged comic. T’Challa talks to the ancient aliens that inhabit the vibranium (and his spirit), telling them they can’t just take and do as they please; after being rescued from the astral plane by a disembodied Sorceress Supreme, he then tells the people of Wakanda they will be an active force of good in the world, counteracting the effects of the Maker’s Council in Africa and around the world.
This feels like the end of a movie (hell, the end of the movie), wrapping up everything with a nice little bow. There’s even a tease of making an actual heir to the throne, since the aged-up aberration from him and Storm has been shuttered out of existence.
All of this is fine and good and unspectacular.
And then we get to the last two pages.
Here, T’Challa tells Killmonger that no, he won’t have an heir; that he is slowly losing the battle against the spirits in his body; that Wakanda will need a champion to lead her.
That he will have to be put down in order for this to happen, and that Killmonger is the person he trusts explicitly to do it and lead Wakanda in his stead.
Now this … THIS is good. This is what I wanted from Ultimate: flipping familiar concepts on their head to lead to places unexpected. We now know T’Challa may not be a reliable narrator; we know Killmonger — who already had his sights on the throne — now has the means and the permission to take it at will, his will being the only limiting factor. This kind of internal drama where there are no good guys, just guys, this potential for misdirection and misleading, this conversation about trust and the way forward for Wakanda — THIS would have made for an interesting 24 issues. Too much of Ultimate Black Panther felt like a rehash and greatest hits run of the past. That such a dope concept is introduced at the end is beyond disappointing, for it signals what could have changed a largely milquetoast run (with good moments, to be sure) into something much more impactful and memorable.
And about memory…
Black Panther: Intergalactic #2
Nostalgia for 2016 has hyper-online folk in a chokehold. And while from November on, 2016 was, well, less than great, the rest of the year has some good moments. I went to Cuba! Kanye, just on the cusp of whatever ails him now, released Ultralight Beam! And Ta-Nehisi Coates began his seminal five-year run on Black Panther, which is when my love for comics began.
Intergalactic feels like a direct continuation of the ideas and themes raised in that 2016-21 series, picking up on things subsequent writers (OK, just one writer who shall remain nameless) let fall by the wayside. For instance, T’Challa isn’t just strategically smart here: He’s both technologically and emotionally sound. Shuri isn’t just the Q to Panther’s Bond; here, she fully embraces her mystic form and gains the ability to share that form with her “child who knows too much yet continues to say too little” compatriot. Even the big bad (N’Jadaka, but not Killmonger … directly) of that era is name-checked multiple times, by narration and by the clones constructed to make his dreams of an invading force a reality.
Clones, however, mark the line of demarcation between the good ideas and great execution. The issue itself moves seamlessly from T’Challa’s actions to Shuri’s inquisitiveness to Clone T’Challa’s machinations. Still, the sheen of yet another clone saga, where the bad clone does bad things in the name of the good hero, who will have to come out of hiding to clear his name in an epic one-on-one battle, feels tiring — and we haven’t even gotten there yet! Still, the writing has depth, provocation and misdirection lacking from the more straightforward Ultimate. It’s a shame this is a miniseries, for I can already see ideas that deserve to take a few issues to manifest pushing ahead quickly (notably issues of trust between M’Baku and T’Challa and Shuri and Femi). Do I think the pace and plot point make the issue bad? Absolutely not! It’s enjoyable as is.
But I wonder how much better it would be if granted the time given to Ultimate.
And thus, a tale of two Panthers: one that waited too long to show an impressive hand (Ultimate) and one that’s at risk of running through too familiar territory too quickly (Intergalactic). Both are worth reading; both are worth collecting. Both writers have done a wonderful job (as have the artists, particularly in Ultimate, where the character designs were quite frankly the best parts of the comic, open mouth mask aside).
I love the character. I love the ideas laid forth in both comics. I just wish I loved the execution all the same. But at least I read their writing.
Buy Ultimate Black Panther #24 here. | Buy Black Panther: Intergalactic #2 here. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.)
A proud New Orleanian living in the District of Columbia, Jude Jones is a professional thinker, amateur photographer, burgeoning runner and lover of Black culture, love and life. Magneto and Cyclops (and Killmonger) were right. Learn more about Jude at SaintJudeJones.com.
