Black Panther #2 "Who is the Black Panther?" pt. 2 (of 6)
By Koncise an out :) & Leroy DouresseauxApr 11, 2005 - 20:55
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| Black Panther #2 |
The question you sometimes wonder with a new creative team is was the first issue a fluke. Well, after reading issue #2, the answer is a resounding HELL NO!!! As with #1 we get to take a look at Wakanda and this time, the focus is The Ritual! This is where anyone can try and become the new Black Panther. Hudlin ties this in real nicely with the White House scenes from the beginning and the transition throughout is done well. Klaw seems to be up to something and I’m definitely intrigued to find out who his friend is. Oh, did I mention we get a new B…. P…… :)
Everyone knows what a talent Romita Jr is, so he doesn’t have to prove himself, but with this book he’s really showing why he’s heralded as a superstar artist! The way he depicts the fights of the trial is fantastic. They have a fluidity that makes the reader feel the action and the flava runs through the whole issue. I can’t not mention the cover. I’ve said it before, but Essad Ribic is truly a superstar that no one knows about yet. It’s truly impressive, imagery & colour in perfect sync.
Report Card - B
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| Black Panther #2 |
MARVEL COMICS
WRITER: Reginald Hudlin
PENCILS: John Romita, Jr.
INKS: Klaus Janson
COVER: Esad Ribic
32 pp., color, $2.99
BLACK PANTHER #2 doesn’t have quite the same punch as the first issue, mainly because writer Reggie Hudlin has already given us a taste of the confident voice in which he will tell these stories. “Who is the Black Panther?” Part Two is actually the first time, in this new continuity or retelling, that the man we’ve known for years as the Panther, T’Challa takes on the mantel of the Panther, and he’s still a kid.
The script is tight and the dialogue is held to what’s absolutely necessary. As a filmmaker, Hudlin understands the power that visuals can also pack without sound or, in the case of comics, words. I really like how Hudlin is expanding the influence of T’Challa’s relatives. In fact, it seems as if Hudlin intends to make T’Challa’s world more than just some ridiculous African utopia right out of bad pulp fiction, the kind of Shaka Zulu nonsense white genre writers create when they have to deal with the… Dark Continent. This version simply feels strong and true.
Of course, Hudlin’s reputation as a comic book writer can only be enhanced when his partner is John Romita, Jr. Romita is good. All the things that a comic book artist is supposed to do in order to be a good storyteller, he does with seeming ease.
My only gripe is that $2.99 is a stiff price to pay for this short installment. This may prove to be a very good “graphic novel” when read in its entirety, but the individual chapters are to short at $3 bucks a pop. B+
Last Updated: Jan 7, 2012 - 7:41
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