Black Panther (Vol. 3) Volume 6: Back to Africa

Black Panther has always been one of my favorite Marvel characters, and I had high hopes for this take. But “disappointing” is an understatement. The story follows the legend of the Black Panther from the 5th century to today. This on its own would be an interesting direction for the story. Unfortunately, the execution is poor. Two major glaring points detract from the overall package and lend credence to the fact that not everyone can write comics, even if they have come from the world of film and television. The first is Reginald Hudlin’s dialogue. Warriors from the 5th century didn’t speak like that, and on the printed page the words look even sillier. Second is the use of a racial slur by a government official in mixed company in the White House during a meeting. In today’s era, would this happen? The one highlight of the issue is the art of John Romita Jr. Though his work has definitely looked better elsewhere, it stands out as the high point here.

— Ian M. Feller

Collects Black Panther (Vol. 3) #35-38 and Annual #1; ca. 2008

Uitgeverij: Marvel
Schrijver: Reginald Hudlin
Tekenaar: Francis Portela, Carlos Rodriguez, Kevin Sharpe, Cafu, Larry Stroman, Ken Lashley

ISBN: 9780785124528