Black Panther, Vol. 1 by Reginald Hudlin

When one superhero admires and learns from another, it causes greater admiration for both heroes in the eye of the reader and Hudlin understands and utilizes that fact with great aplomb. Here, Hudlin begins to really shine, using Luke Cage’s experienced point of view to shine a greater light onto Black Panther. The crossover with X-Men (written by Peter Milligan with art by Salvador Larroca) and House of M are entertaining distractions, but they feel like interruptions before the book gets back on course with the “Two the Hard Way” arc. The writing has a bit of self awareness to go along with its swagger.īeyond this opening arc though, the collection takes a minute to find its groove. Reginald Hudlin is great at balancing the emotionally powerful with the humorous, never falling into the pitfall of self-seriousness. His T’Challa is handsome and intellectual, creating a visually interesting lead for the reader to follow. John Romita Jr.’s artwork is fantastic, providing stunning visuals of both ancient and modern Wakanda and some awesome fight sequences (including a two page spread covering Captain America’s WWII encounter with Wakanda). The story is quickly paced, and draws on a number of characters from Marvel’s pantheon (something that remains true for the rest of the book) and shows just why the Black Panther is cool.īlack Panther: Wakanda Forever Trailer #2

Ross no longer serves as an ally to T’Challa, T’Chaka’s death at the hands of Klaw is reworked from the original story by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee), this opening arc gets at the heart of Hudlin’s take on the character. The arc was initially part of the Marvel Knights banner and outside of the regular continuity before being retroactively folded in, and so while there are some basic changes (eg, Everett K.

1 opens with the “Who is the Black Panther?” arc that serves as a fantastic introduction to the character and the mythos. The question remains: is it good?īlack Panther by Reginald Hudlin: The Complete Collection Vol. Of course, prominence doesn’t always translate to quality, and this run hasn’t always been held in high regard. While Christopher Priest’s run on Black Panther is often touted as the definitive run on the character, Reginald Hudlin’s take is equally important due to the prominence he brought to Black Panther.

Black Panther, Vol. 1 by Reginald Hudlin