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With Ultimate Black Panther #1, writer Bryan Hill and artist Stefano Caselli present a Black Panther story with a promising start, but it comes with its own set of problems. It doesn't change the status quo like how Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto's Ultimate Spider-Man did, but the main conflict still sets up an interesting story.
In Ultimate Black Panther #1, we find a Wakanda that's debating whether it should take itself to the global stage. At the same time, there is a threat of war, with T'Challa having conflicted feelings about it and Ra and Khonshu (the Moon Knight) expanding their control in Africa, which ultimately reaches Wakanda; this is where we find all the major players of our story.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's views and contains spoilers for the comic.
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Ultimate Black Panther #1 wears its influences on its sleeves
In the new Ultimate Marvel universe launched by Jonathan Hickman, one of the core concepts was to present the iconic Marvel characters in a new way. While Ultimate Spider-Man largely succeeded in that, Ultimate Black Panther finds it a bit hard to establish a new status quo. In a nutshell, it feels like more of the same that we have seen in the last few years.
Ultimate Black Panther #1 is largely inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe's take on Wakanda. Here, too, Wakanda is debating whether they should make themselves public. It's a story we have seen already play out, and we even know how it goes. Perhaps Bryan Hill does something interesting with it, but at the end of the day, the best thing the story could have done is establish a new status quo, and it's here where expectations were unfortunately let down a bit.
Not to say it's bad to borrow influences, but with how the new Ultimate universe has shaped itself, we find T'Challa in a place we have already seen him in before. It's especially a bit disappointing because, in the first few pages, T'Challa talks about breaking traditions, but the comic still feels like it wants to play it safe.
The comic has some cool new setups
While the overall influences of the story can paint a familiar picture, Ultimate Black Panther #1 also introduces some cool new setups that can lead to exciting future issues. One of the most interesting things the comic does is it reinterprets Moon Knight differently.
Instead of Mark Specter, Ra and Khonshu are the personifications of who Moon Knight is. They ravage the lands of Africa to seek control. Unfortunately, they also seek to control Wakanda, which raises the stakes of war and ultimately forces T'Challa's hand, who is already conflicted on the situation.
With a conflicted T'Challa, the story has many ways to explore exactly how he breaks the traditions that have kept Wakanda a mystery to the world for so many centuries. Even if it's a bit familiar, there is a layer of intrigue to it that Hill maintains and knows to explore.
It's even done by introducing the Vodu-Khan, an advisor to the King of Wakanda - and it almost feels like Frank Herbert's classic Dune. The Vodu Khan feels like the Bene Gesserit of the Marvel Universe. Seeing the political tensions inside the throne just paints a grander story that looks like it will be fleshed out in a massive way in the upcoming issues.
Storm and Killmonger are also introduced in big ways, but not much is known about them so far. However, it will be interesting to see how they fit into the story. With the ending also painting an intense incoming battle, it will be exciting to see where the story will go.
Stefano Caselli's art is amazing
The highlight of Ultimate Black Panther #1, though, is Stefano Caselli's art with coloring done by David Curiel. From the cover image to the various splash pages and double-page spreads, Caselli showcases a great understanding of how to paint a picture.
The panels are perfectly placed, and many of the action-heavy scenes are filled with substance to them. The look of Wakanda especially feels striking, and the colors complement the work really well. The Black Panther suit, too, is an interesting take on the classic outfit.
Final verdict
Ultimate Black Panther #1 plays plenty of things safe, but at the same time, it is a promising start to what's going to be a grand story. The story surely would have been a home run if it wasn't for the extreme familiarity attached to it. However, the first issue has many interesting setups that readers will want to tune into for the next couple of issues.
