Black Panther

Issue 27

"An Epidemic Insanity"

Storytellers: Christopher Priest, Sal Velluto

and Bob Almond

              Black Panther, which I'm coming to realize might be the best thing Marvel's regularly publishing these days. Christopher Priest continues to do an excellent job of interpreting the Marvel Universe and its characters with intelligence and relative realism. As I'm writing this, a day after Christmas, the latest issue in my hands is no.27, which is two issues into a story which focuses on an international crisis revolving around a child born of a Lemurian parent while on Wakandan soil.

               To keep it simple, Lemuria has rather extreme racial purity laws and demands the child be turned over for extermination. T'Challa (the Black Panther), king of Wakanda, refuses, and Lemuria rattles its saber. When Wakandan forces make their presence known - without firing a shot or doing anythhing overtly aggressive - various treaties begin to come into play, including ones with Atlantis and Latveria. As any long-time Marvelite knows those countries are ruled by two other high-profile characters, Namor and Dr. Doom.

               Priest competently handles each character (even though I would have dealt a hair differently with T'Challa's discussion with Doom, were I pleading T'Challa's case) affording them a dignity that befits… somewhat eccentric heads of state.

              I'm just scratching the thematic surface here. The bottom line is that this is a solid series notable for everything from depiction of non-whites, international affairs, international cultures, solid plotting and scripting, and attention to details of continuity in a fashion that rewards the long-term Marvel reader while not making matters awkward for a newcomer. A great many matters are smoothed over for the uninitiated reader via narration supplied by U.S. State Department agent Everett Ross, who was assigned to T'Challa and so has to deal with a shifting cast of frequently costumed and generally outlandish characters. Ross is the least physically-active of the characters, small and non-violent, he gets by on his wits and luck. Though cowardly by nature he has more courage and is more principled than he gives himself credit for, though these traits are quietly noted by the deepest of the characters, foremost among them the king himself.

              Anyway, I'll close comments on this one with a restatement: If you read only one Marvel series, Black Panther should be it.

                                                              MJN

Any comments?