Erwin Rafael
Feb 25, 2002, 08:30 am
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/bpv3-41.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/bpv3-41t.jpg" align=left alt="Black Panther (3rd series) #41"></a> Reviewer: Erwin Rafael, 3rdsummers@edsamail.com.ph
Quick Rating: Excellent!
Story Title: Mirror, Mirror (Enemy of the State II Book One)
The Black Panther faces the machinations of Xcon once again as Iron Man and Wolverine guest-star in the opening chapter of "Enemy of the State II"!
Written by: Christopher Priest
Pencilled by: Sal Velluto
Inked by: Bob Almond
Lettered by: Sharpefont's Paul Tutrone
Colored by: Jennifer Schellinger
Assistant Editor: Mike Raicht
Editor: Mike Marts
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
This is my first issue of Black Panther. I picked this issue up not because it was open for me to review, nor, heaven forbid, because there is a Wolverine guest appearance. I picked this up because of guilt. You see, I have been encouraging people for months to support this critically-acclaimed title, but I myself am not buying or reading it because I am keeping a tight budget. The recent news that Marvel has to resort to raising the cover price just to keep this title afloat is sort of a slap in my face and, thus, I decided to practice what I preach and let my wallet do the talking.
So I went to my regular comic book shop and purchased its last issue in stock of Black Panther #41. I opened the pages of my first issue of Black Panther with a bit of hesitation because I truly do not know what to expect. I don't know the title character that much, and I haven't read much of the works done by the creators. By the time I finished the issue, however, I had a smile in my face. This is indeed a great comic book, and I really regret that I haven't read this title much earlier.
The issue in a flash: MGM, leader of Ghetto Cartel Records and a man connected with rogue elements in the intelligence community, has been murdered. Senator Rakim came to Tony Stark and asked for the Avengers' assistance in the investigation of MGM's murder. Stark called up T'challa, the Black Panther, to "interface" in the Avengers' behalf, an offer which T'challa turned down. That didn't mean, however, that T'challa was not to get involved in the MGM fiasco. Sub-plots involving a second Black Panther acting like a loony bin and Queen Divine Justice, the Panther's bride-to-be, ran alongside the main plot. The issue ends with T'challa enlisting the aid of Wolverine, as it was revealed that Xcon, a coalition of rogue elements from the intelligence community, has apparently taken over the Canadian government and is planning to take over the U.S. government as well.
My only exposure of Christopher Priest's writing before this was his brief run in Ka-Zar. That wasn't exactly an endearing sample of his work as it really paled in comparison to his predecessor, Mark Waid's, work on the title. Priest's writing in Black Panther, however, is an entirely different cup of tea. Priest excellently wrote a political thriller which is both serious and humorous in tone. There is a lot of irony in this work, as Priest made us see serious matters like Xcon in a humorous light, while at the same time making ridiculous matters, like the plight of a tribe worshipping white gorillas, sound like a serious situation. In a way, irony is an essential element in the Black Panther's world, as his kingdom itself is a weird amalgamation of the "jungle tribe" and the "hi-tech" cultures.
The juxtaposition of humor and seriousness worked through Priest's strong script. The level of intelligence and wit in the dialogue is astounding. I particularly enjoyed the writing of agent Everett Ross, who's aware of how serious and ridiculous the situations are, mirroring how I felt when reading this issue. One line uttered by Wolverine perfectly conveys the odd "humorous but serious" feel of the book:
The bad guys have got the Canadian government, the CIA, the LCL, the Russian mob - and, for all we know, Alpha Flight, the Avengers and your sidekick. You've got me and the leggy chick. God, I love a good party.
One thing, though, that may stop new readers from jumping on this title, is the complexity of the story. This issue relies a lot on knowledge of events that transpired way back in issue #9. I'd admit that when I first read the issue, I barely knew what the hell it is I have read about. But I did end up laughing, and I felt that I just scratched the surface of what seemed to be a very good story. Upon my second and third reading, the picture became clearer and I think I got the basics of what the story is all about. The complexity of the story may be intimidating, but it also adds to the atmosphere of the writing, which tries to reach the reader on different levels.
This is my first sampling of Velluto and Almond's artwork. Their style fits the weird mixture of technology and jungle culture. The work is detailed, and the facial expressions, in particular, are perfect in conveying the humor in Priest's script. One thing that stood out in this issue is their use of contrast in depicting the "other" Black Panther, a total nutcase. This Black Panther and his associate, Mr. Little, are drawn in a comical style, which contrasts well with the highly realistic rendering of the other characters.
Black Panther is indeed one of the hidden gems of comicdom. It's not exactly the most accessible comic book around, but it's definitely worth the effort of going through a second or third reading. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. And for those of you who are working on a tight budget, I assure you, Black Panther is worth dropping those remaining DC or Crossgen comic books from your monthly pull list, and then some! ;)
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!
Quick Rating: Excellent!
Story Title: Mirror, Mirror (Enemy of the State II Book One)
The Black Panther faces the machinations of Xcon once again as Iron Man and Wolverine guest-star in the opening chapter of "Enemy of the State II"!
Written by: Christopher Priest
Pencilled by: Sal Velluto
Inked by: Bob Almond
Lettered by: Sharpefont's Paul Tutrone
Colored by: Jennifer Schellinger
Assistant Editor: Mike Raicht
Editor: Mike Marts
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
This is my first issue of Black Panther. I picked this issue up not because it was open for me to review, nor, heaven forbid, because there is a Wolverine guest appearance. I picked this up because of guilt. You see, I have been encouraging people for months to support this critically-acclaimed title, but I myself am not buying or reading it because I am keeping a tight budget. The recent news that Marvel has to resort to raising the cover price just to keep this title afloat is sort of a slap in my face and, thus, I decided to practice what I preach and let my wallet do the talking.
So I went to my regular comic book shop and purchased its last issue in stock of Black Panther #41. I opened the pages of my first issue of Black Panther with a bit of hesitation because I truly do not know what to expect. I don't know the title character that much, and I haven't read much of the works done by the creators. By the time I finished the issue, however, I had a smile in my face. This is indeed a great comic book, and I really regret that I haven't read this title much earlier.
The issue in a flash: MGM, leader of Ghetto Cartel Records and a man connected with rogue elements in the intelligence community, has been murdered. Senator Rakim came to Tony Stark and asked for the Avengers' assistance in the investigation of MGM's murder. Stark called up T'challa, the Black Panther, to "interface" in the Avengers' behalf, an offer which T'challa turned down. That didn't mean, however, that T'challa was not to get involved in the MGM fiasco. Sub-plots involving a second Black Panther acting like a loony bin and Queen Divine Justice, the Panther's bride-to-be, ran alongside the main plot. The issue ends with T'challa enlisting the aid of Wolverine, as it was revealed that Xcon, a coalition of rogue elements from the intelligence community, has apparently taken over the Canadian government and is planning to take over the U.S. government as well.
My only exposure of Christopher Priest's writing before this was his brief run in Ka-Zar. That wasn't exactly an endearing sample of his work as it really paled in comparison to his predecessor, Mark Waid's, work on the title. Priest's writing in Black Panther, however, is an entirely different cup of tea. Priest excellently wrote a political thriller which is both serious and humorous in tone. There is a lot of irony in this work, as Priest made us see serious matters like Xcon in a humorous light, while at the same time making ridiculous matters, like the plight of a tribe worshipping white gorillas, sound like a serious situation. In a way, irony is an essential element in the Black Panther's world, as his kingdom itself is a weird amalgamation of the "jungle tribe" and the "hi-tech" cultures.
The juxtaposition of humor and seriousness worked through Priest's strong script. The level of intelligence and wit in the dialogue is astounding. I particularly enjoyed the writing of agent Everett Ross, who's aware of how serious and ridiculous the situations are, mirroring how I felt when reading this issue. One line uttered by Wolverine perfectly conveys the odd "humorous but serious" feel of the book:
The bad guys have got the Canadian government, the CIA, the LCL, the Russian mob - and, for all we know, Alpha Flight, the Avengers and your sidekick. You've got me and the leggy chick. God, I love a good party.
One thing, though, that may stop new readers from jumping on this title, is the complexity of the story. This issue relies a lot on knowledge of events that transpired way back in issue #9. I'd admit that when I first read the issue, I barely knew what the hell it is I have read about. But I did end up laughing, and I felt that I just scratched the surface of what seemed to be a very good story. Upon my second and third reading, the picture became clearer and I think I got the basics of what the story is all about. The complexity of the story may be intimidating, but it also adds to the atmosphere of the writing, which tries to reach the reader on different levels.
This is my first sampling of Velluto and Almond's artwork. Their style fits the weird mixture of technology and jungle culture. The work is detailed, and the facial expressions, in particular, are perfect in conveying the humor in Priest's script. One thing that stood out in this issue is their use of contrast in depicting the "other" Black Panther, a total nutcase. This Black Panther and his associate, Mr. Little, are drawn in a comical style, which contrasts well with the highly realistic rendering of the other characters.
Black Panther is indeed one of the hidden gems of comicdom. It's not exactly the most accessible comic book around, but it's definitely worth the effort of going through a second or third reading. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. And for those of you who are working on a tight budget, I assure you, Black Panther is worth dropping those remaining DC or Crossgen comic books from your monthly pull list, and then some! ;)
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!