Black Panther: Who is The Black Panther (Comics) | Review

You know a character needs rescuing when even hardcore fans struggle to remember their last great story. That's exactly where T'Challa stood in 2005 when filmmaker Reginald Hudlin (Boomerang, Serving Sara) stepped in with a clear, bold and ambitious mission.

Hudlin wasn't interested in subtle reinventions or playing it safe with established formulas and tired tropes. He wanted to answer that deceptively simple question lingering in too many readers' minds while turning Wakanda into something unmistakably spectacular, undeniably bold, fiercely unique and unapologetically powerful.

The result feels less like a traditional comic run and more like someone storyboarded a summer blockbuster, then decided to release it as sequential art instead. Bold, divisive, cinematic in scope, unapologetically ambitious and impossible to ignore or dismiss.

Hudlin opens with spectacle disguised as history lesson, showing how Wakanda spent centuries embarrassing would-be conquerors before breakfast. The approach establishes stakes that matter beyond your typical superhero territory, positioning this as geopolitical chess with superhuman pieces and real-world consequences.

The narrative splits into dual tracks. First comes comprehensive Wakandan world-building, exploring how an isolated African nation built itself into Earth's most advanced civilization while Europe struggled with basic infrastructure. Smart framing for new readers.

Second track? Classic revenge thriller mechanics. Klaw returns with enhanced mercenaries including Rhino, Batroc, Black Knight reimagined as Vatican operative and Radioactive Man. Their mission: breach Wakanda's borders and plunder vibranium reserves for profit and power.

What makes this invasion interesting is institutional backing. US government funds Klaw's upgrades. International corporations finance the assault. Religious institutions participate. Hudlin transforms geopolitical greed into super-villain motivation, making attackers represent historical exploitation rather than random threats.

T'Challa's response reveals tactical genius. Rather than pure defense, he engineers situations exposing enemy weaknesses while demonstrating Wakandan superiority. Highlight remains his calculated fight against Captain America, designed to shatter doubts about combat abilities.

Characterization walks an unusual tightrope. Hudlin presents T'Challa with almost mythic capabilities while grounding him through citizen conversations. A memorable exchange with a young boy explains how divine power flowing through T'Challa exists in all Wakandans.

Supporting cast gets varied treatment. Shuri appears as T'Challa's sister, planting seeds for future importance in later storylines. Klaw becomes genuinely menacing, fueled by racist contempt rather than cartoon villainy. Other villains mostly serve as powered obstacles for Wakandan forces to systematically overcome.

Hudlin's biggest misstep involves leaning too heavily on Wakanda's invincibility legend. The climactic threat feels manufactured since we've already seen this nation repel far worse across centuries. Tension suffers when victory seems inevitable from the opening panels.

Political commentary cuts both ways. T'Chaka verbally dismantling European diplomats leveraging historical colonialism creates powerful moments. But outside world ignorant, Wakanda perfect dichotomy edges into oversimplification. Not every Western character needs dripping incompetence for Wakanda to shine.

This storyline functions as both origin retelling and soft reboot. Hudlin tinkers with continuity, sparking debates during publication. Changes serve his cinematic vision but occasionally contradict decades of prior characterization, prioritizing fresh accessibility over consistency.

The collection also includes T'Challa's historic Fantastic Four debut issues from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. These originals provide valuable context, showcasing character evolution from mysterious jungle king to fully realized geopolitical force across decades of Marvel history.

John Romita Jr. (Captain America: Castaway in Dimension Z, Thor: Tears of the Gods) delivers career-peak illustrations throughout this arc. His blocky, kinetic style transforms action sequences into near-choreographic spectacles, with panel layouts emphasizing both massive scale and intimate combat equally well throughout.

Who is The Black Panther accomplishes exactly what Hudlin intended: high-octane, accessible reintroduction treating T'Challa with blockbuster reverence and respect rather than C-list obscurity. Execution stumbles when ambition outpaces substance, particularly in development of its antagonists and overall tonal consistency.

This run works best for readers approaching Black Panther fresh or those prioritizing visual spectacle and political allegory over intricate plotting. It laid essential groundwork for mainstream breakthrough, establishing Wakanda as premier fictional nation.

Does it represent the definitive Black Panther story? Not quite yet. There's room for deeper character exploration and more nuanced, intricate storytelling in future arcs. But Hudlin understood something crucial and fundamental: before diving into philosophical complexity, readers needed to believe in Wakanda's grandeur.

Worth reading for anyone curious about modern Black Panther mythology or Romita's peak artistic performance. Just temper expectations for narrative depth and emotional complexity, then embrace the popcorn entertainment Hudlin clearly aimed to deliver throughout.

Black Panther: Who is the Black Panther is available in standalone trade paperback and hardcover editions, collecting Black Panther (2005) #1-6. Physical copies are widely available through comic-book shops and online retailers. For digital readers, the full storyline is on Amazon Kindle, ComiXology and Marvel Unlimited.