I'm not entirely sure why Marvel is relaunching its Marvel Age titles, but I do appreciate the timing of this story. With Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr.'s new Black Panther title launching this month, this retelling of his Silver Age debut from Fantastic Four is well timed. Unfortunately, that's pretty much the only aspect of the comic that's done well. I realize this title is aimed at younger readers and strives to maintain the same kind of simple charm of the original Silver Age material, but for some reason, the concept of a younger-readers title seems to equate with cutting corners, especially when it comes to the art.
The Human Torch is kidnapped by a mysterious woman and her fierce leader, and she sends the rest of the Fantastic Four a message: come to Wakanda to meet the Black Panther and no harm will come to the fiery young hero. They comply, and upon reaching the strange African nation, they discover the Black Panther is hunting... and they are the prey. The Panther's motives are not corrupt, though; instead, he only wishes to take a measure of the Four because he needs their help. Klaw, the man who killed the Panther's father, has returned to Wakanda to steal its Vibranium, and the Black Panther and Fantastic Four team up to stop him.
The transition from one penciller to the next is pretty smooth here, and it's surprising, given how easily recognizable Ron Lim's style usually is. He's surpressed that style here for the sake of the story's flow. Where the art disappoints is in the lack of details. Backgrounds are almost completely lacking here, and some key events occur off-panel. The colors are gaudy, and some of the key elements in the foreground are surprisingly sketchy in detail, notably Klaw's sound monsters.
I would imagine Lee and Kirby didn't expand much on what the Panther's assistant, Tasmin, was all about back when they introduced the characters in the 1960s. It's a shame writer Brandon Thomas doesn't rectify that oversight here. Those of us who read Priest's previous Black Panther series could surmise her role in Wakandan society and the Panther's life, but this title isn't geared toward those eaders.
What this book does do well is to revel in the fun and goofiness of the super-hero genre. The storytelling here is playful, and the script is quite accessible for new readers. I don't think Thomas gives his target audience enough credit, though. The storytelling doesn't need to be sophisticated, but it doesn't need to be dumbed down either. 2/10
