|
BLACK PANTHER #42
"Enemy of the State II Book Two: Alliance"
Recommended (8/10)
|
Marvel Comics
Writer: Priest
Pencils: Sal Velluto
Inks: Bob Almond
Colors: Jennifer Schellinger
Letters: Sharpefont
Editor: Mike Marts
Price: $2.50 US/$4.00 CAN |
"Enemy of the State II" encompasses the best and worst aspects of Black Panther, both of which boil down to the same thing: complexity. Fans who are
willing to be patient, or to read along knowing that they don't know everything
yet, will be rewarded with some of the most intelligent storytelling to be found
in super-hero comics. Fans who want everything laid out, or who don't feel like
keeping up with some fairly intricate character interactions and continuity
touches, may find the read a bit frustrating. I fall squarely into the former
camp, as the questions raised in "Enemy of the State II," along with some
incredible espionage story elements and action, have definitely captured my
attention.
Priest does not talk down to
his readers, and he has portrayed Black Panther as one of the most intelligent
and devious characters in comics. The opening scene is a tease, the beginning of
one of T'Challa's complex plots, which hints at a variety of possible meanings,
and there are any number of smaller scenes that hint at a larger scheme. The
multiple factions involved, including a rogue group of intelligence agents, a
super-hero, a former NSC agent, a couple of loopy treasure hunters and of course
Panther and his allies, are mind-boggling in their complexity. And while I do
think Priest risks losing unwary readers with the large cast and multiple
motivations, in general he introduces all of these characters and elements very
well.
Leaving aside the overall plot, which I love, the book has not lost Priest's overall wit. The reintroduction of Princess Zanda (from an era of Black Panther I'm unfamiliar with), set in a fast food place, features some
hilarious dialogue and situations. And I'm really enjoying Velluto and Almond's
take on the more goofy, Silver Age-style elements of Panther, with a Kirby-esque
appearance for the duplicate Panther and his friends, setting them appropriately
out of synch with the rest of the more political and realistic story. Realistic
is something that Almond and Velluto do quite well also, as this particular
story and much of the book is light on costumes and heavy on characters, and
it's frankly amazing how well they have distinguished these characters without
the easy visual shortcuts of spandex and masks.
There are shades of gray to
the way Black Panther operates that have made this book interesting, and they
are on full display in "Enemy of the State II." He acts in Wakanda's best
interests, which don't always intersect with those of the U.S. (and thus, those
of most super-heroes), and it's interesting to see him at odds with Iron Man and
the Avengers. Few writers could so easily pull off a story that revolves around
a shadow coup, with much of the action based on financial or political
maneuvering rather than gunfire and explosions, but Priest makes a poker game
between Stark and T'Challa as riveting as any slugfest. Of course, that doesn't
mean that the more traditional action has no place, as there are a couple of
impressive and imaginative fights between Queen Justice and a new foe (in
midair) and between Wolverine, Black Panther and Iron Man.
There is no doubt about it, Black Panther can be a tough read. There are multiple
plots going on, and Priest is not shy about touching on past stories that have
affected Panther. However, the creative team rarely falls short of providing all
the information needed to get the story, and they have never failed to
entertain.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
