In the wake of Ultimate Invasion, Khonshu and Ra – the force known together as Moon Knight – are seeking to expand their brutal control of the continent of Africa. In response, the lone bulwark against them, the isolated nation of Wakanda, will send forth its champion…its king…the Black Panther! Ultimate Black Panther #1 delivers what feels like a solid remix of what works so well for the series.

Ultimate Black Panther #1 seems like it’s the new hotness in comics, selling out well before its release. And that should be no surprise. Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe seems to be capturing lightning in a bottle a second time. The new line is somehow both a relaunch and a continuation of what has come before. And, so far, the series that have come out of it are solid. The second of which begins with Ultimate Black Panther #1, a different take on the classic character that leans into what works so well for the series and its characters.

Written by Bryan Edward Hill, Ultimate Black Panther #1 is very familiar. The characters within are ones we’ve seen before. Wakanda is pretty isolationist and reserved in its engagement. And, there’s a tension as if civil war will break out at any moment. It’s a story of political intrigue mixed with solid action. It just so happens the main leader of this nation wears spandex and kicks as on his own.

And Hill does an excellent job of presenting it all. We get a good sense of the personalities of all of the characters and the tension and strife within that will drive the conflict externally and internally. This is a land whose leader is being questioned by those around him and we’re told straight up to not trust anyone. Hill delivers the beginning of enough paranoia to keep readers on their toes for twists and turns.

There’s also just a nice amount of “remixing” of its characters. These are all ones we’ve seen before in the main Marvel Universe, but their roles might be switched up just a bit. Their personalities slightly different. It creates a beginning that’s both new and exciting and familiar. Some of that excitement is seeing what’s different.

Stefano Caselli‘s art is fantastic. The designs are great and what we see of Wakanda feels again familiar but maybe not quite as exaggerated as we’ve seen in before. It’s technologically ahead but not to a point it feels too far ahead. The designs build off recent designs that are popular mixing garments that feel ceremonial but also liveable. Caselli’s work pops partially due to the colors of David Curiel who feels like has given each character their own palette to make their personality pop. Cory Petit‘s lettering too is solid adding emotion and tension to the internal debates and action.

Ultimate Black Panther #1 is a solid start. It’s a bit more backroom debates than expected, but that makes the comic stand out as Black Panther should be about the balance to statesmanship and being a superhero. It gets to the core of what makes the character and this world work so well. It also again stands out just enough from what has come before, laying the groundwork to expect new and exciting directions. Another solid start for the Ultimate Universe which is quickly standing out from everything else Marvel is currently doing.

Story: Bryan Edward Hill Art: Stefano Caselli
Color: David Curiel Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.15 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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