There’s a lot to cover on Wednesdays. We should know, as collectively, we read an insane amount of comics. Even with a large review staff, it’s hard to get to everything. With that in mind, we’re back with Wrapping Wednesday, where we look at some of the books we missed in what was another great week of comics.
Let’s get this party started.
Black Panther #1
Written by Eve L. Ewing
Illustrated by Chris Allen
Colored by Jesus Aburtov
Inked by Chris Allen and Craig Yeun
Lettered by Joe Sabino
Reviewed by Quinn Tassin
“Black Panther” #1 is packed with interesting ideas and demonstrates clear love for T’Challa as a character and Wakanda as a setting; it’s also a deeply flawed comic. This debut picks up with T’Challa ousted as the leader of Wakanda but secretly keeping the streets safe to show that while the country is in turmoil, the Black Panther still protects them (basically doing his best Batman). That’s a really interesting premise and leads to a lot of meaty themes that the team here is ready to dive into. T’Challa’s identity, his place in his country, and his country’s place in the world are all very explicitly addressed here. The problem lies in how that’s executed.
While we see Black Panther prowl the streets and rooftops of Wakanda, these themes are largely explored through extensive narration. While well-written, these portions of the comic leave you wishing that you could see T’Challa come to realizations like the fact that he’s woefully out of touch with the day-to-day lives of Wakandans rather than talk about the fact that he came to these realizations recently. But for some reason, instead of trusting readers to pick up on big ideas, they’re all written out right on the page, which is notably more dull.
Moreover, characters like N’yobi are fundamentally very intriguing and it would be nice to let them explain themselves’s through their actions rather than getting relatively lengthy introductions via text. The dialogue is largely strong and much more innately engaging than the narration. Every character from T’Challa to a one off Wakandan is written with a unique, interesting voice and it leads to some beautiful moments. T’Challa and N’yobi’s conversation (particularly the phrase “your T’Challa-ness”) is notably strong in telling us about both characters, the country, and the larger themes of the series in a way that feels entirely natural and true. At the same time, the dialogue in other moments tends to feel too lengthy, getting in the way of the flow of “Black Panther” #1.
The artwork is strong, though it doesn’t feel like it matches the intense tone of the writing. The team renders Wakanda beautifully, weaving familiar elements of a bustling city and afrofuturist influences with ease. The environment is filled with great touches like the design of public transportation and vehicles (that cab that hovers just above ground when it drives is really something) or the fact that normal Wakandas wear all kinds of clothes, some clearly of African origin, some more Western. The art style and coloring are harder to judge. On the one hand, these are really great illustrations; the style is distinctive and full of energy, fitting the focus on city life perfectly. The colors are bright and exciting, making it easy to love being immersed in this setting. The staging of the action could be stronger, as the couple of Black Panther takedowns we see here feel flat, but it still works just fine. On the other hand, the cartoonish style and bright coloring feel at odds with the story of a man searching for meaning and a nation in turmoil. Where the writing is über-introspective and grappling with big concepts, the art has a youthful energy to it. Those aren’t necessarily incompatible in theory but here, the seemingly dark moment T’Challa and Wakanda are going through just isn’t communicated though the artwork.
Final Verdict: 6.3- A thought provoking but overwritten issue that could stand to show at least as much as it tells.
Klik Klik Boom #1
Written by Doug Wagner
Illustrated by Doug Dabbs
Continued below
Colored by Matt Wilson
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
Reviewed by Alexander
Doug Wagner comes out swinging with his latest series that has a little bit of everything; mystery, comedy, and action sequences. A woman with pink hair and a Polaroid camera who doesn’t say a word, and despite not having strong social skills, she displays that she knows how to handle a gun. Wagner clearly understands how to keep a reader locked in a debut issue of a new series by not wasting any time. After the shootout, he provides a flashback of the mystery woman training with the old man, whose picture she keeps leaving around town. Her current crimes are non-violent, even if she is waving a gun around, which Wagner also provides via a local journalist/podcaster that sees a breadcrumb to a shady shell corporation. It can feel like a lot to be thrown at a reader as it shifts from Memento to a bigger government gone rogue Bourne Identity feel, but with any series, it’s about throwing everything at the wall and finding something that’ll stick.
The artwork by Doug Dabbs is fitting for this story because he has a solid mix with solid linework but heavy shading to create this semi-creepy vibe. The mystery woman is the prime example of the key details because, without any, dialogue, the reader relies heavily on her facial expressions. Dabbs gives her a Joker-like smile when things go her way but also a deeply furrowed brow and frown for her empathy when things go wrong. Dabbs also uses some strange angles to help create this wild and uncertain vibe of the story, but Matt Wilson’s colors bring it home. The aforementioned pink-haired protagonist,, for example, switches to a just as bright blue by the end of the story, and even in a nightclub filled with various oranges and pinks, it feels off but in a good way. The creative team delivers this subtext, “Nothing is as it seems, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing.” It’s a good way of keeping the reader entertained rather than confused and questioning every page and panel.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – The story feels messy on the initial read, but upon further inspection, there’s much more than meets the eye.
Spider-Man: India #1
Written by Nikesh Shukla
Illustrated by Abhishek Malsuni
Inked by Scott Hanna
Colored by Neeraj Melon
Lettered by Joe Caramagna
Reviewed by Gregory Ellner
On its face, “Spider-Man: India” #1 seems to be the common story of Spider-Man, with very similar supporting casts and villains. There is an MJ, an aunt as a parental figure, certain villains, and more. However, despite showing a world that is in some ways similar (albeit with the goings on of New York being transplanted to Mumbai), Nikesh Shukla’s writing lets this story be charming nonetheless. Those villains are still disturbing, the actions feel very real, and there is just enough of a difference to make existing Spider-Man fans eager to see where this version of the web-slinger goes next.
Abhishek Malsuni’s artwork, coupled with Scott Hanna’s inks, is very animated, especially when it comes to action scenes. The menace that comes from even random animals is palpable, and readers can feel the terror (or at least discomfort) of the hero in his more worrisome situations.
Neeraj Melon’s colors brighten the story, helping keep it from being too dour. The excitement is easy to see, and even the dangerous situations feel intrinsically fun and inviting for new readers. Out in the bright sun, Mumbai on Earth-50101 is every bit as lively as New York in other Earths, and Pavitr Prabhakar feels just as exciting a hero as any in other universes, perhaps moreso without any apparent other heroes around.
Final Verdict: 7.0- A simple-yet-fun look at another Spider-Man follows common storytelling without feeling too rote.
