‘Ultimate Black Panther’ #3 is mostly setting up for future revelations

Worth a read for its take on Killmonger, especially with how he manages to be both ally and foil to T’Challa.

April 17, 2024

Each of the comics in Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe is tackling a different side of said universe. Ultimate Spider-Man is a fresher look at Peter Parker’s origin, where he’s an adult instead of a teenager. Ultimate Black Panther has T’Challa fighting to protect his kingdom of Wakanda. Ultimate X-Men is essentially a horror manga with mutants. But each of them shares one thing in common: the heroes are beginning to fight back against the empire the Maker’s created, even if they don’t know it. Ultimate Black Panther #3 starts to push the needle forward on that front, if only slightly.

After the events of Ultimate Black Panther #2, the Black Panther has encountered the freedom fighters known as Killmonger and Storm – and they share a revelation that shakes him to his core but might give him an edge in the war against Moon Knight. Meanwhile in Wakanda, tension brews between Shuri and Okoye over T’Challa’s actions.

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'Ultimate Black Panther' #3 is mostly setting up for future revelations

Marvel Comics

Once again, Bryan Hill delivers a new take on an iconic Black Panther character with Killmonger. The Killmonger in the 616 Marvel Universe was a man driven by wrath, who’d burn down the world to get his revenge. This Killmonger is still driven to enact change, but this time he’s doing it for the betterment of Africa. “I got tired of sleeping in paradise while people like me suffered in the world beyond it,” Killmonger tells T’Challa at one point – words that stuck with me long after I closed the comic. Hill previously wrote Killmonger in a miniseries, so it’s great to see him deliver another take on the character.

The artwork from Stefano Caselli gives Killmonger a new costume too. He wears a mixture of furs and armor crafted from bone, which speaks to his nature as a hunter who lives in the wild. As for Storm, Caselli draws her every bit as regal as X-Men fans would come to expect; he also sketches a brief but intense fight between Okoye and Shuri at the beginning of the issue. David Curiel’s colors draw a contrast between the golden sunsets of Wakanda and the shadows of the mysterious site where T’Challa is brought to.

The only problem I had with the issue is that it didn’t reveal much until the end. Things that were brought up, like Moon Knight’s dominion over Africa or the spy within Wakanda, have been left on the back burner. Maybe the next issue will deal with them, but for now it feels like table setting. In any case, Ultimate Black Panther #3 is still worth a read for its take on Killmonger, especially with how he manages to be both ally and foil to T’Challa.

‘Ultimate Black Panther’ #3 is mostly setting up for future revelations

Ultimate Black Panther #3

The only problem I had with the issue is that it didn't reveal much until the end. Things that were brought up, like Moon Knight's dominion over Africa or the spy within Wakanda, have been left on the back burner. Maybe the next issue will deal with them, but for now it feels like table setting. In any case, Ultimate Black Panther #3 is still worth a read for its take on Killmonger, especially with how he manages to be both ally and foil to T'Challa.

Reader Rating0 Votes

A new take on Killmonger that's both ally and foil to Black Panther.

Stefano Caselli gives Killmonger and Storm new redesigns.

Bryan Hill keeps up the political intrigue.

More interesting plot points are left on the back burner.

Good

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