Ultimate Black Panther has slowly been building up a war between the kingdom of Wakanda and the forces of Khonshu and Ra – the final pages of Ultimate Black Panther #6 have Khonshu declare, “Then I suppose we’ll have a war.” But before it gets to that point, Bryan Hill and Carlos Nieto showcase how Khonshu is winning over followers to his cause via the mysterious mineral that T’Challa and his allies found in previous issues.
Khonshu’s goal is to use the mineral to create life in barren deserts and heal the sick. In effect, he’s become like a god to the people he visits – he even gains followers willing to kill for him. As T’Challa so succinctly puts it, he’s building an army of zealots to die for him. The zealotry Khonshu is inspiring also makes him a more dangerous foe; it’s one thing to want to rule the world, but it’s another to inspire people to die or potentially commit atrocities on your behalf.
Hill hasn’t made any bones about tackling the ills of religion through this comic, whether it’s with Khonshu’s actions or T’Challa’s distrust of religious figures in Wakanda, which offers a new angle to the Black Panther mythos. Hill also explores how people put their faith in others. Killmonger and Storm have faith in each other, enough for Killmonger to get used to the luxuries of Wakanda. T’Challa trusts the two, while Shuri doesn’t. This sets up some interesting character dynamics that I hope are explored in the second arc, and cements Faith as the major theme of Ultimate Black Panther.
While the writing might be sharp as ever, the art has taken a bit of a turn. Nieto’s artwork feels less defined, less polished; as a result, some of the fight sequences lack the impact of his previous issue and the work already done by Stefano Caselli. I will say that I love the work that Nieto put into designing Khonshu’s costume, which mixes elements of the traditional Moon Knight look and the skull head his Earth-616 bears. David Curiel adds layers of silver and black that make it glow in the light, adding an ethereal vibe – and further cementing Khonshu’s godhood.
Ultimate Black Panther #6 closes out its first arc by setting the stage for war between Khonshu and Wakanda, while also exploring elements of faith. We’re only halfway through the year, but all of the Ultimate Universe titles are off to a strong start, and I believe Hill and Stefano Caselli will take things to the next level in future issues.
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