The first arc of Bryan Hill’s Ultimate Black Panther was dedicated to slowly building up the war between Wakanda and Khonshu/Ra, while also exploring the nature of both kingdoms. Now, Ultimate Black Panther #7 launches that war in full as Black Panther, Killmonger and Storm launch an offensive against Khonshu’s forces. But in the process, a question remains: What, exactly, is the nature of vibranium?
Ultimate Black Panther #6 also marks Hill’s reunion with Stefano Caselli, who doesn’t waste any time throwing T’Challa and his allies against the forces of the Moon Knight. In the very first pages, Killmonger is shown taking out armies using a souped-up motorcycle, while Storm uses her mastery over the elements to send Moon Knight’s soldiers flying. But it’s T’Challa who stands out, as Caselli draws him dodging attacks and eventually using his Vibranium-laced suit to deliver a shockwave that knocks his opponents out. Caselli even draws a sequence where Black Panther harnesses Storm’s lightning and becomes an even more ferocious combatant, resulting in one hell of a final page thanks to David Curiel’s color work.
In between the fighting, Hill continues to tackle matters of faith and how they play out in this war. If the last issue was showing how Khonshu can manipulate others into fighting for him, this arc is showing how T’Challa is working to inspire others to put their faith into him. “I will not take their lives,” his opening monologue reads. “But I will show them…how a king can challenge a God.” I can safely say that T’Challa issues a challenge that Khonshu won’t be able to ignore.
But Hill also introduces a new wrinkle into the mix, with the suggestion that vibranium might be a living thing. This forces T’Challa, a man who puts his faith in science and logic, to step outside those boundaries…and consider magic. That’s an angle I wasn’t expecting, but one that fits in with the Black Panther. He’s communed with gods, and a literal panther god is the source of his power on Earth-616. It stands to reason that magic would exist in this new Ultimate Universe, especially with the presence of Thor. How Hill handles this aspect remains to be seen, but one thing’s for certain: Ultimate Black Panther #7 is aiming to keep up the momentum of the opening arc, and push it into a whole new gear.
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