By all rights, Ultimate Black Panther #19 should be a big deal. It finally reveals who has sparked the events of the series, in addition to expanding upon the spirits that possessed Vibranium, and it gives both Black Panther and Killmonger some meaty roles. Yet I can’t help but feel that if these reveals had happened an issue or two ago, they would have hit harder.
It also exposes an issue that’s been nagging at me since the first year of the title: namely, that Bryan Hill might be taking the wrong approach to Ultimate Black Panther. Most of the Ultimate titles, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man and The Ultimates, manage to either tell a single story in each issue or managing to push forward the overarching story. In contrast, this series has stacked up plenty of subplots, but only now is getting close to resolving them. With Ultimate Endgame fast approaching, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not he can tie up all the loose plot ends before then.
Hill does deserve credit for continuing to tap into the mystical elements that have fueled the second half of Ultimate Black Panther. Once again, readers will be given a good reminder of how terrifying Z’non, the spirit of Vibranium, is when he engages T’Challa in a fight. Sorcerer Supreme Inan lends Killmonger the help he needs to discover the true threat in Wakanda. More importantly, the Black Panther’s connection to the Panther God, Bast, is re-established – once again showing that no matter how hard the Maker tried to scrub Earth-6160 of superheroes, some things will forever remain a constant.
Marvel
Carlos Nieto returns to illustrate Ultimate Black Panther #19, and there’s been a clear upgrade in his work. The line work’s more refined, making the action sequences pop, and he’s grown quite skilled at expressing emotion. Readers will see the former T’Challa and Z’Non’s duel, as the Black Panther delivers some punishing blows to the demon…and receives similar blows in return. The latter comes when Killmonger interrogates Khonshu and Ra via mystical means; their faces literally contort in agony as they start screaming. Nieto also doesn’t go easy on the surroundings, with stone and wood exploding into shrapnel.
David Curiel also upgrades his color art, especially where the backgrounds are concerned. During the T’Challa/Z’Non fight, the background transforms into a reddish-orange hue, as if to symbolize the raw rage that both combatants are harnessing. In contrast, most of the Wakanda set scenes take place in prison cells or underground, resulting in a bluish-black hue that tends to be somewhat unsettling. Curiel really outdoes himself when Bast enters the picture, as the Panther Goddess is a pure, glowing figure of bright color. Adding to this effect is Cory Petit, who delivers Bast’s words as an ethereal, cloud-like set of commands. This only highlights the fact that Black Panther is talking to a god.
While Ultimate Black Panther #19 might be late with its big reveals, it delivers when it comes to the mysticism and the fight scenes. Now that the series is in its home stretch, it’s time for everything to come together, and I’m crossing my fingers that the conclusion is just as strong as the beginning.
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