Written by: John Ridley
Art by: Juann Cabal, Ibrahim Moustafa
Colors by: Matt Milla
Letters by: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover art by: Alex Ross
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: January 26, 2022
Black Panther #3 moves T’Challa and Omolola from one hotspot to another as the assassins targeting the Wakandan sleeper cells seem to always be one step ahead. What better way to put a little distance between you and your attackers than to head for Mars?
Was It Good?
Black Panther #3 isn’t great and it isn’t terrible. The issue was just bland.
The high points – There are a couple of nice but brief action scenes. As the blurb and the cover already let on, T’Challa heads to Mars for a sweet and organically heartfelt reunion with his ex-wife, Storm. The emotional beats of the story play out well, and they all help to increase the depth of T’Challa as a character.
The not-so-high points – not much happening in this issue that reveals anything about the villainous group of assassins, what they want, or why they want it. Not much happens with the fragile new government other than Akili expressing concerns. Not much happens on Mars other than an awkward first meeting that works itself out. In all, the not-so-high point of the issue is that not much of note happens at all other than T’Challa and Omolola moving from point A to point B.
The art is very good. The action scenes are energetic and slick. The coloring is excellent. The terraformed landscapes of Mars are gorgeous. And, the issue is visually excellent overall.
Again, it’s not a bad issue or a great issue. But, it accomplishes little beyond moving T’Challa and Omolola from one location to another and sprinkling in copious amounts of emotional conversations to enrich the characters.
Final Thoughts
Black Panther #3 looks great and has a couple of slick action scenes but the net progress of the story doesn’t get very far. Riley seems intent on using this issue to build out relationships and share feelings without making any progress on the conflict at hand, and while that makes for an interesting character issue, some may view it as filler.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 