Black Panther #3 Review

Written by: Eve Ewing
Art by: Chris Allen, Mack Chater, Craig Yeung
Colors by: Jesus Aburtov
Letters by: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover art by: Taurin Clarke
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: August 23, 2023

Black Panther #3 finds T’Challa teaming up with Beisa to infiltrate a high-society wedding where the attendees may or may not be connected to a string of disappearances.

Is It Good?

In Black Panther #3, Eve Ewing turns down the volume on world-building and cultural exploration in favor of a back-to-basics superhero story mixed with detective work and spycraft. This issue is probably the most accessible entry in the run so far because Ewing focuses on the lead character, his mission, and the journey to get there.

When last we left T’Challa, he found himself confronted by a masked thief who dressed like a Beisa (a white onyx) as her crime costume of choice. Beisa broke into T’Challa’s friend’s home, so T’Challa decided to track Beisa down and return the favor.

Now, Beisa explains she’s on a mission to stop a series of disappearances signaling the advent of a mob war in Birnin T’chaka because it would be bad for the thieving business. Intrigued by Beisa, T’Challa listens to her theory that the disappearances are connected to a particular crime family, and the leaders of that family will be attending a celebrity wedding in a few days. Beisa and T’Cahalla find a way to infiltrate the wedding, but the festivities are interrupted by the arrival of Deathlok.

What’s great about this comic? Again, Ewingpares down the distractions to focus on what matters – the hero, the mission, and the journey. The prior issue spent much too much time building up the lesser corners of Wakanda, ironically making Wakanda seem less special and more like any urban center in America with a better fashion sense. The mystery has merit, and the arrival of Deathlok creates an interesting twist.

What’s not so great about this comic? The closer you look, the more obvious it becomes that Ewing is writing a Batman/Catwoman story with a Wakandan coat of paint. There’s already way too much Batman material oversaturating LCS bookshelves, so when you pick up a Black Panther comic, what you don’t want is to read another Batman story. We’re not talking about some vague similarities here. Top to bottom, this is a Batman/Catwoman story.

How’s the art? It’s great. A greater-than-average number of artists were tapped to produce this issue, which is usually a red flag. Thankfully, the many hands don’t show as the art appears relatively consistent all the way through. The character designs and panel compositions are good, and the scenes transition smoothly.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

Black Panther #3 clears away the distractions and focuses on the task at hand by teaming Black Panther with Beisa to find out which crime family is behind a string of disappearances as an advent to a mob war. The script is tighter and focused, and the art is good. That said, it’s painfully obvious Ewing is writing a Batman story in a Wakandan wrapper.