• Written by: Bryan Hill
• Art by: Stefano Caselli
• Colors by: David Curiel
• Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
• Cover art by: Stefano Caselli, David Curiel (cover A)
• Cover price: $4.99
• Release date: May 22, 2024

Ultimate Black Panther #4 brings Black Panther back to Wakanda after a two month disappearance to find assassins have infiltrated the most secure ranks of government.

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Is Ultimate Black Panther #4 Good?

When last we left the King of Wakanda in issue #3, T’Challa learned through Killmonger and Storm that Moon Knight was after a strange and ancient power source near Wakanda; a power source far older than anyone imagined. Meanwhile, Shuri and Okoye’s respectful relationship is starting to fray in T’Challa’s absence.

In Ultimate Black Panther #4, tensions among Wakanda citizens begin to rise as T’Challa hasn’t been seen for two months. Privately, Shri and Okoye speak words of encouragement, but neither truly knows where T’Challa has gone.

One night, an assassin attacks Okoye in her sleep. Shuri drives the killer off into the city streets and follows the killer to end their plans. During their fight, Shuri recognizes the killer trained as a Dora Milaje who now serves Khonshu, confirming there are traitors in the highest circles of Wakanda. When the killer momentarily gains the upper hand, Black Panther arrives to stop the killer, who dies via a form of energy-based suicide.

Later, Okoye chastises T’Challa for not communicating, but recent events have confirmed they need a new and much smaller circle of trust. The next day, T’Challa introduces Okoye to their new circle – Shuri, Killmonger, and Storm.

What’s great about Ultimate Black Panther #4? To Bryan Hill’s credit, he shows great skill in building an atmosphere of mistrust and paranoia. Anyone could be secretly serving Moon Knight, so T’Challa’s choices to keep information very close and controlled make sense, which adds to the feeling that anyone could be a traitor.

What’s not so great about Ultimate Black Panther #4? Bryan Hill is taking a long slow, road to get to wherever this series is headed. Except for the brief surge of energy during the fight, this issue is all about people talking and wondering. The intrigue built up at the end of issue #3 is completely wasted because Hill doesn’t carry the wow moment of T’Challa’s discovery forward. If this series were a soap opera, where a single conversation could be stretched over days, maybe this would be a good approach, but it’s a poor creative choice in a $4.99 comic.

How’s the Art? Excellent. The art team is firing on all cylinders with powerful-looking figures, amazing costume designs, and beautiful scenery. It’s just a shame not much is going on.

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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Final Thoughts

Ultimate Black Panther #4 builds on the atmosphere of paranoia when assassins Moon Knight’s assassins are found in the highest ranks of Wakanda. Unfortunately, the plot moves at a snail’s pace, only saved by excellent visuals from the art team.

5.5/10