- Written by: Bryan Hill
- Art by: Carlos Nieto
- Colors by: David Curiel
- Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
- Cover art by: Stefano Caselli, David Curiel
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: June 26, 2024
Ultimate Black Panther #5, by Marvel on 6/26/24, unveils the truth of the mysterious green orb T’Challa discovered during his meeting with Killmonger and Storm. Is it the key to ultimate power, or something much worse?
Is Ultimate Black Panther #5 Good?
When last we left T’Challa in Ultimate Black Panther #4, he returned from his walkabout with Killmonger and Storm to stop an assassination attempt on his wife at the hands of a former member of the Dora Milaje, who now serves under Moon Knight. T’Challa’s return came at just the right time to quell unrest among his people over Moon Knight’s attacks and increasing tension between Okoye and Shuri.
In Ultimate Black Panther #5, T’challa calls for his new and smaller circle of allies to examine the green sphere uncovered by Killmonger and Storm in issue #3. After extended time and analyses, Shuri can’t say what the sphere is, but they can observe what it does. When placed near Vibranium and injected with energy, the sphere causes rapid growth in nearby organic material.
As a concept, Bryan Hill sets it up but doesn’t clarify if the sphere boosts growth or speeds up the time life takes to grow. It’s the difference between super-fertilizer and jumping ahead in the growing process, which may be hairsplitting, but you get the impression the “how” will be a major factor later.
Frustrated by his lack of understanding about the orb, T’Challa visits Matron Imala to press her for whatever information she and the Vodu-Khan are hiding. Imala explains that two meteors struck the Earth many years ago, containing the opposite of each other. One meteor contained what T’Challa knows as Vibranium, which is considered an unchangeable and unbreakable element. The other is the green orb T’Challa now has in his possession, an element that accelerates the constant change and malleability of life. If Moon Knight gets their hands on the green orb, they’ll have the power to make kingdoms.
From Imala’s description, we now know the “how” is critical to understanding the stakes, should Moon Knight acquire the green orb. If it’s super-fertilizer, who cares if Moon Knight gets it? What are they going to do? Grow massive crops to feed the world? Oh, no. The horror. Here, we see T’Challa’s frustration mirrored in our own because a lack of clarity leads to vague stakes, which dampens the impact of getting the reader on board with the story.
Meanwhile, Moon Knight tortures a captured Wakandan farmer before turning him into a brainwashed assassin. They (Yes, Moon Knight is two people, Ra and Khonshu, and yes, it’s needlessly confusing) teleport the unwilling assassin into the heart of Shuri’s lab. A tussle commences and the assassin is killed by Storm, but Moon Knight gets what they want they teleport the assassin back with a sample of the green orb in his dead hand.
The assassin’s mission to lay hands on the green orb is good until it isn’t. The fight is well-choreographed, and you get the nail-biting sense of tension as Shuri tries to stop the unwilling assassin from getting to the orb.
That said, the assassin is simply a man. He’s driven to extremes by Moon Knight’s brainwashing, but he’s still just a man. Shuri is one of the top geniuses on the planet, so surely there must be some defense in place that Shuri would have ready besides her fists and a small dagger. In other words, you’ll enjoy the fight, especially through Carlos Nieto’s fantastic art, but only if you accept that Shuri failed to do her job by not putting basic defenses in place.
The issue ends with Moon Knight getting their hands on a piece of the prize. Is it enough to get readers hyped? Not really, since we don’t know what the prize can do or Moon Knight’s intentions for it, but there’s at least a mild amount of curiosity to find out.
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 #5 directs all eyes to the mysterious green orb with a demonstration of its power. Bryan Hill’s story has intriguing moments, but the lack of clarity about the green orb diminishes the stakes, and the plodding pace promises this title will continue to tread water for months to come. This comic looks great, and there’s a cool idea at its heart, but the arc is too slow, and the hook is too weak.
6/10
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