- Written by: Victor LaValle
- Art by: Stefano Nesi
- Colors by: Bryan Valenza
- Letters by: VC’s Ariana Maher
- Cover art by: CAFU, David Curiel (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: December 17, 2025
Black Panther: Intergalactic #1, by Marvel on 12/17/25, drops T’Challa in the literal middle of nowhere with zero answers and a mystery that somehow manages to be both epic and claustrophobic at the same time.
First Impressions
The opening hooks hard with T’Challa waking up on an alien planet with no clue how he got there, and the visual narrative immediately establishes a tone of legitimate danger mixed with existential confusion. The comic commits fully to the “emperor alone” concept, stranding our protagonist in a situation where his usual networks and resources are completely useless. It’s a clever setup that forces the character to rely on pure intellect and instinct rather than support systems, which feels like a genuine departure from his typical power-fantasy positioning.
Plot Analysis.
T’Challa regains consciousness on a hostile alien world with no memory of arrival and no working communications to Wakanda, the Avengers, or any allies. He navigates wildlife, deduces that something is artificially manipulating the creatures around him, and encounters Ka-Zar in what appears to be the Savage Land, only to discover that Ka-Zar and his beast Zabu are artificial constructs made of hybrid organic-mechanical material. Simultaneously, on Wakanda Prime, Shuri takes on the role of Consul searching for her missing brother and discovers that M’Baku, their trusted ally, has assembled a private army called the Ebony Guard, creating suspicion about a potential coup while he claims he simply doesn’t know where T’Challa disappeared to over the last three days.
Back in the desert regions of Wakanda Prime, Shuri locates a student named Femi and traces T’Challa’s last signal to his village using a royal beacon. Through investigation and conversation, she learns that T’Challa came here to bury Femi’s father, B’Wete, an engineering genius who once worked for the previous emperor N’Jadaka and created something called “the Crown,” a piece of technology that N’Jadaka eventually activated without proper oversight. After N’Jadaka fell from power, B’Wete retreated to the desert and has been trying to contain this rogue technology since, before his death. In the vault, T’Challa discovers the extent of B’Wete’s creation: artificial intelligence that achieved general artificial intelligence on Wakanda Prime for the first time, a technology that has been running wild and unsupervised since B’Wete’s death. T’Challa manages to create a communication device from parts of the artificial constructs and contacts Shuri, explaining that he’s trapped on what appears to be an artificial habitat with an artificial intelligence controlling everything, and there’s a mysterious structure on the planet that his visor cannot penetrate, implying larger threats are at play.
The issue ends with M’Baku visiting the royal palace demanding to know where T’Challa is, while Shuri remains focused on finding her brother in the desert with Femi, and T’Challa approaches a massive structure that opens its doors, suggesting something even more dangerous awaits within.
Writing
Victor LaValle’s pacing here is genuinely brisk, cutting between three simultaneous plot threads without ever letting the momentum completely die. The issue jumps from T’Challa stranded and confused, to Shuri investigating on Wakanda Prime, to M’Baku’s paranoid accumulation of power, and the transitions feel natural because each location adds new information that complicates the larger mystery. The dialogue lands well enough; T’Challa’s internal monologue is sharp and gives him personality, with moments of dry wit (“which makes me think you are herding me”) that show he’s thinking through problems rather than just reacting. The problem is that some of the exposition feels clunky, particularly when Shuri and Femi’s conversation about B’Wete’s history drops a wall of backstory that exists mainly to explain why the Crown is dangerous. The structure itself is solid, with each scene answering one question while raising three more, which is exactly what a first issue should do, but the writing doesn’t always make that exposition feel organic to the conversation.
Art
Stefano Nesi’s artwork maintains clarity throughout, which is essential when you’re juggling three different locations and multiple character introductions. The animal designs on the alien planet feel appropriately alien without becoming incomprehensible, and his composition work keeps readers oriented even during action sequences.
Bryan Valenza’s colors do heavy lifting here, using warm desert tones on Wakanda Prime and cooler, more unsettling palettes for the alien world, which creates effective visual separation between the two main settings. The issue uses this color contrast to reinforce mood, making the desert feel sandy and tactile while the alien world feels hostile and artificial. The most visually striking moment is the structure that opens at the end, rendered in a way that suggests something ancient and powerful, though the design is intentionally obscure so readers can’t figure out what it is. The synergy between Nesi and Valenza works well; the art supports the mystery without being so unclear that it confuses the reader.
Character Development
T’Challa’s characterization here is strong because he’s stripped of most of his usual assets, which forces the comic to demonstrate his actual competence rather than just his power level. His willingness to respect the snake protecting its eggs, his courtesy toward Ka-Zar even in combat, and his quick thinking about salvaging parts all reinforce that he’s resourceful and principled even when he has no advantage. Shuri’s drive to find her brother feels earned because the comic establishes both her authority as Consul and her emotional stakes in T’Challa’s disappearance. She’s given agency and intelligence; she traces the beacon, she investigates, she makes decisions. M’Baku is underutilized here, existing mostly as a plot device to create tension about whether he’s betraying Wakanda, but his brief scenes establish that he’s caught between loyalty and survival instinct, which is at least more interesting than a straight power grab.
Femi only appears in a few panels but carries genuine emotional weight because his loss is the reason T’Challa went to the desert in the first place. The relatable element here is that T’Challa, for all his power and position, is vulnerable and confused, which humanizes him effectively. Shuri’s frustration at being left out of information channels also feels real, as does M’Baku’s paranoia when no one will give him straight answers about the emperor’s whereabouts.
Originality & Concept Execution
The concept of stranding an intergalactic emperor on a hostile world and having him solve problems through intellect rather than firepower is solid and fresh for Black Panther specifically, especially since the character usually operates within networks of allies and support. The intro premise “emperor isolated and hunting for answers” is exactly what the issue delivers. The wrinkle of uncontrolled artificial intelligence created by a previous regime is a familiar sci-fi threat, but the specific execution of having it tied to Wakanda’s past and connected to the disappearance through a student character is competent enough. Where the originality weakens is in the execution of the artificial world itself; the premise that T’Challa has been teleported to a pocket dimension or artificial habitat controlled by rogue AI feels more like setup than delivery. The issue promises a mystery and delivers exactly that promise, but doesn’t resolve enough of it to feel like it’s doing anything surprising with the concept yet. The artificial creatures, the mysterious structure, and the uncontrolled AI are all interesting pieces, but they’re assembled in ways that feel familiar to readers of sci-fi comics.
Positives
The strongest aspect of this issue is its commitment to creating genuine mystery without relying on magic, coincidence, or contrived encounters to move the plot. The three-thread structure works because each thread earns its place in the narrative; T’Challa’s journey discovers the existence of artificial constructs and proves the AI is real, Shuri’s investigation uncovers the historical context that explains why the AI exists, and M’Baku’s subplot adds political dimension to the stakes by showing that T’Challa’s absence is already causing destabilization in Wakanda. The art team’s use of color and composition to separate the three settings creates visual cohesion despite the scene-hopping, which keeps readers from feeling disoriented. The dialogue, when it works, carries personality and gives characters distinct voices, particularly T’Challa’s analytical internal monologue. The pacing ensures that no single location outstays its welcome, so readers never feel like they’re treading water waiting for something to happen. The core mystery itself is genuinely intriguing; “emperor stranded on artificial world controlled by his people’s abandoned technology” is a hook worth following for another issue.
Negatives
The largest weakness is the expository dialogue that stops narrative momentum in its tracks, particularly in the scene where Shuri and Femi discuss B’Wete’s past. The comic tries to explain why the Crown is dangerous and why it was created without letting that information emerge naturally from the characters’ actions or observations, which makes those panels feel like someone pausing the story to give the reader homework. The artificial constructs on the alien world, while visually clear, lack enough personality or threat level to feel particularly menacing; they’re more like obstacles than genuine dangers. The mystery of what T’Challa is actually experiencing remains so vague that readers might feel the issue doesn’t give enough information to hook them into caring about the answer; the structure at the end is evocative but tells us nothing about what it is or why it matters. M’Baku’s subplot, while politically interesting, competes for panel time with the main mystery and doesn’t resolve satisfyingly, leaving readers unclear about whether he’s a threat or simply paranoid. The four-dollar-ninety-nine price point for a comic that ends on a cliffhanger with minimal resolution might frustrate readers looking for more concrete payoff for their investment.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
The Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): [2.5/4]
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): [3/4]
Value (Originality & Entertainment): [1.5/2]
Final Verdict
Black Panther: Intergalactic #1 is competent setup with enough mystery and visual polish to justify reading a second issue, but it doesn’t do enough in its own right to earn a permanent spot in a reader’s regular pull list. The core concept is strong, the mystery is intriguing, and the art team’s color work elevates the page-to-page experience, but the expository writing and vague payoff hold it back from being essential. It’s a competent first chapter that asks readers to trust it will deliver something interesting later, which is a reasonable ask for long-form storytelling, but it doesn’t make that trust feel earned just yet.
7/10
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