Following the plot of Hudlin’s 2005-2008 run on Marvel’s Black Panther, Jesse J Holland’s adventure shines the spotlight on the technologically superior kingdom of Wakanda and its king T’Challa as he fends off invasion led by M’Butu, Ulysses Klaw, The Rhino, and the Black Knight.
Black Panther must rally his warriors in an attempt to protect Wakanda’s Vibranium riches and seek revenge for Klaw’s greed-fueled killing of his father, T’Chaka. Hudlin created a compelling story that Holland managed to translate incredibly well to novel form. Readers are able to delve into the life of T’Challa such as his father’s death, and his extended family and subjects. His rogues gallery is both introduced and hinted at, and the wonders of Wakanda are on display.
The villainous side of the equation is predominantly Ulysses Klaw, His past assassination contracts and his hatred for Africa and Wakanda make him the perfect villain for a story like this, especially after his murder of T’Chaka. Having other well known villains such as the Rhino and Black Knight accompany Klaw was a bold choice, but it added another enjoyable element to the story, and I’m personally a big fan of the Rhino so this was a great addition.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book; It was well scripted and the plot was exciting with just enough of a slow burn to make you want to read it in a sitting like I did. If like me, you’re a huge Black Panther fan and you want to try something different to traditional comic book/graphic novels this was a very pleasant read.
