Black Panther is back. After losing his throne, T’Challa now stands as the declared King of both Earth’s Wakanda and the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. Having taken back the throne, Wakandans grow distrustful. Now it’s up to T’Challa to reclaim Wakanda’s honor and show his people that Wakanda endures. Black Panther/Namor: Doomed brings T’Challa up against the very man who saw him lose his throne in the first place, Namor, the Sub-Mariner. This time, however, it’s not a battle between them but against the forces of hell themselves.
This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!
Creative Team
Writers: Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan
Artist: Stefano Nesi
Color Artist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Dave Johnson
Writing
Megan: Emotions are high, and the tension is even higher in Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1. T’Challa is feeling so much unrest and unhappiness from the people of Wakanda as he welcomed himself back as their king. The resentment is clear and proves that things might have been better for Wakanda while he was away, despite this being the last thing T’Challa wants to hear. Meanwhile, Namor no longer calls himself the king of Atlantis, but still watches over his people as if he were. Both T’Challa and Namor have so much love and loyalty for their homes and the people in them, and that love will be tested when the skies turn bright red.
Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan had me hooked by the first page and didn’t let go until the very end. So much happens in the comic, and it’s handled so perfectly by the writers. I really like how the characters’ differences are highlighted as well as their similarities. Namor and T’Challa are living vastly different lives, but what’s very much the same is how they’ll do whatever they can to protect their homes. Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1 ends on a pretty big note, and I’ll be anxiously waiting for the next issue to drop.
Shawn: I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this story. I hadn’t heard much about it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story. Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan did a really good job of hooking you into the story. Black Panther is at a crossroads as a character. He’s been through hell and back and now finds himself back on the throne while some don’t want him there. Never one to miss out on drama, of course, Namor will show up when T’Challa is at his lowest.
That said, Parker and Sheridan treat us to a reversal of fortune of sorts, with Namor having to come to T’Challa to help. While the early part of the story starts off in two different settings, the moment that Namor and T’Challa are together, Parker and Sheridan perfectly capture their adversarial relationship. There’s a begrudging level of respect that each offers the other, even if they find them to be infuriating. Parker and Sheridan did a really good job capturing that dynamic in building towards what may be coming in the next issue of this story.
Art
Megan: Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1 was an absolutely stunning comic that brings a lot of different looks to the story. Whether it’s deep in the jungle with T’Challa or underwater with Namor, the linework is flawless. The bold details that go into every page feel dramatic in the best way. Stefano Nesi really outdid themself with this.
The coloring was beyond gorgeous! Jesus Aburtov makes each panel a great juxtaposition of vibrancy and darker tones, making the panels feel as if they’re popping off the page. Nesi and Aburtov worked perfectly off of each other, making the drawings and the colors a match made in heaven.
Shawn: Stefano Nesi, Jesus Aburtov, and Travis Lanham really showed up for this issue. Nesi’s line work really sticks out in this issue. There are some panels that are really heavy on the black colors, but Nesi’s lines still manage to pop, outlining the characters well. The opposing settings of Wakanda and Atlantis provide Nesi an opportunity to use distinct line styles and widths to not only help shift the setting of the story but to make each location unique.
Jesus Aburtov may be one of the best color artists in the business right now, and it shows on Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1. The tones and colors of Black Panther are so hard to get right without losing the line work, and Aburtov does a wonderful job of making sure it doesn’t get lost in the color. Both Wakanda and Atlantis are truly beautiful settings and are so well colored that it makes the unexpected visitors to Atlantis all the more shocking. Travis Lanham masterfully helps readers follow the story of shifting locations and multiple narrators.
Final Thoughts
Megan: 9/10. I found Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1 to be a fantastic way to start a run! There was action, there was emotion, and the story will hook you in immediately. This should be on everyone’s pull list!
Shawn: 8/10. This was a solid first start to the Black Panther/Namor: Doomed series. The hook is satisfying and makes me want to come back for the next issue.
Overall Grade: 8.5/10
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