Review by Frank Plowright

Black Panther: Power is the demarcation line between Reginald Hudlin’s work, contributing to the opening chapter, and Jonathan Maberry taking the feature forward. It continues from Deadliest of the Species in which T’Challa was killed, leaving his sister Shuri to become not only Wakanda’s ruler, but its costumed protector. Her first task was to use mystical means to restore T’Challa to life, but it’s left him considerably weakened. What he seemingly hasn’t told her is that he knows Doctor Doom was behind his killing.

Maberry runs several strands simultaneously, with Shuri the major focus. She’s aware there’s discontent in Wakanda, which is emphasised via the introduction of pages detailing a political discussion TV show. Shuri is delivered as headstrong and determined, her brother’s heroic success hanging over her, and she’s portrayed as someone with a point to prove.

To some extent that applies to Maberry also. He’d later become a successful novelist, but in 2008 that career ran parallel to his writing comics. His plots have a complexity, but he’s very concerned with them working absolutely, and so over-explains, noting every detail, much of which is unnecessary. It means two pages of wordy dialogue are required to reach B from A when two panels would be sufficient. Until the latter stages of Power it also means action is very much secondary to conversation.

Will Conrad draws those conversations effectively, varying the viewpoints and leaving enough room for the excess dialogue, but the action scenes are stronger, possibly because they’re a long time in coming. He supplies power, grace and imagination, and is very much missed when Ken Lashley steps in for a chapter and can only manage the power. Usefully, much of that chapter is a battle with Namor.

There may be some disappointment at reaching the end only to discover that all the investigations were just the build-up to Doomwar. It’s a valid thought, but another way to look at Maberry’s work is as a twelve chapter continuation occupying two different titles. It certainly reads better when combined a few years later as Black Panther: Doomwar.