 | Quick review: Black Panther the Man Without Fear |
Man Without Fear #513 and #514
By David Liss and Francesco Francavilla
The Man Without Fear is gone, long live the Man Without Fear!
Thanks to sneaking into my brother's room and reading the Frank Miller/Klaus Janson run, Daredevil has been one of my all-time favorite superhero characters. Combining the film noir look and brutal hand-to-hand fighting of kung-fu movies, the series also hearkened back to Will Eisner's The Spirit- a book much loved by the creator which Miller would much later defile. Thanks to the hard work of previous creative teams (Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark, Andy Diggle, Antony Johnston and Roberto De La Torre), the book has been a critically acclaimed top seller. For many years Daredevil was a thrilling comic book series that was fun to read from one month to the next.
Until Shadowland reared its ugly head and the glory days of DD were over.
The plan to rest and revamp Daredevil is strange to anyone who has read any of the runs I cited above. The series has been on an unbelievably strong creative streak that seemed to be without end. The road to Shadowland was actually very interesting and tied in with the steady loss of Matt Murdock's soul, something that has lurked at the corners of the book for decades. A devout Catholic lawyer who dresses up as the Devil and lets out all of his pent up anger on the criminal element escaping the law dances on the rim of damnation, or at the least insanity, on a regular basis. Seeing the character transform into a giant demon armed with blades and bearing huge horns and fangs, however... well... it's over now.
Matt Murdock has taken to the road to find himself and appointed T'Challa as his replacement guardian of Hell's Kitchen. Makes no sense, you say? That's true. T'Challa and Murdock have had nothing to do with each other for as long as I can remember, so why are they even talking to each other now?
Black Panther has had his own brand of bad luck lately. Dethroned from his kingdom of Wakanda, he has also destroyed the planet's vibranium, his country's sole resource (there's a long story as to why). Without a kingdom or the powers of the Panther God, he's a man without a purpose. Therefore Black Panther is the guardian of Hell's Kitchen... you're right... it still makes no real sense.
Nevertheless, the comic has potential. I'm a big fan of Black Panther and have followed most of the series started by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr. There are very few characters of color in comics in general, so I'm happy to see any of them getting so much attention, even if it makes no real sense or it means removing a character from his own book.
The series has a decidedly noir feel to it, but of a more dated feel rather than the sophisticated style that fans are familiar with. Rather than operating as a lawyer, T'Challa takes up the managerial role of 'The Devil's Kitchen,' a small local diner. It's forced, but it provides the opportunity for an interesting supporting cast and sub-plots. With DD gone, the criminal element has increased and a new crimelord is making a play for the vacancy left by the Kingpin (unless you read Spider-Man where Kingpin is a major force). The comically written Russian immigrant Vlad the Impaler is quite dicey, often coming off as offensive. In fact, there are many characters who speak in broken English in the book that make me feel rather odd. But that's the villain and without any of his technology or former abilities, T'Challa has to start somewhere with his rogue's gallery.
Being married to Storm, now back with the X-Men, you'd think that T'Challa would find it difficult to start his life over, but apparently he and Ororo have an open relationship that allows him to isolate himself from her assistance. The concept seems forced until the second issue where Luke Cage arrives to remind T'Challa that people are dying while he is refusing aid and that Hell's Kitchen is not his own private therapy session. It's a cool moment and establishes that the writer is sharp enough to see the potential complications of Black Panther faces operating as he is in the Marvel Universe. Daredevil had a similar difficulty when he faced off against Spider-Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange and Luke Cage. It's an odd thing to insist on being a street-level crime fighter in a world where demons from another dimension are threatening reality the next neighborhood over.
Looking to lay low, T'Challa lives in a run down apartment building next to a young boy threatened by bullies at school, a social worker who has taken a shine to the attractive and sensitive new tenant and more. It feels forced, this establishment of a new concept and cast of characters, but after your main character was reduced to a slathering demon... what can you do?
The artwork by Zorro's Francesco Francavilla is very strong and gives the series its own flavor and character, along with the mood-enhancing color palette. I'm happy to see that the pairing of artist and writer that started with Bendis and Maleev has continued here.
Just two issues in, I'm still not sold on the book being a blockbuster, but it is definitely different and the perfect series for someone bored with the usual superhero options on the shelves today. I am hoping that the departure of Vlad the Impaler will be soon and that the comic can continue to find a voice and direction in the months to come. If you are on the fence on this one, it's worth your time to give it a try.
Black Panther 514 Cover
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