Comics / Comic Reviews / Marvel Comics

Black Panther: 14 - 18 ‘Bride of the Panther’


By Kevin Scott
October 15, 2006 - 20:01

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They say every King needs a Queen and that's exactly what T'Challa's mother thinks. She wants him to find the perfect woman to walk by his side and there are many fine women in the Marvel Universe. There's only one women however, who he has ever wanted to be his wife!

Hudlin is really showing his skills on this book. Its like watching a flower bloom, knowing it can be great, but waiting to make sure it doesn't fade before its time. And I can definitely say there is no sign of fading here! Not everyone can find that balance between the storm (big action) and the calm, but this really does seem to be one of Hudlin's strengths. This could have read as such a cliche (the title of the arc really conjures up the wrong image), but it didn't, it all made sense and played nicely off the last arc. The whole premise is addressed (again, it was touched upon in the previous arc, but the re-examination fit in nicely) really well with some flashbacks and a conversation with Luke Cage (which really adds weight to the fact Reggie should write an on-going or at least a mini on Luke!!!). The conversations with Luke are perfect reflections of Hudlin's writing prowess. And the same can be said about the Orro moments as well, they really melt nicely into the fabric of the story. The wedding issue itself was another shining moment and having BET cover it was a stroke of genius. Everything is set up nicely for some great stories and we still have to find out about the Chameleon...dum, dum, dum!

Firstly, I have to say, if Hudlin's going to write a Luke Cage book, then Scot Eaton, Klaus Jansen & Dean White have to come to the dance too! All the Cage scenes are great and they really know how to touch on the little things, like eyes/brows, smiles, etc. These cats have created such a synergy together its a beatiful thing. A thing that works well in this arc is the panel layouts. They seem to find the right combinations, alternate well and when there's montarge used, it never comes off as cluttered. This arc has given Eaton a chance to flex his artistic muscles with many different characters across the Marvel Universe. Iron Man's armour looks a little strange (this may be the colours), but everyone else are handled really well, especailly Panthers old adversaries like Princess Zanda and Man-Ape. We get to see some new different aspects of Wakanda, which is always good. It was a good look to get Kare Andrews to draw the 'Celestial Plane' sequence, to give it that different feel. And what can you say bout Storm's wedding dress and her entrance....DAMN!!! It seems to capture her heritage perfectly and you just couldn't imagine seeing her in anything else. This arc also had a good selection of covers.

Report Card – 9.3

Koncise an out :)


Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

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