WRITER: REGINALD HUDLIN
ARTIST:  SCOT EATON

PLOT: King T’Challa and his new bride, Storm of the X-Men, begin a global diplomatic mission. They have to discover who their friends and enemies are, now that they’re a power couple on Marvel’s world stage. So they take up Doctor Doom‘s offer to come to Latveria for a summit, and fisticuffs ensue.

VERDICT: The usual complaint about Hudlin’s execution of what could have been an interesting idea. Even though I think Hudlin is trying to weave a(n accessible) political tapestry, a la the inevitable Civil War crossover, the book is still too lightweight in terms of plot, dialogue and situations. And as someone who went through the whole African medallion-Public Enemy-KRS-One-“Fight The Power” era, I think I’m just 18 years too late (read: too old :)) for all of the Black pop-cult, simple humor, and Afrocentric self-esteem Hudlin feels the need to constantly shoehorn. He’s only got 22 pages a month (not counting the re-cap splash page at the beginning of the comic), and that space could be better used for plot, etc. But I think he’s writing for today’s 20-year-olds, who have mucho entertainment options.

There’s been a lot of online discussion about Doom’s racist comments in this issue—to the point, whether it was appropriately consistent with the character. I don’t see Doom’s racial statements in this issue as a big deal. I view Doom as a bigot, not (necessarily) a racist. I think Doom was trying to goad the couple, so he (like Hudlin, *SIGH*) went with the obvious.

I still like this book for what it is. But I have to admit that I’d be much more excited about this six-part storyline if I thought it was going to end in any way other than a spectacular show of (Black) prowess by T’Challa and Ororo. *YAWN*

Although I like the book, my original criticism of Hudlin still stands. Although Hudlin’s writing as greatly improved from his first few issues, the universe he has crafted is still one that is only mildly interesting at best. Hudlin’s re-working of Panther does not improve on The House Stan and Jack Built and subsequently fortified, by various degrees over the decades, by Marvel writers Roy Thomas, Don McGregor and Christopher J. Priest—the latter my personal favorite. (Priest’s first two Black Panther stories, “Black Panther: The Client” and “Black Panther: Enemy Of The State,” can be found in trade paperback on Amazon.) Those looking for a piece of graphic literature—something that is supposed to go beyond the obvious, that creates its own interior rules for specific reasons that advance the story, that provides thoughtful uses of language with a distinct rhythm, that’s supposed to be both internal and external, that at best contains symbolism and multiple meanings—will be disappointed here.

As far as the current storyline goes, I wish I could be shown how “badass” and “cool” Storm and T’Challa are by them acting like the complex characters they are (well, were) in a layered, detailed storyline. But I guess I’ll just have to enjoy what I have and wait for the next writer to do that.