Black Panther: Man Without Fear #513 Review or A King Goes to Hell

Reviews, Top Story

David Liss – Writer Without Fear
Francesco Francavilla – Artist Without Fear

I hate everything about Marvel’s ploys with numbering over the past decade. I find it appalling when they selectively return comics to old numbering as milestones would have been reached or, worse, gather up the numbering of various incarnations to make runs look more historic in length. It’s pretty odd that the old Daredevil numbering, which returned only 13 issues ago, has now been taken over by Black Panther. It’s a bunch of slap dash garbage that sullies the ground of the past. I find it’s another example of the random, embarrassingly idiotic editorial policies that Marvel and DC excel at. Corporate editorial lunacy doesn’t necessarily mean a comic is bad…

As awful as some editorial policies can be at Marvel they did put together a reasonably entertaining event with Shadowland. The story started off fabulously and drew to a conclusion without completely losing the gravitas of Daredevil as a murderer that threw it all away in a moment of rage. I was down on the series when it seemed like Bullseye was coming back and Daredevil was going to be absolved of all the heinous acts he committed, similar to that vile evil-doer Hal Jordan. Thankfully Marvel left the weight of Bulleye’s murder squarely on Matt Murdock’s shoulders. Matt’s off to soul search and he asks Black Panther to watch over Hell’s Kitchen in his absence.

I can’t say that this is a perfect introductory story, but it’s good enough to give me reason to come back next month. Having never read T’Challa’s solo tales before it doesn’t bother me to see his Wakandan roots pushed to the back burner and his rebirth as Mr. Okonkwo manager of a diner called the Devil’s Kitchen. Panther’s problems during the Doomwar, which I have not read, are quickly detailed. We also get a brief scene with T’Challa telling his wife, Storm, to leave him completely on his own to find absolution. I like the idea of the Panther moving into DD’s books to find redemption while Matt’s off attempting a similar feat.

Panther’s nemesis in the Kitchen is Vlad, a Romanian crimelord amped up by the Super Soldier Serum. He makes for a slightly original take on the classic evil mobster. We have a quest in place, some new supporting players, and a few solid action sequences in this initial chapter. Sure the idea of Black Panther filling Daredevil’s shoes is a tough sell, but this story gets us through the clunky bits to set the stage for the coming months.  Putting pieces in place is almost never pretty in comics, television, or film.  Everything is ready to go now, so the future scripts should be an improvement.  There’s nothing ground breaking, but it appears David Liss has a solid story to tell. I would like to see Liss’s dialogue ease down a little in the coming months and allow the art to tell more of the story, but it’s a solid first script.

Francesco Francavilla is probably the biggest selling point of the entire comic. I found his cover work and coloring on Green Hornet: Year One to be one of the finest pieces of an outstanding series. His work fits perfectly into the grim world of Hell’s Kitchen, NYC. I love the ’70s blaxploitation feel to the proceedings, and his character work is strong throughout. I find his fight scenes to capture the sheer brutality of unarmed combat but the grace of the Panther is never lost.

It’s an unusual status quo that’s been setup, and it may be difficult to maintain over a long haul. I’m not sure if this will be 6 issues or 12, but I can’t see it lasting any longer before Matt Murdock resumes his mantle. You would have to be delusional to believe this will be the Man Without Fear will remain in this vein for long, but this may make for an interesting bump in the road. I feel like a clear plan is in place and we have embarked on a series of events that will conclude in the not too distant future. I have lost interest in the long haul from an industry that cares nothing for sustained continuity. This detached, small piece of storytelling is the type of comic I crave these days. Let’s hope it’s satisfying.