So Black Panther: The Man Without Fear may have a really terrible title, but other than that minor issue, David Liss and Francesco Francavilla have been putting out quality work: it’s a great “gritty urban superhero” comic, and with the most recent story arc Liss has really been taking it up a notch by emphasizing that the Black Panther isn’t like Daredevil and shouldn’t try to solve things in a straightforward beat-them-up way; T’Challa is a brilliant tactician and his style of superheroing should reflect that.
However, because this is a great comic, to make this point they dragged the Hate-Monger out of mothballs – the real Hate-Monger, not that schmuck who showed in that Punisher story a while back. Yes, they are trying to bring the Black Panther back to his A-game by having him fight Adolf Hitler’s disembodied spirit. It is understandable that you might not know about this, since the sales numbers on Black Panther have been underwhelming to say the least, but now you have no excuse, because you are missing T’Challa versus Hitler.
I mean, look at this: this is as simple and wonderful as comics panels get:
![How long has it been since a Batman panel was this sort of awesome? Four years? Five? I mean, yes, it's nice that Batman can fight werewolf ninjas or whatever LSD-fueled nightmare Grant Morrison had last week, but how long since he just turned off the lights and fought somebody in the dark because he's Batman?](/images/bpeyes.jpg)
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Doing an entire comic book in the dark would be totally awesome, but it’ll be hell on the printers.
“What The — ?!” had a couple of teaser panels that were along those lines. One was a silent fight taking place between Black Panther, Cloak, and others at night. The other was Wendigo, Yeti, and others fighting in a soundless snowstorm.
In other words, a panel of solid black, and a panel of solid white.
I remember that one! Pretty sure Moon Knight and Dagger were in the snowstorm fight.
Now what if the Beast, the Blue Beetle, the Tick, Blue Lightning Superman, and the Fantastic Four (in the costumes they had when I was a kid) all had a fight underwater?
The “assistant editors’ month” issue of “Alpha Flight” saw John Byrne take the Snowbird vs. Wendigo gag and make an entire issue out of it. All white panels with dialogue and sound effects. Brilliant.
TECHnically it was Snowbird vs. Kolomaq, one of the Great Beasts, not Wendigo. I had to go check on comicvine because I remembered that issue.
“So Black Panther: The Man Without Fear may have a really terrible title”
Well they’re changing it to Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive in a few months. Not sure if that’s any better though.
I don’t know, I kind of like the goofy subtitles. They should really just go ahead and embrace it, though.
Black Panther: The World’s Most Perfectly Developed Man
Black Panther: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
“T’Challa versus Hitler” is enough to make me have to pick up this book, like yesterday.
Black Panther: The Most Interesting Man in the World
Black Panther: The Man Who Knew Too Much
Black Panther: When the Man Comes Around
(why did he get Daredevil’s subtitle, anyway? Would I be sorry if I asked?)
why did he get Daredevil’s subtitle, anyway? Would I be sorry if I asked?
BP got the book when Daredevil disappeared off into the desert at the end of Shadowland, basically.
And yeah, the book rocks. Francovilla is a FANTASTIC artist.
Wait, Black Panther is good again? I lost track of the title after Christopher Priest left.
It was horrible under Reginald Hudlin, one of Quesadas’ buddies, who turned it into his warped continuity ignoring garbagefest. Hudlins’ apprentice Jonathan Maybery picked up where he left off, but the new status is rather good.
I can’t particularly speak to the Panther without fear here, but on Daredevil himself, I’ve got say that his relaunched title is the most fun DD’s been in years.
Black Panther: And His Band of Merry Men
Black Panther: Man, or Astro-Man?
Black Panther: The Man of La Mancha
Black Panther: The Man of Wealth and Taste
You know, these would make good titles for the individual volumes in Trade format.
There is a more obvious one, even if the actor wants to be Luke Cage instead.
Black Panther: I’m on a Horse
Wait, Black Panther is prowling the urban streets at night, kicking knives out of thugs hands? Doesn’t he have, you know, a nation to rule?
We need something that will bring people back to the series so clearly the comic needs to be called …
Black Panther: Hudlin Left Years Ago
Black Panther: The Panther Man Can
Black Panther: Fear of a Panther Planet
Black Panther: Aren’t All Panther’s Black?
Black Panther: Foreign Head of State Committing Vigilante Acts On US Soil
Black Panther: Big Man On Campus
I’ve actually always wondered why Daredevil is the official Man Without Fear, given his particular set of powers.
“Wait, Black Panther is prowling the urban streets at night, kicking knives out of thugs hands? Doesn’t he have, you know, a nation to rule?”
Nope. He abdicated at the end of the Doomwar miniseries.
Black Panther: Watch out, Mowgli!
wait, I did that wrong.
Black Panther: Man About Town
Black Panther: A Man for All Seasons
Black Panther: Manimal
I always figured Daredevil was the official Man Without Fear because OTHER superheroes can actually see where they’re going, the pussies. To do this shit blind, well, that takes balls.
Ah, but Daredevil is only almost blind. Spider-Man can experience the same effect by squinting hard. 😉
Black Panther: Friendship is Magic
Black Panther: More Than Meets the Eye
Black Panther: and the Masters of the Universe
Black Panther: the Science Guy (Bill Nye retired)
Black Panther: Marvel Babies
Black Panther: My Wife Is A WMD
With a nod to UnSub for making me think of this one:
Black Panther: Fear Of A Black Panther
This may be asinine, but I couldn’t help myself.
Black Panther: I’m on a Boat!
I find I have an unhealthily large amount of interest in “Black Panther: Friendship is Magic.”
lise, I was about to post that myself, it that helps any. Ah well…
Black Panther: Punching People Before Eating
Black Panther: Like a Boss
(sigh)
Prodigal wins.
E., this is for you:
http://bit.ly/blackpantherFIM
(I never said it was any good.)
@dirge93
“Black Panther: Friendship is Magic”
I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
[…] fact that everything is very poorly lit. I love that kind of stuff though. Totally coincidentally I came across this today. There’s an artistic tendency for Chiaroscuro in comics which works terribly well for urban […]