REVIEW: ‘Black Panther: Unconquered,’ Issue #1

Black Panther: Unconquered #1 is written by Bryan Hill, illustrated by Alberto Foche, colored by Matt Milla, and lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino. It’s published by Marvel Comics. A mysterious mercenary called the Archon has invaded Wakanda, seeking a mysterious spear that belonged to an ancient god. Should he acquire the spear, he will gain immense power. It falls to the Black Panther to stop the Archon and his coalition of mercenaries, the Volk. But what is the connection between the spear the Archon seeks and the panther goddess Bast? And will T’Challa embrace his own faith in order to stand victorious?

The Black Panther has had a prominent presence in comics since his big-screen debut, with plenty of talented writers offering their own take on the world of Wakanda. Hill is the latest, and his script dives into the nature of faith – which has always been a major draw for me. As a Black kid growing up in Texas, I saw how faith served as a refuge for people in their darkest hours or gave them an excuse to act on their bigotries.

Unconquered leans into that duality, particularly when it comes to T’Challa and the Archon. The Archon is willing to sacrifice anything and everything for his goals, including his own men. Meanwhile, T’Challa is constantly questioned by a priestess about what he believes in. This kind of thoughtful storytelling helped fuel Hill’s run on Batman and the Outsiders, and it also makes for a great standalone story.

It also doesn’t hurt that the book looks extremely gorgeous thanks to Foche. Foche draws a Black Panther suit that mixes elements of T’Challa’s original suit with the Vibranium-enhanced suit introduced in Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze’s inaugural Black Panther storyline “A Nation Under Our Feet.” This leads to an impressive fight scene where the Panther walks through a hail of gunfire, using his claws to cut the Volk’s rifles in half and his own weaponry to painfully incapacitate them. And the action doesn’t let up there, as a battle between the Archon and the Panther is placed side by side with the gods they’ve come to represent. The Archon himself is a terrifying figure, clad in jet-black armor and sporting pitiless red eyes.

Finally, Milla continues to give Wakanda the same vibrant, living look that he’s applied to the Panther’s ongoing series. He makes extensive use of purples and blues, whether it’s in the background depicting a night sky or the Panther unleashing the power of his suit. And throughout the issue, Sabino layers captions that offer a contrast to the action that’s going on. Each caption is also layered with a different color background to denote who’s speaking: T’Challa, of course, has a black background while his sister Shuri has a bright yellow.

Black Panther: Unconquered #1 is a tale that tests the King of Wakanda’s faith, while also serving as a great introduction to his world. If you’re looking for a good starting point to get into the Black Panther comics after Wakanda Forever, this is a great place to start. And if you’re a new comic fan, it’s also a great place to start!

Black Panther: Unconquered #1 is available wherever comics are sold.