The result, at least in this week's debut issue, is a fantastic exploration of a character readers have known for years, making him seem both brand new and entirely familiar. Read Full Review

Years in the making, the latest volume of Black Panther puts the former monarch of Wakanda into a new exciting place as the character must adapt to a world that has moved beyond him in many ways. A visually stunning debut that breathes even more unique life into this section of Marvel and promises great things to come. Read Full Review

Black Panther #1 is an intriguing start that sets the character off in a new direction. Add in amazing art and you have a debut that can't be missed and worthy of a (former) king. Read Full Review

Allen delivers some great art in the issue. I love the look of the city and how it beautifully mixes the Wakandan aesthetics into a city that feels apart from the rest of the country. Read Full Review

The foundations are laid for this relaunch in a strong, well-written and well-drawn first issue. Everything is put in place where it needs to be, and there's enough to the characters and the events to hook a new reader, like me. Read Full Review

This comic was a joy to read, and I cannot wait for the next issue so I can see how Wakandas new democracy grows, where its displaced king will find himself, and what challenges both will face separately and together as danger looms around every corner. Read Full Review

Black Panther #1 is an engaging look at a Wakanda (and TChalla) at a crossroads that scales back the epic science fiction nature of the book to a more street-level approach. Echoing some previous points in Black Panthers history, this decision makes for an excellent place to explore the people and structures of Wakanda beyond the royal family. Ewings excellent scripting pairs with Allen and Yeung pencils and inks to bring this version of Wakanda to life, and Aburtovs colors add a new texture that reinforces the tone the book is swinging for. Fans of Black Panther wanting to see the continuation of the character or those looking for a jumping-on point will want to check out this debut issue. Read Full Review

Black Panther #1 kicks off the new series by turning Black Panthers world upside-down. Lost, fighting crime in the shadows and questioning his existence, it gives us a fascinating look at a Black Panther weve never seen before. We get some great action throughout the issue too, and I look forward to seeing where the book goes from this strong first issue. Read Full Review

Black Panther #1 introduces intriguing new ideas but stumbles when delivering the necessary exposition. Read Full Review

While a new volume to the franchise Black Panther #1 very much acts as an extension of the previous run by John Ridley. This approach by Eve Ewing comes with both positives and negatives. Luckily, it's the positives that largely outweigh the negatives as Black Panther #1 concludes. Read Full Review

This title promises big, thoughtful development it might not be totally invested in. Read Full Review

A thought provoking but overwritten issue that could stand to show at least as much as it tells. Read Full Review

Theres lots of interesting worldbuilding here,, such as the introduction of a previously unseen urban metropolis in Wakanda where TChalla has been doing much of his crime fighting, that almost gives this issue a Batman-esque feel; low-level criminals on the streets of Birnin TChaka speculate and fear the specter of the Black Panther wherever they go. This run seems to be telling a Black Panther story of political intrigue through the lens of neo noir, which is a solid take to go with. Chris Allens art is appropriately dark and brooding when it needs to be, and the way he draws a looming Black Panther only feeds the Batman comparison in a way that makes for a compelling hook. Read Full Review

Black Panther #1 starts a new chapter in T'Challa's legend with an issue that builds an amazing amount of texture and detail into the less-frequented corners of Wakanda. However, this issue is almost all exposition and setup with very little action or Black Panther to show for it, resulting in a detailed but ultimately dull comic. Read Full Review

This book is almost all set up so it really drags. I'm not too angry about this as I believe it's needed to set the stage for this run so I'll give it a pass. Exploring different parts of Wakanda was interesting and made me have that table top rpg feeling of exploring a town in cyber punk or shadow run. The ending was really cool in that it brings in a character I've always really liked but I don't know much about in modern books. Last I saw they were used in a way I didn't understand in Aarons comics and I never bothered to wiki why they were employed in that manner. Really hoping to like this run but really hating the style of comics these days with the whole start stop style just to get a new #1 out. What are we on now, like volume nine of BP? Yeesh. more

Self-discovery is the name of the game in Black Panther #1 on shelves today from the creative team of Eve L. Ewing writing, Chris Allen penciling, and Jesus Aburtov on colors. It’s a powerful and moving introduction to a series that seeks to explore the legacy of T'Challa, the meaning of the Black Panther title, and the future of Wakanda.

Picking up after the events of the previous Black Panther run, the issue starts with T’Challa in exile from Wakanda by order of the new Prime Minister after the country shifted from a monarchy to parliamentary democracy to avoid a civil war. After spending time away, including rehabilitating his relationship with the Avengers, and failing to feel part of any other society he was amongst, T’Challa returns to Wakanda, the only place that ever felt like home, to truly discover who he is as a person.

Ewing's writing is sharp and insightful, and she brings a fresh perspective to T’Challa without completely changing who he has always been. Some of my favorite superhero (and villain) story arcs focus on the why of a character’s actions and based on what Ewing is doing with this first issue, it appears that will be at the core of her time with the character. I’m excited to see how she evolves T’Challa into a more confident person compared to his current state, which will only make his role as Black Panther and what that means for himself and the people of Wakanda more impactful.

The artistic combo of Allen & Aburtov do an amazing and important job world-building the city of Birnin T'Chaka, the area of Wakanda where the majority of the issue takes place. Unlike the futuristic, technologically advanced capital we’re used to seeing, Birnin T’Chaka is rougher around the edges and its inhabitants live a more humble life. The backgrounds and colors of the city show a sense of imperfection, while still evoking vibrancy and culture that many depictions of these types of areas can often rely on. Yes there may be more nefarious things happening here, yes there may be more shady individuals walking around, but that doesn’t mean the area is devoid of community.

Ewing is careful to avoid traditional tropes and ensures the reader understands how this compares to underserved areas of US cities by having T’Challa note:

Wakanda provides for its people. There is nothing of the struggle I saw in my day in New York, for instance. All are housed. Fed. Clothed. But my father used to say that it is many days’ walk between necessities and abundance. Birnin Zana is a land of abundance. Birnin T’Chaka is a land of necessities.

The artistic work also shines where it may be recognized most — T’Challa’s new Black Panther costume. The new suit is sleek without being gaudy, simple without being boring, and unique without being gimmicky. While more may be explained in future issues, it felt as though T’Challa was deep in his thoughts exploring the connection between the mantle of Black Panther and the nation of Wakanda when he made these design updates.

Overall, this was an impressive debut issue that had a tall task in distancing itself from some of the more controversial decisions made by the previous series’ creative team. Without disregarding or overlooking what they were left with, Ewing has seemingly picked up the pieces and is dedicated to restoring Black Panther, both the character and series, to a level of sophistication it deserves. I’m invested in how she will continue give T’Challa the space to find himself and I’m excited to continue exploring the world of Wakanda that Allan and Aburtov create.
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It was decent and not agressively insulting to the fans of T'challa. And maybe it's the best we can get for a Black Panther book this day.

The story is bland and boring. The artwork also does not look good. Overall, not that much is interesting. I hope the story gets better in the next issue.