• Misty Knight continues investigating how and why Ezra Keith, a Harlem community pillar and civil rights activist, died in police custody, now with the help of one of Ezra's former protégés, STORM of the X-Men.
• The two women soon discover that the neighborhood is under siege by a threat much bigger than they'd imagined...
• Luckily, help arrives in the form of a friend from Storm's past.
Rated T+
So far, Black Panther & The Crew is CSI: Harlem meets the super power of Black girl magic and they're doing a damn good job with the execution. Harlem is unveiling its own history of heroes from the Golden / Silver age of comics that we're seeing our present heroes discover and it makes for a truly original and unique story to take in. Read Full Review
Overall, Black Panther and the Crew #2 excels from a storytelling perspective through writing and art. Elements coalesce in a manner which propels the plot and characters to a place of deeper meaning. However, the insertion of brief politics which have more dire bearing on reality is a mark on this issue in particular. I hope the story expands to address that point and looks at the nuances of it, but as it stands, it is not a favorable part of this comic. Im still invested in the Crew, but there are some ways where I expect better. Read Full Review
When it comes to the story itself, this issue was somewhat frustrating with its pacing. But it's a good-looking book and the story has potential. Read Full Review
There's SO much I like about this comic. The character's development, for example, and how it matches the political intensity of the story in a subtle way (or at least the most subtle way possible for a story like this one). But it's the presence of the Harlem that hits me most deeply. Misty says she rather take the bus to remember herself she lives in a city. The comic book, in its story and its art, really shows that they are living in a city and not - as most comics -, in a bunch of separated locations and headquarters. The slow-pacing of the story is at point, bringing us to the profound displacement of the characters. As far as I can tell, it's a masterpiece.
Storm takes the POV reins as the story inches forward. She reveals a past as a tourist in Harlem, and she feels guilty over not getting involved before. Is this her time for redemption? The action continues to be powerful but slow. Butch Guice's art is growing on me a great deal. Though the lines have a sketchy finish they also have tremendous realism; these feel like scenes torn straight from life. (Still a bit weak at portraying fantastic action, though.) This issue is more about character study than plot progression, and the peek into Storm's thoughts as a black woman rather than an X-Man is pretty compelling.
BLACK PANTHER & THE CREW #2 is a really good issue. Like its sister title, BLACK PANTHER, PB&TC is so much more than just a superhero comic...the setting(s), in this case the Harlem of the Marvel Universe, is so integral to the story it is, practically, a character unto itself. Too bad Marvel cancelled it, already.
SCORE: 8
I thought this issue was a big step up from the first issue. Very similar in tone to Black Panther, so if you like that book you'll probably ike this one. The art is really good.
© 2024
Prev
