Ultimate Black Panther #4: Like Day and Night

Parallel structures in fiction can be an excellent craft choice that builds on the notion of twos and duos to create a dynamic, fluid effect. Whether it be the notion of a protagonist and an antagonist, a buddy cop duo, or contentious villains, that split focus allows for the juxtaposition of personality and culture that draws the reader in. To take that and double it, by building out two POV characters working in parallel with villains in a partnership, a book becomes more complex and reinforces the echoing nature of the hero and villain dichotomy. 

Ultimate Black Panther #4 – written by Bryan Hill with art by Stefano Caselli, coloring from David Curiel, and lettering by VC’s Cory Petit – puts the titular hero/monarch on the back burner as it focuses on Queen Okoye taking the reins on ruling Wakanda. She lies to the people, claiming T’Challa is in communication with her. In reality, Shuri reveals that he’s been radio silent while tracking down information about Khonshu and Ra’s machinations. Okoye is attacked in her sleep by a servant of Khonshu with a connection to Wakanda. Shuri comes to her aid and tracks the assassin before they die in service of the moon god. 

The two villains are aware the heroes are on their trail, using their failure as a natural escalation point for their plans. Invasion seems imminent just as T’Challa readies for his return to Wakanda. Only in the final moments of the issue does T’Challa make his return, joined by new allies and information about the enemies of the vibranium nation. Storm, Killmonger, and Shuri stand ready to support T’Challa in the war, seemingly with new details about the mythological figures and their relationship to T’Chaka’s death. 

Hill removes T’Challa from the majority of the issue to strong effect, as it allows the two women at the center of Wakanda to further develop. Okoye’s dedication to the nation and the people of the country becomes clear, showcasing her talents as a leader and politician. Shuri is depicted as the more secretive, living in the shadows of the nation to help maintain control. Hill creates a fascinating dichotomy between the two that feels important even if it is unclear how it will be expressed throughout the series. The two may be symbolically linked to the dual antagonists of Khonshu and Ra, or the twin supports, Storm and Killmonger. 

That parallel character perspective structure is also evident in the artwork, as Caselli and Curiel make subtle changes for the women to create distinct feelings in the visuals. There is more regality and epic scale to the Okoye scenes, living in wider panels that evoke cinematic feelings to convey her nature as the expansive part of Wakanda. When the book switches to Shuri’s action beats, it focuses on tighter close-up panels that give a certain espionage tone. The previous visual language is elevated by Curiel’s use of golden light and bright, majesty hues fit for the regality of Wakanda’s royal family. Meanwhile, the Shuri-focused scenes live in the dark underside of Wakanda, trading those bright colors for sharper grays, blues, and black. 

The story is short and sweet, moving at a clipping pace thanks to that split. In turn, it does make the issue feel a bit more empty, relying on thinner mysteries to try and add depth to the series that has felt bigger in previous issues. A big draw for each Ultimate title so far has been the packed issues swinging for the fences, and this is the first installment of the line that feels leaner in terms of character or story. It might just be the rhythm of this intro arc, but it is hard to not feel slighted after a double date in Ultimate Spider-Man #4 carried an entire issue like a full meal. Once the arc finishes and is collected, that complaint may not be a problem. However, in the month-to-month reading, it’s an issue that is worth addressing.