Black Panther #20 Review

Summary
TChalla spars with his sister Shuri but her anger leads to another defeat. Medusa contacts T’challa to meet Black Bolt on the moon to discuss their Illuminati meeting. Storm accompanies him without any guards much to the dismay of the elder council of Wakanda. On the moon they meet with the king and queen who seek their advice on war with the humans. T’challa poses an alternative and they have dinner. After which infighting between the inhumans results in Black Bolt storming off. T’challa tries to excuse  himself but this angers Karnac and Gorgon who attack the couple resulting in a fight. Black Bolt retuns stops the fight and punishes Gargon for going against his wishes by enslaving alpha primitives (the lowest class in their society) again. Medusa pulls T’challa aside for a private conversation then returns him to his wife and they depart for earth.

The Good
Cover- The Black Panther ensnared by Medusa’s hair while Black Bolt watches from the background. The cover has a Vintage Painting quality that I like.

Black Panther vs Karnac- Great showing for T’challa’s martial arts skills as he took out Karnac with a single blow.

Differences- I love the rivalry between Shuri and T’challa and the differences in their personalities. The opening scene with them sparing was great to read. He remains calm and composed while her emotional state in this case anger leads to her loss. It’s a great bit of characterization on the part of Shuri which becomes the focal point of her being even after attaining the Black Panther mantle.

Continuity- Black Bolt requests a meeting with T’challa in the aftermath of the Illuminati series. This was a good way for Hudlin to acknowledge the happenings of current marvel continuity and set up T’challa’s place in the upcoming civil war. Additionally the cause for the meeting is also steeped in continuity as the events of “Son of M” in which Quicksilver causes the terrigen crystals to fall into the hands of humans and black bolt declaring war on them take center stage.

Black Bolt- The crux of this story centered around Black Bolt, a character who I think Hudlin has a great handle on the problems Black Bolt and medusa face with his inability to communicate through words. All the misunderstands found here are as a result of his compatriots misunderstanding his wishes through his normal means of communication. He’s both a strong silent leader and a very misunderstood and sad man. Good Work Reggie!

The Bad
Battle- The Fight was a bit short I would have loved a longer drag out battle between Karnac and T’chala two of the best fighters in marvel universe history.

Characterization- Some may find Karnac’s rage and quickness to anger out of character. Other may not like how T’challa takes him out with one blow.

Art- For the most part the art was ok but some panels and pages lacked detail.

The Ugly
3.5/5 Great read