Black Panther: Enemy of the State

Rating:
Summary: Priest is one of the best comic wrters on the planet...
Review: ...and this book shows it.
Continuing the story layed out in Black Panther: The Client, Black Panther: Enemy of the State offers more of the brilliant writing and stunning art seen in The Client. Guest starring The Avengers and including shocking revelations about the Black Panther and his true motive for joining the team, this trade-paperback is not to be missed.
Enemy of the State collects issues 6-12 of Black Panther and is a must buy for anyone having read The Client. Priest weaves a stunning, thought-provoking political thriller, all the while making it funny and origional.
Do not miss this book.

Rating:
Summary: Priest is one of the best comic wrters on the planet...
Review: ...and this book shows it.
Continuing the story layed out in Black Panther: The Client, Black Panther: Enemy of the State offers more of the brilliant writing and stunning art seen in The Client. Guest starring The Avengers and including shocking revelations about the Black Panther and his true motive for joining the team, this trade-paperback is not to be missed.
Enemy of the State collects issues 6-12 of Black Panther and is a must buy for anyone having read The Client. Priest weaves a stunning, thought-provoking political thriller, all the while making it funny and origional.
Do not miss this book.

Rating:
Summary: Graphic thrill ride
Review: Black Panther: Enemy of the State continues the story that began in the Black Panther: The Client TPB and collects issue #6-12 of the monthly series by Marvel Comics.

The Panther (a.k.a., T'Challa, king of the African nation of Wakanda) has discovered that while he was away from his homeland, he has become the victim of a coup. The madman, Achebe, has taken over, apparently with the help of the Panther's own stepmother. In the meantime, T'Challa must deal with assassination attempts, dirty CIA deals and the interference of his former teammates, the superpowered Avengers.

Christopher Priest's Black Panther is always one step ahead of his enemies. He's acutely aware of his opponents' motives and always seems to be prepared for any contingency. With the continuing (and often hilarious) narration of State Department liaison and Panther-friend, Everett Ross, we're taken on a wild ride as the Panther faces down his enemies one by one and battles to reclaim his lost throne.

The first few chapters are beautifully painted by the famed Joe Jusko and the last amicably illustrated by animation wiz Mike Manley and long-time comics veteran, M.D. Bright.

Black Panther: Enemy of the State is comics with brains, not just brawn. You won't be sorry you picked it up! This is hopefully just the second in a long line of future Panther trade paperbacks.

Rating:
Summary: A Complex, Engrossing Must-Read
Review: Continuing right where the first volume left off (Black Panther: The Client, also highly recommended), Black Panther: Enemy of the State furthers the story of the exiled King of the African nation of Wakanda, T'Challa, also known as The Black Panther. Forced to stay in New York, lest civil war engulf his country thanks to crazed new ruler Achebe, The Panther becomes aware of a complex plot against him that I honestly can't even BEGIN to encapsulate here- It's just TOO confusing. (Not too confusing to follw, mind you; Just too much to be laid out here. You really need to experience it yourself.) The book hurtles along at a breakneck pace, rocketing towards a conclusion that may just be a little bit too over-the-top to fit with the rest of the book's tone (The giant deathtrap at the end just defied all logic), and writer Christopher Priest manages to tell an incredibly complex yarn, and not only make it a engrossing, but also humorous, suspenseful, and riveting. The art by Joe Jusko and M.D. Bright doesn't quite mesh with the chapters illustrated by Mike Manley, but that's a small beef, as all involved with the book do a top-notch job.

Marvel recently announced the cancellation of their monthly Black Panther series, which doesn't bode well for future collected editions, which is a damned shame. Black Panther isn't the kind of book I'd want to pick up on a monthly basis, as I think the stories are too complex to be rewarding in that format. They really deserve to be read in big chunks for best effect. Meanwhile, Priest is writing a new book for Marvel, The Crew. I'll be purchasing that book to see if he can create the same sense of wonder he did with Black Panther.