About Christopher Cummings
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For its entire history, the African nation of Wakanda has flourished by remaining separate from the rest of the world. Wakanda’s leader, the Black Panther, broke with that protocol by siding with Captain America’s anti-registration resistance force during Marvel’s Civil War. When Captain America surrendered to the U.S. government at the end of the war, Black Panther and his wife Storm were left adrift--as foreign heads of state, the U.S. government has little love for the Wakandan king and queen, and the pro-registration forces aren’t exactly fond of them either.
Black Panther #26 offers a lot of set up for what’s to come including Black Panther and Storm joining the Fantastic Four while Reed Richards and Sue take a break from the super-powered quartet to work on their own troubled relationship. As such, the issue itself isn’t as interesting as what it telegraphs may be coming.
For example, events in this issue seem to lend credence to Black Panther’s prediction of a U.S.-based, super-powered team invading Wakanda. How will Black Panther, Storm, and Wakanda deal with that? Joining the Fantastic Four--at the request of one of the architects of the Super Human Registration Act--should help rehabilitate the Black Panther’s image in the eyes of the public and the superhero community; however, how will this action be viewed by the Wakandan people? As seen in this issue, segments of the Wakanda public aren’t overly happy with the Panther spending so much time away from his home; joining an American superhero team based in New York City, while U.S. battle ships are hovering just outside Wakandan waters, will likely only exacerbate those feelings.
The art by Francis Portela isn’t spectacular, but his storytelling is spot-on; easy to follow, with some unique panel choices and camera angles that clearly illustrate what’s happening without distracting from the story.
Black Panther #26
“Two Plus Two, Part One: Home Invasion”
Writer: Reginald Hudlin
Pencils: Francis Portela
Inks: Victor Olazba
Colors: Val Staples
Letters: VC’s Cory Petit
