#408 - Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda

I've been having a bit of a run through the summer months so far, with me consuming great read after great read. Since June began I've read Black Hammer, Resonant, the New Fantastic Four, Green Arrow's 80th Anniversary, FF #13, Bigger Fish and Redfork, all of which have been good reads or better (in my opinion).

Therefore, I've really been on a roll and found myself chomping at the bit to check out something else. The question was what? With hundreds of comics still yet to eread, decision making is a difficult endeavour, but I let my heart lead the way on this one to get me reading an eight issue series I've been putting off for far too long.

Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda sees the titular King of Wakanda form a new international defence organisation in the wake of the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the events of Avengers: No Surrender and War of the Realms. This unit, under the command of head of the Dora Milaje Okoye, sees the Wakanda bring together some of the most unique superpowered people from all corners of the Marvel Universe. From Man-Wolf John Jameson and Ka-Zar, King of the Savage Land, to the Original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, and the Agents of Atlas' Gorrilla Man, these eclectic heroes are brought together to investigate and combat the unusual threats that the Avengers do not.

Now, I must confess that I'm unsure as to why these are not stories and events which occur in the Avengers book proper. Is it because they are busy elsewhere? Are these activities considered 'below their paygrade'? But anyway, I found this series one which I was incredibly intrigued and excited to read because of both the cast of characters involved as well as the amazingly gorgeous covers from all eight issues.

Unfortunately, this series was, for me, a case of 'judging a book by it's cover' because, while the covers were phenomenal, the adventures of Black Panther's spy unit was, overall, only an ok read. Of course, the Agents of Wakanda started strongly, with the first and last issues being good reads which hinted at me of their potential. However, I found myself struggling to get invested in the middle issues as the seemingly Silver age concept of self contained stories set in the modern world just didn't hook me.

I must confess at this point that I found my lack of interest strange because I always have been a big proponent of self contained stories. I guess it is just a case that over the years my preference has moved towards more long form storytelling.

That said, it isn't all doom, (Foom) and gloom as this run did have some good points to it for me. The chief among these, as I said, was the awesome cast of characters which appeared in these eight issues. I'm a big fan of both Gorilla-Man and Fat Cobra, having been introduced to them in Agents of Atlas and the Immortal Iron Fist respectively, and so getting the chance to see them again and in a greater capacity is always a thrill. Also, after his appearance in the Prodigal Son mini series, I'm more intrigued about Ka-Zar and enjoyed his (albeit) brief appearance here. Then, of course we cannot forget the titular Black Panther who, as I read this, always sounded in my head like the late Chadwick Boseman (and that can only ever be a plus).

And, finally, we can never forget the greatness that is FIN FANG FOOM!!!

Meanwhile, I thought the art was absolutely gorgeous. Looking vibrant and distinctly eye popping, the style reminded me of Joe Mad's work, although, admittedly, I thought Lan Medina work was far sharper and gave AoW less of a dreamlike hue. I also loved some of the character designs in this series, particularly Mockingbird, whose new costume (complete with wings) was just beautiful, and Man-wolf, who I've never actually read a comic that he's starred in and so seeing his beastial form was quite a treat. Also, any chance I get to see the Warriors Three is always a win (although I do find myself now wondering; can you be promoted into/out of the Warriors Three?) and did I mention FIN FANG FOOM (Yes, I have a problem)!!

In the end though, cool characters and gorgeous art isn't enough to get me to leaving happy (although, I know, it should). I truly did go into Agents of Wakanda expecting to be blown away but, sadly, it wasn't to be.

Still, I'm glad I read it and maybe my tastes will change again one day. For now though, I guess that winning streak is over.

Oh, and before I forget ...

As per usual, Agents of Wakanda was not the only selection of comics I read during the week. First up, I did a review of the week was for Magma Comix/Heavy Metal's Never Never #1. Now, I'll be honest, while the concept did intrigue me as soon as I read it, I was unsure which way I would go on this. However, by the end, I really thought that this first issue was an immensely riveting read and one which I really liked.

I think what I enjoyed most about it was probably two things. First, I liked how it married up the concepts of Peter Pan and Lord of the Flies practically faultlessly (in my opinion). Second was the seriously chilling depiction of the Peter Pan-esque character, who gave me the impression of some Victorian street thug/gang member. That said, I still found it a fun story which ended with a few questions in my head.

The art, meanwhile, was solid. It reminded me a little of Breaks in its pencils while its colours had a very restrained vibe to them (makes me think that maybe Magma are trying to find their own house style). I also felt a bit of a horror vibe going as many of the Never Never inhabitants had this very emaciated look to them.

Overall, this was a truly great read that has really hooked me a lot. I will now be paying attention to the rest of the run as I'm intrigued as to where it will go.

After that, I reviewed Access Denied, a sci-fi love story from the creators of Milford Green. Unfortunately, this was one of those books where I just couldn't find anything specific to write about (although I did eventually get there). However, this lack of notable points didn't change the fact that this was an absolutely brilliant comic and I loved it immensely.

The main draw of it for me had to be its unbridled positivity. I honestly think that this is Sam's niche and a reason that S Factor didn't work on me like this and Milford Green did. The fact is that S Factor was too cynical, while Access Denied and Milford Green are infectiously positive. It was this reason, along with just how charming and likable Athena and Robert are, that got me so invested.

The art was also solid work. I wish I could big up Mikael's work in this issue but, quite simply, it feels like he's at the top of his game the work is so spectacular (just like in Milford). The one thing I can note is how incredible the android designs are, as he's made them look both human and not human simultaneously.

If I had one complaint, I wonder if the end should have been more bittersweet, but that is just my opinion. The truth is that this was an incredible read and I sure hope we get to see more.

Finally, while not for review purposes, I also read Marvel Action Spider-Man #1-3 with my son, which saw the Spider-people Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy come together at a Daily Bugle internship before changing into their masked personas to defeat a barrage of mutant giant monster animals.

Sadly, this series just wasn't my thing. Unfortunately, there wasn't any particular reason why this is the case as the story was ... fine (if a little boring) and the art was equally as serviceable. However, it was just a case that these issues just didn't grab my attention enough. Of course, where it went with the eventual villain didn't help matters as it didn't strike me as in keeping with the character I know.

That said, that minor quibble aside, this Marvel Action series just wasn't my thing and I'd probably give it a wide berth going forward ... if my son didn't think it was awesome and want more.

What are the odds, huh?

So a pretty full week to be fair. But that's not all! I also managed to hammer out a whole four pages of script for my current project. I'm particularly proud of myself on this point because I've been finding a struggle to make the time to write. However, given that my schedule is becoming a little more consistent now, I'm hoping I can get back to this part of my life and catch up to get all 12 pages I'd planned for this month.

For now though, I do have a more immediate concern; what do I read for next week?