Wow, it's been a while hasn't it? Sucky stories and price hikes have forced me out of the comics scene for a while now, as you may have already noticed, but with a new job I've finally found time (and funds!) to restart this baby! Now let's check out what I pulled this week!
Black Panther #1 is a gorgeous-looking book, even if there's not much to see. Ta-Nehisi Coates writes T'Challa as a humbled king, doing his best to serve a country that may or may not believe in his leadership anymore. His supporting cast expands to bring both guidance and intrigue into his life, from his stepmother to the Dora Milaje (the female royal guard), but all the layers Coates' story weaves doesn't hide the fact that it's mostly a set-up issue with no clear plot.
Brian Stelfreeze's art steps up to keep things interesting, at least. His Wakandan designs are tops, and never has the Black Panther looked this regal and menacing at the same time. The comic ends with a cliffhanger that's confusing for first-time Black Panther readers, and time will tell if people are willing to see where this goes. This issue gets a 3 out of 5.
Empress #1 opens with a space dictator sanctioning an execution by T-Rex, and that's all reason you need to keep reading Mark Millar's sci-fi epic. The dictator's wife, the titular Empress, has had enough of the sick displays of affection, and from there Millar takes you for a ride as she and her family go on a daring escape!
This first issue sounds deceptively simple, but there are more things at stake here than Millar lets on, things I can't wait to find out. If you're just here for the action and explosions, Empress #1 has it in spades, and with Stuart Immonen doing the art, you just know it's gonna be awesome. Immonen's pencils, with Wade von Grawbadger on inks and Ive Svorcina on colors, is a perfect fit for Millar's grand storytelling, making this one of the best-looking books on the stands this week.
With the Empress not being who she seems on the surface, there's plenty of ways this story may go. One thing's for sure, this title is going on my pull list! Empress #1 gets a 4 out of 5.
It feels pretty good to be reading comics again! But from the looks of it, I'll be sticking to the indies for now. What did get this week? Let us know in the comments! Thanks for reading!
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