The bizarre weather patterns in Wakanda are getting worse. A heat wave, mud slides, wild fires and more have taken the country by storm and stretched the Black Panther to the limit of his attention. Now, with a malaria epidemic raging, can the Royal Family of Wakanda uncover the problem before their land and its people are destroyed? Find out July 10th in MARVEL ACTION: BLACK PANTEHR #2 from IDW Publishing!

MARVEL ACTION: BLACK PANTHER #2

Writer: Kyle Baker
Artist: Juan Samu
Letters: Tom B. Long
Cover: Juan Samu
Colors: David Garcia Cruz
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: July 10th, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Previously in MARVEL ACTION BLACK PANTHER: A heatwave unlike any before has struck Wakanda along with freak weather variations. Using his own version of Hulkbuster armor, T’Challa saves a plane from crashing, but can do little else to ease the suffering of his people. Is it a natural phenomenon, or has a darker plan been set into motion?

IT’S NOT THE HEAT…

The kingdom of Wakanda seems to be under siege by Mother Nature herself. A myriad of weather related phenomenon have stretched the resources of Black Panther and his people to the breaking point, and even as he personally rescues people from the wildfire which are plaguing his country, his sister Shuri has more bad news. Mudslides to the south, drought to the north, and storms pushing the flames along. Even as Shuri gives her report to her brother, he is in action saving a young girl in the midst of the flames. Knowing her brother will insist on listening to her briefing, she cuts communications and shifts her own priorities. There is an epidemic of malaria upon not only the cattle and livestock, but the people as well. Shuri has an antidote, and a vaccine, but distributing it could take hours, hours many of the people do not have.  Even being the rulers of Wakanda, with all of its obligations and ceremony, cannot stop the Royal Family from performing giving their most to help their people. However, when the Queen Mother calls, even T’Challa takes pause to assure her that all is going as well as can be. Shuri is not answering her calls, and T’Challa’s mother wants him to check on it. Especially if she is going to Piranha Cove. There is a history there, one to give even a mother as confident as Queen Ramonda concern for her child.

Arriving just as they take off, T’Challa tells Shuri their mother wants him to accompany them. Shuri explains the situation; the hotter weather has allowed the mosquitoes to survive longer than normal, so their presence has jumped and they are spreading the epidemic. Not only does she have a malaria vaccine and cure, she has mosquito bait, enough to capture and kill all of the mosquitoes in Wakanda. Before they can enact the plan, an unforeseen event turns the tables on the siblings, and they find themselves plummeting from the skies. Meanwhile, the Queen Mother has taken a hand of matters to visit the new CEO of the vibranium mining concern, Mchezaji. Since his appointment, vibranium production have increased fourfold, and what is good for vibranium is good for Wakanda, right?

SCRATCH THAT, IT’S THE HEAT.

Marvel Action: Black Panther continues the line of Marvel properties published by IDW with focus on the middle grade readers. The best thing about this initiative is not only do younger readers get great jumping off points to discover these characters, often after seeing them in the Marvel Comics Universe of movies, but it give older, more experienced readers a chance to enjoy the characters without much of the baggage that may follow them traditional line of books. So far, all of the titles have been home runs, and Marvel Action: Black Panther is no exception.

Kyle Baker (Why I Hate Saturn, Nate Turner) brings on a great and refreshing script focusing not just on the Black Panther but the royal family and the country of Wakanda as well. This cannot be the first time he has written Black Panther, can it? I really have had a time finding any other time that he has, and if someone knows of when, please leave me a note in the comments. He has an understanding of the characters that eludes some writers, and delivers some great moments interspersed in a great story.

Juan Samu (MASK, Back to the Future) provides some great illustrations for Baker’s tale of nature gone wild. With a character like Black Panther, you can’t just let him sit on the page, you have to make him move. Under Samu’s direction, Black Pantehr not only moves, he flows across the page. There is a great sense of motion as he performs his acrobatic endeavors, and it makes for a great read that keeps your eyes moving. Accompanied by some great character design and panel construction, it keeps up the pace with Baker’s script, adding to the energy and letting it out in bursts of pleasure.

BOTTOM LINE: GREAT STORY WITH GREAT ACTION

Marvel Action: Black Panther, is a great example of what IDW and Marvel are trying to accomplish with their middle grade line of titles: entertaining stories, great art, and something to bring the reader back for more. There is no need to know a lot of bak story, and I would say even a knowledge of the recent movie is not required to enjoy this story. Baker and Samu have delivered something for everyone, and it is added to my personal pull list..

Weather woes and secret foes are abound in Marvel Action: Black Panther #2. It’s a sure shot title to grab if you are looking for some high quality story, art and fun.

---

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.