Comics Portal: Ultimate Black Panther #1 Copies Lost?

Apparently, one way to increase interest in a title is to have your distributor lose thousands of copies! Yikes!

COPIES OF ‘ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER’ #1 APPARENTLY MISSING

The always-reliable Internet has been buzzing for days about Penguin Random House, who exclusively distributes Marvel’s comics titles, apparently losing track of up to 12,000 copies of Ultimate Black Panther #1, causing shortages at many local comics shops hoping to sell that title.

A second printing is already on the way, seemingly ordered before that first issue was released, which has caused something of a feeding frenzy among Panther and other comics fans.

Word is that this issue has been seen selling for $25 to $30 on eBay and the like, with that number possibly going even higher by the time this article is posted.

This has been good news for the recently released Ultimate Spider-Man #1, which has been sold on eBay for $60 to $85 a few days ago. Word is also around that Ultimate X-Men #1 by Peach Momoko coming next month is already selling above cover price.

Nothing like a good shortage to increase demand!

Of course, Marvel’s Ultimate Universe has been revived recently, and there has been a lot of interest in this! However, if Penguin suddenly starts selling the missing issues at a very high price, well, I guess I wouldn’t blame them!

So, what is the debut issue of Ultimate Black Panther about, anyway? Here’s the official description:

THE NEW ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER! In the wake of ULTIMATE INVASION, Khonshu and Ra – the force known together as Moon Knight – are seeking to expand their brutal control of the continent of Africa. In response, the lone bulwark against them, the isolated nation of Wakanda, will send forth its champion…its king…the Black Panther! From the creative minds of Bryan Hill (BLADE, KILLMONGER) and Stefano Caselli (X-MEN RED, AVENGERS) comes a bold new take on the world of Black Panther and Wakanda! Rated T+In Shops: Feb 07, 2024 SRP: $5.99

So, if your shop received one and made it available to you, be sure to buy it, bag it, and board it as soon as possible! If you didn’t get to buy a copy, you can always go digital through comiXology to at least read the book!

SO, WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

I’m always fascinated by collectors who never crack open a title, but get their comics bagged and boarded before they have a chance to actually read the darn thing! How do they know if the book is any good?

This title sounds like it is off to a great start, actually discussing the rights of intervention, going to war, those who want to go that route, and those who don’t.

Of course, many of the familiar characters associated with Black Panther are there, including T’Challa (the current king of Wakanda), his father T’Chaka (retired king of Wakanda), Killmonger, Shuri (sister of T’Challa), and others. T’Challa here is married to Okoye of the Dora Millaje, not Ororo (Storm). At least, he is now. I’m intrigued by the change in Moon Knight, a joint identity and a physically dissociated figure rather than the mentally dissociated one in Marc Spector.

Wakanda apparently was an “undiscovered country,” but now it seems the comics creators have decided to explore this place. Wakanda is a place where we at least hope that peace prevails among the futuristic technology and local traditions. Will that last? If this first issue is any indication, one singular event is going to throw everything into turmoil.

TOO MANY UNIVERSES?

We’ll see how the Ultimate Universe shakes out in the coming months, but I have a few friends already a little confused as to which Black Panther is which.

After all, Black Panther #1 just came out in 2023. Now we get another #1, this time Ultimate Black Panther.

This kind of thing happened in the previous incarnation of the Ultimate Universe. One of the ways people could differentiate between the universes was Spider-Man. Miles Morales was that hero in the Ultimate Universe since Peter Parker had died there. He has since appeared in “our” universe since that version of the Ultimate Universe had ended.

I know several fans who have trouble with this kind of thing. I even have some friends who struggle to define whether we’re talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the comics. What happened where? Which character are we talking about, the one on the big screen or the one in the recent issue? (Imagine if they read DC comics!)

I have to say that I’m not much for killing off a “main” character so another can take his or her place. Granted, death in comics is only a temporary thing. However, Marvel needs to make sure that the various characters from the different universes are distinctly different from one another.

I do think that they are off to a good start this time around with the Ultimate Universe, though. And a shortage with one comic or more can only help make collectors’ “spider-sense” start tingling a lot more! I’m not saying they have made this happen, of course, but it certainly will benefit the sales in the long run!

What do you think? Did you get a copy of Ultimate Black Panther #1 if you wanted one? Do you like having more than one Marvel Universe in play? Are you good with reading about multiple versions of well-known characters or not? Whatever your opinions, be sure to share them in the space below!

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