John Buscema (1927–2002)

Access a version of the below that includes illustrations on my blog.

I've been reading Black Panther comics in original publication order, but read this out of sequence because it's a collection of material from 1966-70 that wasn't released until after I'd read other material from this era. I didn't discover it until I'd got up to the early 2000s; I jumped back to read it after finishing Christopher Priest's run. Confusingly, it's called Mighty Marvel Masterworks Presents The Black Panther, Volume 1 but the stories collected are totally different to those collected in Marvel Masterworks Presents The Black Panther, Volume 1. Not sure why Marvel would have two so similarly titled reprint series, but I'm sure it must make sense to someone. (Note that the marketing calls this volume Claws of the Panther, but that title doesn't actually appear on the cover, title page, or copyright page of my digital copy from Hoopla.)

The story collects the Black Panther's original two appearances in Fantastic Four #52-53 (which I had already read, so I did not reread), plus the half of #54 where he appears (which I had not), and then goes on to reprint early guest appearances alongside the FF, Captain America, and Daredevil, as well as a few of his appearances with the Avengers. The first few stories are all Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, then Roy Thomas takes over as writer with John Buscema on pencils.

#54 and 56 are largely curios. It is neat to see the Black Panther play baseball against the Fantastic Four, but you have to suffer through a lot of blather about the Inhumans even though it's only ten pages long; the Panther doesn't really appear in #56, which is about Klaw returning to bedevil the Fanstastic Four. This has some amazing Kirby art but the writing is not Stan's finest, with a pathetic Sue and some pretty random resolutions. The Captain America comics didn't do much for me either, they are very much Captain America stories with Black Panther as a supporting character who could pretty much be any other hero, though I guess it shows that Marvel were interested in keeping the character going.

Then Roy Thomas takes over, and he clearly is very interested in the character because we suddenly get him and his world fleshed out a lot more. The Avengers stories weren't great, but were noteworthy. We get the story where Black Panther joins the team, the first appearance of Man-Ape, and a two-parter that introduces singer Monica Lynne, Panther's future fiancée who would play a big role in Don McGregor's and Christopher Priest's work. The story where T'Challa joins the team is weird; it has him in a mask where his lower face is visible, and he's not called "the Black Panther," his codename is just "the Panther." Clearly this minor attempt at a revamp did not stick—to the extent that in that in one of the later stories we're told he deliberately hides that he is Black so that he can avoid judgments on his skin color! The story has him being framed for murdering the Avengers, but the eventual explanation for what happened makes little sense. It is pretty easy to read this story with Priest's retcon that T'Challa only joined the Avengers to spy on them in mind, too.

The two-parter was pretty interesting at first; Black Panther and Monica get mixed up in the attempt of white nationalists to stir up racial animus. Initially, it seems like it's about them taking down the kind of people who might say things like "pointing out racism is the real racism!" Pretty woke, Roy Thomas! But then we learn that the white nationalist demagogue and the Black anti-racism crusader are part of the same evil organization, working together to undermine America. Not so woke after all. But you can see why Monica stuck around; she instantly pops off the page.

The best story here is the Daredevil one. It's a bit nonsensical in parts, but it's a neat story about the police trying to find Daredevil (he's been poisoned) but mistaking Black Panther for him, and so T'Challa helps them find Daredevil. Barry Windsor-Smith does some of the best non-Kirby art in this book, good atmosphere. We don't learn much about Black Panther here but it is well told.

So overall, a decent collection to read if you want a sense of where the Black Panther came from.… (more)

Volume #10 begins with Belit and Conan going back to Belit's home city in order to get potion to save her mentor N'yaga. This will set them on the road to Stygia where they will get involved in the inner politics of this sorcerer-kingdom with epic battles and monster encounters as a result.

All in all good collection, although stories are more comic(y?) here than in previous issues. Again lots of over dramatic postures, teeth barring and bombast dialog - everything that marked the action comics of the time. In any case it did not prove to be too much disconcerting to me thanks to the page organisation and composition.

Art is again great, Buscema's art again being more to my liking than the rest. Even with all the drama and bombast Buscema manges to give Conan story that epic feeling that somehow eluded the other authors of the period. H. Chaykin is also good but again not as good as Buscema (at least for me).
Coloring is not so good in the first few chapters (it is somewhat grainy) but gets back to quality of previous volumes 1/3 into the book.

Excellent volume, highly recommended to Conan and sword-and-sorcery genre fans in general.… (more)

In volume 8 we follow Conan as he joins the mercenary troop on way to the city state to help it become a superpower. In this adventure Conan will come across ancient creatures and monsters, warlords, wizards and their creations, and, due to the unexpected peace treaty, will travel to the distant City of Argos folowing rumours of possible war between Argos and Stygia.

Here he will become member of the pirate crew led by mysterious Belit.

Art is beautiful, especially John Buscema's work. Again coloring is impeccable and truly brings to life entire panels.

As a story this volume marks the beginning of the long running ark where Conan will sail and raid side by side with Belit, Pirate Queen of the Black Coast.

I can only say I cannot wait for the new volume.

Highly recommended to all fans of Conan and generally sword-and-sorcery tales.… (more)