Black Panther: Secret Invasion: The Killer Tie-In
Welcome to Diamond in the Rough the segment that finds the only things in bad or meh events worth checking out. Marvel's reliance on crossover events has been something that has plagued Marvel for about a decade. One of the worst but critically not as bad as Civil War is Secret Invasion. Long story short, it's about alien shapeshifters called Skrulls infiltrating every corner of Earth including the superhero community. In fact the invasion takes advantage of events that already took place like House of M and World War Hulk.
This premise alone would have been enough, unfortunately the event was handled poorly. It effectively retrofitted a lot of events that had already taken place. Instead of taking positions with real power and authority; the Skrulls took over positions of nobodies who barely had any connections to the Avengers or SHIELD. Most of the tie-ins and main story use the exact same formula of "Skrulls attack, try to mount a counter, the skrulls had already infiltrated". At least somebody managed to do everything right with this scenario with Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
So what makes Black Panther stand out?
Black Panther Forever
Black Panther's kingdom Wakanda already has a reputation for never being conquered. It is only natural to show why with the Skrulls making an attempt. Black Panther himself has had a shaky reputation after Reginald Hudlin's run started to take a nosedive. Here however Jason Aaron presents T'Challa not only as a superhero but as leader of the world's most advanced nation.
The Skrulls come to Wakanda hoping to get the Vibranium that is the prime resource of the kingdom. While the Skrulls are confident they can win with their numbers and technology; they are far from the two-dimensional goons people know them as. Among the Skrulls, Commander K'vvvr is rather self-driven to survive the battle; unlike his blindly loyal soldiers who would throw their lives away for the Skrull Empire. Looking at this, a reader can't help but sympathize with K'vvvr as a shellshocked war veteran.
Retracted Claws, Bearing Fangs
Black Panther time and again presents himself as a warrior who can grapple with the best of what the Marvel Universe can throw at him. But to see his entire nation engage in battle with a Type I civilization army is a compelling grand spectacle. Wakanda does not even fight with the advanced technology it is known for; but with basic weaponry like knives and spears. T'Challa knows he can't defeat the Skrulls with brute force or technology; so he has to sacrifice some crucial pieces to get the Skrulls where he wants them to be. You know the Black Panther means business when he presents the heads of your own sleeper agents.
It is also nice to see the series make reference to other major achievements from Hudlin's Black Panther run. Looking at some of the reviews for this series however; people were not excited with T'Challa and Ororo being at the Skrulls mercy. But the final issue shows this is part of their plan. I guess this is one of those times you have to read the whole thing rather than wait it out.
This is What Happens When You Tie-In Right
As I said before, most of the Secret Invasion was full of uninspired shocks and twists. This mini-series however turns the whole thing on its head by showing a compelling story and an intelligent use of characters. Of course someone will need background information to make this a greater story experience; but it is still a great standalone read. This gets an 8/10.
Thanks for coming to the end; remember to like, share, comment, and remember to look between the panels.