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Robert Greenberger
by Robert Greenberger
Sometime around the dawn of 1966, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were enjoying the most fertile creative period of either man’s career. Coming off the Galactus trilogy, they pivoted to the repercussions of the lessons learned. While Ben Grimm was learning some humility, Johnny storm had seen humanity as little much more than ants. When events bring the team and their companion Wyatt Wingfoot to Africa, they encounter T’Challa, king of the secretive land of Wakanda, who protects his people as the Black Panther. If Dr. Doom was a despot who ruled through fear, the Panther was his opposite and equal.
Fantastic four #52
While black characters had existed for some time, this was the first costumed adventurer and has endured thanks to his distinct origins. Kirby’s initial outfit was black and bright yellow, which didn’t make sense for a jungle so thankfully it developed into the much more familiar skintight dark outfit, although the mask was at first a Batman-like cowl.
Black Panther epic Collection: Panther’s Rage
He was a strong supporting player across the line before finally earning a berth in Jungle Action. Handed over to writer Don McGregor, the character became something special. and now, in a new collection after fans were electrified by Chadwick Boseman’s performance in Captain America: Civil War, marvel is giving us Black Panther epic Collection: Panther’s Rage, collecting fantastic four #52-53 and Jungle action #6-24.
There was a lot of really cool things happening at marvel Comics in the early 1970s as a new generation of creators were arriving and getting acclimated. Lee had stepped down as editor in chief and Roy Thomas, his successor, was welcoming to writers and artists eager to strut their stuff.
At a time when they flooding the market with new titles, numerous of them reprints, little was made of Jungle Action. A revival of a title that last ran in the 1950s, it initially featured reprints of Jann of the Jungle and Lorna, the Jungle Queen. then it reprinted Avengers #62, a Black Panther-heavy story, followed by a new solo series, written by Don McGregor and initially drawn by rich Buckler.
Jungle action #6
The serial “Panther’s Rage”, which ran from issues #6-18 comprised one of the longest stories ever to come from the house of ideas and catapulted its creators to the forefront of readers’ attention.
The sprawling story ran from 1973 through 1976 (interrupted in JA #23 for a reprint of Daredevil #69 for those keeping score) was so distinct in its day that marvel actually offered a recap after just three issues. At the time, the pages counts were dropping so many of the stories were a mere 15 pages in length.
So what made this so special? It starts by setting the story in Africa, using and exploring T’Challa’s nation of Wakanda. McGregor made it feel like another land and another time, introducing us to his court and its people. He introduced the villain Eric Killmonger, who has plagued the Panther ever since. The notion of a revolution against its King was fresh and played out leisurely, ensuring we soaked up the atmosphere until it concluded in issue #18. “Panther vs. the Klan” ran from issues 19-22, 24 and took on the Ku Klux Klan in an unresolved story when the title was summarily canceled.
McGregor was a heavy-handed writer, leading the way for an era of purple prose being predominant in marvel titles, but it packed an emotional wallop as a result. When you could see the artwork, you saw some of Buckler’s best work, clearly inspired by the drama and action. He had an affinity for the character, initially showing Stan Lee samples featuring the Panther and Ka-Zar.
Jungle action #19
In the current alter Ego, Buckler said, “Well, if the work I did on Black Panther was literally a high point in my career, then I should have peaked early and the rest is just downhill. but I don’t think that is the case. There was a particular magic in those works, though, I’ll have to admit. and I believe it was because Don and I worked so well together. We would plan out pages together, in some cases when my work was in the layout stage. Don’s ideas were always very visual.
“Our collaborations on Jungle action and a few other projects we did together were highly charged and personal. We just pulled out all the stops, and we never considered what the people at marvel would think. We were identified to just please the comics fans, and ourselves, of course—and I think that was reflected in the work we turned out together.
“I loved Don’s writing style! So eclectic, but never derivative. always exciting and visceral! He was and is one of the smartest, many articulate, and literate comics writers that I’ve ever worked with. and he has a heart about the size of long Island!”
While Buckler started this, he was soon spelled by Billy Graham, who first made his name on the Warren black and white magazines, but shone here. As Tom Stewart wrote in Back Issue!, “Billy’s work on this series is a revelation…innovative layouts, expressive anatomy, and a cartoony style.”
The late Dwayne McDuffie said of the landmark series, “This overlooked and underrated classic is arguably the most firmly written multi-part superhero epic ever. If you can get your hands on it, sit down and read the whole thing. It’s damn-near flawless, every issue, every scene, a functional, required part of the whole. Okay, now go back and read any individual issue. You’ll find perfectly integrated words and pictures; clearly introduced characters and situations; a concise (sometimes even transparent) recap; beautifully developed character relationships; at least one cool new villain; a spectacular action set piece to test our hero’s skills and resolve; and a story that is always moving forward towards a certain and satisfying conclusion. That’s what we ought to all be delivering, every single month. Don [McGregor] and company did it in only 17 story pages per issue.”
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Black Panther epic Collection: Panther’s Rage
Classic covers from the Grand Comics Database.
