Seminal comic runs are something every author and artist aspires to have. I’m not a comic artist or author, but I imagine hearing someone mention your name as a “definitive author of [insert series]” would feel pretty damn cool. These creators not only spend years contributing to their craft, but often do so with absolutely zero promise of tomorrow. One day they have a job, the next day they do not. It can feel thankless at times, I’m sure. It’s also why comic fans go bonkers for a creator when they achieve that dream. Today is my day to go bonkers and go to the mattresses for a creator I’ve long admired.
Bryan Edward Hill has been doing some form of writing be it television, film, or comics, for well over two decades. He’s a guy with a host of hobbies, but two of his biggest passions are 80’s synth wave and Michael Mann. He’s a thinking man. If he had grown up in ancient Greece or Rome, it’s easy to see Hill becoming a polymath and teacher. He would write about his experiences and offer bits of wisdom here and there, in other words, doing exactly what he does on Twitter. But this isn’t Sparta and we have Bryan Edward Hill, author of Ultimate Black Panther.
Marvel recently brought back the Ultimate Universe. They set up the re-introduction through a mini-event called Ultimate Invasion and a one-shot called Ultimate Universe. Marvel has since released The Ultimates, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Ultimate Black Panther. The publisher said they intend to release another one-shot recap titled One Year In and a new ongoing series based on Earth-1610. The entire project has been tremendous thus far and it seems like it will only get better, but it’s Hill’s Ultimate Black Panther that has been the standout hit thus far.
It’s hard to get into specifics on why Hill’s Ultimate Black Panther is so amazing because I do not do spoilers to try and be respectful of my readers, but how do you talk about why a comic run is superb without divulging some specifics? What I will say is Hill grabs you right on the first page and tells the reader his version is going to be different and you’re going to be okay with it. By the time you’re not even halfway done with the book, you’re going to find yourself admitting that you are fine with the changes and you kinda like them. It’s only going to go uphill from here.
Hill’s work succeeds because this isn’t his first time with the Black Panther universe. He also wrote the Killmonger (2018) series and has spent time with characters like Blade and has written for characters within the X-Men franchise. You could say he’s been building toward this, but the truth is that he’s always had tremendous talent. This is just a case of talent, timing, circumstance, and luck all combining for one hell of a comic run written by one hell of a dude.
Ultimate Black Panther shines because Hill takes his inspiration from Mann with environments. Like Mann, Hill will craft his story around the locations he thinks they need, whatever that may be. He’s not afraid to take chances on moving the story between locations because the continuity is all kept upstairs in Hill’s head enabling him to balance the locational need within the framework of his stories. This works directly in tandem with his artists during the creation process, and it’s pretty cool and deserves and explanation.
By being unafraid to move the story around and use locations to his advantage, Hill gives the artist a chance to show off so many different styles and features. The artist isn’t stuck to drawing endless rows of buildings and skyscrapers with Hill, they’re going to be moving around the world like a location scout on the prowl for a big-budget picture. It gives them the genuine ability to showcase their talent by trusting them to hit these locations and story beats and I have to imagine that it is a pretty fun working relationship.
Hill is also excellent at developing personal relationships and identity. There’s an intensity to each relationship that keeps the reader invested in how these relationships will pan out. Hill is also excellent at allowing those relationships to have interplay with other characters and the complexity that comes with having multiple parties invested in the same outcome via different methods. It’s very Michael Mann-ish in that regard, as well. But above all else, Hill truly shines when he’s writing about the relationship these characters have with themselves and the world around them and the battles they fight interna
I could say so much more about Hill, but the truth is that you just need to go check out this comic. Ultimate Black Panther #8 drops on September 11th, so there aren’t that many books to catch up on if you get after it now. I promise you that you’re not going to be disappointed, especially if you like the Black Panther or have read Hill’s previous work. This run is comparable to Garth Ennis’ run with Punisher or Jason Aaron’s run with Thor. It’s that good and Bryan deserves everything that comes his way as a result of this work.
