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Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1 shows Black Panther and his allies at their finest as they tackle the threat of Dormammu in an action-packed issue.
The forces of Dormammu are overwhelming the Guardians of the Galaxy and S.W.O.R.D. in The Last Annihilation, leaving the heroes with no choice but to call for backup. The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1 sees some much-needed help arrive in the form of Black Panther and his closest allies. Penned by Evan Narcisse with art by Germán Peralta and colors by Jesus Aburtov, the issue is a great showcase of Wakanda’s heroes that explores their place in the Marvel Universe following the end of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther run.
The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1 highlights Black Panther’s response to the Last Annihilation, after receiving a distress call from S.W.O.R.D.’s Abigail Brand. T’Challa sends an elite team of warriors to help, including M’Baku, Shuri, and Vibraxas. With Manifold as their guide, the heroes arrive to support the Shi’ar Imperial Guard. Unfortunately, the Shi’ar have been emotionally scarred by their own battles against the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda and don’t trust their would-be-allies, even as Storm and Black Panther arrive to further reinforce their army. Can Black Panther and his allies prove their innocence in the eyes of the Imperial Guard or will Dormammu’s intergalactic conquest claim yet another planet?
Writer Evan Narcisse returns to Black Panther in The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1, having previously written T’Challa’s early years in Marvel’s Rise of the Black Panther. He has a firm understanding of the world of Wakanda and this issue works well as a companion to Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther run. Exposition-heavy scenes that detail Wakanda’s history with vibranium or M’Baku’s complicated past are great ways to catch new readers up to speed on those concepts, but it’s clear that Narcisse’s greatest attribute is his ability to highlight Black Panther’s supporting cast. Narcisse focuses a lot of this issue on M’Baku’s struggle to accept his legacy. It’s a smart choice that allows a genuine undercurrent of doubt to develop as the story progresses. While somebody like Black Panther is practically unbeatable, M’Baku is far from infallible, making Wakanda’s fight against Dormammu feel substantially more threatening.
The art in The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1 is handled by Germán Peralta, who last worked on Black Panther during King in Black. Seeing Black Panther in space is genuinely fun, as the Afrofuturism of Wakandan technology effortlessly blends into the sci-fi atmosphere. There are 30 pages in this comic, but Peralta would have you believing you’d read an entire graphic novel. He uses clever layouts that pack in extra story beats efficiently. When the action ramps up, dozens of characters fill up the page and burst through the panels. Still, the issue never feels crowded and Peralta gives colorist Jesus Aburtov ample room to play. Aburtov uses a vibrant palette on the book’s cast of aliens, demonic entities, and intergalactic warriors, which makes the action dynamic and expressive. It feels like he uses every color under the sun and it makes for an exciting visual feast.
Admittedly, The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1 is not an essential story for the events of The Last Annihilation. Much in the same way Cable: Reloaded #1 was a subtle way to pump up that hero’s status after a long time away, this issue is truly about exploring Wakanda’s relationship with other galactic nations. However, that branding decision does not diminish the quality of the issue. If anybody is being introduced to Black Panther comics through this, they’ll be in for a treat.
The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1 is a top-notch tie-in to Marvel’s latest cosmic event. While it may not be essential reading, it gives everybody an exciting Black Panther story to enjoy during the delay for his new series. Evan Narcisse and Germán Peralta are great guides for Black Panther’s journey across the stars. With stellar character work and explosive action, The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1 is a fun one-and-done adventure that’ll leave fans smiling.
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