Review: Killmonger #2

With his use in the Black Panther film and now his own miniseries there is no question 2018 is Erik Killmonger“s year. He is a character that has been around for decades, but for really the first time we are seeing a layer of depth added to his construction that was never there before. Bryan Hill and Juan Ferreyra have taken elements of what we saw in this year“s biggest film and molded their own take on the character that stands well on its own.

What stands out immediately with this book is how it is unlike anything else Marvel is publishing today or in some time. Outside the use of certain characters, you would never even realize this it existed in the current Marvel universe. Much of that is due to the art of Juan Ferreyra and his colorist Eduardo Ferreyra. They have constructed this neo-noir aesthetic that is similar to Nicolas Winding Refn film.The sense of realism makes the more violent moments that much more poignant as Killmonger sees his search for revenge drive him deeper and deeper into the criminal underground.

In the issue, Killmonger continues to work with King as he hopes it will eventually bring him to Klaw to enact is revenge. King and Killmonger have this classic old guard/hotshot rookie type of relationship. Obviously, King sees something in Erik as he tries to educate him on survival and the mistakes he is in risk of making. At the same time, one wonders if Killmonger is more of a means to an end to a grander plan he is playing. In great crime story fashion, there is this underlying cat and mouse game this is always being played even in inconsequential side conversations.

As the story continues Killmonger and his new crew are tasked with taking out more people that have proved to be a nuance for the Kingpin. Where know who Killmonger eventually turns into but what we are seeing is how exactly he got there. How his justification for claiming revenge upon one individual is leading him further and further down a darker path. It is not a series that is trying to humanize him or justify his past and future actions. Rather it is providing intriguing context to what can drive a person further and further away from his original moral compass

Although this series does not have the Max label it feels like a spiritual successor to many of those series that deal with more complex themes and impactful violence. The violence here is by no means exploitative. Rather it is used well to further empathize the stakes of this new underground world Killmonger has fallen into. Taking a life is not without major consequences and Erik is coming to realize what it will take to complete his mission.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer:Â Bryan Hill
Artist:Â Juan Ferreyra
Color Artist:Â Eduardo Ferreyra
Letterer:Â Â Joe Sabino

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Daniel Clark

A fan of all things comics. Growing up on a healthy diet of 90's Batman and X-Men cartoon series ignited a love for the medium that remains strong today.