Life As A Pawn Of The Kingpin In Killmonger #2
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Killmonger and his new crew plan a hit on four targets chosen by the Kingpin. King and Rook opt for a synchronized attack on each of the targets, but Erik wants to lure them into a false meeting with Fisk and killing the four in one place at the same time. King is reluctant, but he opts to go with Erik’s plan. It may be suicide, but it may also mean being in Fisk’s good graces.
Killmonger #2 is another knockout of an issue about one of the Black Panther’s most vicious enemies and his beginnings.
Despite his ambitions, Erik Killmonger finds himself a pawn in the games of rich and powerful men, and he, of course, chafes in this role. That said, he is good at killing, and he gets to present that here.
Killmonger #2 is a brutal issue. The execution of Erik’s plan results in a bloody firefight between his people and their targets’ bodyguards. Make no mistake, despite a sympathetic backstory and very human goals, N’Jadaka is a killer. This comic reminds you of that in case you forgot.
The ending is a bleak twist that finds this team of assassins in competition with another dangerous killer that you might just recognize.
Juan Ferreyra’s artwork is downright beautiful in its rendition of this blood and carnage. There are many pensive and calm scenes of Erik that show his inner conflict clearly, and there is a flashback with Klaw that hits pretty hard thanks to Ferreyra’s artwork. The big assassination sequence is damn inspired and is among the more memorable comic book scenes in recent months. The color work (with assists from Eduardo Ferreyra) is powerful too and set visceral tones throughout the comic.
Killmonger #2 is a phenomenal read and capitalizes well on the current popularity of N’Jadaka. It gives him a more expansive and brutal backstory than previously known, and it solidifies him as one of the more compelling Marvel villains. This one definitely earns a recommendation. Give it a read.
Killmonger #2 comes to us from writer Bryan Hill, artist and cover artist Juan Ferreyra, color assistant Eduardo Ferreyra, letterer VC’s Joe Sabino, and variant cover artist Jeff Dekal.