Issue(s): Over The Edge #6
Cover Date: Apr 96
Title: "Of kings... and bright, shiny things..."
Credits:
Ralph Macchio - Writer
Robert Brown - Penciler
Mike Witherby - Inker
James Felder - Editor

Review/plot:
Another Daredevil story by the creative team that did the previous Daredevil story in this book. The story is that Foggy Nelson is the presiding attorney at an extradition trial; the Black Panther is trying to bring Klaw to Wakanda for trial. We're at a point in Daredevil continuity where Foggy is aware that Matt Murdock is Daredevil (and that Matt had recently been faking his own death, etc.). Matt is still in the doghouse with Foggy, and is making an effort to get back in his good graces.

Black Panther has a Wakandan honors student, N'Banu, with him; he's giving him a tour of America.

At the trial, a group of goons attack and free Klaw.

Foggy is badly hurt by Klaw during the escape.

The goons are working for Killmonger.

Black Panther tracks down Killmonger but is captured. It turns out that N'Banu is really working with Killmonger. Also some continuity news: it turns out that the Killmonger that the Black Panther (and Iron Man) fought in Iron Man annual #5 was really a "simalicrum" [sic] created by the Mandarin (Killmonger wanted to gauge the Panther's reaction to his possible return).

Klaw betrays Killmonger during the struggle with the Black Panther, and Killmonger's response reminds us that it's weird for Killmonger and Klaw to be working together. Especially since Killmonger says that it was his own village that Klaw attacked and enslaved during his colonialist days.

But Killmonger nonetheless keeps Klaw around, even after the attack.

Daredevil rescues Black Panther, and it turns out that the Panther was aware that Killmonger was back, and he doctored the blueprints for a device that Killmonger intended to steal. So Killmonger can't get the device to work. Meanwhile, Daredevil correctly complains that Klaw's sonic creations are unimaginative (i mean they do look a little like male Dire Wraiths, but that says more about the design of those creatures than Klaw's originality).

The Panther fights Killmonger...

...and wins pretty definitively. N'Banu has a change of heart and brings Killmonger's vibranium medallion to Daredevil, allowing him to pretoct himself from Klaw. N'Banu is hurt in the exchange, but comes out ok. Killmonger, on the other hand, is seemingly killed again, by a falling banister.

The story ends with Foggy coming around to forgiving Matt, which isn't exactly how things have worked out by the start of Karl Kesel's upcoming run, but it's close enough (and we can blame Foggy's temporarily more forgiving nature on his injury).

This is a solid enough issue. Poor Black Panther is of course stuck fighting Klaw forever when he doesn't have his own series, but a return of Killmonger was still rare enough at this point. The art is overly busy, kind of McFarlane-esque but (instead of too many pin-ups) with overly detailed panels. The good news is that (unlike McFarlane) it's got a more traditional flow to it and it's easy to follow except on one page where Black Panther is hanging upside down with panels going down one side and a splash on the other half and it's hard to know which way to read. The story is... fine. It could have fit just as well in the Daredevil book (which was currently doing fill-ins in between the DeMatteis and Kesel runs) and that's my complaint: there was no need for this series. Except, i guess, the price point, although i don't know why this book could be 99 cents and not the Daredevil issues.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The MCP have this between Daredevil #351-352 (the same gap as Over The Edge #1 and some other Daredevil appearances).

References:

• Daredevil faked his death in Daredevil #325.
  
• Foggy found out about Matt in Daredevil #347. No footnote for that specifically, but Karen Page notes that Matt still hasn't recuperated after Karen had to save his life, and that gets a footnote for Daredevil #345-349.
  
• Killmonger was thought dead after Jungle Action #17 (and Killmonger sees ironic justice in using N'Banu against the Black Panther since another child, Kantu, was involved in his own defeat in that issue).
  
• Killmonster seemingly returned in Iron Man annual #5, but that turns out to have been a construct.
  
• Killmonger says he still carries scars from when Klaw first attacked Wakanda, as depicted in Fantastic Four #53.
  
• Daredevil's rescue of Black Panther involves dismantling a bomb, which he says he got experience doing during his run-in with Mr. Fear in Over The Edge #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A