PANTHA #1, from Dynamite Comics on January 5th, 2022, (re)introduces readers to one of Vampirella’s allies in a story that sets the record straight on her origins, her power, and a deadly foe who threatens humanity and the gods.
The Details
- Written By: Thomas Sniegoski, Jeannine Acheson
- Art By: Igor Lima
- Colors By: Adriano Augusto
- Letters By: Dezi Sienty, Carlos M. Mangual, Taylor Esposito
- Cover Art By: Judy Jong (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: January 5, 2022
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Was It Good?
PANTHA #1 is interesting. In fairness, Pantha is probably one of the lesser-known characters to modern comics readers in Vampirella’s group of supernatural allies, although Pantha’s been around since 1974. Dynamite is correctly expanding their storytelling offerings to expand on the Warren characters beyond sidekicks in a Vampirella story.
Does this updated version of the titular were-panther work? Heck, yes! The story covers thousands of years by borrowing elements from ancient mythology with a modern twist. If you’re a fan of the series and the show, many of the elements in this first issue bear a strong resemblance to American Gods as the ancient Egyptian deities live out their lives in cycles of life/death/rebirth to rejuvenate themselves through new forms of worship by Earth’s population. Instead of sacrificing firstborn calves, it’s now Tik Tok likes and autograph signings.
The revised take on Egyptian gods is engaging enough on its own. Then we get a proper origin story with Pantha cursed to live out eternity as something not quite human. That origin ties her to the gods in a specific way, and Sniegoski and Acheson find a creative conflict that forces the gods to find Pantha. The background of the gods and Pantha is established very clearly, the stakes are raised very quickly, and the mutual levels of resentment plus mistrust immediately establishes an undercurrent of dramatic tension between Pantha and Sekhmet. In short, you get a lot of interesting lore, a compelling origin story, and a high-stakes conflict with tons of dramatic tension between the enemies and potential allies.
This is our first exposure (that we could find) to several of the artists in this issue, including Igor Lima. The art is very good. Lima’s line style is extremely clean with lots of detail, and the pencils/inks are enhanced by outstanding coloring from Adrian Augusto. Combined, their artistic work looks like something out of a Zenescope quarterly issue, which is usually a sign of good quality.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a hijacked plane flying over the Baltic Sea. The hijackers have no destination in mind. Their goal is to sacrifice themselves and all the passengers to an egg they hold which contains the embryo of a reincarnated, ancient god Ta-Nakht. The hijackers achieve their goal.
We then flashback to ancient Egypt where Queen Samira strikes a bargain with the great god Sekhmet to save a child’s life. However, her bargain was based on a lie that cost many lives. Sekhmet curses Queen Samira to live on eternally with the guilt of what she had done and to live in a half-human/half panther state, forced to carry Sekhmet’s wrath.
Now, the ancient gods in their current forms of worship detect an ancient threat gathering strength. The destroyed airliner has fed Ta-Nakht enough to command minions who need to find more food to hasten Ta-Nakht’s rebirth. We conclude the issue with Sekhmet tasking the god Ihy with retrieving a very special item and Pantha discovering there may be a way to be rid of her curse.
Final Thoughts
PANTHA #1 is a grand retelling of the 1970s character’s origin set in modern times. The story borrows interesting elements from The Mummy and American Gods for a world-ending conflict that threatens humanity and the gods alike. The artwork is detailed and highly polished, and the world-building is epic in scope but moves at a brisk pace.
Score: 9/10
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