PANTHA #5, from Dynamite Comics on September 28th, 2022, concludes the arc with a battle between gods and the unborn monstrosity that was never meant to be. Can Pantha protect the world from unimaginable darkness?
The Details
- Written by: Thomas Sniegoski, Jeannine Acheson
- Art by: Daniel Maine
- Colors by: Adriano Augusto
- Letters by: Dezi Sienty
- Cover art by: Giuseppe Matteoni (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: September 28, 2022
Is It Good?
PANTHA #5 is an excellent issue right up to the very end, and then… nothing. What happened!? Let’s talk about it.
The strength of this issue, and the series as a whole, is Sniegoski and Acheson’s successful merging of Pantha lore with American Gods-style mythology for a character reinvention unique among the Dynamite library of characters. This version of Pantha is a refreshing spin on her prior incarnations, and the progression of her character from villain to a cursed creature to reluctant hero is well-constructed, creative, and intriguing.
Now, all gods, including the father of all gods, Atum, appear to be at the mercy of Ta-Nakht as it races to emerge into the world. In script-writing terms, this is the “all hope is lost” moment where the hero has to overcome all boundaries and rise to the occasion. Well, hope does appear lost, the villain makes its grand move, and then the villain escapes before Pantha can do anything about it.
All good stories require some kind of change, and Pantha does change in this story into a new status quo, but the conflict doesn’t resolve. The story simply stops with a curt “The End.” To say this is an unsatisfying finale is a massive understatement.
Again, everything up to the end is great. The pacing is excellent, you get a real sense of stakes and urgency, and you truly feel like the villain will win. In a way, the villain did win or at least escapes to live and fight another day. Where’s the rest of the story!? Oi!
Regardless of the outcome, the art in this issue is excellent. Maine’s pencils/inks are phenomenal, Augusto’s coloring is top-notch, and even Sienty’s lettering has a few eye-catching flourishes. Visually, this is a banger of an issue.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our PANTHA #4 review to find out how Pantha and the gods wound up in the clutches of Ta-Nakht.
We begin in the underground lair of Ta-Nakht’s egg as its bug soldiers bring the captured gods to it for feeding. Suddenly, Set’s paramilitary forces arrive and turn the feeding hour into a firefight. Ihy and Samira work their way free from the bug webbing to look for Sekhmet, hoping she can reclaim her wraith and join forces with the other gods to defeat Ta-Nakht.
Sekhmet is too weak to fight. When it looks like things can’t get much worse, another bug enters through a portal carrying Atum. Now, Ta-Nakht will have the feat beyond all feasts to absorb enough energy to be born. Without much choice, Sekhmet releases Samira from her curse and transfers the power of the dying gods into Samira’s body to become the ultimate weapon against Ta-Nakht.
We conclude the issue with a level-up, evil babies, and a church massacre.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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PANTHA #5 is an action-packed, exciting, dramatic finale that stops way too short. The plotting, pacing, and dialog are all excellent, and the art is gorgeous, but you get the distinct feeling an issue is missing because the story doesn’t conclude. It just ends without resolving the conflict, leaving you shockingly unsatisfied.
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