Priest and company don't miss a beat, serving up the finale of "Enemy of the State II" with the usual humor, action, political manipulation and sharp dialogue and jumping right into the next storyline, all while giving the arc a feeling of conclusion. Panther is smarter than 95% of the super-hero books on the stands, and funnier than at least half of the humor books, and the only reason that Velluto and Almond aren't big names vying for the X-Men, Avengers or JLA spot is because they've made their mark on Panther, whose existence has always been just below the radar. We're nearing issue #50 for this book, and counting the occasional issue that I've skipped reviewing, this is probably my fortieth positive review of the book. If you haven't checked it out yet, what are you waiting for?
A hero is only as interesting as his enemies, and Priest has given Panther some good ones. The insane Achebe, the powerful and intelligent Killmonger and the malevolent Black Dragon all make that list. However, I have to say that my favorite antagonist for T'Challa so far is Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man. Not only because a hero vs. hero conflict is interesting in its moral ambiguity, but because Priest managed to get across the intelligence and savvy of both T'Challa and Tony Stark without making either one look like a chump, or without hefty rewriting of continuity for either character.
In addition, there's just a visceral thrill to be had in "who'd win" fights, something that goes back to the early fanboy days of most super-hero comic fans. The conflict between Panther and Iron Man this issue, based on physical prowess as much as technical know-how and tactical sense, is a fantastic one-on-one battle. Ross's narration gives the highly technical tactics enough of a basic "man on the street" viewpoint that any reader will get it, but the complexities in strategy are clear nonetheless.
Complexity is the watchword for Panther, and though it is often a dirty word in these days of consistency over continuity and flavor of the month over long-standing creative teams, Priest manages to hit the balance of complex and readable pretty well. The political elements and backstory fly pretty fast and furious in this issue, but it's pretty easy to grasp what's going on, and I find a fight where the intelligence of the players is as important as their brute strength levels more interesting.
Though they impress every month, Sal Velluto and Bob Almond really get a chance to shine in the battle between Panther and Iron Man, just as they did in the Panther/Iron Fist fight. The movement and power of the combatants is clear in each stroke, and Jennifer Schellinger deserves credit for some stunning energy effects as well. In addition, this expansive cast could make for easily-lost readers if not for the strong and distinctive designs for each character's real face (not just costumes) that Velluto and Almond provide. Bottom line, this is a creative team that is totally in synch on a character who has never looked better.
