If called by a Panther, don't anther

Today's Comic Art Friday is brought to you by the Tourist Bureau of Wakanda, which says, "Come feel our vibranium! You know you want to."

One of the comics I've been checking out lately is the new run of Black Panther, written by Hollywood screenwriter and director Reginald Hudlin and penciled by John Romita, Jr. I was a mite skeptical when this book was announced, for three reasons:

1. I wasn't sure how the cinematic sensibility of Reggie Hudlin — who's best known for the House Party comedies featuring rappers Kid 'n' Play — would translate to a serious superhero character;
   
2. Despite his enormous popularity in fan circles, I've never been a fan of JRJR's artwork, which to my eye embodies many of the sketchy excesses of the style pioneered by the Image Comics gang in the '90s;
   
3. Marvel has had a track record of treating the Panther rather shabbily when he's had his own book, beginning with the classic Jungle Action series of the early '70s penned by Don McGregor, and continuing through the more recent Black Panther book scripted by Christopher Priest, with artwork by the team of Sal Velluto and Bob Almond. None of the Panther's previous series have been well supported by the higher-ups at Marvel, and I hated the thought of them using the Panther for a cheap stunt like a continuity-busting reboot by a comics outsider and a dreadful fan-fave artist.

Thus far, I've been pleasantly surprised. Hudlin has done a creditable job writing the new Panther book — though I sometimes find his dialogue appalling — and Romita Jr. has contributed some decent, nicely controlled art — though the visuals still fall immeasurably short of the gorgeous Velluto/Almond creations of the prior series. Overall, the new book shows great respect for the title character — despite the fact that Hudlin has tinkered with the Panther's history in some ways that don't make me happy — and is a welcome addition to my comics bag once a month.

All that said, I was surprised to realize this morning that neither of my two recent Panther commissions had yet found a home on Comic Art Friday. So let's rectify this injustice, shall we? First, a spectacular portrait of the King of Wakanda standing majestically in front of his palace, as illustrated by the incomparable Geof Isherwood.



Next, James E. Lyle's latest contribution to my "Common Elements" theme series, with a stylishly retro creation teaming the Panther with Kitten Kane of the much-revered '60s series T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.



Not to change the subject, but T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents is a series that definitely deserves a serious revival. Created by the legendary Wally Wood for Tower Comics in the mid-'60s, the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were a group of superheroes in the employ of the United Nations. They had interesting powers -- Dynamo's superhuman strength came from his power belt, which he could only use for 30 minutes at a time; NoMan lived in a series of android bodies, several of which were destroyed in almost every story; Lightning was Wood's take on such superspeed heroes as the Flash -- and were portrayed with a wonderfully subtle sense of self-mockery (for example, Dynamo, the ostensible lead Agent, was not the sharpest blade in the knife drawer). Kitten was a member of an auxiliary team of non-powered Agents known as the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Squad, who all had colorful nicknames like Dynamite, Weed, and, well, Kitten (whose real first name was Kathryn, a precursor to Katherine "Kitty" Pryde of the X-Men).

That's your Comic Art Friday. As Stan Lee once said, "Excelsior!"