PANTHA
Pantha 1 [June 2012]
Standard cover A - Sean Chen
Standard cover B - Sean Chen
1-in-10 cover - Mark Texiera
Black and White cover - Sean Chen
Virgin cover - Mark Texiera
Dangerous Game part 1 [Writer - Brandon Jerwa : Art - Pow Podrix]
Pantha is tracking down a series of abductions in New Mexico only to discover that Mamba, one of her oldest enemies, is behind the grisly situation.
Pantha's origin is revealed as being an immortal aspect of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet. For once, this is quite an acceptable and believable origin story based on current dogma.
It's nice to see some new Pantha art from Mark Texiera. Long overdue.
Pantha 1 [July 2012]
Standard cover - Mark Texiera
Virgin cover - Mark Texiera
Dangerous Game part 2 [Writer - Brandon Jerwa : Art - Pow Podrix]
Pantha, Lorelei, Pendragon etc. are taken to see the Conjuress who informs them that Chaos is dying and his lieutenants are preparing to occupy the soon-to-be-vacant throne. The only two survivors of Mamba's charnel house have been arrested by law enforcement officers and the reporter is suspected of being the serial killer. Elsewhere, the Blood red Queen of Hearts emerges from hiding.
Mamba is a new an interesting villain and it is nice to see some of the old-timers of Vampirella's history such as Lorelei back in action.
Another Mark Texiera masterpiece for the cover.
Pantha 3 [August 2012]
Standard cover - Mark Texiera
Virgin cover - Mark Texiera
Dangerous Game part 3 [Writer - Brandon Jerwa : Art - Pow Podrix]
Myra, the surviving immigrant, is a reincarnation of a slave girl that Sekhmet failed to save in ancient Egypt and Pantha feels obliged to save her from Mamba. Mamba and the Blood Red Queen of Hearts attack the detention facility and the Blood Red Queen of Hearts occupies the body of Myra. Pantha intervenes but is defeated by the Egyptian snake god, Set.
Lots of action and the new major player in Chaos, Seth, steps out the shadows.
Pantha 4 [September 2012]
Standard cover - Mark Texiera
Virgin cover - Mark Texiera
Dangerous Game part 4 [Writer - Brandon Jerwa : Art - Pow Podrix]
Seth plans to use Myra as the mother of his serpent race much to the chagrin of the Blood Red Queen of Hearts who is occupying Myra's body. Pantha attacks Seth and Mamba sides with Pantha destroying both Seth and Myra. However Mamba has ambitions of her own and summons Chaos who takes to him.
When Mamba killed Myra was the Blood Red Queen of Hearst still inside her and also destroyed? Probably not, she's too good a nemesis to dispose of so easily.
For one who was poised to take over the throne of Chaos Seth seems to have been killed a bit too easily. As the Egyptian snake god you would expect that he could easily defeat the snakes of Mamba, one of his underlings. Maybe we will see Seth again.
Pantha 5 [October 2012]
Standard cover - Mark Texiera
Hell on Earth: Intercepting Signals [Writer - Brandon Jerwa : Art - Pow Podrix]
Pantha, Tongueman and Lorelei arrive in Provenance, Kansas which is plagued by alleged bat-people. Varney, Dracula's lieutenant, uses Tongueman to open a doorway for more vampires while Pantha fights the demon crow triplets.
This story is a crossover with the "Hell On Earth" storyline and occurs between VAMPIRELLA 24 and 25.
Pantha 6 [November 2012]
Standard cover - Mark Texiera
Hell on Earth: Intercepting Signals [Writer - Brandon Jerwa : Art - Pow Podrix]
The Conjuress tries to examine Pantha's "Eye of Atum-Ra" amulet but the amulet reacts to her probing by teleporting Lorelei away. The team follow and find themselves in a alternate realities. Pendragon and Tongueman face pirates in space led by an altered Lorelei. Pantha finds herself in a circus where Lorelei plays a harlequin. Before anything is resolved they are teleported back to base where the Conjuress has found an infant Lorelei inside the amulet.
The team return to Provenance where they establish a mystical base on the outskirts of the town.
This story feels like it should have been spread over two issues but was crammed into one. The fate of Lorelei and any form of explanation as to what happened to her is left hanging for the reader to draw their own conclusions. The new base for the team leaves potential for a series of earth-bound adventures yet to come.
There is something about the Conjuress that struck a deep chord with me. She reminds me, slightly, of an early Doctor Strange. This was reinforced when Pendragon and Tongueman are falling through space as the background scenery was very reminiscent of Dr. Strange's travels in the void(s).