Land Of The Chilling Mist!

OR: "Isn't That Erik Whatshisname?"


With Wakanda's detention cells practically overflowing with the captives taken from a raid on N'Jadaka, the village named after the ruthless invader known as Erik Killmonger, the Black Panther has stepped up his response to Killmonger's incursions and knows he must now pursue the man himself. And thanks to a week spent gathering intelligence from two of Killmonger's men, Kazibe and Tayete--whose combination of awe and fear toward the Panther has surely worked in his favor--T'Challa prepares to follow his foe into the vast chilling mountain region to the northwest, where temperatures plunge to well below zero and predators other than Killmonger await.

The balance that writer Don McGregor seeks to strike with the Panther--the man he is, as opposed to the leader he must be--still seems to be in effect, judging by the words he shares with both his captives and with his lover, Monica Lynne. He remains resolved to aggressively taking down Killmonger's forces, while keeping the eye-for-an-eye instinct at bay if at all possible. It's a mindset that's been difficult to pass on to those in his court, even though, as Monica says, T'Challa has their full respect and loyalty. Arguably, it's that balance within him that has helped to sustain the cult of the Black Panther as more than a figurehead of Wakanda's intimidating and steadfast monarchy. But during this time of sudden and bloody war, which goes well beyond the poachers and foreigners that Wakanda has repelled in the past, that's bound to be put to the test for not only his subjects, but perhaps for T'Challa himself.



At present, however, it's well past time that this winding story returns its focus to Killmonger, who heads toward a destination within this "land of the chilling mist" with King Cadaver and who seems to care little to nothing about any resistance that the Panther has brought to bear. As far as Killmonger is concerned, the reign of Wakanda is already in his firm grip.

So far it's been intriguing to come across Killmonger's bizarre cast of associates, one by one, since it not only represents an indication of how well and how long he's planned for this coup d'état against T'Challa, but also the resources that he's had the foresight to take advantage of. Sombre, by his appearance and manner, seems to have a key role in regard to the latter--and from what we've gathered from McGregor's narrative, Cadaver is also no stranger to what goes on in this place.

Meanwhile, the Panther and his two hapless guides are playing out a comedy of errors in terms of the terrain they must cross.

And comic relief has been the forte of Kazibe and Tayete throughout this series, most notably when they've crossed paths with the "Panther-devil," in encounters which follow a theme: Kazibe, skittish at every noise or uncertain glimpse of a figure which might or might not indicate the presence of the Panther, while Tayete boasts of his own prowess and assures his companion that he has nothing to worry about, just before the Panther descends on them and takes them out. What a strange turnaround for this pair, considering that the Panther first deals with them when they've caged and brutally restrained a helpless subject of T'Challa who dies in his chieftain's arms only moments after he's freed. The man's death, felt deeply by T'Challa, sets the tone for the story to come--yet now the pair responsible are clearly growing on him, just as they likely have on the reader. Were T'Challa's words spoken to the pair in this issue's opening pages (courtesy of McGregor) meant to absolve them in T'Challa's eyes, as well as our own? It seems absurd to even suggest it.

T'Challa can at least take comfort in the fact that he hasn't been led astray--as they finally arrive at "Resurrection Altar," its sheer sight living up to its hype.

It's not immediately clear why Cadaver is again being subjected to the rays emanating from the pit beneath, with Killmonger even making a special trip to get him here. The only clue we have is that Killmonger and Cadaver have had a brief discussion as to how T'Challa managed to resist Cadaver's mental assault, suggesting that their journey back to the altar could be related to increasing Cadaver's power. But given the results of the procedure, what occurs at the altar is a reminder of the terrigen mists of the Inhumans, in that it's not known beforehand just what kind of being will emerge. Also, it seems odd that Killmonger hasn't made greater use of the altar in terms of supplementing his forces; thus far, only Cadaver and Sombre have been revealed to have undergone the process of "resurrection," though it's possible that Malice was also a by-product of the pit's rays.

In fact, from what we see of the Panther's clash with Killmonger in this issue, it seems likely that Killmonger himself might have had a turn at the altar.

Artist Billy Graham's work on this book has been impressive, developing steadily with his feel for the Panther and the world in which he lives. Both Graham and McGregor would continue in Jungle Action after the conclusion of "Panther's Rage" with a new arc featuring "the Clan" (which, despite its spelling, conforms to the group which probably first comes to mind for you)--but for now, he continues to provide stunning imagery of T'Challa's struggle against Killmonger, an enemy who contemptuously abandons him to fend for himself in a harsh region which knows only the struggle of survival.

In a climate that we're told is roughly at 50 below zero, props to the outfitters of both the Black Panther and Killmonger, who somehow avoid becoming distinctive but dead icicles in this glacial vastness. I'm just now shaking off the chill of Winter, and I'm in Florida.

COMING UP:

Wrath Of The White Gorillas!

Suffice to say that hungry wolves are going to be the least of the Panther's problems.

Jungle Action #12 Script: Don McGregor Pencils: Billy Graham Inks: Klaus Janson Letterer: Dave Hunt