The Stop Button

Black Panther (1998) #28 [2001] W: Christopher Priest. A: Sal Velluto. Lots of regal guest stars–Velluto has a great time with Namor, even giving him a splash page. Has Wakanda really gone to war with both the United States and Atlantis or is someone conspiring against its king? Priest does a fantastic job with the 616 global politics. It’s a packed, busy issue and quite good comics.

Black Panther (1998) #29 [2001] W: Christopher Priest. A: Bob Almond, Mark McKenna, Sal Velluto, Warren Martineck. Priest wraps the Klaw arc only to end on an unexpected cliffhanger. It forecasts a slightly different direction for the book, which may be interesting to see. Adjusting the scale, as it were. The issue’s a strong finish to the arc, with some fantastic art–Klaw becomes a giant wave monster at one point. PANTHER’s found its balance.

Black Panther (1998) #30 [2001] W: Christopher Priest. A: Norm Breyfogle. Well, I sure hope Breyfogle isn’t the regular artist. Ignoring the intense cliffhanger, the book slips back to a WWII flashback with Captain America. Then forced to a Senate hearing. Some flashbacks and recaps later, we find out we’re post-cliffhanger too. Would it work with the regular art… probably. But Breyfogle and–especially–colorist VLM stink it.

Black Panther (1998) #31 [2001] W: Christopher Priest. A: Bob Almond. Drastic turn for the series, with Priest ditching the bumbling narrator to do an exposition-free book focused on T’Challa. He’s worried about his extended family and ex-girlfriends because his former bodyguard turned murderous super-powered villain is back. It’s a wild ride, with the creators showing off this new direction. They’re off to a fantastic start.

Zoot! (1992) #1 W: Andrew Langridge. A: Roger Langridge. Decent effort from the Brothers Langridge. Andrew writes and (intentionally) overwrites while Roger figures out how to visualize it all. The key is expressions and Roger leans in. There isn’t really a stand out here; the stories often play like extended strips, and the pacing works. The anti-plotting in the longer stories not as much.

Zoot! (1992) #2 [1993] W: . A: . While some of the stories still feel like Roger is trying to illustrate brother Andrew’s prose, ZOOT! feels a lot more stable. The continuing stories have good entries, and the “IGNATZ” feature of purely self-contained strips works well. The recurring bit characters–I’m thinking The Gump–work better as a gag in a strip than running one.

Zoot! (1992) #3 [1993] W: . A: . Andrew writes and draws the feature, all about Elizabeth Short (the murdered woman remembered as The Black Dahlia, a moniker the story avoids). It’s not perfect but it’s pretty dang good. Then the recurring strip about the guys at the bar having bad luck is good too. The book works better with a couple long-form pieces for heft.

Zorro: Man of the Dead (2024) #4 WA: Sean Gordon Murphy. It’s the best issue but because it’s either action or resolution. With unexpected (if predictable) character developments. Can a wounded Zorro save his big sister from the bad guys? Even if Zorro has lost his nerve, his trusty fox sidekick will never give up. And Murphy sells it. Buckets of blood ZORRO and forest friend. Simply gorgeous art.