Predator vs. Black Panther #4 features what may be the final battle between the King of Wakanda and the Yajuta that have invaded his kingdom…but T’Challa and the Dora Milaje aren’t planning to go down without a fight. Neither is Shuri, who’s finally managed to break back into Wakanda after the Predators hijacked its defense systems. She isn’t alone, though: in her calls for help, Sam Wilson, aka the Falcon, came to help her.
The bulk of Predator vs. Black Panther #4 is dedicated to these two battles, and I can’t help but be awed at how the art team of Chris Allen, Sean Damien Hill, and Lee Ferguson depicts it. None of them hold back from the gore you’d see in a Predator film: heads are blown off, somebody is literally cut into pieces via a Predator laser mine, and the Black Panther claims more than his fair share of victims. With Falcon being in the issue, there’s also a moment where he and Shuri have an aerial battle against the Predator’s drop ship, and readers get to see what Falcon’s wings are capable of.
Erick Arciniega’s color art also adds to the intensity of the issue. Most of it takes place within the Great Mound, where Wakanda keeps its vibranium, and therefore the background is lined with a purple hue – casting an ominous shadow. Whenever humans meet their end, the page is splattered with crimson red; on the opposite end, Predators fall, dripping neon green blood from their wounds. Arciniega is aiming to make the violence have an impact, and he more than succeeds.
The same is extended toward Percy’s narration, which feels like he’s talking to his audience over a roaring campfire. It makes sense, in a way: the Predator’s code of honor meant that sooner or later, their leader would come face to face with T’Challa (and that the Black Panther would face him with nothing but a spear.) It also brings a conflict from the first issue to a close, as T’Challa was uneasy about revealing Wakanda to the world – but it’s through Falcon’s assist that Shuri is able to help stop the Predators.
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Yet I also feel that Percy’s script somewhat dragged its feet a bit throughout the story. The idea of Falcon showing up is great, the Predator sneaking through Wakanda is great, Shuri and T’Challa being cut off from each other is great. The execution is left a little wanting though, and once again has me flashing back to how Percy handled Predator vs. Wolverine. There, Wolverine’s fight against a Yajuta hunter was juxtaposed with similar conflicts through Wolverine’s long history, and I feel a similar approach – or touching upon the Yajuta fighting previous Black Panthers – could have really helped.
To Predator vs. Black Panther‘s credit, it does end with a major twist that spells trouble not just for the Black Panther, but the rest of the Marvel Universe – and any other characters that might encounter a Predator. The final page also teases Percy’s next Predator matchup and it’s a doozy. That’s all I can say for now.
Predator vs. Black Panther #4 ends the series with the pulse-pounding conflict of a Predator movie, and a major twist that could impact the Marvel Universe. Overall, it was a bit of a bumpy road, but I do appreciate that Percy, Allen, and the rest of the creative team went all out for this final issue.
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