Comics Review: "SHEENA Queen of the Jungle: Volume 3 #1" is Hotter Than Jungle Fever

SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE: FATAL EXAMS, VOLUME 3 #1

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Wes Clark, Jr. & Steven E. de Souza

ART: Ediano Silva

COLORS: Renato Spiller

LETTERS: Taylor Esposito

EDITOR: Joe Corallo

COVER: Lucio Parrillo

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Arthur Suydam; Joseph Michael Linsner

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2023)

Rated Teen+

Sheena originally created by S.M. “Jerry” Iger and Will Eisner; Sheena reboot by Steven E. de Souza

“Fatal Exams”

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is an American comic book character.  She first appeared in the British magazine, Wags #46 ( January 1938), and was created by legendary American comic book creators, Will Eisner and S. M. “Jerry” Iger.  Sheena made her first American appearance in Jumbo Comics #1 (Fiction House, cover dated: September 1938) where she was a mainstay until 1953.  Sheena was also the first female comic book character to star in her own series.  A “jungle girl heroine,” Sheen was an orphan, like Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, who had adventures featuring African natives, wild animals, and white hunters and villains.

Dynamite began publishing Sheena comics in 2017.  Dynamite's third series is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams, Volume 3.  It is written by Wes Clark Jr. & Steven E. de Souza; drawn by Ediano Silva; colored by Renato Spiller; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  Fatal Exams finds Sheena enrolled in a boarding school full of questionable girls and supernatural mystery.

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams, Volume 3 #1 opens in Val Verde – specifically “L'ecole des Jeunes Filles du Val Verde.”  It is the world's most exclusive girl's boarding school, and Cardwell Inc. wants to put some formal education in our favorite Queen of the Jungle.  If Rachel Livingston Cardwell (a.k.a. Sheena) thought the jungle was tough, wait until she sees the blackboard jungle.  Her roommate is quite a bitch, but the rest of the girls, bitchy as they might be, are involved in something kooky, supernatural, and maybe dangerous.

If Cardwell plans on keeping their prized pupil out of the jungle while it continues to relentlessly exploit it, that will be more difficult that the corporate boss thinks.  The school is close to the jungle, and at night, Rachel becomes Sheena.  You can take the girl out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the girl.

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams Volume 3 #1, which is the latest of many enjoyable Dynamite Sheena comic books that I have read.

I liked Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2.  Prolific Hollywood multi-hyphenate, Steven E. de Souza, modernized the character, making her more like Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman and less like the late Tanya Roberts' Sheena, Queen of the Jungle from the 1984 film, Sheena (which I like).  De Souza's Sheena comics mixed elements that recalled Jurassic Park, King Kong, Indiana Jones, and Wonder Woman.  He made Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 an imaginative, rip-roaring adventure defined by explosive action, imaginative settings, and rich dialogue.  It was pulp fiction that didn't feel dated, and a pulp character that didn't feel obsolete.

Fatal Exam #1 is a continuation of that success.  This first chapter is filled with elements that create a sense of anticipation via the work of series scribes, Wes Clark, Jr. and de Souza.  This first issue is beautifully drawn by artist Ediano Silva with rich graphical storytelling that recalls old-timey pulp illustration.  Renato Spiller spills some gorgeous colors, and Taylor Esposito knocks back some energetic lettering.

I would have to go out of my way to be dissatisfied with Fatal Exams #1.  This is the kind of first issue that forces the reader to come back for the second issue.  And I, dear readers, will be back for more.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Sheena will want to try Sheena: Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams, Volume 3.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics

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The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Comics Review: "SHEENA Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #10" is a Final Issue Win

SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 2 #10
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Steven E. de Souza
ART: Ediano Silva
COLORS: Dinei Ribeiro
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Arthur Suydam; Joseph Michael Linsner; Rose Besch
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2022)

Rated Teen+

Sheena originally created by S.M. “Jerry” Iger and Will Eisner; Sheena reboot by Steven E. de Souza

“Cenozoic” Part Five

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is an American comic book character.  She first appeared in the British magazine, Wags #46 ( January 1938), and was created by legendary American comic book creators, Will Eisner and S. M. “Jerry” Iger.  Sheena made her first American appearance in Jumbo Comics #1 (Fiction House, cover dated: September 1938) where she was a mainstay until 1953.  Sheena was also the first female comic book character to star in her own series.  A “jungle girl heroine,” Sheen was an orphan, like Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, who had adventures featuring African natives, wild animals, and white hunters and villains.

Dynamite began publishing Sheena comics in 2017.  Dynamite's second series is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2.  It is written by Steven E. de Souza; drawn by Jethro Morales, Wil Rio, and Ediano Silva; colored by Dinei Ribeiro; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  Writer de Souza begins a new series of challenges for Sheena in the story line, “Cenozoic,” which finds Sheena on a mission to save a nature preserve when she and her animal and human companions stumble upon an island out of time.

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2 #10 opens in the year 1945.  That is where Sheena and company find themselves – lost in time on an island that recalls “Skull Island” from King Kong (1933).  Captain Karl Visser is the captain of the U-3523, a prototype “XXI” U-boat and the greatest and most powerful super-submarine of the German Kriegsmarine.  Now, Visser holds court on the island's beach, with Sheena's human companions, Bob Kellerman and Martin Ransome, his captive audience.

Visser finally believes their story that they are from the future.  Now, Visser has a date with a date:  July 23, 1945 and U.S.S. Indianapolis – and the chance to change history … in Nazi Germany's favor.

Speaking of King Kong references, Sheena is also tied up for sacrifice, ready for the “Great Maw.”  But can she escape, even with a little help from her animal friends?

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #10, which is the tenth Dynamite Sheena comic book that I have read.

Alas, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 is another great Dynamite Entertainment comic book series that is ending with a tenth issue.  The phrase “killed it” was made for creative teams like the ones that produced this fine series.

Dynamite's current incarnation of Sheena: Queen of the Jungle is a reboot by the prolific Hollywood multi-hyphenate, Steven E. de Souza.  He perfectly modernizes Sheena without loosing her classic “jungle girl” and pulp-inspired comic book roots.  This second five-issue story arc summons the best of the Indiana Jones sequels, Jurassic Park, and King Kong with splashes of Wonder Woman.  Under de Souza's guidance, Sheena is a great hero to follow, both smart and ruthless, the way male heroes are allowed to be.

Artist Ediano Silva saves the best for last, although his previous issues were already quite good.  His storytelling is so big and dynamic, and he captures the vileness of Capt. Visser and the conniving male locals with a subtle touch that keeps them from being stock villains.  And the pages with the dinosaur recalls classic lost world comic book artists, Al Williamson, Wallace Wood, and Mark Schultz, to name a few.  

Dinei Ribeiro's vivid colors make the action scenes really pop and add to the story's sense of being “widescreen.”  Award-winning comic book letterer, Taylor Esposito, captures the force of de Souza's electrifying dialogue and also blows up the story with powerful sound effects.

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #10 is a … dynamite final issue.  This series will likely be even more exciting to read in trade collection.  In the meantime, don't wait; try to find issues #6-10 and enjoy them now.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Sheena will want to try Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

------------------------

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Comics Review: SHEENA Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #8

SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 2 #8
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Steven E. de Souza
ART: Ediano Silva; Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Arthur Suydam; Joseph Michael Linsner; Rose Besch
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2022)

Rated Teen+

Sheena originally created by S.M. “Jerry” Iger and Will Eisner; Sheena reboot by Steven E. de Souza

“Cenozoic” Part Three

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is an American comic book character.  She first appeared in the British magazine, Wags #46 ( January 1938), and was created by legendary American comic book creators, Will Eisner and S. M. “Jerry” Iger.  Sheena made her first American appearance in Jumbo Comics #1 (Fiction House, cover dated: September 1938) where she was a mainstay until 1953.  Sheena was also the first female comic book character to star in her own series.  A “jungle girl heroine,” Sheen was an orphan, like Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, who had adventures featuring African natives, wild animals, and white hunters and villains.

Dynamite began publishing Sheena comics in 2017.  Dynamite's second series is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2.  It is written by Steven E. de Souza; drawn by Jethro Morales and Wil Rio; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  Writer de Souza begins a new series of challenges for Sheena in the story line, “Cenozoic,” which finds Sheena on a mission to save a nature preserve when she and her animal and human companions stumble upon an island out of time.

As Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2 #8 opens, Sheena and her animal friends:  Yagua, Chim, and Pete, try to save a village on the time-lost island from two disasters – a dinosaur stampede and a lava flow.  In the village, Sheena will discover that she knows the villager better than she realizes.  Meanwhile, her human companions, Bob Kellerman and Martin Ransome, are getting into trouble with their new pal, a mysterious elderly man.

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #8, which is the eighth Dynamite Sheena comic book that I have read.

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 is one of my favorite Dynamite titles.  Dynamite's current incarnation of the character is a reboot by the prolific Hollywood screenwriter, Steven E. de Souza, who is also known for his work as a director and producer of films and television.

The current story arc, “Cenozoic,” is a smart mix of lost world and pulp fiction elements in which de Souza expertly paces the story via a clever series of reveals that keeps the reader engaged.  Also, de Souza's Sheena can be a sexy, jungle girl or a secret agent type like Marvel Comics' Black Widow – whichever action hero is needed.  I think de Souza's Sheena would make a more credible cinematic hero than the Tanya Roberts version of the character from the 1984 film (which still holds a place in my heart, anyway).

This eighth issue of the series also sees a change in artists, as Ediano Silva does much of the work.  Silva's style reminds me of the art of the great comic book illustrator, Mike Grell, whose storytelling style, both writing and drawing, would be perfect for Sheena.  Silva's art, Dinei Ribero's splashy colors, and Taylor Esposito's flashy lettering makes de Souza's story feel as big as it should

I have been highly recommending Sheena Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 since the first issue.  To miss out on it is to miss out on an excellent adventure comic book series.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Sheena will want to try Sheena Queen of the Jungle Volume 2.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

---------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

Comics Review: SHEENA Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #7

SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 2 #7
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Steven E. de Souza
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rose Besch; Arthur Suydam; Joseph Michael Linsner; Lucio Parrillo; Jackie Goehner and Rick Narvaez (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2022)

Rated Teen+

Sheena originally created by S.M. “Jerry” Iger and Will Eisner; reboot by Steven E. de Souza

“Cenozoic” Part Two

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is an American comic book character.  She first appeared in the British magazine, Wags #46 ( January 1938), and was created by legendary American comic book creators, Will Eisner and S. M. “Jerry” Iger.  Sheena made her first American appearance in Jumbo Comics #1 (Fiction House, cover dated: September 1938) where she was a mainstay until 1953.  Sheena was also the first female comic book character to star in her own series.  A “jungle girl heroine,” Sheen was an orphan, like Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, who had adventures featuring African natives, wild animals, and white hunters and villains.

Dynamite began publishing Sheena comics in 2017.  Dynamite's second series is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2.  It is written by Steven E. de Souza; drawn by Jethro Morales and Wil Rio; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  Writer de Souza begins a new series of challenges for Sheena in the story line, “Cenozoic,” which finds Sheena on a mission to save a nature preserve only to get trapped in time.

As Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2 #7 opens, she is not where she expected, as some kind of vortex transported the plane she was aboard to a mysterious island.  Her human companions, Bob Kellerman and Martin Ransome, are not good for much beyond getting her into more trouble.  Luckily, her animal friends:  Yagua, Chim, and Pete are more useful.

However, this strange new land is filled with unseen things and a rumbling volcano!  When Sheena captures an elderly man, the mystery deepens.  When he starts talking, panic sets in!

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #7, which is the seventh Dynamite Sheena comic book that I have read.

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 is one of my favorite Dynamite titles.  Dynamite's current incarnation of the character has apparently been “rebooted” by the prolific writer, Steven E. de Souza, known for his work in Hollywood as a writer, producer, and director of film and television.  If he worked as a “script doctor,” then, he performed emergency surgery or face lifts on a large number of action, crime, and suspense films over the past few decades.

Here, de Souza's fix is to smartly mix lost world and pulp fiction elements with modern sensibilities and technology.  Artist Jethro Morales turns it into riveting graphical (comic book) storytelling with this issue acting as a pulse-pounding chapter in a thrilling serial.  Dinei Ribero colors make the art pop, and here, letterer Taylor Esposito shines on the parakeet “dialogue” and on general sound effects.

I have been highly recommending Sheena Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 since the first issue.  Having a major Hollywood figure writing it should give you extra incentive to read it, dear readers.  Or how about reading it because you need something good to read?

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Sheena will want to try Sheena Queen of the Jungle Volume 2.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” June 2022, which features an interview with writer Christopher Priest.]

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

Comics Review: "SHEENA Queen of the Jungle #6"

SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 2 #6
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Steven E. de Souza
ART: Wil Rio; Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rose Besch; Arthur Suydam; Joseph Michael Linsner; Lucio Parrillo; Jackie Goehner and Rick Narvaez (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2022)

Rated Teen+

Sheena originally created by S.M. “Jerry” Iger and Will Eisner; reboot by Steven E. de Souza

“Cenozoic” Part One

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is an American comic book character.  She first appeared in the British magazine, Wags #46 ( January 1938), and was created by legendary American comic book creators, Will Eisner and S. M. “Jerry” Iger.  Sheena made her first American appearance in Jumbo Comics #1 (Fiction House, cover dated: September 1938) where she was a mainstay until 1953.  Sheena was also the first female comic book character to star in her own series.  A “jungle girl heroine,” Sheen was an orphan, like Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, who had adventures featuring African natives, wild animals, and white hunters and villains.

Dynamite began publishing Sheena comics in 2017.  Dynamite's second series is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2.  It is written by Stephen E. de Souza; drawn by Jethro Morales and Wil Rio; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  Writer de Souza begins a new series of challenges for Sheena in the story line, “Cenozoic.”

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2 #6 opens in Cardwell Tower in Val Verde City, Val Verde, South America.  Cardwell Industries is making plans to develop the “Zona Prohibda,” a nature preserve in Val Verde's interior, for shale oil and fracking.  Sheena believes that the only way to stop that is to find the site “The Lost City of Piatiti.”  The United Nations would turn the location of the lost city into a “World Heritage Site,” thus shutting down any industrial development.

With a band of human and animal allies, Sheena heads into the unexplored interior of the country.  Of course, they will find more than they expected.

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #6, which is the sixth Dynamite Sheena comic book that I have read.

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 is one of my favorite Dynamite titles.  Writer Steven E. de Souza, known for his work in Hollywood as a writer, producer, and director of film and television, offers some nice intrigue, and I must admit that I find his version of Sheena a little more interesting.  She has layers to her personality and is sly, witty and resourceful … like Indiana Jones.  Issue #6 really only hints at what is to come, so I expect the seventh issue to be more explosive.

The art and graphics team returns with Wil Rio joining Jethro Morales on art, so readers will get more of the same beautiful art that has defined Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2.  Colorist Dinei Ribero and letterer Taylor Esposito also continue doing stellar work.  This continues to be an excellent adventure comic book in which every chapter has both a strong narrative and an intriguing cliffhanger.  Let's keep reading, shall we, dear readers?

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Sheena will want to try Sheena Queen of the Jungle Volume 2.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” May 2022, which features an interview with writer Jordan Clark.]

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).