Sheena: Queen Of The Jungle #0
Written by Marguerite Bennett and Christina Trujillo
Art by Moritat
Colors by Andre Szymanowicz
Letters by Thomas Napolitano
Cover by Emanuela Lupacchino and Fabio Mantovani, J. Scott Campbell and Sabine Rich, Moritat and Andre Szymanowicz, Ryan Sook
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: August 9, 2017
Cover Price: $0.25

Talk about a convoluted history! This character has seen more revisions than the MLA Handbook! In Sheena: Queen of the Jungle #0, we see a modern take on a vintage character. Older than Wonder Woman but just as overtly sexualized for decades, Sheena has been both a powerful role model and a scantily clad vixen. Time after time, people have tried to create the perfect version of this character only to fall short of their goals. Not only have a multitude of comic companies tried to invigorate this character over the years, but a feature film and two different television series. Other adaptations, sans the name, have occurred but that is clearly more influence than attempt.

This particular issue is obviously a set up for the upcoming series and it is not quite a full length comic, weighing in at fifteen pages of story. But when something costs you merely a quarter, you should not complain even a little. Portraying the heroine in a strong, thoughtful manner, this sneak peek is little more than an introduction but still has a bit of adventure wedged into its small frame. There is quite a bit more dialogue than expected but she does speak with animals in several past versions. This oratory seems, however, to be mainly for the reader and not really to drive the plot.

Hell Yeah Vol. 1: Last Day On Earths
Written by Joe Keatinge
Pencilled by Andre Szymanowicz
Inked by Andre Szymanowicz & Fabio Redivo
Colored by Jason Lewis
Lettered by Dougles E. Sherwood
Edited by Ron Richards
Book Design by Vincent Kukua
Ceated by Keatinge & Szymanowicz
Image Comics
Release Date: Oct. 3, 2012
Cover Price: $9.99

Joe Keatinge‘s new Image Comics series Hell Yeah has been described as a sort of “Sequel to the 90s.” That strange period in cape books when Superman could for-real-no-kidding die (just kidding), characters like Cable could pop-up out of nowhere to lead a teenage gang and it was every artists duty to top their last issue big issue with something bigger and weirder.

In contrast to many of today’s comics, which are dedicated to examining and re-examining old characters and storytelling tropes – a.k.a. post- modernity, the 90s were about conjuring the new and unfamiliar, finding what’s cool and sexy today (and, yes, I’m totally generalizing, get over it).

Hell Yeah #1
Written by Joe Keatinge
Illustrated by Andre Szymanowicz
Colored by Jason Lewis
Lettered by Douglas E. Sherwood
Image Comics
Release Date: March 7, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

There was an interesting conversation in a lot of comic book communities a few months ago when DC rebooted its titles regarding what makes for a good first issue. Self-contained story or cliffhanger ending? How much character do you reveal? How much world do you need to build? How much do you save for later?

All very good questions we should ask ourselves, but what wasn’t properly addressed in that conversation was what challenges do independent creators have on titles that aren’t reboots of well-established franchises? What’s the hook going to be? When so much of the superhero appeal relies on interpersonal relationships it’ll almost always be an uphill battle for the new, indie title where there’s no established continuity.