All I know about "Sheena" is that she's very much like a female Tarzan, except she had a few movies, a really bad television series in the end of the nineties, bears a supernatural twist to her, and--oh yeah--she's really hot.

From the beginning, we're being set up for another evil industrialist tale, and that's the gist of "Sheena." Issue one chronicles the return of Sheena in the midst of a major destruction of the Val Verde jungle at the hands of Cardwell Industries.

Shifting from past and present, we follow the rise and fall of Harrison Cardwell, a young man who fled to Val Verde to escape the government of the US and built a crooked empire, inevitably losing everything he cherished.

This coincides with Sheena, who has seen through to stopping the industrialists once and for all, and has had contact with a young man who has had visions of the goddess of the jungle he purports is somewhere out there.

This sets the issue up for a great cliffhanger, that will not only bring about about many questions, but also set up a rather shocking struggle within Sheena and her past that will predict the outcome of many aspects of the story including Cardwell Industries.

The art by Matt Merhoff is rich in detail and presents our story in two shades; one set in the past is an often grim approach to the characterization, while the one in the present is much more fast paced, and mounts the plot twist among the carnage of construction workers, and protestors.

Some of the panels here are rather exciting, with Sheena always the embodiment of pure sex appeal. Sheena is the jungle goddess, and Merhoff makes sure to remind us of that with every single panel she appears in, from her storming a picket line, to lighting fire to the demolition site, Merhoff depicts her as a vision, and keeps up a good humor about the story.

"Sheena" is a series to look out for. It's definitely an interesting start to a character worth revamping.

Now available from Devil's Due Publishing!

- Felix Vasquez Jr.
6/28/07