‘Lords of the Jungle’ #1 Comic Review

written by Corinna Bechko; illustrated by Roberto Castro; colored by Alex Guimaráes; lettered by Simon Bowland


Lords of the Jungle #1 starts out more or less in the throes of action, with Sheena, queen of the jungle, attacking some developers (or loggers?) in an Amazonian jungle. She shoots some flaming arrows, which causes some machinery to blow up, and lectures the workers a bit about how they shouldn’t be desecrating an ancient place of power while switching to a hand-to-hand assault (with a few assists from a black jaguar and a talking parrot). It’s a pretty uncomplicated and predictable sequence in general. Then the developers blow up a dam, which apparently floods Sheena’s home village off-panel.

Things take an unexpected turn when all the destruction causes an earthquake, the ground liquefies, and Sheena falls into some otherworldly portal that opens up in the river. She mentions something about an “ending without beginning” and a “path without boundary,” though whatever it is she’s referencing is never really explained or even mentioned again for the rest of the issue. She voices her regret for failing to protect her village from the flooding and destruction, and is abruptly thrown out of a stone wall and into an unfamiliar jungle.

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The comic is definitely action-packed, but provided little in the way of background or characterization. This first issue follows Sheena almost exclusively, who doesn’t receive any introduction or development other than what can be easily deduced from context: she’s a jungle-woman and hates anyone who tries to destroy the jungle. Since I was previously unfamiliar with the character, I did some googling, where I able to confirm that Sheena is essentially a female-version of Tarzan (though that I could have guessed), and was first introduced in a self-titled comic in the late 1930s (which explains why she’s a blonde bombshell in a South American jungle).

While I can’t say for certain, since this is only the first issue in the mini-series, it doesn’t appear that there will be any deeper or more complex plot or characterization than what’s on the surface. Although this isn’t inherently a bad thing, I can’t honestly say it’s the the sort of story I prefer. Anyone who enjoys straightforward, pulp-style action, though, would probably appreciate this series more.

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The art style is consistent with most modern action-oriented comics; highly realistic but simplified enough to still retain a definite illustrated appearance. It’s done in full-color with bright shades that suit the comic’s setting and characters well.

Overall, it was an okay comic. I can’t say that I found it particularly riveting, but it was interesting enough to keep my attention. Without giving away any spoilers, the ending did hint at a larger, sinister plot afoot, but other than that I didn’t think the storyline or plot stood out particularly in any way. As I mentioned, fans of general action and pulp-style comics are likely to enjoy Lords of the Jungle, but if you’re looking for a story with more complexity or a more involved plot, this probably isn’t for you.

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