#COMIX + ANIMATION: Classics + Current [Floret deBrocoli]

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Vampirella teams up with Barnabas, Pantha and a werewolf to stop an evil crone. Illustrations by Berkenkotter and Malaga.

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As the granddaughter of Harrison Cardwell, founder of the very industry that threatens to destroy the Amazon, Rachel Cardwell, aka Sheena, enjoys an affluent lifestyle and a valuable opportunity to learn how to be civilized. Nevertheless, she doesn't stray too far from her true home, the tropical jungle. And, of course, somebody has to stop a bunch of Nazis, who've been hiding in the jungle for 60 years and are planning to attack the US at any cost.

While I applaud the effort to explore other topics besides the flagrant exploitation of natural resources, the premise for this story is simply too far fetched for my taste. And, the illustrations aren't anything special. Sheena is tall, slender, lithe, and rounded out with perhaps about 250 cc of silicone. Dressed as a civilian, she could easily pass for a fashion model. In other words, nothing like the stuff Vesubio produces.


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As per the usual routine, Sheena teams up with her animals, the natives, and a young idealist to stop the exploitation of sacred grounds by wealthy industrialists. Add an estranged militant dictator, his gang of thugs, and his beautiful young wife, whom we assume is really the one in control of the government, throw in espionage and a mélange of science, supernatural, myths and prophecies, and, finally, broadcast the muddled affair on the 6 o'clock news, and you've got a decent drama.

As for the artwork, Sheena's rather tenuous look on the cover by Huddleston is misleading. In the actual story, illustrated by Villagrasa, she is clearly more athletic. Yet, Villagrasa still achieves realistic proportions by keeping Sheena slender and endowing her with natural looking breasts. Nevertheless, except for the silicone boobs, I prefer Dynamite's artist, Moritat. Moritat's Sheena is even more muscular, and with a dark complexion and her hair in a bang, she looks more like a native amazon. However, there's a big difference in the effort Moritat makes on the covers and what he does in the ordinary story pages.

As for the writing, I think DDP's writer, DeSouza, has a much better sense of drama than do Dynamite's writers Bennett and Trujillo. DeSouza's plots are more convoluted, and he achieves a greater sense of realism, even though he introduces elements of fantasy.

So, to sum it all up, I'm still not satisfied with the way Sheena is illustrated. I want more muscle and a darker complexion. A top ranked figure competitor without over inflated breasts implants would make a good model. And, I want the way she is illustrated on the cover to match with how she actually appears in the story. And, I want someone to come up with another story besides the usual one about exploiting natural resources.


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Would you be surprised, if I told you it's a story about ruthless industrialists who seek to exploit the riches of the jungle for there own selfish interests? Apparently, a century isn't enough time to come up with another theme. So, the authors offer us yet another story which aims to prove that man's efforts to unleash forces of nature that he cannot hope to control, let alone even understand, will only lead to disaster. Rather than open Pandora's box, it is far wiser to trust that nature will spontaneously provide us with all of life's essentials. And, with love, courage and determination, we can endure the world's many hardships.

I don't agree. First of all, what may be intended to seem like simple intuition on the part of Sheena strikes me as sophisticated reasoning. And, in any case, the mighty guardian of the forest still has to depend on special weapons to defeat evil intruders. Even a simple knife is the product of millions of years of technological development, as is the ability to safely produce fire, and extract lethal toxins from plants and animals. Perhaps the authors will admit that superior knowledge is the main reason humans are the dominant species on the planet and that science is essential for our continued survival, but they appear to have missed the simple fact that the lore of the jungle is actually acquired through diligent exploration.

As for the artwork, it's a collaborative effort from numerous artists over the course of several issues. Judging from the cover art, Moritat achieved the most muscular physique (#1). Moreover, his dusky model with her hair in bang looks more like a native of the amazon than the glamour girl favored by Campbell (first illustration below). Unfortunately, Moritat doesn't achieve his best look in most of the illustrations he uses throughout story, nor does he have a good feel for natural looking breasts. And, the coloring by Casi Silver is too dull, especially in the first issue. The coloring used by Ceci de la Cruz in issues #4 and #5 is much more vivid, but Sanapo made Sheena too tall and slender for my taste. I've decided to show you some of the extras to give you a better of idea of what to expect. Although, the cover art is far superior to the illustrations you'll see in the main story.

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Tarzan & Sheena - Lords of the Jungle *DYNAMITE*

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Sheena is now queen of the amazon, not the Congo. And, while her desperate struggle to protect nature from heartless exploitation may seem banal, far fetched would be a more fitting description of this story. For, when jungle fantasy merges with science fiction, simultaneous events in the past, present and future become a confused mêlée. Unbeknownst to Sheena, her enemies are also intruding on Tarzan's territory in 1936. And, unbeknownst to either of the two heroes, the not too distant future of all humanity is at stake, if we even have one!


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Sheena: Queen of the Jungle  *DevilsDue*

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An overused story line about wealthy industrialists and other narcissists, who look to exploit the riches of the jungle. However, 'Jungle Babe' is destined to stop the bastards. This time she teams up with a well educated political idealist, an unlikely Shaman, and even one of the bad guys. Predictably, the story has logical flaws. Why should Jungle Babe run around the city practically butt naked in front of countless onlookers? Does she really want to attract a lot of attention if she's trying to escape or perform clandistine missions? On the plus side, the convoluted plot has many elements of good drama, such as intrigue, suspense, irony, and character development. And, when the whole affair becomes another happy ending, somehow, Jungle Babe's task is still unfinished. Leaving her plenty of work to do in future episodes.


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Belladonna Origins *Boundless*

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Wexford, Ireland, 951 AD. The joyful wedding of Colleen MacGrath and Donovan O'Connor promises to unite all of Ireland under one benevolent king, but, unfortunately, an evil druid has other ideas, and Colleen's innocent dreams of love, family and holy union, are brutally plundered by heathens from the north. However, the Celtic goddess, Morrigan, will not let Colleen's tormented soul rest while such injustice remains in the cruel world. On Samhain, the night of the living dead, Morrigan resurrects Coleen from desolate ruin and total despair, lending her superhuman strength and the power to communicate with animals. Possessed by an insatiable thirst for blood and vengeance, Collen undertakes a heroic quest to establish law and order on Earth and blissful eternity in the life here after. For those who live by sword, must die by the double bladed ax!

Criticism: I've been looking for a voluptuous female warrior for quite some time now. Belladonna isn't bad, but she's not quite human enough for my taste. I want a character who can be in mortal peril, but it's impossible to kill someone who's already dead. And her breasts are inflated with too much silicone for my taste. The same goes for Lady Death. If you want plenty of bloody fight scenes, you won't be disappointed, but one mighty warrior taking on a small army is a little too far fetched for my taste. Moreover, the story isn't intriguing. All the characters are stereotyped, and the rightful vengeance theme is banal. Were it not for some Celtic folklore, there would hardly be anything original about the story.

So, if you're looking for a 'bad ass' goddess, who enjoys a good row and has no reservations about killing her enemies, you might have a look. On the other hand, if you looking for a deep story that really makes you ponder the mysteries of life, you'll probably be disappointed.

A 6 part series, plus a bonus story, where Belladonna teams up with Lady Death.


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Belladonna Nos. 0-4 (2015-17)

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In Pictland, 851 AD, there is a tribe of amazons so savage, that even outnumbered 10 to 1, the ferocious shield-maidens are practically assured of blood soaked victory, so long as Belladonna leads the charge. Endowed with superhuman strength and incredible powers of recuperation, only black magic can stay Belladonna's relentless advance. Enter Skene, an evil sorceress with the power to foresee the future, conjure giant monsters, create vivid illusions, and bend men's minds to her diabolical will. To mere mortals, Belladonna may be invincible, but, armed with witchcraft, Skene holds the means to end the viking warrior's campaign of terror.

This story is even bloodier than the last. The warriors are literally showered in crimson, and they don't even trouble to wipe it off as they move from scene to scene. Although I'm not especially found of gore, this Belladonna is more to my liking, because she's more human. Although she's almost impossible to defeat, she can be killed with witchcraft and special weapons, and Skene would have succeeded in doing so, were it not for her own overconfidence. Nevertheless, the story is still too far fetched for my taste.

Although I expect Belladonna to be a great fighter, I prefer a heroine who would be at a disadvantage, if she were outnumbered by as little as 3-1. And, even with supernatural powers of recuperation, she should still be vulnerable to ordinary weapons, if blows are severe and numerous. Decapitation, for example, should be lethal. Moreover, I feel that some of the heroes should be male. In this story, other than Belladonna's personal companion, most males are villains, and they are relatively easy to defeat.

A four part series, complete with a preview and a short story about a gypsy who becomes a werewolf.


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Belladonna Annual 2017

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Once again, the only threat to Belladonna's bloody crusade is another woman. And, as the full moon bears witness, the viking warrior's mortal enemy gains the upper hand, but only temporarily. In the end, the belligerent adventuress stands victorious over another would-be conqueror. Yet, not far off, Ana, the she-werewolf is on the prowl.


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Wonder Woman/Conan *DC* *DarkHorse*

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WW and Conan, two of the greatest warriors in history, are soul mates, bound together for eternity in parallel realties.


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Jungle Girl Omnibus, Dynamite, 2012

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When a group of travelers somehow wind up in a prehistoric world, Jungle Girl goes out of her way to save them. Following her own conscience, Jungle Girl soon embarks on a quest of discovery through dark caverns, underwater citadels and forbidden lands, until she finally encounters the Master.

Not just another female counterpart to Tarzan, Jungle Girl seems to have more in common with Conan. Like many comic book heroes, Jungle Girl is practically superhuman. She eats dinosaurs for dinner, she can tear the head off of a giant bear with her bare hands, and she does battle with enormous monsters that look to have come from the pages of H.P. Lovecraft. In short, Jungle Girl is an indomitable free spirit that can never be possessed by any man, beast, or extraterrestrial being. In other words, she's the personfication of nature itself, and anyone who disrespects her awesome power is a fool.

As the story unfolds, Jungle Girl's devoted neanderthal follower, Monkey Boy, quickly learns to use bombs, machine guns, and torpedos to destroy the horrible creatures and the countless enemies that repeatedly besiege them. In the end, however, it comes as no surprise that it takes a supernatural artifact to finally triumph, not to mention bravery, loyalty, savoir-faire, and a little help from unexpected allies.

Frankly, the story is far too far fetched for my taste, but I do like the way Batista outlined Jungle Girl's physique. While she's much brawnier than Sheena, Jungle Girl still remains feminine. Unlike the sketches we often see in this forum, Batista was careful not to overexaggerate her musculature to the point where she would look like a man. Instead, he framed Jungle Girl like a typical figure/fitness competitor. Of course, she's clearly more athletic than ordinary men, but, when compared to the neanderthals of her world, it's relatively easy to distinguish between the genders. This is not simply a question of size, but also one of physical proportion. Although Jungle Girl is taller than Monkey Boy, he has thicker limbs and a larger torso. Whereas, Jungle Girl is the one with the more curvaceous posterior, and the artists afford us many generous views of it.

So, to sum it all up, if you want plenty of action and adventure, and you fancy a babe who's boss and has a bod like an olympian, Jungle Girl may be worth a gander.


10 issues, 248 pages
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The Sensational G-Girl - Heroic Publishing

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A playful satire about a teenaged superhero, who gets turned into a sex goddess by an evil warlock. The four part series is G-Girl's personal account of the various misadventures she's had ever since her gender-change. She claims that she wants to return to normal, but G-Girl has to admit that she likes all the attention that her feminine sex appeal has been getting her. However, affairs do don't turn out to be as easy as she had expected. G-Girl's attempts to manipulate men often fail. And, not only does being a celebrity compromise G-Girl's role as a superheroine, it has made her new enemies, including men who try to abduct her. 

For a change, I like the concept. Given, the highly improbable nature of G-Girl's transformation (and the sensitive nature of the subject), I think the publisher rightly judged that this tall tale can't be taken too seriously, even in a market where outrageous fantasies are common place. Nevertheless, the writers didn't turn the whole romance into a pointless farce. To my liking, they rely more on insightful wit, instead of banal slap-stick humor. However, numerous unfinished plots leave the reader with too many loose ends. And, while G-Girl looks a lot like a swimsuit model, the more muscular physique of a figure model would probably better suit someone who has to perform feats of great strength while still remaining feminine.


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Chastity - Rocked (Chaos Comics, 1998-1999)

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A convoluted soap opera about a strong willed and independent young woman, who's trying to pursue an ambitious career and still find time to enjoy life. Being a vampire, however, doesn't help matters. More than 20 years after having been 'made', Chastity has become a successful actress. However, like déjà vu, yet another one of Chastity's close friends has been taken hostage by an old nemesis.

Many years ago, four years after being 'made', Chastity was still struggling to survive in the neon jungle. For the second time, she unwittingly found herself in the middle of a brutal gang war, and, by the time she learned who her true allies were, it was nearly too late. Once again, Chastity's worse enemy turned out to be a scheming, manipulative, bitch. Although Chastity has the ability to go unnoticed, it's not easy to hide the truth from Jade, an ancient oriental vampire sorceress, who can read her mind like an open book.

I don't like this story as much as Theatre of Pain. While I generally like sophisticated plots, this one is just too confusing. If we reconstruct the events which happened in the past, we get the following: There has been a rash of crime lord homicides in the neighborhood. Antonio fears for his life, but he has no idea who is behind the assassinations. He needs someone to investigate the assassinations very discretely, and Chastity is the obvious choice. With her help, Antonio is able to figure out that Jade is the one who has been trying to take over his territory, and eventually he is able to dismantle her operation. All this seems logically consistent, except for one problem. Inexplicably, Antonio never told Chastity the truth in the first place.

Antonio knew that Kenji Kitano was the next target, but if he did not really want Kitano dead, why did Antonio tell Chastity to kill him, especially since she didn't even want to be an assassin? Not only did Chastity wind up saving Kitano in the end, but she even earned a bonus for it. Besides, the author provides no obvious explanation for how they were able to deceive a mind reader.

As for the illustrations, the artists made her more athletic than in the previous story. This decision makes sense, given all the fighting she has to do, butt, I see no reason why she has to have silicone breast implants.


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Chastity - Lust for Life (Chaos Comics, 1999)

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More than 20 years after being 'made', Chastity finally gets a starring role, and she even finds time for a little romance. However, her carefree masquerade may soon come to an end. Yet another war among the undead has exploded into deadly violence, and vampires and werewolves seem to be everywhere. Chastity keeps saying that she doesn't want to fight, butt she's under intense pressure, and her actions speak louder than her words. Hemlock, aka the nomad, has the solution to her moral dilemma. Chastity has to find him, but, just like Chastity, he cannot be detected by other vampires. In the end, it's he who finds her.

Ed Benes does the illustrations in this series, which I think is an improvement over Justiniano's work. Female characters in fighting roles are very tricky. Because of her athletic nature, Chastity has to be well muscled. Because of her feminine nature, on the other hand, Chastity has to be smooth and slender. There should be a clear difference between the genders, especially when Chastity is compared to brawny men, such as the werewolves.

Benes gave Chastity a subtle amount of muscle definition, without making her too ripped and bulky. In order to give her feminine proportions, Benes broadened Chastity's back, shoulders, and hips, while narrowing her waist. The resulting hourglass shape is very different than the V taper that is more characteristic of men. Moreover, in terms of overall muscle distribution, Benes placed more emphasis on the lower half of the body. He added contours to Chastity's hips and thighs, while keeping her arms relatively slender. Of course, in order to make Chastity look more feminine, Benes exaggerated the size of her breasts. So, at times, it looks as if Chastity has silicone implants, especially when she is wearing an open-cup top, but at least Benes did not inflate them as much as Justiniano did. And, a natural look is not entirely a question of size. Since real breasts hang to some extent, teardrop shaped breasts appear more realistic than spherical ones. Finally, dressing Chastity in in skimpy attire (hotpants, miniskirts, lingerie, g-strings, etc) lends her a lot of sex appeal.

As for the story line, I like this relatively simple plot better than the confusing one used in Rocked (both stories by Phil Nutman), but Theatre of Pain (Brian Pulido) is still my favorite series, because Pulido's story seems more like something that could happen in real life. I've already mentioned that in Lust for Life Chastity encountered vampires and werewolves just about everywhere she went. Well, why didn't someone notice them? If bunch of wild animals started a brawl in a local night club, you would think that it would make the 6 pm news, but Fern Fierstein never mentions the event. Moreover, Chastity may have superhuman abilities, butt when she's up against other freaks of nature, the only advantage she has is her superior martial arts skills. Do you think Bruce Lee would win if he had to fight a whole football team all by himself?

So, if you fancy a modern, independent woman, who kicks butt in bar room brawls, all without mussing up her fashion model hairdo (let alone break a fingernail or even get so much as a drop of blood on her fancy dress), Lust for Life may be worth a look.


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Chastity (2000-2001) Chaos! Comics

A collection of one shots

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