Things get more complicated.
Creative Staff:
Story: Corinna Bechko
Art: Roberto Castro
What They Say:
Displaced in time, lost in an unfamiliar wilderness, and beset by enemies on all sides, Sheena must search for a way home before her own jungle is destroyed. There’s only one man who might have the key to her salvation, but Tarzan has problems of his own as he battles for his name and his family in London’s underbelly, a place more vicious than Sheena can imagine!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Having not read much of anything in the Tarzan or Sheena realm of comics in probably a good twenty years, I did enjoy the first issue of this series overall. It worked to establish the basics well enough in shifting Sheena from the present to the past and painting a brief but tantalizing picture of Tarzan. Bechko’s script kept things moving and Castro really nailed the visuals with the action, something he carries through well here – both in the modern jungle of the city and the natural jungle. The first chapter just didn’t cement itself strongly as a must read piece though since it was mostly about getting Sheena to 1936 and setting up that she’s out of place and time while not establishing more of what the series itself is about.
This issue doesn’t change that too much itself, but it’s setting up some of the possibilities a bit more. The focus is still very much on Sheena, first as she deals with the men she come across that take a few shots at her, and then with the local that patches her up a bit and fills her in on the missing protector of this area. She’s still uncertain of what’s going on but knows she got here through unusual methods. Frustratingly, we never get a name for the local that helps her a good bit and gets her moving towards passage to England as she’s intent on finding Tarzan since he may have some clue as to how she can get back. It moves at a quick pace and I like how she ends up tying herself to a circus for a bit since she’s obviously a natural with animals, but it’s just a win to get her into a better costume for a bit.
Tarzan’s story is shaping up a bit better but is still missing a few key pieces. His time on London has him apparently hunting down Jane as she’s been kidnapped and is being transported between different people to keep her away from him. He gets a clue that moves him closer to her but it’s just a setting for a trap and some good action. Castro captures this well with his movements and overall sense of power that clicks well for me, as does the overall coloring and darkness that the city presents. The problem is that we don’t get any context for what’s going on with Jane, though at least we do see her for maybe two panels, and that undercuts it. I wasn’t looking for a lot of exposition but at least a little bit to go on since the two issues are still very light on the larger story that’s unfolding.
In Summary:
Lords of the Jungle has an enjoyable enough second issue that rests largely on the dynamic artwork from Roberto Castro. I really like his layouts and the flow of events with some of the panel design that keeps it interesting without being too full of flourish or done in a complex way that ruins the flow. He’s definitely got the designs down for both Sheena and Tarzan but the book leaves me wanting more Tarzan – both in his suit and his more traditional garb. I’m interesting in the concepts at hand and the pairing but I’m still not sure what it is that the series is about yet as it feels very light on the details. I get Sheena’s motivations and I get Tarzan’s motivations, but those aren’t story points at this point.
Grade: B-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: April 20th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
