CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

It’s a second weekend in a row with a Blog Extra. That makes me happy enough to drink myself stupid. But first, I should actually write this thang.

From Devil’s Due Publishing:

The SHEENA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE $.99 SPECIAL is written by Robert Rodi and drawn by Steven Cummings. Sheena, the original jungle heroine, was a Will Eisner co-creation, and makes her return to comics after a very lengthy absence. Last seen being played by Gena Lee Nolin on TV, the character has been more of a film presence than graphic presence for the past fifty years. Re-imagined by screenwriter Steven deSouza, this new incarnation of the character is considered to be a myth by the majority of the public where she does her work, a rainforest country called Val Verde. Industrialists think she’s a creation of environmentalists, the environmentalists think she’s a way for the industrialists to discredit them… the only thing we do know is that she’s real, and the local animals are very fond of her. Rodi’s story gives you just enough to be interested in the bigger picture, and Cummings avoids stupid cheesecake shots, excepting one panel that stares up her ass. Throw in a nicely written history of the character, and this is more than worth your yanqui dollar.

Tim Seeley writes, and Matt Merhoff draws, HACK/SLASH VS. CHUCKY, the series’ best entry since GIRLS GONE DEAD. In fact, the villain of this piece actually returns from GIRLS; Laura Lochs survived being burned alive by Cassie, and to take revenge, she uses Chucky’s voodoo amulet to trade bodies with Cassie’s partner Vlad. Now, Cassie has to team up with the murderous doll in order to save her friend, as well as survivors from the previous adventures that Laura has captured and begun torturing. Melding some terrific continuity from the entire series with a fast-paced plot and righteous action, this is a true return to form for the series, which had faltered a bit as of late. I wasn’t sold on the idea of adding Chucky to the mix, as I loathe those movies, and homicidal dolls stories as a rule, but Seeley gives Chucky plenty of pluck and personality and makes him compelling on the page. Merhoff delivers some terrific art, too, which is good- he’s actually set to be the regular artist on the SHEENA title when it starts. He looks like he’ll be up to the job.

See you this week for main site updates.

/Mason