SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE #8/ Script by STEVEN E. DE SOUZA/ Art by JETHRO MORALES & EDIANO SILVA/Colors by DINEI RIBERO/ Letters by TAYLOR ESPOSITO/ Published by DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

Trapped on an island in a land before time, Sheena is tested by new challenges. Beyond the dinosaurs, there are other refugees from other times, and rumors of hostile cannibals in the wild. But there is more to this savage land than meets the eye and it will take all of the Queen of the Jungle’s cunning to survive, determining who she can truly trust.

Normally I don’t review the middle chapters of on-going storylines, but I was in the mood for a bit of pulp fiction this week and damned if Sheena: Queen of the Jungle #8 didn’t provide it. Steven E. de Souza continues to impress with his scripting for this series, returning to the revamp he brought about. My only complaint is that this chapter is a tad traditional. It isn’t bad, but I’ve gotten spoiled by previous Sheena comics finding ways to subvert the usual genre clichés.

The artwork is a bit more mixed this month. I don’t know what happened in the first three pages, but it almost seems like Jethro Morales didn’t have time to finish the issue. Rough doesn’t begin to describe them. Thankfully, the rest of the issue is completed by Ediano Silva, whose style better suits the story, possessing a grit that reminds me of Mike Grell at the height of his powers. The colors and lettering are still solid, however, with Dinei Ribriro and Taylor Esposito in fine form.

All in all, if you aren’t already reading Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, I think I’d suggest waiting for the trade. Coming in with this issue would be like walking in on the middle of a movie. Granting that it is a good movie, this is one book best sampled in one sitting.