SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE – FATAL EXAMS #3, by Dynamite Comics on 11/8/23, brings the Caballero’s plans for the Protected zone into the light as more people notice something is amiss.
The Details
- Written by: Steven E. de Souza, Wes Clark Jr.
- Art by: Ediano Silva
- Colors by: Vinicius Townsend
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: November 8, 2023
Is SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE – FATAL EXAMS #3 Good?
To be honest, SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE – FATAL EXAMS #3 is starting to lose us. Steven E. de Souza and Wes Clark Jr. crafted a script with action, tension, and plenty of things happening, but in reality, we still have no idea what’s going on. After three issues, all you can say is that bad men want something, and that’s a weak hook to convince readers to keep reading.
When last we left Sheena and her jungle friends, Sheena’s allies recovered a few core samples the Caballero’s men took from the nature Preserve. What did they find? Nothing. It’s just plain soil. Still, the Caballero’s men lay traps and make assassination attempts to keep everyone away from their confusing work. Meanwhile, the girls at Sheena’s school increasingly fall under the spell of a mysterious Prosperity preacher.
Now, Sheena kills more of the Caballero’s men when they try to trap her in the jungle. A school presentation research session gets interrupted by a shadowy figure. And more men try to kill Roberto for his knowledge about the plain soil. The schoolgirls receive more enticement to follow the Prosperity preacher, and the secret police act shady. And then, and then, and then, and then…
There’s an old writing trick that says story beats should always be separated by “buts and therefores,” never “and thens.” This story has a lot of “and thens” of seemingly disconnected ideas happening all at once with no clear connection between multiple plots and subplots. De Souza and Clark Jr have gone overboard trying to overstuff this issue with plot developments, but it reads like a chaotic mess.
What’s great about SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE – FATAL EXAMS #3? Sheena’s deadly action scenes are the highlight of this issue. If you like watching The Queen of the Jungle fight like an unstoppable demon, you’re in for a good time.
What’s not so great about SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE – FATAL EXAMS #3? The plot is quickly turning into a convoluted mess, partly because there are no stakes. If readers had some sense of Caballero’s identity and what he wanted, readers could at least mentally fill in some of the blanks. As it is, we still have no idea who the villain is, what he wants, why he wants it, or the consequences if he gets it. Without a stated goal, this issue feels like a lot of random noise.
How’s the art? Thankfully, the art is solid. Silva and Townsend have a lot to do because this issue is overstuffed with disconnected scenes, but the art team handles it well.
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What’s SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE – FATAL EXAMS #3 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE – FATAL EXAMS #2 review to find out how Sheena got her hands on the core samples.
We begin with a supposed member of the Audubon Society, Oscar, riding down the river to meet a local guide for help in finding a rare bird. However, the Audubon Society member is one of Caballer’s men, setting a trap for Sheena, and Sheena is setting a trap in return. When both traps spring, most of Oscar’s men are dead, and Oscar falls over a waterfall, revealing only that the soil samples mean nothing.
Later, Sheena and her roommate head to the school library to do research for the school’s 400th anniversary presentation. Their research session is interrupted by a shadowy figure who stole a journal recording a specific event in the school’s past. Meanwhile, Roberto is chased by the Caballero’s killers.
We conclude the issue with more Prosperity worship, secrets discovered, good cop/bad cop, and more.
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Final Thoughts
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SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE – FATAL EXAMS #3 brims with plenty of plot development and solid, eye-catching art. That said, the plot is quickly becoming a jumbled mess because the plots and sub-plots keep growing without a clear picture of the main villain, their motivations, or the stakes.
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