With the successful reappearance of Shanna the She-Devil in 2006, you had to figure her inspirational ancestor, Sheena, would not be far behind. And here she is.

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, as reimagined by Steven E. de Souza and written by de Souza and Robert Rodi, is not just the blond counterpart to Tarzan she was conceived to be back in 1937. Here, she is yanked by her roots from the African jungle and replanted firmly in Val Verde, a fictional nation in a heavily rainforested portion of South America. Lost as a child after her parents died in a plane crash, she is raised by an unknown native tribe and an expatriated con man. Now, clad in a revealing jaguar-skin bikini and accompanied by her animal friends, she fights back against the creeping incursions into the rainforest by greedy industrialists. Her mission is dogged by a ruthless corporate executive, various mercenaries and a well-meaning environmental activist.

Artist Matt Merhoff's work, while falling short of the standard set by Frank Cho in Shanna, is remarkable stuff, and not only when he's focused on the green-eyed beauty for whom this book is named. His expressive lines and fluid motion keep the reader engrossed in the story -- and Sheena, of course, is absolutely gorgeous.

The book ends on a note that leaves the field wide open for more. I hope to see it soon.