Plot
A heavy snowstorm falls upon Marshville, a town that has been transported into the prehistoric past, covering the streets in two feet of snow. Due to the strain the winter has put on the powerplant, the town has instituted brownouts for the time being to conserve fuel.
The town’s leaders gather to assess the situation: Meriem the cavewoman, her boyfriend Bruce, Professor Cook, Corporal Mack, Sergeant Marstone, and a few others. Prof. Cook confirms the town’s food supply is in great standing, but heat for the populace is in jeopardy due to the fuel reserves being diminished. He proposes an expedition to the north to investigate a set of tar pits to see if oil can be obtained. Marstone expresses vehement opposition to the professor and his ideas (and in particular to the presence of Meriem), but the other townsfolk embrace Cook’s plan.
The expedition, consisting of Meriem, Bruce, the professor, and police officer Alex, set off to the tar pits, which they arrive at a day later. The professor gets to work testing the tar pits for oil while Alex, Bruce, and Meriem keep warm by the fire, drinking coffee and rum. Professor Cook returns and confirms: oil!
As the party make their way back to Marshville they encounter a farm outside town that is surrounded by prints by an unknown animal. They deduce it is an animal that has adapted to the cold.
Back in town, the professor proposes the town’s windmill pump that is on display at a museum be repurposed to drill the oil so it can be trucked in to Marshville. Bruce sets off back north to get the machinations of Cook’s plan underway.
Commentary
The first issue of the “Snow” storyline in Budd Root’s Cavewoman series was published in February of 2011, with the art and story done by Rob Durham. This is an exposition issue, light on action but upfront about the stakes Meriem and the rest of the town are in: dangerous cold and snow, lack of power to keep the town warm, hints of internal strife, and the possibility of an unknown creature lurking outside of town. The peril is real and Durham goes at lengths to establish this.
Though not an action-centric issue, Meriem is still afforded opportunities to display her jungle girl superpowers. She uses her agility to leap gracefully through the icy streets of Marshville while Bruce stumbles and falls. Her healing ability allows her to drink rum without feeling the intoxicating effects (much to her chagrin). There is a discrepancy on how her thick skin handles the cold. At the beginning of the issue, when Meriem arrives at Bruce’s apartment, she comments that she is only a little cold due to her skin. Later on, while at the tar pits, a much more clothed Meriem is observed by Bruce and the professor to not be as adaptable to the weather, and that she is shivering.
On the subject of clothing, Meriem is given a new attire for this issue. Made from bits of Bruce’s old racing suit, it is a fur hood with leggings and elbow-length gloves that are leopard print. The outfit still enhances Meriem’s sex appeal, her leopard leggings looking akin to stockings. The attire does underscore her cat-like agility, demonstrated as she leaps through the town as a panther. Unlike the previously reviewed issue of Cavewoman, “Extinction,” which was more kid-centric and kid-friendly, this issue of “Snow” veers into erotic territory, with Meriem and Bruce having sex off page and Meriem going topless, showing off her large breasts, in many panels early in the issue.
Though the sex appeal is overt, Meriem and Bruce look to have a healthy, affectionate relationship, with concern for each other’s well-being. Meriem is no damsel in distress, and in perhaps a bit of gender role reversal, she plays the physically strong role in a relationship that is usually depicted as fairly traditional.
Regarding traditional gender roles, in “Extinction” the ideas of Meriem being a motherly figure are brought up when she rescues Susie from the cave tentacle monster. In issue one of “Snow” the subject is brought back up. As she placates her cousin Lumpy and his friend Will (who also appeared in “Extinction”) with promises that she will do something fun with them after she returns from the expedition, Professor Cook remarks that she will “make a great mother someday.” Miriem bites her bottom lip as she holds the idea in thought, enchanted by it.
The last theme of “Snow” revolves around the notion of community in Marshville, working together to survive not just being in the prehistoric past, but also a cruel winter. Professor Cook acts as a de facto leader of the town, though no doubt under a dotted line hierarchal relationship to the town’s police force and mayor. There is, of course, dissent in the community that should be unified, particularly with the character of Marstone, who takes umbrage to Meriem and the professor, and suggests they should begin clearcutting the jungle surrounding the town for fuel. This could be a character that truly cares about his community but is extremely skeptical to having to rely on others, or he has nefarious intentions and perhaps wants to seize command to do things his way.
Conclusion
The first issue of “Snow” is off to a great start. There is the introduction of multiple dilemmas (the snow, the tar pits expedition, the unknown creature, internal communal strife, etc.) that will no doubt coalesce during the next three issues. It sounds like a lot to juggle, but Durham has done a great job at keeping everything linked together and relevant. Durham’s art style is always top notch in the Cavewoman series, especially when depicting Meriem, be it pinup style, or jungle girl heroine style. A great issue and a great beginning to a new Cavewoman storyline.
For more information on Cavewoman “Snow” issue one or my other Cavewoman reviews, check these links: