Tag: Dinosaurs

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The Edge of Winter: Cavewoman: Snow Issue 3

Plot

Four months after Marshville was hit with a brutal winter, freezing crops in the town museum’s garden, things continue to look dire. An unseen creature continues to stalk and kill the citizens of the town, though these deaths are being kept from the public. Though the town is still getting heat, per Professor Cook, folks are not getting enough food. He meets with Meriem and Bruce and brings up that a cabin at the boundary between the town and prehistoric earth may have a stockpile of supplies. He asks Meriem if she can investigate. Bruce rejects this idea as the citizens of Marshville have treated Meriem awfully despite everything she does for them. Despite this, Meriem still accepts the mission.

Cover has no text. It shows Meriem being pulled in different directions by three white gorillas as she sits atop a rocky peak in the mountains.
Personal copy of Cavewoman “Snow” issue 3, special edition version.

She makes her way through the snow using her superhuman speed and agility and locates the cabin. Inside she finds a journal which leads her to a cellar stocked with food, ammo, and other supplies. On her way back to report her findings she is attacked by the invisible assailant.

Commentary

Issue three of Cavewoman “Snow” was published in July of 2011 with the story and art being by Rob Durham. It is the penultimate issue of the “Snow” storyline. Taking place four months after the events of issue two, issue three sees the town of Marshville in further jeopardy as its citizens slowly starve during a prolonged, harsh winter, while an unseen killer stalks the streets.

Blue paper that has a picture of the special edition cover. It says Amryl Entertainment Certificate of Authenticity. Cavewoman Snow 3 Special Edition Limited to 750 copies.
Cavewoman Snow #3 certificate of authenticity.

The prior issue had a (probably unintended) focus on how laissez-faire many integral figures of the town acted, which included blame shifting (running Meriem over with a transport truck), not taking situations seriously (dismissing the kids trying to report a murder), and putting off doing necessary tasks (maintenance on the museum gantry), which cascaded to baleful consequences, such as the museum garden getting heavily damaged by snow avalanching in from a cracking skylight, which puts the town in the predicament it is in.

Meriem has wide eyes with prominent lashes.
Meriem’s doe eyes.

On page, during issue two, Meriem was the scapegoat for these mishaps. Sometime, off page, between issue two and this issue, Meriem is absolved by some of the townsfolk. Sensing her depression at the beginning of this issue, Bruce tells Meriem, “The two maintenance workers vouched for you” and later on Professor Cook says “the incident at the museum is over with. Almost all accept the fact that Meriem was only trying to save the garden that day.” It is important to note that these apologies occur off page, and neither said to Meriem directly nor visually shown to the reader. It sends the message that it is ok to chastise publicly but recant and apologize privately. There is also an asterisk in Cook’s statement of “almost all,” no doubt referring to the character of Martson who always has it out for Meriem but of course does not give up a chance to ogle her body (as seen in issue two when he stares at her curvy hips in the museum).

Meriem with a happy expression saying "Hurry, Bruce! It's an emergency! Get the Prof. more coffee and Brandy for his arthritis."
The cure to Prof. Cook’s arthritis is coffee and brandy.

This is all foundation to Meriem’s superhero dilemma: the town needs her, but will turn on her in an instant, and then come back when they need her, rinse-repeat. Issue three brings this superhero trope to the forefront in that Professor Cook wants Meriem to scout a cabin for supplies to save the town, but Bruce brings up the (rightful) observation that citizens of Marshville treat her horribly despite everything Meriem does for the town. Meriem is a true altruist here. She goes above and beyond for Marshville, but the town does not return the favour.

Three panels that show Meriem and then her leopard print posterior as she bashes her way through the floor. The first panel she has her tongue sticking out while the other 2 panels are her butt wiggling around. There are floor boards flying around her.
Meriem batters her way through the floor boards.

The last half of the issue switches from drama to action as Meriem takes off to find the cabin of supplies. When she arrives, she finds a hidden journal where the last page indicates the suppliers are hidden under the floor. Wanton destruction is the key here as Meriem bashes into the cabin’s floor, showing off her posterior in the process. Finding nothing, Meriem then realizes the cabin’s shed has a visible trap door. It is a funny scene for what has been an otherwise somber issue, while throwing in some cheesecake aesthetics as the issue has been chaste up to this point (issues one and two both had sequences of nudity). Meriem in a pinup and a sex symbol, so artist/author Durham finds a lighthearted way to insert some sexuality into the issue. 

Meriem is laying in the snow, on her side, huddled up. She has claw marks on her legs and stomach that are bleeding. She has a thought bubble: "...so tired... s....tir...."
Meriem lies defeated in the snow.

The issue ends with Meriem encountering the unseen creature. The monster is still not shown to the readers, so this will be a mystery to be revealed in issue four. While Meriem gets a good elbow hit in, she is otherwise defeated by the entity. She lays in the snow, finding herself not healing. Perhaps due to the extreme cold that she has voiced concern about during the “Snow” run? Or perhaps due to low caloric intake due to food rationing? Or perhaps lack of willpower due to her depression from trying to save a thankless town? Or all of the above?

Conclusion

Issue three of “Snow” is half drama and half adventure. The first, dramatic half of the issue really sells the dire situation of the town of Marshville but also brings a heavy helping of emotional weight put upon Meriem. The last half of the issue turns into normal jungle-girl activities, though in a winter landscape rather than jungle, as Meriem traverses the terrain, does some light detective work, destroys some things in the process, and has an encounter with the beast that has been terrorizing the town. As usual, Durham’s art is fun, detailed, and heavily emphasizes not only the pinup beauty of Meriem, but also her emotions through facial expressions and posture. Though overall melancholy in tone, issue three does set up everything for an exciting finale in issue four. Will the town be saved? What will the creature turn out to be?

For more information on Cavewoman “Snow” issue three, check out the official product page at Amryl Entertainment:

For more reviews of Budd Root’s Cavewoman series I’ve penned, check these out:

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Down Below Zero: Cavewoman: Snow Issue 2

Plot

The energy crisis for Marshville has been quelched as Bruce has overseen the installation of the pump at the tar pits north of the city and getting the trucking of oil into town up and running. He returns home to his apartment, into the waiting arms of Meriem Cooper, for an amorous evening.

Cover depicts Meriem, he cavewoman, wearing a leopard print bikini top and bottom, sitting among sunflowers.
Personal copy of Cavewoman “Snow” #2.

The next day Meriem makes way to the town’s museum that has been converted into a food garden. En route she happens upon a set of prints in the snow that remind her of the prints she found a month prior during an expedition to the north tar pits. While examining the prints, she is hit by an oil transport truck, but walks away unscratched, leaving only an impression of her posterior in the truck’s plow. At the museum she begins work on harvesting the sunflowers.

Meanwhile an unseen entity (Animal? Dinosaur? Something else?) slays Mrs. Solomon, a woman returning home with her food ration. A trio of kids happen upon her body and inform two adults who brush off their concerns.

At the museum, snow keeps accumulating on the roof, threatening to break the skylights. Two maintenance workers attempt to clean up the mess but find the building’s gantry frozen. With glass cracking, Meriem becomes more concerned with the safety of the garden she holds so dear and ventures to the roof of the museum to assist. She uses her superhuman strength to dislodge the gantry, but in the process crashes through the window, causing snow to pour in on the crops. Professor Cook attempts to assuage Meriem, but dejected, she leaves the scene and returns home.

Commentary

The second issue of “Snow” was published May of 2011, with series stalwart Rob Durham continuing the story and art. Picking up two months after issue one, the major dilemma introduced in “Snow” #1, the power plant running out of oil and thus the ability to heat Marshville, has been solved. But, for a town transported to the prehistoric past, problems jeopardizing survival are like a game of whack-a-mole: as one is solved another arises. The town may have heat, but an unseen threat, foreshadowed in issue one when Meriem and company found the unknown tracks in the snow outside town, has now popped up, slaying Marshville citizens. An incoming storm threatens to blanket the town with even more snow, causing skylights, such as that atop the museum that houses the town’s garden, to crack under the weight.

A big theme in this issue is the spectrum at which the populace of Marshville takes seriously (or not) their role of keeping the town safe and functioning. The first page of the comic has Bruce reflecting on his role at getting the oil pump up and running and the logistics for transporting oil to town: “In some strange way the important meaning of the projects to our survival has kinda given me… purpose.”

Bruce realizes this, but it is shocking at how many citizens of the town do not, or do not care, and do not take responsibility.

Meriem is hit by a truck. Her butt is planted firmly in the truck's plow. Her breasts have popped out of her top. Her face is an expression of classic pinup girls who have been caught in a situation (like burning a cookie or their skirt is caught in a door).
Meriem is rear ended by a truck.

The first example comes early in the issue when Meriem is on her way to the museum to help in the garden. She stops to investigate a set of mysterious prints in the snow (which are, of course, a part of the grand issue of an entity stalking and killing the people of the town). As she examines the tracks she is rear ended by an oil-ferrying truck. Meriem is unscratched (though her tits pop out of her top, turning the scene into a sex-comedy gag) because of her superhuman abilities. The truck driver (named Tanis), who was not paying attention to the road, is quick to deflect responsibility of the accident from himself to Meriem by saying “Now in the future young lady you should be a little more careful.” Basically, Tanis is able to absolve himself from running over a young lady and instead deflect that responsibility back to her. Though the sequence is played for laughs, it demonstrates subconscious misogyny going on and overt not taking responsibility for one’s role in the safety of Marshville seriously.

Meriem is falling through the snow covered window. She looks down with a ""? thought bubble. Two maintenance workers look on.
Meriem crashes through the museum roof window.

A similar situation occurs at the climax of the issue, though this time it is played seriously and not for laughs. Cathy, who is overseeing the garden inside the museum, has asked Marstone to have the snow cleaned off the glass roof of the museum so it will not cave in. Marstone, in turn, has delegated this duty to two maintenance workers. When they finally get around to address the snow on the roof, they realize the gantry’s gears are frozen. The two have a heated exchange “Damn it, I asked you to grease the gears a week ago!” “I was getting to it!”. Meriem shows up and takes the initiative to solve the issue by using her strength to rattle the gantry loose, but she winds up falling through the skylight, taking the snow with her, damaging the garden. Marstone is quick to blame Meriem for the whole debacle, calling her a terrorist and a menace. Neither of the maintenance workers step forward to claim their culpability (after all, if they had done their job a week prior, none of this would have happened) and instead allow Meriem to take full blame. It is her fault, and not the fault of the men with authority in the scene, just like with the truck crash earlier.

While the men finger point, grumble, and skirt the responsibility of being placed in important positions integral to the survival of the town, Meriem has done nothing but step up her game. Cathy comments that no one else wants to be in the garden picking vegetables: “Glad you made it in, no one else has, and I could sure use the help!” Meriem, on the other hand, is all too happy to lend a hand and pick sunflowers so the land can be rotated to have cabbage planted. Bruce and Meriem are model citizens and go above and beyond for their community (which is one of the reasons they are so compatible together).

A kid is explaining to an adult: "I'm tell'n you she's dead! Ripped apart! Looked like somebody went cannibal on her and started eat'n her, dude."
A kiddo tries to convey happening across the dead body.

A final scenario in “Snow” #2 that feeds into this overall theme of not taking the situation the town finds itself in seriously is when three children happen upon the corpse of Mrs. Solomon who has been slashed by the unseen stalker in the town. The children, as they are supposed to do, report the body to the adults. When the children return with two adults, (who are also the two maintenance workers that were supposed to deal with the museum roof), they find the body gone. The adults dismiss the children’s concerns (which, solidifies their general attitude of not doing anything as is evident with the upcoming scene on the roof). This is a common trope in horror films: the children witness a monsters/something bad, tell someone about it, and are not taken seriously (until it is too late). The Blob (1958) is a perfect example of this. Steven McQueen and friends are teenagers who witness the blob in action, and report it to the police, who are outright hostile to them (one of them thinks the kids are trying to get to him). Marshville is a town that has been teleported to the historic past. It is surrounded by dinosaurs and other weird creatures. The entire situation is absurd and calls for the utmost attention and seriousness. When someone is pointing out “Hey! We saw a dead body”, given the predicament the town is in, it warrants true investigation and not dismissal.

Conclusion

Issue two of the “Snow” storyline is great. Narrative-wise, this is a dense issue. There is a lot going on in the town of Marshville, and even with all the external threats going on, it is seeing the (perhaps unintentional) internal threats from its own citizens that adds to suspense and drama of the story. Real characters/people behave in different ways, and the complacent/fear of taking accountability characteristic is a legitimate character trait that adds depth and complexity. It is heartbreaking though to see Meriem try so hard for the people of the town (with her helpful personality and heroics) but still relegated to the role of outcast and spoken of negatively.

Meriem sits silents in a field of sunflowers in the museum garden.
Meriem among the sunflowers.

Art-wise, Durham always brings the best in the cheesecake style. For sexploitation/exploitation purposes, Durham makes sure to showcase a small helping of nudity (as when Bruce returns home to the awaiting arms of Meriem, or when she is hit by the truck), or to draw Meriem in poses that highlight her glamorous features (as when she is picking sunflower seeds). A great issue that is both fun while not letting up on maintaining its air of suspense that any moment something will occur that threatens everyone.    

For more information on Cavewoman “Snow” issue two or my other Cavewoman reviews, check these links:

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Comics

It’s Getting Cold: Cavewoman: “Snow” Issue 1

Cover is all white, with blobs of snow falling. Meriem the cavewoman stands in the center, looking up. She has flowing hair. She has a white fur hood on (but not covering her head), a leopard print bikini top and bottom.
Personal copy of Cavewoman, Snow #1.

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.

Black and white panel from the comic. The professor, Meriem, a police officer, and brice stand in stone at the bank of a tar put that says "Ga-loop! Bloop!"
At the tar pits.

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.

Black and white panel. Meriem springs into the air, off the street that has piles of snow from having been shoveled. Bruce is below her. She says "C'mon I'll Race you!"
Meriem leaps through the streets.

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.

Black and white panel from the comic. Meriem is putting on a fur hood. She is bare chested. She says "Good! Cause I think I like it too!" (referring to her new outfit).
Meriem tries on her new outfit.

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.

Black and white panel in the comic. Meriem is standing straight, arms behind her back with a thought bubble that says "Mother...."
Meriem entertains the idea of being a mother.

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.

Marstone, Bruce, and Meriem in a black and white panel. Marstone says "Better keep a leash on your Dino lover, Bruce. I think she's gone Rabid. If this is the kind'a treatment I can expect when I suggest a course of action then I don't much see the point in hanging around."
Marstone is not a team player. He can dish out hostility to the professor and Meriem, but whines when confronted back.

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:

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The Chaos Continues: Vanya 09

The Story So Far

Vanya is a warrior in training, sent to the prehistoric past for a year to test her survival skills against a harsh primeval environment and dinosaurs. Her journey becomes upended as she is drawn both into an intergalactic war with the purple skinned Torridians and the prophecies of the Bone Tribe who seek to hatch Torridian Dragon eggs. Vanya finds momentary respite when she and her lover, Serah, make it to a Federation installation. There Serah is cared for after having been implanted with a cranial device by the Bone Tribe Witch that gives her visions. As the Torridians commence an all-out assault against the base with their legion of cybernetically enhanced dinosaurs, the Federation responds in kind with their army of mechs. As the battle rages, Vanya is sent out into the jungle once again on a mission to retrieve a set of Torridian Dragon Eggs.

Cover is a scene at night. Vanya stands over a campfire, spear in hand. On a tree root next to her is a saber tooth tiger with a scar across its right eye. Beams of moonlight filter through the jungle foliage.
Vanya #09 cover by Zoran Jovicic.

Issue 09 Plot

The large scale battle between the Federation in their mechs and the Torridians with their cybernetic dinosaurs rages on. Taking advantage of an opening, Torridian general Tora pilots her robo-T-Rex, leaps off her mount, and lands on Relo Quarr’s mech, slashing it open. Holding her double ended sword at Relo’s throat, she orders the Federation to surrender. At that moment, in a deus ex machina, a battalion of Astral Guard arrive, mowing down the Torridians and their dinosaurs with their chain guns, laser webs, light blades, and other futuristic weaponry. Seeing the battle lost, Tora impales herself on an Astral Guard’s blade.

Panel shows a T-rex with metal arms that have blades instead of claws, roaring. General Tora, who has purple skin and is wearing green arm, has a double ended blade in her hand. She leaps from her T-rex mount saying "H'yahh!" toward a bipedal mech that looks like an AT-ST from Star Wars.
General Tora leaps from her cyber T-rex onto Relo Quarr’s mech unit.

Meanwhile, Vanya, having survived the rocket attack from a cyber-pterodactyl, encounters a scarred sabretooth tiger, who beckons Vanya to follow. Vanya does so, and their trek takes them across a chasm bridged by a rotten log. The log breaks, plummeting the two in to the treacherous river below, however they make it safe to shore and set up a camp.

At the caves of the Bone Tribe, the Witch grows frustrated that her pheromones are not imprinting on the Torridian Dragon egg. She tries to force the captured Astral Guard soldier Elah into the massive ritual orgy, but Niya offers to take her place instead.

Far at the edge of the Galaxy, a fleet of Torridian ships receive a transmission from the now defeated General Tora.

Commentary

The titanic battle that started in issue eight sees its conclusion in Vanya #9, though with a change in perspective. Issue eight went for big and epic, with many of the panels zoomed out to show the battlefield between the Federation and the Torridians and how large its scale was. Issue nine takes a personal, focused approach, narrowing it down to General Tora and Relo. The arrival of the Astral Guard, though a deux ex machina, was unexpected and a pleasant surprise. The last appearance of the Astral Guard was back in issue seven and it was not a positive portrayal. In that issue, Elah and her squadron of Guard arrive through a portal and are easily tricked and dispatched by the Bone Tribe Witch. The elite guard, the best of the best, did not live up to mythological-esque hype prior issues hinted at. This issue rectifies this portrayal (perhaps the issue seven portrayal is more of Elah was simply an ineffective leader and hence why her men are killed and she and others are captured so easily). The Astral Guard show up, do not falter in any way, and steam roll over the Torridians.

The panel shows two spider web like webs (all straight, no curves), drive through three pterodactyls. The pterodactyls are slices into little tiny pieces.
The razor sharp webs of the Astral Guard make short work of the cyber pterodactyls.
Close up of a xenomorph from the Alien series, who has a criss cross green pattern on his head and shoulders, caused by being caught in a web launched by a Predator.
The Grid Alien from the 2004 Alien vs. Predator movie.

There are a few panels in the Astral Guard battle that might be homages or pop culture references. The Astral Guard shoot a web that passes through a flock of cyber-pterodactyls, slicing them into tiny pieces. This is akin to the Predator’s net weapon in the Predator movies (best exemplified with the Grid Alien in Alien vs. Predator [2004] that survives such a net attack).

A woman in a grey soldier's armor. She has blonde hair and 2 braids. She his holding a giant chain gun in her hands. Her speech bubble says "Time we made the Torridians extinct, boys".
An Astral Guard Warrioress wields a giant chain gun.
A warrior woman wearing a skull with two tusks sticking up from it, face paint, shoulder pads with a skull on them, and holding a chain gun in her hand. Basically a Lady barbarian with a big gun.
Barbarianna from the movie Kung Fury.

Another panel shows a blonde, braided lady Astral Guard, who evokes images of a Valkyrie, holding a chain gun in her hand. This is reminiscent of the synthwave movie Kung Fury (2015) that features a lady Barbarian (named Barbarianna) from the past who also wields a chain gun. These references may be coincidental, but they are bad ass and rehabilitate the image of the Astral Guard as the elite force that Vanya has been training to be a part of.

As the General Tora plot line comes to a close, another one gains momentum and that is the mystery of the sabretooth tigers. In this issue, Vanya encounters a sabretooth cat with a scar with two slashes across its right eye. Vanya follows the cat, which leads to a near brush with death for both of them as they fall into a chasm (though there is some whimsy present in the panel of Vanya and the sabretooth tiger riding the log together as if it were an amusement park ride).

Vanya, wearing a torn white shirt and pants, holds on to a log. Behind her a giant sabertooth cat also holds on. The river they are in goes "Slam! Slam!"
Vanya and a Sabretooth tiger ride a log in the river rapids.

Is the cat friend or foe? Way back in issue two there was a sabretooth cat that was stalking Vanya and company. However, this cat lacked the scars over its eye, so it cannot be the same sabretooth. Its fate is currently unknown: is it alive or perhaps it was one of the sabretooths that perished during the attack on the Bone Tribe back in issue five.

Close up of a sabertooth tiger's face as it peers through tall grass. It has 2 scars that cross its white eye.
Sabretooth tiger in issue 9 that leads Vanya.
The Bone Tribe Witch is topless and wears a primitive skirt. She has a rope necklace dangling from her neck. She has black makeup around her eyes that run a little bit. There are three sabertooth cats around her, one with two scars over its eye. Behind them is a dark forest and a red sky.
The Bone Tribe Witch and three sabertooth tigers at her command in issue seven.

Issue seven shows the Bone Tribe Witch with a pack of three sabretooth tigers who follow her commands. One of the tigers does have two scars over its right eye. Has the Bone Tribe Witch sent this particular feline out to fetch Vanya and lead her back to the Bone Tribe’s caverns? In issue seven the Bone Tribe Witch references the Prophecy of the Dragon Rider. Perhaps the Witch needs Vanya in order to fulfill this role? With the tribe’s ritual orgies causing the Torridian Dragon eggs to hatch, there will definitely be some dragons to be rode.

Covers and Swag Impressions

Issue nine of Vanya was crowdfunded via Kickstarter in September of 2025 with physical rewards being shipped in late January of 2026. With this issue of Vanya came the news that the series was not going to end on issue twelve but instead would be turned into an ongoing series, the first for publisher Bad Bug.

This issue of Vanya was particularly awash with amazing alternative covers. John Royle’s cover gave Vanya a J. Scott Campbell vibe. Renato Camilo (who did the best covers for Vanya issues two, four, and five) brings their A-game again with a spooky night hunt scene between Vanya and a T-rex. Marissa Pope’s cover is particularly vibrant and luminescent.

Vanya is in the nude save for some cauldrons and bracers and straps. She has her dreadlock hair in a beehive with dinosaur spikes sticking out from her. She is poised atop a tree root. Behind her a volcano erupts and a flock of pterodactyls fly by.
Vanya #9 with nude, alternate cover done by Hedwin Zaldivar.

The best cover for issue nine goes to Hedwin Zaldivar who captures both the cheesecake style with the battle-hardened cave woman girl style. Zaldivar’s Vanya sports a giant beehive-dreadlock with dinosaur spikes sticking out from it, a cross between midcentury pinup girl and jungle girl. The cover is also action packed, with an exploding volcano and a squadron of pterodactyls flying about. A great, energetic cover all around.

Issue nine also came with an abundance of extra swag, more so than other issues in the series.

Cheesecake style of Vanya, done in a cute/adorable style with bigger eyes and wing/cat eye liner. She stands, holding a long spear in her left hand. She is wearing a jungle girl bikini top and bottom with boots that have a fluffy top.
Vanya #9 art print by Sam Payne.

Firstly, there is the art print done by Sam Payne who has a distinctive “good girl” style, which is evident in the wing-tipped eyes of the women he draws. This is an adorable iteration of Vanya.

Three stickers. One is Vanya on a knee, bracing herself against a spear. The other is a cheese cake Vanya, standing up holding a long spear.
Stickers for Vanya #9.

Next comes not one, not two, but three (!!) stickers! One of the Vanya series logo, the other is of Yum!’s Vanya cover, and the final one is of the aforementioned Sam Payne art piece.

Two tarot cards. The one on the left is "Justice" and shows Vanya hunched over a puddle, bracing herself against a spear while a T-rex looms behind her. The next one is "The Hermit" and shows Vanya crouched on a tree branch holding a vine, spear in hand, ready to leap off.
Two Tarot Cards for Vanya #9.

Stickers are not the only thing in quantity as this issue came with two tarot cards. One is of “Justice” and uses the Yum! cover art, and the other is of “The Hermit” and uses Tony Tzanoukakis cover art.

A print of a lady cosplaying as Vanya. She is wearing a black bikini top and bottom and is laying in a pool of water that has Lilly pads. She has necklaces and a wait chain that has dinosaur teeth on them.
Vanya #9 Sooyoung Cosplay Print.

And finally, as with issue seven, Vanya #9 comes with a cosplay art print. The model in this print is Sooyoung, and shows a Vanya relaxing in a pool of water, something the character is fond of doing (see issue one and the Bruno Sousa and Tommy Shelton alternate cover of issue three). Overall, this issue of Vanya is mighty stacked with loot and those who contributed to the Kickstarter are well rewarded with some great swag.

Conclusion

Issue nine of Vanya was a nice package of both wrapping up story threads and introducing new ones. General Tora is no longer a menace, but it appears that victory may be short lived as interstellar Torridians mobilize. Vanya is back in her element being a neo-jungle girl who technically has an animal companion now. Will that sabretooth tiger align itself with Vanya or is it truly under the control of the Bone Tribe Witch? The Astral Guard received a much needed image makeover after their less than impressive entrance a few issues back. With this issue it feels like the Vanya series is moving into a new phase, one that is more mature, mature in the sense that the story has become wise to itself and knows where it is going and each character has solidified themselves into a specific role with specific stakes/goals: from Serah coping with her new kinda-psychic dinosaur ability (from the prior issue), to the Bone Tribe Witch working her magic and showing frustration at the ritual, to even Relo Quarr, who has only been present in the most recent issues, showcasing himself as a formidable leader. Vanya has elevated itself from a fun, chaotic at times, hypersexual comic to a story driven one that is taking itself seriously.

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug:

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Comics

Warpath and Rampage: Vanya 08

The Story So Far

Vanya, Serah, Niya, and Guy are four soldiers from the future trapped in the prehistoric past, surviving against dinosaurs, savage humanoids, the Torridians (a race of warrior aliens hellbent on conquering humanity), and the Astral Guard (elite human warriors who view the heroes as deserters and traitors).

Cover depicts Vanya, crouched in foliage, drawing back on a bow. It is kind of dark, with a little beam of light coming through the leaves. Her red hair is in a pony tail.
Vanya #08 standard cover by Zoran Jovicic and Zork Marinero.

Vanya and her lover Serah make their way to Terran Base Alpha, and Serah is taken in for treatment for the cerebral implant put into her by the Bone Tribe Witch. Concurrently, Niya and Guy make off to hide a batch of Torridian Dragon Eggs from the Witch. Their efforts are in vain as they are apprehended by the Astral Guard, and in turn, everyone is captured by the Witch who has the eggs back in her possession as she needs them to fulfill a prophecy to make her a powerful god-queen.

Issue 08 Plot
 
At Terran Base Alpha, Relo Quarr reveals to Vanya that the Federation has their own Torridian Dragon, one that is to be released in an emergency should the Torridians overcome their defenses. Quarr recalls to Vanya how the Torridian planet was destroyed by the Galactic Federation when they set the dragons free on their world. Nearly conquered, the Torridians surrendered to the Federation, but asked for a new home world, which turns out to be the human’s planet Terra.

Vanya has her red hair in a long pony tail behind her back and is wearing a white shirt. She is pointing forward. NExt to her is the alien Relo Quarr. He has a grey, angular face with a green jacket that has big shoulder pads and collar.
Vanya and Relo Quarr gaze upon a Torridian Dragon.

Serah awakes from a nightmare with more visions of the Bone Tribe Witch. Sensing the situation as dire, Quarr gives Vanya the clearance to arm herself and to go and destroy the eggs that Niya and Guy hid.
At that moment the Torridian army, led by the ruthless Geneal Tora, launch a massive attack on the Terran base. With their numbers already decimated by a plague, the Torridians take a suicide approach of fight or die, sending their spaceships crashing into the base’s shields followed by waves of cybernetic dinosaurs. Quarr and his men take to the battlefield in their tanks and mechs to ward off the Torridians as the base is given an evacuation order.

Meanwhile at the Bone Tribe’s cave, a captured Niya, Guy, and Astral Guard Elah watch as the Witch leads her tribe in a giant orgy to imprint their pheromones on the hatching eggs.

Commentary

Issue eight of Vanya is the Battle of Helm’s Deep of the series so far. The fervor attitude of the Torridians under Tora’s command is depicted in their hail Mary attack on the Federation base. Knowing that the plague that has decimated them has put them in a dire, inescapable position, the Torridians send their spaceships, their only way off the planet, to Kamikaze the base. The army of cybernetically enhanced dinosaurs the Torridians command is epic to behold, and the Federation responds in kind by sending in giant tanks and ED-209/AT-ST looking mechs to intercept the attackers.

A booming battlefield filled with explosions and laser cannons. In the background moving forward is a fleet of tanks. Behind it are burning building and mountains. In the foreground, advancing toward the tanks, are cybernetic ally enhanced triceratops, stegosauruses, Tyrannosaurus Rexes, and more. The color of the page is all shades of red due to all the fires going on.
Epic battle between the Torridians and their dinosaurs and the Galactic Federation with lots of tanks.

In a traditional story, at a scene like this, the grunts would be sent in to do the dirty work as their commanders and leaders sit safely back at their command center. Not so in Vanya as Quarr and his other commanders join in the fray as well. Both sides of the skirmish are depicted as equally brave among panels that show tanks blowing up dinosaurs while T-Rexes with sharp metal claws rip apart mechs. Overall, the battle is a blast (pun intended) to see unfold in the issue, from the large-scale fighting to the minutia in the commanders planning in their war room.

The panel shows the backs of six commanders, looking at a green screen on the wall. The screen is a computer display, with coordinates and lattitude/longitude, and shows the gathering torridian forces.
Terran Base Alpha War Room.

A new development in this issue of Vanya is Serah’s cerebral implant allows her to communicate with the cyberdinos. As she is fleeing the base, she encounters a raptor with blades protruding from its back, but Serah is able to convince the reptile she is friendly and the beast scoots away. Possible foreshadowing here: if Serah can do this to one dinosaur, she can probably do it to more. Say, an army of dinosaurs

There is a certain irony that Vanya is sent back out to destroy the Torridian eggs as they were all in her possession not a few days ago. If Guy and Niya had not split off to hide the eggs, they would instead be in the Federation hand’s and not the Bone Tribe Witch’s, where they would be destroyed (or, more likely, made into additional weapons). Regardless, the orders from Quarr get Vanya back into her natural habitat, the jungles primeval. A missile blast from a robo-pterodactyl (yes, only with Vanya can one say that sentence with a straight face) knocks Vanya out, disintegrating her clothes. It is only a matter of time in a subsequent issue that she will not doubt be back to wearing her normal neo-jungle girl garb (or nothing at all).

Covers and Swag Impressions

Issue #8 of Vanya was successfully Kickstarted in early February 2025, with digital editions being fulfilled in June and physical editions later that summer. This issue was released in numerous covers by a variety of different artists, in normal and nude incarnations. The standard cover was done by Zoran Jovicic (who has been the illustrator of the series since its beginning) and Zork Marinero.

Vanya is nude save for her bracers, spikey shoulder pads, and boots. She is leaning against a tree branch. Her hair is in dreadlocks. She is hiding behind her a serrated halberd. She is biting on her finger seductively. Behind her it is a sunny day, with a canyon wall and a sky with a faint, fluffy cloud.
Personal copy of Vanya #08, nude variant, done by Brian Miroglio.

The best alternative cover for issue eight is the one done by Brian Miroglio. A vibrant and seductive cover (nude or not), it shows a battle-ready Vanya against a rather serene jungle scene. Whose blood in on the spear she holds behind her in an assuming fashion to how Negan (Walking Dead) holds his baseball bat Lucille?  Did she slay a dinosaur? Or perhaps a violent caveman? Aside from the attractive pinup vibes of the cover, it invites readers to hypothesis their own Vanya story, and it probably would not be too far off base.

The Tarot Card is of "The Hanged Man" and it is from the issue 8 cover done by Luca Strait. It shows Vanya, sitting on her knees, holding a spear in her right hand. Behind her is a giant snake. The sticker is done in 16 bit era style graphics. It shows Vanya holding a bow and stepping backwards.
Vanya #8 Tarot Card and pixel art style sticker.

For additional Kickstarter loot, Vanya #8 came with three additional goodies: a tarot card, a sticker, and a PDF story. The tarot card continues the tradition Bad Bug has been doing with their other comics, and these are always fun to see. The best tarot cards have unique artwork, though the card for issue 8, The Hanged Man, uses the Luca Strati #8 alternate cover.

The sticker realizes Vanya in a 16-bit, pixel/retro style and it is awesome. It fuels the imagination that a retro game based on the Vanya IP, perhaps done by a company like WayForward, would be entirely plausible. There are a plethora of vintage cartoonish caveman game out there, such as Chuck Rock, Bonk, and Caveman Ninja, why not instead go the serious route and make a Vanya platformer or Metroidvania?

And finally, a first for the Vanya series, there is a short story with some black and white comicbook style illustrations (though it is not a comic) titled “First Encounter”. The story is about Vanya’s first week upon arriving in the prehistoric past and encountering both a raptor and a sabre tooth tiger. This is a great way to add more story, character development, and “Vanya-ness”, to the series.

Conclusion

How far Vanya has come in scale in eight issues! Initially a more singularly focused on Vanya and surviving the hostile dinosaur world, the stakes have been upped many times in the issues since: large scare battles between humans and purple-skinned warrior aliens, a tribe of cave people wanting to rule the world, fleets of cyber dinosaurs, almost mystical dragons. It all seems over the top, and, well, maybe it is, but it works. There is a dead-seriousness vibe with Vanya that grounds it. Issue eight contains all these elements (an epic war, a jungle girl tale, etc.) and then some, such as romance and a little political intrigue on a galactic scale. With four more issues to go (the series is already 2/3s of the way complete?!), it will be fantastic to see where this escalating action goes. 

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug:

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Comics

(Saber-tooth) Cat Class and (Saber-tooth) Cat Style: Vanya 05

The Story So Far

Vanya and Serah are two Time Guards trapped in the prehistoric past, surviving against dinosaurs, savage humanoids, giant snakes, and the looming threat that at any moment will come an attack from the Torridians, an alien race who have declared war on the humans. Rescued by an outpost of other human soldiers, Vanya and company accept a new mission to procure hidden supply caches in an effort to boost defenses against the Torridians. However, she is captured by Niya, another Time Guard aligned with the Bone Tribe.

Vanya is crouched on a cave ground holding a 2-tipped spear. Behind here, from the shadows, emerges the face of a giant sabertooth cat. Vanya is framed between the cat's two large front teeth.
Standard cover for issue five of Vanya done by Zoran Jovicic and Antonio Wong. Image from the Bad Bug website.

Issue 05 Plot

Vanya, Serah, and Guy are brought by Niya to the cavernous lair of the Bone Tribe and introduced to the Bone King, who reveals he, too, was a Time Guard, originally named Vitor 2991. The Bone King tosses a severed raptor head and Vanya and Serah, showing that underneath its scales are cybernetic/robotic parts, “Torridian Tech.” 
Niya leads Vanya away to a vantage point where she watches the Bone King slip a chip into Serah’s temple which will “bring out her innermost desires.” A woman of the Bone Tribe, who has black “crying” eye shadows akin to Joseph Michael Linsner’s Dawn character, inserts a chip into her own temple before receiving cunnilingus from Serah.

Elsewhere, two different fronts of invasions from two different species begin to happen concurrently. A pack of saber-tooth tigers, which had been stalking Vanya and company, attack a Bone Tribe campsite. Meanwhile at the human outpost, a Torridian fleet of UFOs begins their bombardment.

Back at the Bone Tribe’s cavern, a ritual orgy to awaken a Torridian Dragon takes place, with Guy and Niya as the center show. With everyone occupied with the ritual, the saber-tooth tigers make their presence known.

Commentary

Building on the momentum from issue four, issue five of Vanya goes all out and spares no expense upping the threat level while at the same time cashing in on some of the setups put forth in prior issues.

A purple alien. Wearing a horned head dress, green skirt with a dagger. Wielding a two bladed spear. Legs are backwards like a Dinosaur or Torgo from Manos the hands of Fate. Behind the Torridian there is a plume of smoke and burning rubble.
General Tora, a Torridian.

The big setup/payoff is the reveal of the Torridians. Only referred to in dialogue in prior issues, the Torridians look fierce. Imagine a Mewtwo, only purple-ier, more menacing, with golden tattoos, and outfits akin to sword and sandal attire, but dark green. They are an interesting mix of sword and sorcery and alien in appearance and look like boss characters from a game like Baldur’s Gate. They look formidable and should give Vanya a run for her money when she eventually encounters one.

Another setup that sees a payoff are the saber-toothed tigers. Originally shown on the last page of issue two, stalking Vanya, Serah, and Reed (a character that would eventually become eaten by a T-rex in issue three), the tiger initially seemed to have been forgotten, or cast aside, or just made a one-time appearance to underscore the hostile environmental threat Vanya is operating in. Instead, the tiger turned out to be quite tenacious, following Vanya in secret through issues three and four, before jumping right into the fray of issue five, becoming a deus ex machina of sorts.

And finally, there is the re-reveal of the Torridian Dragon egg. The green egg made its first appearance during the ritual in issue three. The egg was not overtly named; it was simply referred to as “the blessed fruit” and placed on an altar where Niya and another member of the Bone Tribe had intercourse. However, the ritual in issue three was interrupted when Niya was called away from her place of honour by the Bone King to instead go kill a flock of Phorusrhacids. In issue five, it appears that the interrupted ritual is being re-attempted, with Niya back at her place of honour on the egg altar, though this time engaged in sexual acts with Guy which causes the green egg to burst open and beams of white light to shine out of Guy’s eyes like Sascha Schneider’s painting “Hypnosis.” The hatched dragon is not actually revealed. 

Of cause and effect note, if the Bone King had not undermined Niya in issue three, and instead sent other warriors to deal with the Phorusrhacids, then the ritual would have taken place then, allowing the egg to hatch, giving the Bone Tribe “a weapon under their control.” Since the tribe would not be pre-occupied with the ritual in current time, they would have been more alert to fend off against the prowling saber-tooth tigers, effectively halting the deus ex machina.

Another character that seems either ill-equipped or overestimating their own abilities like the Bone King is the Astral Guard character Elah. Another cashing in on a setup, in the universe of Vanya, the Astral Guard are the biggest, most skilled, most important warriors, what the Time Guard become after their years training in the prehistoric past. These are the leaders and the guardians of humanity as humans make their way through space and time. Elah comes off as ineffectual. At this point in the story, the Torridians have effectively obliterated humanity by bombarding Earth and sending humans fleeing to different timelines. Elah sends a call to the Torridian general Tora, chastising them for breaking the law, and giving them one day to release their captives and leave the timeline or they will come at them with the full force of the Astral Guard. The question is – should they not have already done this when the Torridians attacked humanity months ago? Elah’s threat sounds too little coming way too late. If Elah represents the best of the best that humanity has got for protection, no wonder the Torridians have been able to steamroll over everyone.

Swag Impressions

Issue five of Vanya is loaded with some fantastic variant covers, but the cover art done by Renato Camilo and Martina Rossi is the winner of the bunch.

Issue 5 variant cover. Variant perches atop a tree branch, nude save for her cloth boots and bracers. Below her are embers from a fire. Above her is a full moon and other trees. Her dreadlocked hair waves in the wind.
Personal copy of the Renato Camilo and Martina Rossi nude variant cover of Vanya issue five.

The Camilo covers continue to knock it out the park, basically becoming the canonical representation of the titular character. The Camilo representation of Vanya is the right balance of cheesecake and Jungle Girl, highlighting her dreadlocks that are not really underscored in the interior pages.

Per usual, with stretch goals met during the original crowdfunding campaign to fund issue five, there is a lot of complimentary swag that supplements the reading experience.

Six trading cards. The first is a carnivorous dinosaur (not sure what species) that has robot legs and a metal nose and jaw. Next is a triceratops with front legs that are robotic and horns that are too. Next is a flying pterodactyl that has two cannons protruding from it. On row two there is a dinosaur with electric spines coming from its back. Next to that is an Ankylosaurus with a metal spiked mace for a tail tip, and finally there is a close up of a T-rex face with one of its eyes beaming red.
Robosaur Trading Cards.

Firstly there is a set of six Robosaur trading cards done by series artist Zoran Jovicic. These all depict cybernetic dinosaurs, such as a T-Rex with a red Terminator-style eye, a pterodactyl with cannons on its back, a triceratops with robot front legs and bladed head scales. These are the twisted images conjured by a childlike imagination and they are awesome. Reminiscent of the likes of Dino-Riders and Dinosaucers, cartoons from the late 80s that combined dinosaurs with tech.

Four items here. First is a holo-foil trading card. It depicts Vanya under water with bubbles around her. Next is a large black Tarot card for The Sun. It shows Vanya atop of pterodactyl with a sword raised above her (very Heavy Metal). Next is a TINY sticker of Vanya leaping in the hair, lunging with knife in hand at a raptor. Finally there is a rectangular sticker of Vanya in the nude. She is nestled between the branches of a mossy tree with a purple sky behind her.
Stickers and Tarot card that got with Vanya issue five.

Next there is a variety of swag: a holofoil trading card by Zach Raw depicting Vanya under water, a holofoil sicker that depicts a nude version of the Vanya #5 cover done by Bruno Freitas and Antonio Wong, a tiny sticker showing Vanya lunging at a raptor through a azure blue sky, and a tarot card of “The Sun” that shows Vanya riding a pterodactyl, with her blade held high in the air a ’la the iconic poster for the Heavy Metal (1981) movie.

The tarot card is a brilliant swag item, outside the norm of trading cards, magnets, and stickers, and it looks like Bad Bug is deploying the concept with their other titles. This is a neat concept, and it helps tie the different Bad Bug series together intertextually (via the cards), but for folks who perform/read Tarot, collecting the cards will yield a different style deck outside the traditional Rider–Waite style, which is quite exciting. 

Conclusion

Issue five of Vanya is epic in scope and action, capitalizing on the momentum of issue four. Concepts and ideas either foreshadowed or hinted at in prior issues are finally realized. Since all these setups are having payoffs in this issue, it creates a strong sense of urgency, giving the comic a heightened tone of bigger stakes. The multi-genre smorgasbord of time and space travel, dinosaurs, robot dinosaurs, cavemen, aliens, futuristic vs. primitive weapons, and so on that was promised in earlier issues is finally starting to congeal, and rather seamlessly at that. Vanya is looking to become the comic is set out to be.

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug:

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Comics

Jungle Romps and T-Rex Chomps: Vanya 03

The Story So Far

Vanya is a Time Guard, an elite warrior in training who must spend a year living in the prehistoric past, honing her fighting and survival skills. While Vanya is in the past, humanity is attacked by the alien race called the Torridians. Serah, a soldier and Vanya’s romantic partner, is sent back in time to retrieve Vanya. Vanya, Serah, and another Time Guard name Reed, team up and make way to an armory to retrieve weapons while under the threat of dinosaurs, barbarians from the Bone Tribe, and the Torridians themselves.

Vanya is leaning against a slain T-rex (a small one). She has a smirk and is holding a spear.
Vanya #03 Cover by JC Fanul and Bryan Magnaye.

Issue 03 Plot

After weathering a stormy night, Vanya, Serah, and Reed continue to follow the tracks of another group of warriors who are making their way to a hidden armory. During their trek the trio encounter a giant turtle whose shell was part of the ground, small carnivorous dinosaurs, and a rampaging T-Rex. Elsewhere the Bone Tribe engages in an orgy/ritual, but Niya, a Time Guard herself, is called away from the festivities in order to deal with a flock of Phorusrhacids – giant carnivorous birds – that are attacking the tribe. 

Commentary

Three issues and nine pages into Vanya and the comic receives its first George R. R. Martin treatment as Reed is devoured by a T-rex. Just as suddenly as Samuel L. Jackson is delivering a rallying speech in one moment and whisked away the next by a shark in Deep Blue Sea, so is Reed as in one panel he quips that “It’s nice to know that not everything is trying to eat us” immediately followed by the T-Rex chomping down on him. The sudden, abrupt end to Reed is both gruesome, yet darkly comedic, a throwback to the prior issue with a similar gag when one moment it is clear and the next it is raining on the characters. It should be noted that the T-rex’s head is covered in arrows, establishing him as the same one that appeared in issue two, interrupting an amorous moment between Vanya and Serah. No doubt this Tyrannosaur will show up again in a future issue and perhaps get its comeuppance.

Introduced in issue one, Reed seemed like a character that would have longevity. His time was short in the comic, but his presence did accomplish a handful of story-critical tasks. Plot-wise, he is the character that gets Vanya and Serah on course to find the armory by picking up the trail of another band of warriors. For the erotic-element, Reed acted as a male character for readers to project themselves onto. Tonally, up to this point in Vanya all the encounters the characters have had ended in fights they easily overcame, or fleeing to get the advantage later. Vanya’s narration tells the readers the prehistoric world she is in is hostile, but the adventure so far has been easy-peasy. Reed’s death dispels that notion and puts back in the forefront that the world they are in is deadly and needs to be taken seriously.  

A character who is not being taken seriously but should be is Niya, the champion of the Bone Tribe. Briefly introduced in issue two, Niya is revealed to be a Time Guard herself and the most capable warrior of the tribe. However, she is not respected by the tribe’s leader, the Bone King, who forces her to leave her place of honor in the orgy/ritual to deal with the marauding Phorusrhacids by herself. Returning back to take her place in the ritual, the Bone King proclaims, “Well done, Niya.” but is chastised the next morning by being told she “should have done better” regarding a scavenging trip. Niya is akin to a worker bee who is really good at her job, but management keeps her demoted because she is just “too good.” The Bone King’s unappreciation of Niya will surely come back to bite him (pun intended if his fate is at the maw of a dinosaur).

The intrigue is still building in Vanya issue three, but if there is a critique to be had it is that the plot is moving a little on the slow side. It feels like the characters should have accomplished a bit more in the adventure at this point. The cliffhanger in the final three panels promises some characters (Established ones? New ones) will cross paths, so that holds promise that something major is about to go down.

Narrative content aside, Vanya’s offerings extend past its pages into the realm of covers and ephemera. There are a plethora of alternate covers, both nude and non-nude, for Vanya #03. One of the best covers for the issue is the Bruno Sousa / Tommy Shelton variant that depicts Vanya bathing at the base of a waterfall. The cover is a call back to a page from Vanya #01 where Vanya narrates her ritual of washing in a specific waterfall for its disinfectant properties. While the other covers are action packed, this cover goes the serene, tranquil route. 

Vanya is nude, at the base of a small waterfall. She has two feathers in her dreadlocked hair and a necklace made of teeth.
Vanya #03 cover by Bruno Sousa and Tommy Shelton.

Folks who contributed to the Vanya #3 Kickstarter campaign were rewarded with a trove of additional loot.

A circular coaster with a black border. Vanya is in the center, nude, with flowing red hair. The stick is rectangular and shows Vanya fighting a dinosaur with her knife underwater. The magnet is square and shows Vanya crouched in a defensive position with her knife.
Vanya #03 coaster, sticker, and magnet set.

Firstly, for swag with function, there is a coaster, (that is a bit bigger than a large pog), a small sticker of the cover issue three cover done by Renato Camilo / Sanju Nivangune, and a square magnet of the Renato Camilo / Bryan Magnate cover for issue one. 

Vanya is completely submerged underwater, lashing at an aquatic dinosaur with her knife.
Vanya #03 cover by Renato Camilo and Sanju Nivangune.

It is a pity that the sticker for the Camilo/Nivangune is so tiny because their cover is easily the second-best cover for the issue (just barely being beaten out by the Sousa/Shelton cover). The colors are fantastic.

Art print of Vanya. Same art as the coast, but not nude. She is in front a jungle and has flowing red hair.
Vanya #03 art print.

Next there is a lovely art print (artist unknown) depicting Vanya against a dark jungle – the same piece used on the coaster, though not nude. 

Four trading cards. Top left is June, a Cyberpunk lady with latex boots and garters with long purple hair. Top right is Vanya, wearing an animal skin bikini top and bottom and holding a dagger. Bottom right is Nell, with blonde hair with 2 bun. She has one striped stocking on and the other is off on the floor. The bottom left is Maggie, with a glowing white eye and holding two pistols with smoke coming out as if they have just been fired.
Trading guards of Bad Bug heroines by Captain Shima.

And finally, there is a set of four trading cards done by Captain Shima depicting the heroines from four of Bad Bug’s flagship titles: (clockwise from the top left) June (HyperGeist), Vanya, Nell (Death Nell), and Maggie (Dead End Moon). Bad Bug is getting into the habit of creating interesting trading cards among all their titles, (for example, some are in Tarot style), so these are always fun to receive. All in all, a mighty haul from the rifts of time.

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug:

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Comics

Hunter – Lover – Killer: Vanya 02

The Story So Far

Two hundred plus years in the future, mankind has expanded across space and time. Leading the humans’ expansion are the Astral Guard, elite warriors born out of surviving many months in the prehistoric past.

Standard, non-nude cover of Vanya issue 2. Vanya is sending atop a T-rex head. The T-rex is roaring and Vanya is holding stone knives in both hands. Behind her are trees and cliffs.
Vanya issue two, cover A.

Vanya Tepanov is eight months into her journey as a Time Guard to become an Astral Guard, spending her days surviving dinosaurs and other creatures from the far past. Vanya’s world is turned upside down after she encounters another Time Guard named Reed and her betrothed from her present, Serah.

Issue 02 Plot

Unbeknownst to Vanya, two months after she started her trials, the alien race of the Torridians commenced a surprise attack on humanity. In order to proceed with a counterattack, soldiers were trained and sent back to the past to fetch the Time Guards, with Serah sent to retrieve Vanya.

Despite the looming threat of the Torridians, Vanya and Serah intimately rekindle their romance, with Reed welcomed in. Sexual appetite satiated, the trio decide the best course of action is to proceed to an emergency armory that has a stockpile of weapons. Vanya and company are not the only ones with an interest in the armory as a tribe of savages have also set their eyes on the cache prize.   

Commentary

Neo-jungle girl Vanya’s adventures continue in the second issue of the planned twelve issue series with a dramatic increase in narrative stakes, the introduction of new characters and threats, a stronger sense of humor, and, of course, erotic content.

As with issue one, issue two of Vanya goes full speed at rapidly laying out the greater narrative context. The Torridians are introduced (but only their UFOs are shown), along with a tribe of barbarians led by the, pudgy, dino skull wearing Bone King, and more dinosaur encounters. In addition to the Bone King, one of his soldiers, Niya, is introduced. An attractive jungle-girl herself, it can probably be surmised she will become both a nemesis and a paramour of Vanya. With all of this going on the stakes in the Vanya universe must be dire, especially if the humans in the present are sending fresh meat into the past fetch the Time Guards who have not completed their own trainings quite yet.

The world of Vanya takes much inspiration from the works of Paul Verhoven regarding sex and violence: over the top and plentiful. Due to all three major characters having been without sex for many months, their pent-up lust for one another explodes across multiple pages, only interrupted with the arrival of a T-rex. In just a few panels the comic goes from erotic, to suspenseful, to humorous as the trio crack a pop culture joke about Jurassic Park being a documentary.

Two panels from issue two. The left panel shows the heads of Serah and Vanya. They each have 3 band-aids on their faces. Serah says "Don't move. They can't see movement." The right panel is a close up of Reed. He has two band-aids on his face. He replies with "I watched that Documentary once."
Jurassic Park reference.

Even more subtle in these rapid panels are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details, such as the T-Rex’s head being peppered by lodged arrows, indicating the king of dinosaurs has encountered something humanoid (savages? Cavemen? Other Time Guards?) before. Other humorous moments include Reed making a Jaws reference of “We are going to need a bigger bow” after witnessing a giant anaconda constrict a barbarian and when Reed mentions that “they will be fine” in one panel, followed by a sudden downpour the next. It is great timing and does not impede the overall atmosphere of the comic.

A peppering of pop culture references aside, the second issue of Vanya begins to show even more genre homages. While issue one solidified Vanya as a jungle girl homage, issue two teases additional pulp elements. For example, the spaceships of the Torridians take inspiration from 50s and 60s era circular UFOs from sci-fi comics and movies, yet they act as formidable as the alien crafts in Independence Day. Another genre throwback is with the Bone King and his lair (which looks akin to a volcanic lair high in the mountains) which fully embrace the spear and fang genre.

As is custom with many adult Kickstarter endeavors, Vanya #02 comes with a plethora of alternate covers, in both non-nude and nude varieties. Two standout covers are the Renato Camilo/Boyfiy Miah and the Pow Podrix/Jasen Smith covers. The Camilo/Miah cover is particularly flirty as it is detailed and colorful, giving an “inviting’ sense. The Podrix/Smith cover scales back the colors and goes more ominous in mood. The exploding volcano, approaching T-rex, and Vanya drawing her bow convey strong adventurous, Turok vibes.

Nude version of the Renato Camilo/Boyfiy Miah cover. Vanya is laying on her stomach, propped up her elbows, looking over her shoulder. She had red dreadlocks. She has a knife and fur boots, but no under garments.
Nude version of the Renato Camilo+Boyfiy Miah cover.

In addition, the Vanya #02 crowdfunding campaign met many of its stretch goals, which aside from the additional pages of sexual content (no doubt the extended ménage à trois between Vanya, Serah, and Reed), entails a handful of ephemera and swag. 

A magnet depicting a close up of Vanya, with a red feather in her hair and the setting sun and ocean behind her. To the right is a white, circular coast. Vanya is in the middle with the blue feather in her hair. She is wearing a ripped pink top, pink shorts, and pink roller skates. Behind her is a circular emblem that kind of looks like an Aztec calendar.
Vanya Magnet and Coaster.

For utility items, there is a square magnet by an uncredited artist that shows a close up of Vanya with a setting sun behind her. Along with this there is a round coaster that depicts Vanya in pink rollerblade and blowing bubble gum, taken from an alternate issue two cover done by Gregbo Watson and Gwenaelle Daligault. 

Two trading cards. Both show the exact same image except one is nude and the other isn't. Vanya is in a swamp fighting a large blue snake with black stripes. There are trees standing on their roots sticking out of the splashing water behind her.
Vanya trading cards.

Next there are two trading cards (one nude, one note) that depict Vanya in a swamp fighting a large blue and black snake. There is no credited artist, but the cards evoke some epic thrash metal.

Four square stickers, all are headshots of different Bad Bug leading ladies. Vanya is in a profile, holding three spears and brown dreadknots. June has long purple hair with cyberpunk gridlines behind her. Maggie is missing an eye and she is blowing the smoke out of a revolver. Nell is wearing a fishnet top and has sailor moon buns. She is winking.
Bad Bug leading lady stickers.

Next there are four square stickers, also with an uncredited artist, each showing a headshot of a lady character from different Bad Bug Comics: Vanya, Nell (Death Nell), June (HyperGeist), and Maggie (Dead End Moon)

Hypergiest art print. The colors are all blue and purple. June sits on her knees atop a bed. She is wearing latex boots with garters and a black corset. She has 2 LEDs in her purple, beehive hair. On the bed beside her is an empty wine glass and wine bottle
HyperGeist art print.

And finally, there is an art print (uncredited) of June from HyperGeist, sitting on a bed with a wine glass and bottle at her side.

Vanya #02 is a great continuation of what was started in the first issue. Bigger scope and more threats are introduced yet the comic does not feel bogged down. The comic has a laid-back attitude regarding sex and violence, but in its primal setting, it works. The increase in humor in issue two was not expected but it is quite welcome. 

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug: