I should say up front that I am a big fan of Frank Cho and, as a result, simply had to pick this book up. As a comic book artist, he is probably among the top five or six pencilers/inkers working today, and Shanna The She-Devil proves why: brilliantly illustrated and entertainingly written (also by Cho), it's a worthwhile and energetic read for the more mature comic book fan.
Readers should take note, first off, that this "Shanna" is not the Shanna the She-Devil who is married to Lord Kevin Plunder, better known as Ka-Zar of the Savage Land; nor is this Shanna the sort of "ultimate" re-vamp of the character that Marvel seems to fond of these days. Essentially, this story is totally out of regular Marvel continuity - the only reason the main character is called Shanna is because, as one character, "Doc", notes, she happens to look like a "certain" comic book character.
Here's the story: A group of soldiers, lost for three years on a dangerous island filled with prehistoric horrors, finds a secret Nazi lab harboring a dark experiment in genetic manipulation. The final survivor of this is "Shanna," a clone built to be the perfect killing machine. She is taken in by the soldiers, and educated by the kindly "Doc," in the ways of humanity. However, when a mysterious plague suddenly strikes the soldiers, it is up to Shanna, "Doc," and two other soldiers to set out in search of an antidote, braving a horde of hungry raptors along the way. Can they survive - and make it back to the camp with the antidote in time?
You can tell that Cho had a blast working on this comic - all of the standard elements of his art that you would expect are here: beautiful women, heart-pounding action, and dinos, dinos, dinos. There's also a healthy dose of Cho's trademarked bawdy humor, often at Shanna's expense, as well as plenty of (sometimes excessive) gore - to be sure, this isn't a comic book for children, by any means. This comic is, essentially, a creative take on the standard "10 Little Indians" scenario, with a group of people confronting a stalking horror that knocks them off one by one. However, it's a lot of fun and has a surprise ending. Highly recommended for any fan of Cho, or of a good comic book read. If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy Frank Cho's entertaining comic strip, Liberty Meadows, Vol. 1, or Modern Masters Volume 14: Frank Cho (Modern Masters (TwoMorrows Publishing)) (Modern Masters (TwoMorrows Publishing)) which contains a great, long interview with the master interspersed with excellent artwork and sketches. Enjoy!