Review: The Jungle Book: Fall Of The Wild #3 (of 5)

The Jungle Book: Fall Of The Wild #3 (of 5)
Written by Mark L. Miller
Art by Michele Bandini
Colored by Grostieta
Published by Zenescope Entertainment

Even since Zenescope Entertainment first burst onto the comic book scene almost a decade ago with their flagship title Grimm Fairy Tales, they have been known for two things. First, Zenescope is the only comic book publisher whose entire lineup of books features strong, capable women in lead roles. And second, they are known for having those selfsame women usually featured on the cover in some fairly suggestive poses.

It’s an odd paradox that a lot of comic book readers can’t seem to resolve. And that’s a shame, because if they were able to get past the cover art, they would find some pretty great comics inside.

Zenescope’s The Jungle Book is a perfect example. Over the course of two miniseries, writer Mark L. Miller has been weaving a complex story about life, peace, war, friendship and loyalty, all while giving The Jungle Book a thorough modern makeover, including turning Mowglii into a woman and making the tribes of Kipling Island more like warring nations than simple animals.

Now we have reached the middle of the third miniseries, Fall of the Wild, in which Mowglii has to try to unite these disparate factions in order to stop an unimaginable disaster from striking their island home. And just as in the first two, the action and story don’t slow down for even a second in volume three.

After writing these characters for so long, Miller has a firm grasp on who they are and what motivates them, and that shines through on the page. The plot is rock solid, the dialogue crisp and the pacing perfect. There isn’t a hint of decompressed storytelling to be found, which, with comics costing what they do, is greatly appreciated.

But what really shines in issue #3 is the art. Michele Bandini does a great job bringing the story to life in a very dynamic, energetic way. The characters fairly leap off the page, and the various animals (which if you ask any artist, they’ll tell you are a pain in the rump to draw) look realistic, but not too realistic. His style definitely reminds me of Mike Wieringo, who also used a deceptively simple type of line work to bring his characters to life. His Shere Khan looks so much like Koj from Tellos it shocked me a bit. If Todd Dezago ever does decide to bring Tellos back (please, please, please), Bandini would be a perfect choice to pick up the mantle from the much-missed Wieringo.

Throw in a cliffhanger ending that will send longtime fans of The Jungle Book reeling, and you have everything you could need to get readers excited for the final two issues.

The Bottom Line: If you have never read a Zenescope comic because of the cover, I urge you to give their titles a try. While not every book is a winner, there is more good than bad, and The Jungle Book is a great example of everything the company does right.

The Jungle Book: Fall of the Wild #3 sends the story of Mowglii and Kipling Island into new directions that promise to have profound repercussions. The first two issues (and the first two miniseries) are readily available, and you could do a lot worse on your next trip to the local comic book store.

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