Before I start, I should admit that I never really got into comics. Although there are a few titles that I’ve bought and enjoyed over the years, I’m more of a nerd for the kind of books that don’t have pictures. So you’ll forgive me if this bit of news is several months out of date.
When I wandered into a local shop today, I was a bit surprised to discover that Jenna Jameson, ex porn ‘Queen’, had attached her name to an upcoming comic series. A barrage of questions immediately rushed to mind: how much does Ms. Jameson know about comics? Will she have any creative control, or is she simply lending her name? What kind of story will it have? Will Republican pundits lie about it and tear it to pieces before it hits newsstands? And most importantly, does it have potential or is it destined for failure?
The book is called Shadow Hunter. It deals with an ordinary young woman named Jezzerie Jaden (who bears an uncanny likeness to… well, take a look at the first issue’s cover art) who discovers that her family is literally from hell and that her destiny is to save humanity from being destroyed by demons. It’s being published by Virgin Comics and will be written by Witchblade co-creator Christina Z. It’s also apparently a ‘non-nude’ series.
Needless to say, there are a lot of ways a project such as this can go badly. As unfair as it is, anything non-pornographic with the name “Jenna Jameson” in the title is bound to attract some undesired attention; this will inevitably be getting one-star “I ain’t buying no comic created by someone who had sex on camera” style reviews on Amazon and other such places.
I do have a couple of outstanding issues with the book, but none of them have anything to do with a former porn star being behind it (by the way, if you judge someone’s creative potential solely because of that, you’re a jackass.) My main concern is with the title. I’m sure Shadow Hunter was the name of a video game at some point, about three dozen sci-fi and horror stories, and the actual name of a hero/heroine.
The other thing is the premise. I’m aware that we live in a time where every story and every plotline has been visited to death, and Shadow Hunter may or may not have room to explore uncharted territory. That said, there’s another comic I read every month about a hot blond battling demons.
If only to prove that I’m a better man than the aforementioned haters, I’m going to give Ms. Jameson the benefit of the doubt and buy the first issue. Shadow Hunter # 1 hits newsstands on February 20.
