ROGUE IN THE SAVAGE LAND by Jonatas Ferreiro

Jonatas is an emerging Brazilian illustrator best known for his covers and interiors on Jungle Fantasy for Boundless Comics (an imprint of Avatar Press). This piece has pronounced Milo Manara and Dave Stevens influence in addition to reverent nostalgia for the Jim Lee run that first brought Rogue to the Savage Land. This piece showcases a good balance of technical skill and intuitive composition that combines realistic muscle tone, fully rendered hands & feet, and an unusually unexaggerated bustline elevating this beyond the work of a majority of artists closely associated with Marvel’s X-books in the 1980s and 90s.

While suspiciously under-dressed, this depiction of Rogue is almost modest by comparison to all those Wildstorm Swimsuit Specials from back in the day –and consistent with her wardrobe in Uncanny X-Men #274. It’s conceivable that Rogue is feigning a vulnerable pose to an off-screen menace, waiting for the right moment to strike with the partially concealed knife in her right hand. Her eyeline and perfectly articulated facial expression suggests an imminent threat and her body language supports a presumable leap to battle. The (X) on the bikini top is a nice touch. Is that a run-of-the-mill dino or a baby Sauron in the background? All-in-all, a fine drawing.