Cavewoman: Raptor #1 Inside Front Cover (2002)

With the "dog days of summer" in full swing upon us, dressing in less is something we all find ourselves doing. But for some, that's just an every day occurrence. Such as with Meriem Cooper, aka Cavewoman!

Artist Devon Massey is the protege of Cavewoman's creator, Budd Root, and you can most certainly see the influence of Budd on his style. But where Root feels much more like an underground art style, Massey certainly has a little more "polish" to his, with much more smooth and bolder linework. However, just like Root, he's got a great eye for color (especially flesh tones). I also love the playfulness of this image, too. Her amused expression and relaxed pose really sets the tone for the image. And I think Massey just might be even better at drawing Dinosaurs than Root himself is (which is no small feat). Of course, the character's sex appeal is ever present, as we've all only come to expect of old Meriem. Massey, like Root, knows what the audience likes and expects.

If ever there was a character list to epitomize the term "sex sells," Cavewoman would definitely be near the top of that list. Pieces like this spotlight exactly why such a ranking is well-deserved. Because as you view an image such as this, you always have to ask yourself: "Am I feeling so warm due to the weather, or is it just me?" And during a summer heat wave, that's a more difficult question to answer than any of us would like it to be. But as singer Robert Palmer put it so well, "Some like it hot!" So, enjoy the heat, be it from the summertime, or a blazing hot piece of comic art! Or both, if you can manage it!