Archie/Dark Circle; $3.99

The latest in Archie Comics’ rebooting of their classic heroes – which has also included the revivals of The Black Hood and The Fox – is The Shield, and boy does this first issue make a unique impression. The original shield, who debuted in 1940, was Joe Higgins; all of the other Shields over the years (Lancelot Strong, Bill Higgins, and Michael Barnes) have also been male. This latest iteration, though, introduces Victoria Adams, marking the first female to take up the Shield’s name as well as the only leading lady in the Dark Circle imprint.

Victoria is not only the Shield of 2015, but has also acted as a vigilante over the course of history. We see her taking down Redcoats during the Revolutionary War at the outset of this book, and her memory flashes back to her time in other U.S. wars. Unfortunately for her, someone else is very aware of her influence on history’s events and is looking to take her down.

The Shield #1 does a fine job at introducing Victoria to her audience and her story of death and rebirth over time is compelling. The near-constant state of action also keeps the pace moving. The folks at Archie have done a fine job with their Dark Circle books so far and it looks as though The Shield will be falling into place nicely.

-Carrie Wood