Keep exploring! I like the more active stance version with the sword drawn, but I think you can go further. Thumbnailing your idea is one of the most important steps. You can't do too many thumbnails before jumping into your illustrations. Right now you have a few varied poses in your thumbnails to show your character, but the composition, camera angle, and storytelling all read pretty much the same. For example your horizon line is in the same place for 3 of them. Try one looking up at the character from below like a worm's-eye view to make them look huge and heroic, or look down on them from a bird's-eye view to make it look like they're entering into a dangerous situation. Give your character an action like unsheathing their sword, or winding up for a strike. Make it active. Try as many different versions as you can so you can tell a story with your illustration. Here are a few free videos on cinematic composition, and visual storytelling, hope this helps! https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/mastering-visual-storytelling-angles-shots-and-camerawork-for-comics https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/basics-of-comic-composition https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/cinematic-storytelling-and-compositional-pitfalls