George Perez's Sirens #1 - A Review

George Perez's Sirens #1 is not an easy book to summarize and the reasons for this are its one weakness. While quite a lot happens in this first issue, little of it seems to pertain to the main plot. And what is that main plot? That, at least, is easily summarized but I can't really explain it without giving away the ending. Suffice it to say there is a group of space-faring, ass-kicking women called The Sirens who had to hide themselves through time and space.



Before I discuss the book proper, I should note that despite the all-female team and a plethora of alternate covers (my own comic shop of choice, Keith's Comics, has their own unique cover with the Siren Bombshell) this is not your usual girl-group comic. And by "usual", I mean that the excellent artwork depicting beautiful women is not being used to dress up a weak story. Those of you familiar with George Perez's work should know he is better than that. And this book is far better than that! Perez is a living legend in the American comics industry for a reason and that reason is showcased throughout this first issue.


Most of the book focuses on The Sirens at differing points in time, showcasing their abilities and personalities as we observe them in action. From Viking skalds to Roman gladiators to American frontier school-marms, we see a wide variety of time periods. Unfortunately, we don't get to see all of The Sirens in the field and more is the pity. What we do see comprises some of the best action sequences I've seen in a comic in recent memory.

That's the one weakness of the book.  Perez is not only introducing us to The Sirens - he is introducing us to a whole universe! And as much material is packed into this issue, it still seems like too little to really appreciate the scope of what Perez is trying to accomplish.

Still, I think it's better to leave an audience feeling overwhelmed rather than unimpressed. There's also something to be said for leaving an audience wanting more... and I definitely want more! And if you enjoy good books about awesome women, you'll enjoy Sirens #1 as much as I did.