Swords of Sorrow #6 - A Review

The final battle is begun! And as the Traveller and her chosen defend themselves against an army of the dreadful Shard-Men, the trio of Red Sonja, Dejah Thoris and Vampirella move to strike down Prince Charming himself. But how will the prophecy be fulfilled when a cowardly attack by Purgatori sees Vampirella staked and near death?!


Sergio Davila's artwork on this series has been nothing short of phenomenal. Given that many of the heroines involved in this series were born of the 1990's bad-girl movement and served little purpose other than providing wanking material for boys too young to buy Penthouse, it is gratifying to see them rendered with realistic proportions. The action flows smoothly and their are no impossible poses or Escher-Spines to be had!


I must say with all honesty that this final chapter of Swords of Sorrow is not Gail Simone's greatest work. Simone is wildly successful in keeping the plot moving and tries to give all of the large cast of characters at least a panel or two to showcase their skills. But I fear that it is all too much, too quickly.

Had this been a 12-issue mini-series rather than a 6-issue one, maybe it could have handled the sheer scope of what Simone has tried to convey. In the end, I think this series - much like the original Secret Wars - will be remembered for what it set-up rather than for the story that it told. But that is not a bad thing when what it sets-up is a shared universe that will allow other writers to freely team these heroines in the future.

Swords of Sorrow #5 - A Review

The Traveller has assembled her army, just as The Prince once called Charming has redrawn reality to merge various worlds into one great battlefield. Now - as Red Sonja, Dejah Thoris and Vampirella go to confront The Prince in his place of power - the rest of the assembled heroines must stay to fight an army of evil the likes of which has never been assembled! But are they all resolved to face the battle ahead of them? And are all of the so-called Women of Chaos committed to serving The Prince?


I find myself of two minds about this issue's script. Jungle Girl's sudden crisis of faith makes her a distinct point-of-view character in a book where most of the cast - due to the nature of crossover storylines - have had little chance for characterization beyond battle-hardened bad-ass or opportunist rogue. On the other hand, her sudden "But I'm just a girl"attitude seems contradictory to what we've seen of the character in this book so far and the Red Sonja/Jungle Girl tie-ins.

That said, I have faith that Gail Simone is building up something big for Jana in the final chapter and that the Jungle Girl will prove to be a true woman rather than the "jiggling jungle babe" Frank Cho established. Or maybe Dynamite Entertainment will be revealed to have licensed the rights to Sheena and we can get the true Queen of the Jungle for the final chapter?  A pulp fanboy can dream, right?



Whatever reservations I may have about the story going into the final chapter, I have no complaints about the artwork.  Sergio Davila's pencils and inks remain as fine as ever. The color art by Jorge Sutil further enhances the original art, crafting quite the set of pretty pictures.

Swords of Sorrow #4 - A Review

Becoming a harem slave to a wicked prince or dying under a much harsher form of bondage isn't much of a choice. Still, this is the offer the demon known as Purgatori brings before an assemblage of time-displaced adventurers. And it is an offer that is swiftly declined.  Now this odd assemblage of killers, criminals and vigilantes must traverse the whole of time and space and seek out "the trinity" spoken of in the prophecy - the princess, the warrior and the vampire who will lead them to victory!


Swords of Sorrow #4 works on several levels. It works quite well as an adventure comic of the old school, with thrilling and chilling action sequences. It also works quite well as a comedic piece, with Gail Simone showcasing her gift for ribald humor that rises below vulgarity throughout. There is also some subtle satire of the genre and industry, with Purgatori - a 90's bad girl heroine who served little purpose beyond being the poster-girl for cheap fan-service - offering safety to the women who break the mold and refuse to be exploited.


Sergio Davila's artwork equals Simone's scripts in quality.  Davila manages the neat trick of drawing women who are beautiful and scantily clad without the whole affair seeming exploitative or unnaturally posed. This is one of the best looking books in recent memory.

Swords of Sorrow #3 - A Review

This third chapter of Swords of Sorrow is largely devoted towards the method and madness of its villain, Prince Charming. Thus far his motives have been unclear beyond a general desire to control all women. Yet this issue reveals that some once-noble quest may lie at heart of matters, even as the champions chosen by The Traveller learn of their own role in the battle to come.


Gail Simone's script for this issue is generally solid. As before, this series' chief flaws are the presumption of familiarity with its large cast and too little time being devoted to introducing our heroines. However, the action flows well enough in spite of this, though it would be a good idea to pick up all of the series tie-ins if you weren't already.


The artwork remains equally delightful. Sergio Davila's pencils and inks continue to shine. Unfortunately, the colors by Jorge Sutil muddy the artwork at some points. It's a bit hard to follow some of the action when most our heroines are wearing black and/or red costumes.  Despite this, Swords of Sorrow is still an enjoyable read.

Dallas Comic Con 2014 - ALL THE PICTURES! - Part Eight

Discord and Twilight Sparkle



Clark Kent changing into Superman.



My friend Terry Parr drew this when I asked for a picture of myself as a super librarian.
Not a bad likeness, though I think I look like Patton Oswalt playing The Doctor.


The Doctor and Marty McFly - another crossover that needs to happen.


Prince Charming, in search of a princess.


My new and improved Jack Knight (Starman) costume.


Boba of the House of El.  Combination Superman/Mandalorian armor.


Zombie Hunter  S. Thompson!
This gentleman does a good zombie comic called Stillborn.



Robin Sparkles and Poison Ivy.


Taffeta Darling as Thanos.



Move over, Hawkeye Imitative!  The hot new meme of 2014 is girls dressed as Rocket Raccoon trying to match impossible superheroine poses! (Thanks for this one, Diane!)



I didn't get a chance to ask of she was a certain character, but she rocked the chainmail.