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: Red Sonja & Jungle Girl #3 - A Review

Ice continues to plague the mysterious island that Jungle Girl calls home. Only the mystic Heart of the Mountain can repair the damage done by Mistress Hel and her ice wyrm. And only Jana and Red Sonja can guide the witchworker Bel'lok to its resting place.

Alas, what started out as a promising mini-series falls apart in this final chapter. Curiously, Sonja and Jana have no real function in this chapter other than to protect the male protagonist who knows what is going on and must be the one to use his magic to fix everything. This is a decidedly curious message for a series that was meant to be centered on pulp heroines!

Marguerite Bennett's script also goes a bit too far in hanging the lampshade on the silliness of the whole affair, with Sonja praying to "the gods of this absurd island of incongruous mystery" at one point. What is worse, the Sonja and Jana we see in this issue seem to act differently from the characters we saw in the first issue, with Sonja playing matchmaker to her companions and Jana acting, at times, like a teenage bimbo.


The artwork doesn't aid in this impression, with Mirka Andolfo's style leaving everyone looking like teenagers. Still, the artwork is competently rendered and the action sequences are good. Yet I can't help but wonder how this series might have looked with a more traditional pulp artist handling it. Such speculation is pointless, however, and the artwork is good for what it is, though I may question how well it matches the setting.

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: Red Sonja & Jungle Girl #2 - A Review

Sonja and Jana's confrontation with Mistress Hel was cut short, thanks to the actions of a trickster sorcerer named Bel'lok. Wounded and weary, the three make their way back to Jana's village. Unfortunately, Jana's people are less than tolerate of outsiders at the best of times. And with Hel's dark magic corrupting the already xenophobic tribal leaders, this is definitely not the best of times!


I think it's safe to say that most readers are more familiar with the world of Red Sonja than Jungle Girl. As such, Marguerite Bennett wisely uses this issue to explain the rules of Jana's world to both her new outsider friends and, by proxy, the readers. It's an effective decision and the action of the issue seems less like route exposition as a result. Indeed, it's quite enjoyable!


The artwork operates with similarly subtle efficiency.  I am hard pressed to find words to describe the light, airy style of Mirka Andolfo but I do know what I like. And I like this style!  Everything is smooth and sketchy, with an inherit quickness that keeps the story moving briskly.

Swords of Sorrow: Pantha & Jane Porter

Egypt. 22000 BC. The shape-shifting priestess Pantha guards the faithful of Sekhmet from demons and monsters. Monsters like those in the thrall of Purgatori, who even now is invading a tomb right under Pantha's nose!

London. 1913 AD. Jane Porter - the newly dubbed Lady Greystroke - has just arrived in town, piloting one of Wright Brothers' new aeroplanes. She had been planning to use this new vehicle to deliver supplies to her husband in the jungle, but the sudden appearance of a pyramid over the skies of London changes her plans.

Two women warriors.  Separated by time and space. United by circumstance and the unusual swords that have been gifted to them by a mysterious man. The latest women to join a war that is being fought across all of reality...


Swords of Sorrow: Pantha & Jane Porter follows the standard team-up formula used in most team-up comics... to say nothing of most of the Swords of Sorrow tie-ins thus far!   The heroes meet, have a misunderstanding, fight and then join together against the real enemy before becoming, if not the best of friends, then at least allied acquaintances  Thankfully the script by Emma Beeby moves beyond such trite plotting, bringing out the personalities of both heroines.whilst giving them a chance to showcase their skills.


I've seen several comics that paired Rod Rodolfo with Nanjan Jamberi before and this is the best of the lot.  The overly heavy inks I noted before in previous works Roldfo drew are not as pronounced here. And the colors are much more vivid than in the duo's last pairing.  All in all this is an enjoyable slice of pulp fiction.

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: Dejah Thoris & Irene Adler #3 - A Review

Irene Adler is returned to London and just in the nick of time!  For the alien beast Mycroft Holmes recruited her to track down is still on the loose. So is Dejah Thoris, who has really not enjoyed her time in London at all and would have words with the woman she thinks tried to assassinate her!


After two rather exciting and witty issues, the final third of Swords of Sorrow: Dejah Thoris & Irene Adler proves surprisingly weak.  Given how artfully Leah Moore had avoided the same-old-scenes where the heroes fight because of a misunderstanding, it's sad to see the sum total of this issue's action devoted to that cliche. And the conclusion involving the final fate of the wild Martian beast is a little too pat for my tastes.


The artwork by Francesco Manna seems seems somewhat rushed at times. There are a number of panels set in the mid-distance where there is hardly any detail at all on the individual characters and barely any inks separating the characters from the backgrounds. There are also some moments - like the top panel in the page above - where it seems a panel break would have been more efficient than layering one bit of the artwork on top of the other.

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.

Swords of Sorrow: Dejah Thoris & Irene Adler #2 - A Review

Unlike the other Swords of Sorrow tie-ins thus far, this issue does not feature our titular heroines teaming-up or fighting one another. Instead we find them trading places, with Dejah Thoris now lost in Victorian London and tracking the Martian monster that is terrorizing the city. At the same time, Irene Adler tasks herself with chasing down an equally displaced big-game hunter, who is launching a one-man invasion of the city of Helium.


Leah Moore's script compares and contrasts both protagonists with surprising subtlety. Both Irene and Dejah are strong-willed women who suffer fools poorly and refuse to feel out-of-place on an alien world. But that is where the similarities stop.

Much like her famous foe Sherlock Holmes, Irene Adler is unabashedly oblivious to the feelings - or indeed existence - of the people around her. She can't even be bothered to ask the name of the cab driver she recruits as a sidekick, never mind remembering it! By contrast, Dejah tends toward a more holistic view of the world around her, at one point admonishing a crowd not because she was insulted for her scanty dress but because they stood idle and let anyone be treated so rudely. And Dejah has more than a few words for a certain Mr. Holmes when their paths cross...


The artwork for this issue is equally delightful. Francesco Manna finds the perfect balance of rich detail and fluid simplicity in the pencils and inks. And the color palettes utilized by Inlight Studio are well chosen.

Swords of Sorrow: Dejah Thoris & Irene Adler #1 - A Review

In the royal palace of Helium, Dejah Thoris ponders two mysteries - the disappearance of her ally Tars Tarkas and the gift of a strange sword.  It is as dark as the night sky and strong as any metal on Barsoom, yet as light as a feather in her grip.

On another world in another time, Irene Adler is concerned with two mysteies as well.  She's been secretly hired by Mycroft Holmes to track down an otherworldly creature that attacked the House of Commons and finds herself in possession of a remarkable new sword-cane. But she is not the only one hunting the lion-like beast and the secret of its origins will bring two equally remarkable yet completely different women face to face.


Leah Moore's script for this issue is wonderful.  The lion's share of it is devoted to Irene Adler and the story is largely told from her perspective in a wonderful emulation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's oeuvre. Then we reach the bits with portals leaving to other planets, an English big-game hunter being let loose on Mars and half-naked, red-skinned amazons in the streets of London and this book becomes sort of original pulp lunacy Moore excels at writing.


The artwork for the issue is of similar high quality. Francesco Manna fits an amazing amount of intricate detail into the backgrounds, faltering only in how forced some of the character poses seem. The color art by Inlight studios, however, is without fault.

All in all this is a rollicking ripping yarn that lives up to the concept of this crossover!

Swords of Sorrow #2 - A Review

Across the multiverse, the chosen of The Traveller begin to meet. And, in many cases, to fight. For The Traveller needs leaders in the fight to come and leaders seldom work well with others who would follow their own destiny. Still, they will unite or they will die... for the chosen of The Prince are close at hand and ready to finish the job if these heroines don't do themselves in.


The lion's share of this issue is devoted to a battle between Dejah Thoris and Red Sonja. The fight is an interesting contest. While Sonja finds her abilities enhanced by the atmosphere of Barsoom and is likely the more capable warrior, Dejah Thoris is a more tactical fighter and better able to use the environment to her advantage.

The appearances of the other heroines in this volume amount to little more than set-ups for the tie-in issues that will be released later this summer.  Still, Gail Simone does a fine job of keeping the plot moving and giving us a taste of what is to come. And one can't fault the focus on Dynamite's two most popular heroines, though Vampirella gets a goodly amount of page time as well.  Such is the problem with all crossover series based around an ensemble - someone has to be the supporting cast.


The art team for this series is top-notch.  Sergio Davila does a wonderful job of matching the fast pace of the script with some impressive illustrations and brilliant action sequences. He also depicts all of the heroines - even the more fantastically dressed ones - as powerful figures without a hint of cheesecake. The colors by Jorge Sutil add to the splendor of the finished artwork.

Swords of Sorrow #1 - A Review

A war is coming. A war was fought. A war occurs even now.

Two forces fight.  On one side is The Traveller, who exists everywhere and everywhen.  On the other side is The Prince - a being of nowhere and nowhen - who has a seething hatred of all women, particularly The Traveller! Yet he has made an army of women his pawns in the battle to come, as The Traveller has drawn upon the whole of time and space to bring together women who are not just warriors and legends - they are leaders of their own destinies!


The cynical may think that Swords of Sorrow is little more than an artful excuse for selling a lot of comics with alternate covers of beautiful women in skimpy costumes. And under a lesser writer it might well have been little more than that. But with Gail Simone at the helm, this issue proves to be an engaging look at the many amazing women of Dynamite Entertainment's pulp line. Unfortunately, we don't get to see all of the heroines in action - there's barely enough time to introduce all the players!  Still, this first issue does a fine job of setting the stage for the battles to come in this core series and the tie-in mini-series.


Sergio Davila proves more than capable of depicting the variety of locales that Simone's script demands and the colors by Jorge Sutil are applied with equal skill. From dinosaur-dominated islands to the dark alleys of a modern city, everything looks amazing! And despite the costumes of some of our heroines, there is no hint of exploitation or gratuitous cheesecake in any of the book's interior artwork.