Swords of Sorrow #1
Dynamite Entertainment
Written by: Gail Simone
Art by: Sergio Davila
Swords of Sorrow #1 by Gail Simone and Sergio Davila is a fast-paced set-up issue that stars so many fabulous female characters it will make your head spin. It’s an introductory story that launches Dynamite Entertainment’s big summer event that should get fans pumped for what’s to come.
This six-part miniseries is just the beginning. There’s also three spinoff series and five one-shot specials that begin this month on through to October. Simone is the mastermind behind the talent that she hand-picked to tackle this era and universe crossing event. It’s an ambitious undertaking that features Dynamite’s most popular and fiercest women.
Jungle Girl, Red Sonja, Vampirella, Dejah Thoris, Kato and Jennifer Blood are introduced with a glimpse of their current situation in their time and location. Simone does a great job of differentiating each one just enough to provide a hint of their personality. We then meet The Traveler and The Courier as they discuss the growing power of The Prince. As a way to combat The Prince’s raising of an army that includes Purgatori, Bad Kitty, Chastity, and Lady Demon, The Traveler orders The Courier to deliver swords to the women. He also recruits Lady Zorro, Irene Adler, and Jane Porter.
Sure, it’s a familiar start to a story that we’ve seen with everything from accumulating a group of gunfighters, con-
men, commandos, and even Avengers but we haven’t seen such a powerful group of women like this before. And to know someone as talented as Simone, a veteran of female-led comic books including writing Red Sonja for Dynamite, is spearheading this special project is an exhilarating concept.
Helping bring Swords of Sorrow to life and injecting some excitement in the prospect of this minseries is the bold and energetic artwork of Davila. He places each lead character in the best light, as strong women of conviction that’s true to their individual background. Also, his depictions of Sonja, Vampirella and Dejah Thoris are beautiful without venturing into oversexualized territory which could be easy to do with as little clothing as they wear.
Swords of Sorrow #1 sets the stage for a sprawling adventure that will involve a lot of heroes and villains that promises to be exciting and groundbreaking. Grab issue one and buckle up it’s going to be a wild ride.