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scans_dailyThe first issue introduces the protagonist, Boronwë, and tells us the origin of the Sisterhood. It also sets up the conflict between Boronwë and the princess Vandalis. That conflict takes centre stage in this issue, but first we get this lovely double splash as Boronwë equips herself with weapons and armour.
(click to embiggen)
That splash encapsulates several of the things that rock about this series: characters of varying body types, multiracial casting, and fantasy warrior women who actually wear real armour and have real muscles.
Sadly, I had to ruthlessly cut the pages following that spread, in which Boronwë finds a really good sword (see my icon) and meets again with her favourite teacher. Vandalis watches them and thinks paranoid antagonist thoughts. Vandalis in turn is watched by agardener ninja Daughter of Death, who reports to Greyan, Priestess of Swords, that Vandalis is picking bramble flowers. We learn that Greyan is "mistress of shadows and secrets. With her Daughters of Death, she accomplishes by stealth what the Sisterhood cannot gain by force." Greyan orders Vandalis to be watched carefully, and we cut to the big graduation ceremony. The old and frail Queen of Swords makes a short speech, Greyan lights a flaming arrow by magic, and:
Vandalis approaches Boronwë with a cup. Feeling she can't refuse this peace offering, Boronwë accepts, only to discover that Vandalis has given her a much stronger brew, which results in a Very Bad Trip. Boronwë flees into the forested hills. She pricks her hand on a patch of bramble flowers, and realizes that the smell of the potion is the same as that of the flowers. She hears the twang of a bow:
Boronwe flees to the high point of the island, where a high cliff plunges into the sea. The bad trip turns weird:
And thus we learn how the Sisterhood recruits new members: by purchasing girl babies from their impoverished mothers. How this is different from the slavery that the Sisterhood is so strongly opposed to is not made clear. A shiny happy utopia the Sisterhood is not.
Continuing from the last panel there, we get a few pages of Kelki's story, as Boronwë's spirit merges with Kelki's, just as Kelki's boyfriend's merchant ship is attacked by pirates. Boronwë returns to the here-and-now as Vandalis approaches, and we get this issue's climactic fight scene:
Greyan and her Daughters of Death catch up to them and stop the fight. Vandalis, who is too important for Greyan to discipline, stalks off. Boronwë reveals that she has accidentally learned that the Sisterhood's togetherness drug comes from Bramble flowers, and Greyan takes her to the temple of the Daughters and makes her swear an oath to never reveal this secret to anyone else, then feeds her yet another dose of the drug, which causes Boronwë to fall unconscious and:
So, issue 2 has: ninjas, pirates, drug trips, assassination attempts, sword fights, and psychedelic-assisted sisterly bonding. What more can you ask for from a comic? Well, the next issue has international politics, slave traders, and more pirates.
Christy Marx has a website page devoted to Sisterhood of Steel; she has (I assume signed) copies of all issues available for sale, as well as posters and prints.
(click to embiggen)
That splash encapsulates several of the things that rock about this series: characters of varying body types, multiracial casting, and fantasy warrior women who actually wear real armour and have real muscles.
Sadly, I had to ruthlessly cut the pages following that spread, in which Boronwë finds a really good sword (see my icon) and meets again with her favourite teacher. Vandalis watches them and thinks paranoid antagonist thoughts. Vandalis in turn is watched by a
Vandalis approaches Boronwë with a cup. Feeling she can't refuse this peace offering, Boronwë accepts, only to discover that Vandalis has given her a much stronger brew, which results in a Very Bad Trip. Boronwë flees into the forested hills. She pricks her hand on a patch of bramble flowers, and realizes that the smell of the potion is the same as that of the flowers. She hears the twang of a bow:
Boronwe flees to the high point of the island, where a high cliff plunges into the sea. The bad trip turns weird:
And thus we learn how the Sisterhood recruits new members: by purchasing girl babies from their impoverished mothers. How this is different from the slavery that the Sisterhood is so strongly opposed to is not made clear. A shiny happy utopia the Sisterhood is not.
Continuing from the last panel there, we get a few pages of Kelki's story, as Boronwë's spirit merges with Kelki's, just as Kelki's boyfriend's merchant ship is attacked by pirates. Boronwë returns to the here-and-now as Vandalis approaches, and we get this issue's climactic fight scene:
Greyan and her Daughters of Death catch up to them and stop the fight. Vandalis, who is too important for Greyan to discipline, stalks off. Boronwë reveals that she has accidentally learned that the Sisterhood's togetherness drug comes from Bramble flowers, and Greyan takes her to the temple of the Daughters and makes her swear an oath to never reveal this secret to anyone else, then feeds her yet another dose of the drug, which causes Boronwë to fall unconscious and:
So, issue 2 has: ninjas, pirates, drug trips, assassination attempts, sword fights, and psychedelic-assisted sisterly bonding. What more can you ask for from a comic? Well, the next issue has international politics, slave traders, and more pirates.
Christy Marx has a website page devoted to Sisterhood of Steel; she has (I assume signed) copies of all issues available for sale, as well as posters and prints.
