Aphrodite V #1

[history79]

"I don't worry too much about trends, but I do pay attention to the rise of corporate power in the world and how some sections of government and society want to privatize everything, putting profit incentive where it didn't live before. That's something I tackle in the story, for sure, looking at both the benefits and the hazards of that."

- Bryan Hill




10.33 pages of 31

Comments

[reveen]

This weirdly feels like an extended pre credits opening to a TV show followed by the ATLA style expository intro.

[doodleboy]

These Top Cow properties are theoretically interesting because it sometimes feels like not a whole lot of people care about the original characters so they're free to be reinvented (I mean yes previous runs probably have fans but it's not a character set in stone like Superman or even Midnighter). Nice to see a writer at least trying to do something with it to make it their own. I kind of want more superhero comics to use the genre to talk about corporate privatization or whatever the hell the writer finds important.

Reminds me of Gatchaman Crowds, where they decided to end the typical Sentai plot in episode 2 and spent the rest of the series talking about the internet.

[q99]

One thing is in the 00s-10s comics, they brought the stories of a lot of their major characters to an end.

From the original version of Aphrodite IX, they expanded and updated her, give her a pretty awesome story in Aphrodite Rebirth in a future earth with two competing transhuman societies, and it all wraps up in IXth Generation.

Also interesting this is V- meaning she fits in fine with the other Aphrodites. IV was the one in Witchblade and Artifacts, IX is in the future in her books. This isn't out of continuity with the others, this is a new continuity.

So reinventing? Fits just fine. Also feels fairly in line with the updates they've done with other characters in the past, like the aforementioned update of IX, or Cyberforce getting upgraded too.

[shadur]

... I'm sorry, were we supposed to root for the Elon Musk wannabe techno-fascist dipshit with a saviour complex in the first scene just because he's "black, gay and has an IQ of 195" ?

He's still trying to sell a privatized police and surveillance state and I applaud that governor for telling him to fuck off, but I suspect ham-handed writing and this nebulous control-the-world-through-murder conspiracy are going to "prove" that he's stupid and wrong for not listening to this unappreciated genius.

I'll give this a miss, I think.

[thanekos]

At least they're both obnoxious in that scene - " I voted for the woman who should have your desk " vs. " I'm sure you're the crown jewel of their diversity program ".

That's complexity, that is.

[q99]

I don't think we're supposed to root for him, I think he's supposed to be a jerk- but possibly one that will end up an ally some of the time.

What I suspect is he'll try and use Aphrodite and then they'l eventually break ties.

[q99]

I don't really buy the idea that 'beautiful = underestimated,' but I can buy someone else does.

For underestimated, you shouldn't be beautiful, you should be unassuming. Maybe young looking.

[theflames]

'I am [stereotypically] beautiful because-'

Okay people underestimate fat people too, the reason for her model appearance is a little funny/goofy. Plus she doesn't look very inconspicuous, beauty be damned.

Anyway I guess they want Donal Glover to play the male lead in the film adaptation. Wonder if this will actually speak on the implications of a black dude privatising the police.