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Where, oh where, to begin? I have a number of feelings and thoughts about this comic.
One of the letters in the back of the comic asks if artist and creator Ian Churchill is a particularly religious individual, given that this comic opens with an extended sequence in the Garden of Eden, and the first pages of The Coven feature the killing of Abel by Cain. Churchill's response is that he has an interest in many religions, and sees the Bible as an important collection of really great stories. Totally my point of view too - they are great stories, in that they are both interesting and kerygmatic, they are designed to teach us something. That's why stories like the Biblical ones stick around for such a long time. There's something fundamental that they're trying to teach us. The trouble is that there's a good deal of reticence in updating those lessons for the modern era.
Which might be what happens when they get adapted into superhero stories like this one.
So that's one cool thing about the comic. I've waxed lyrical about Ian Churchill's artwork previously. I find his artwork, both the men and the women, unreasonably sexy. He's also extremely (see what I did there?) good at page construction, at action sequences, and, unlike many of his contemporaries, at facial expression. And, to add to that, this is a totally intriguing story. Pity it only gets the two issues.
But. And there's always a but. Why is Lionheart's costume the way it is? Her nemesis, who calls himself Blackheart, wears full on armour and a cape (that's him in the top left), and, as far as we can tell, has been empowered by the same force that gives Lionheart her powers. But it doesn't seem to have left him semi-nude. In the middle of an ice cave in the Alps. So, while I do appreciate the aesthetic quality of Churchill's women (second only to Art Adams in my book), we once again fall prey to the male gaze that demands that female heroes not only are badasses who can save us, but who are also eye candy to satiate a socially-constructed quality in some human males. I like to think that things have progressed somewhat, but I also haven't stepped foot into a comic shop in months, so I don't really know what current trends are looking like for lady superheroes.
So mostly a really good read, with some questionable visual representation of the female lead. And, that said, I should point out that personality-wise, Lionheart/Karen Quinn is a really nicely fleshed out character thus far. I'm curious to see what tomorrow brings.
More to follow.
Further Reading and Related Posts
A bit more on Mr. Churchill. I really do love his work a lot.
And a few posts in which I consider the links between religion, mostly Christian, and comics.
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