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geekwayne's review
2.0
'Codename Baboushka, Volume 1: The Conclave of Death' by Antony Johnston with art by Shari Chankhamma is a spy comic about a very capable female Russian spy who now lives in the US. The similarities to another more famous female Russian spy in the comics can't be helped.
Contessa Annika Malikova lives in Manhattan and runs in a rich crowd, but she hides a secret. She used to be a gang leader in Moscow known as Baboushka. She's been in retirement, but there's really only one way that old spies can retire. She is coerced into joining a group of spies on board a cruise ship, but that ship is about to be taken over by pirates.
I like the character, but the comparisons to Black Widow have to be made. I like her ops guy Gyorgy. His scarred face tells me there is more to his story. Baboushka herself is capable, running about in elegant clothes and tossing around exploding matryoshka dolls. I just wish the art were better. It's cartoony at times and this story should have more realistic art. The figures can sometimes change dimensions and when a group of people get beat up, they all appear to have gotten a black eye on the same side of their face.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Contessa Annika Malikova lives in Manhattan and runs in a rich crowd, but she hides a secret. She used to be a gang leader in Moscow known as Baboushka. She's been in retirement, but there's really only one way that old spies can retire. She is coerced into joining a group of spies on board a cruise ship, but that ship is about to be taken over by pirates.
I like the character, but the comparisons to Black Widow have to be made. I like her ops guy Gyorgy. His scarred face tells me there is more to his story. Baboushka herself is capable, running about in elegant clothes and tossing around exploding matryoshka dolls. I just wish the art were better. It's cartoony at times and this story should have more realistic art. The figures can sometimes change dimensions and when a group of people get beat up, they all appear to have gotten a black eye on the same side of their face.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
cortjstr's review
3.0
I picked up the first two books in this series because Paste Magazine had good things to say about the 2nd storyline. It's got that James Bond-y vibe of the unkillable hero who always has just the right gadget.
daynpitseleh's review
3.0
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First, I'll say that it kind of bothers me that her codename is Baboushka. Like, really? But if you can get past that, it is a decent comic with a strong female. And since we always need more of those, I'm always in favor. It brought to mind both Archer and Black Widow.
First, I'll say that it kind of bothers me that her codename is Baboushka. Like, really? But if you can get past that, it is a decent comic with a strong female. And since we always need more of those, I'm always in favor. It brought to mind both Archer and Black Widow.
old_tim's review
3.0
Fine. Unfortunately nothing really special enough to recommend it.
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2016/05/hey-its-spy-story.html
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2016/05/hey-its-spy-story.html
carroq's review
3.0
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I previously read the first issue and enjoyed it a lot. The rest of the book follows a similar pattern to that first issue, but it left me feeling somewhat indifferent to the story as a whole.
The star of the book is a Russian countess that operated as the head of a crime organization. She fled to the U.S. After several years, she is contacted by a secret government agency that wants her to take on missions that their normal operatives cannot. Her choice is to comply or be deported. In this first mission, she needs to gain access to a closed meeting in which a well known weapons dealer is selling all of his networks, contacts, and merchandise to the highest bidder.
Baboushka herself is pretty cool. We see a few of the different tricks that she has employed over the years, and they are effective. As the plot goes on, we see why she earned her reputation. There is a bit of stereotyping with the characters though, and that put me off a bit. The creators freely admit that they use James Bond as an inspiration, and I feel like that shows through.
I would have liked for the book to get into the characters a bit more. Instead it felt more like a showcase of spy movie tropes. High marks for the character, but not so much for the plot. I am interested to see how things develop down the line.
I previously read the first issue and enjoyed it a lot. The rest of the book follows a similar pattern to that first issue, but it left me feeling somewhat indifferent to the story as a whole.
The star of the book is a Russian countess that operated as the head of a crime organization. She fled to the U.S. After several years, she is contacted by a secret government agency that wants her to take on missions that their normal operatives cannot. Her choice is to comply or be deported. In this first mission, she needs to gain access to a closed meeting in which a well known weapons dealer is selling all of his networks, contacts, and merchandise to the highest bidder.
Baboushka herself is pretty cool. We see a few of the different tricks that she has employed over the years, and they are effective. As the plot goes on, we see why she earned her reputation. There is a bit of stereotyping with the characters though, and that put me off a bit. The creators freely admit that they use James Bond as an inspiration, and I feel like that shows through.
I would have liked for the book to get into the characters a bit more. Instead it felt more like a showcase of spy movie tropes. High marks for the character, but not so much for the plot. I am interested to see how things develop down the line.
lberestecki's review
4.0
This comic was a lot of fun. It was a little predictable, but Baboushka is a great character and the story was interesting. I also really liked the art and it meshed really well with the tone of the story. This a definite must-read for fans of Black Widow.
Received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
Received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
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