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geekwayne's review against another edition
3.0
Like others, I was excited when I saw Gail Simone's name on 'Swords of Sorrow Complete Collection Volume 1' a sprawling epic that is written by tons of female authors and features over a dozen pulp and otherwise heroines. What got delivered was good, but not up to the standards I've seen in the Red Sonja books by Simone.
A mysterious stranger delivers various weapons to a bunhc of heroines for an upcoming war. Meanwhile, the bad guys are recruiting a lot less heroes. On the side of good are a ton of lady heroes, including some from fiction and some I've not actually heard of. There is Red Sonja of course, but I'd not heard of Lady Kato.
Through a series of portals, everyone meets in smaller groups of two or three. There are the usual hostilities and fights, but those quickly move aside for the bigger issue. Why do they have these cool weapons and what are they supposed to do with them?
At 504 pages, this is only volume 1, so I never got to a big face off. Unfortunately, too much of a good thing is just too much. There are simply too many characters, and way too much time is spent on characters introducing each other. The plot seems a bit on the endless side, and with so many different titles, authors and artists, it all comes across as a bit inconsistent and mediocre.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
A mysterious stranger delivers various weapons to a bunhc of heroines for an upcoming war. Meanwhile, the bad guys are recruiting a lot less heroes. On the side of good are a ton of lady heroes, including some from fiction and some I've not actually heard of. There is Red Sonja of course, but I'd not heard of Lady Kato.
Through a series of portals, everyone meets in smaller groups of two or three. There are the usual hostilities and fights, but those quickly move aside for the bigger issue. Why do they have these cool weapons and what are they supposed to do with them?
At 504 pages, this is only volume 1, so I never got to a big face off. Unfortunately, too much of a good thing is just too much. There are simply too many characters, and way too much time is spent on characters introducing each other. The plot seems a bit on the endless side, and with so many different titles, authors and artists, it all comes across as a bit inconsistent and mediocre.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
nikshelby's review against another edition
4.0
Fun crossover read with a plethora of kickass heroines. Overarching idea was delightful. The women characters are brilliant. The art was beautiful. Another Gail Simone (and company) victory.
My only negative is that is might have overestimated the quantity of characters that the storyline could support. Not having read the originals of some...it took me out of the story (occasionally) to adjust to each new lead to figure out.
That negative also a positive, in that I have a list - now - of female-driven comics that I want to read.
My only negative is that is might have overestimated the quantity of characters that the storyline could support. Not having read the originals of some...it took me out of the story (occasionally) to adjust to each new lead to figure out.
That negative also a positive, in that I have a list - now - of female-driven comics that I want to read.
trash_reader_'s review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I didn't know what to expect from this going in. Action and superheroes and all that isn't really my thing, but this wasn't too bad.
I disliked the Prince Charming and Snow White aspect - the bad guy could have been literally anyone else for any other reason and nothing would have been changed about the plot of the series. It also leaned real heavy on the "he's doing this because he hates women" aspect, and I just feel like we could have done without it. There's already too much woman-hating going on in real life and in media created by men that we don't really need a series created by a woman to ALSO add to it.
I liked the action, I liked the gore. I really enjoyed the multi-verse aspect because that's always been something I thought was intriguing. But because of all the other crossovers that I wasn't expecting or wanted (like Thor showing up when Jana returned with reinforcements, Athena was there for some reason, and making comments on other franchises while "breaking the fourth wall," I guess, for a comedic break) I was losing interest by the end. I also think the ending itself was very anti-climactic. It happened so fast, after all that build up, it almost didn't seem worth it.
I disliked the Prince Charming and Snow White aspect - the bad guy could have been literally anyone else for any other reason and nothing would have been changed about the plot of the series. It also leaned real heavy on the "he's doing this because he hates women" aspect, and I just feel like we could have done without it. There's already too much woman-hating going on in real life and in media created by men that we don't really need a series created by a woman to ALSO add to it.
I liked the action, I liked the gore. I really enjoyed the multi-verse aspect because that's always been something I thought was intriguing. But because of all the other crossovers that I wasn't expecting or wanted (like Thor showing up when Jana returned with reinforcements, Athena was there for some reason, and making comments on other franchises while "breaking the fourth wall," I guess, for a comedic break) I was losing interest by the end. I also think the ending itself was very anti-climactic. It happened so fast, after all that build up, it almost didn't seem worth it.
old_tim's review against another edition
5.0
If you are a fan of big crazy comic cross over events, you need to read this. It's unlike anything you're likely to come across. Big fun written by some of the best women writing comics today.
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2016/01/tell-me-mr-holmes-do-you-meet-many-women.html
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2016/01/tell-me-mr-holmes-do-you-meet-many-women.html
lberestecki's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good concept, but it wasn't always easy to follow. It is a good way to get introduced to new characters though.
Received from NetGalley.
Received from NetGalley.
amyjoy's review against another edition
4.0
Super entertaining! I bought this series as single issues, though I discovered that I was missing about five of them; thank God for Comixology! I really love what Gail Simone did with these characters: taking mostly naked ladies and giving them agency and adventure and letting them be the badass heroes of their own stories. All the individual character stories are written by a variety of ladies with different illustrators, so the writing & art is varied and can be a little uneven, but overall, this was very well done. And I definitely did put Simone's [b:Legends of Red Sonja|22223643|Legends of Red Sonja|Gail Simone|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1401071272s/22223643.jpg|41222901] run on hold at the library.
jmanchester0's review against another edition
4.0
Dozens of heroines from nearly as many worlds. This was kind of a mind-boggling adventure. The only thing close to this I've seen in other companies is DC's Ami-girl series, and I won't rehash that crap here.
Of course, Dynamite knows that if you want to write believable women, get women writers. Not to say men cannot write women (and vice versa), but you have to know your subject. And that's not always true. (E.g., Ami-girl comics, again, but also Supergirl.)
Some of these characters were a bit obscure, and I had to look them up.
It seems like it took a while to get started. Halfway through the story and the characters were still trying to figure out what was going on. And I can't tell if trying to put everything in chronological order helped or hurt - by breaking up each series and putting it in the order of time where it overlapped with other stories.
This also made stories seem choppy - like at one point, Black Sparrow was teamed up with Lady Zorro in their own comic, but in another issue, she's suddenly with Miss Fury.
And it seemed like Dejah Thoris was simultaneously on Mars and in London.
The stories are good and solid and interesting. The art is great. The action good. But it's almost like they tried to get too big. There's so much going on its hard to get a bead on each story. Or, it jumped around too much, and the story wasn't in order. It may have been the way the story (the issues) was put together in the overall package.
And then it stopped in the middle of one of the stories. I guess there were more than the 413 pages in this book.
I liked what was in here. But it seemed like there was a lot of trouble putting the different stories together. It seems like it was the actual mechanics of the combined stories that made it confusing - not the stories themselves.
It ended with issue #2 of Red Sonja and Jungle Girl - with no issue #3.
And issue #4 or Vampirella and Jennifer Blood - which seems to take place before the actual climax of the story (which is not included in this book), though it seems to be part of the denouement which should take place after the climax. In this copy it takes place after Swords of Sorrow #4. Though it should probably take place after #6. (But there's no #5 or 6 in this copy.)
Thanks to NetGalley and Dynamite for a copy in return for an honest review.
Of course, Dynamite knows that if you want to write believable women, get women writers. Not to say men cannot write women (and vice versa), but you have to know your subject. And that's not always true. (E.g., Ami-girl comics, again, but also Supergirl.)
Some of these characters were a bit obscure, and I had to look them up.
It seems like it took a while to get started. Halfway through the story and the characters were still trying to figure out what was going on. And I can't tell if trying to put everything in chronological order helped or hurt - by breaking up each series and putting it in the order of time where it overlapped with other stories.
This also made stories seem choppy - like at one point, Black Sparrow was teamed up with Lady Zorro in their own comic, but in another issue, she's suddenly with Miss Fury.
And it seemed like Dejah Thoris was simultaneously on Mars and in London.
The stories are good and solid and interesting. The art is great. The action good. But it's almost like they tried to get too big. There's so much going on its hard to get a bead on each story. Or, it jumped around too much, and the story wasn't in order. It may have been the way the story (the issues) was put together in the overall package.
And then it stopped in the middle of one of the stories. I guess there were more than the 413 pages in this book.
I liked what was in here. But it seemed like there was a lot of trouble putting the different stories together. It seems like it was the actual mechanics of the combined stories that made it confusing - not the stories themselves.
It ended with issue #2 of Red Sonja and Jungle Girl - with no issue #3.
And issue #4 or Vampirella and Jennifer Blood - which seems to take place before the actual climax of the story (which is not included in this book), though it seems to be part of the denouement which should take place after the climax. In this copy it takes place after Swords of Sorrow #4. Though it should probably take place after #6. (But there's no #5 or 6 in this copy.)
Thanks to NetGalley and Dynamite for a copy in return for an honest review.
speculativebecky's review
4.0
What’s neat about this crossover event is that these characters are from different worlds and realities, and the arcs often focused on two characters initially at odds who find common ground and respect for each other. I feel like I would have loved this even more, because it very much reminded me of the latest Avengers movie but for Dynamite, and of course I don't really know Dynamite's body of work (except I kind of do because apparently they write comics about Sherlock Holmes and Dracula and Tarzan).
The collection features the issues in the order they were published, so some of the arcs are woven together in a kind of confusing non-chronological order. I'm not actually convinced the stories are meant to fit together perfectly cohesively, because sometimes the characters would part ways and then inexplicably be back in the same world in the other arc, so I tried not to get too bogged down in the details while reading.
Overall this was a lot more fun than I expected, and I'm glad I read it. There are some solidly awesome girl power moments, despite the very male gaze-y aesthetic, and the villain is totally contemptible for his treatment of women in a way I enjoyed rooting against.
The collection features the issues in the order they were published, so some of the arcs are woven together in a kind of confusing non-chronological order. I'm not actually convinced the stories are meant to fit together perfectly cohesively, because sometimes the characters would part ways and then inexplicably be back in the same world in the other arc, so I tried not to get too bogged down in the details while reading.
Overall this was a lot more fun than I expected, and I'm glad I read it. There are some solidly awesome girl power moments, despite the very male gaze-y aesthetic, and the villain is totally contemptible for his treatment of women in a way I enjoyed rooting against.
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