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squid_vicious 's review for:
DC Comics: Bombshells, Vol. 1: Enlisted
by Marguerite Bennett
So on the one hand, I adore WWII era bombshells/pin up art, and when you use that as an inspiration to re-imagine the kick-ass ladies of DC, I am definitely throwing cash in your face and buying the book. But on the other hand, as this series was based on a line of (I kid you not) statuettes that were originally probably more about fan-wanking and inspiring sexy cosplay than about decent storytelling, I have to give you a cautiously skeptical raised eyebrow. But I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to see that this series definitely goes beyond the (admittedly) very cool and sexy art work: this is an alternate history retelling of WWII, where the female superheroes are front and center, punching Nazis and putting the male superheroes in their place.
I always loved the female heroines in the DC Universe, but I also always felt like they were could have had much richer and more original story lines if they were not constantly orbiting the male superheroes - which isn’t always easy considering the canonical continuity their franchises are stuck in. So this standalone series, which essentially ignores all the previous ones, is refreshing, fun and explores the well-known characters with a brand new perspective. A little digging showed that this was actually the aim of the graphic novel series’ creators: to make the female characters not dependent on their male counterparts and really push their own stories and agency.
The first volume of the Bombshells series introduces us to Batwoman, nicknamed thus because of her talent for baseball... and for fighting criminals with her trusted bat, of course. She is recruited by Commander Amanda Waller, who is in charge of a very special army intelligence and tactical unit, dedicated to fighting the Nazis in Europe. In parallel, we see how an American solider crashed on a small Greek island, and piques the interest of an Amazon princess; while in Soviet Russia, two sisters known as the Supergirl and Stargirl realize that their military is using them as a tool for propaganda. A few other well-known DC characters are reintroduced, such as Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Lex Luthor.
The diversity in the story doesn’t feel forced, and while there is some very era-realistic sexism for the Bombshells to deal with, the message here is a truly positive and empowering one. This was a very fun read: the artwork is stunning and the characters are beautifully reinvented. Some details are a bit rushed, hence the 4 stars, but I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
I always loved the female heroines in the DC Universe, but I also always felt like they were could have had much richer and more original story lines if they were not constantly orbiting the male superheroes - which isn’t always easy considering the canonical continuity their franchises are stuck in. So this standalone series, which essentially ignores all the previous ones, is refreshing, fun and explores the well-known characters with a brand new perspective. A little digging showed that this was actually the aim of the graphic novel series’ creators: to make the female characters not dependent on their male counterparts and really push their own stories and agency.
The first volume of the Bombshells series introduces us to Batwoman, nicknamed thus because of her talent for baseball... and for fighting criminals with her trusted bat, of course. She is recruited by Commander Amanda Waller, who is in charge of a very special army intelligence and tactical unit, dedicated to fighting the Nazis in Europe. In parallel, we see how an American solider crashed on a small Greek island, and piques the interest of an Amazon princess; while in Soviet Russia, two sisters known as the Supergirl and Stargirl realize that their military is using them as a tool for propaganda. A few other well-known DC characters are reintroduced, such as Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Lex Luthor.
The diversity in the story doesn’t feel forced, and while there is some very era-realistic sexism for the Bombshells to deal with, the message here is a truly positive and empowering one. This was a very fun read: the artwork is stunning and the characters are beautifully reinvented. Some details are a bit rushed, hence the 4 stars, but I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!