Bettie Page in The Princess & The Pin-Up #1
Dynamite Entertainment 2018
Written by David Avallone
Illustrated by Julius Ohta
Coloured by Ellie Wright
Lettered by Taylor Esposito
Introduction
This volume continues the declassified adventures of Bettie Page, from the period of her life when she served as a government agent under my supervision. I had thought, honestly, that the exploits chronicled in “Bettie in Hollywood” and “Model Agent” might have served to sufficiently inform the public of Bettie’s heroism and patriotism, but Dynamite assures me that there is a hunger for stories of this kind at the moment. With some reluctance, I submitted to having further entries of Bettie’s “Secret Diary” adapted into this form. Despite Mr. Avallone’s long association with subversive elements, I am convinced by previous chapters that this commitment to Ms. Page’s legacy, and indeed, America, is not in question
Col. L McKnight, Special Agent, (Ret.)
It’s books like this that remind us how fun the imagination can be. The mystery that surrounds some former celebrities and why they disappeared from the spotlight can be obsessive. David’s alternate reality spy thriller is one of the more interesting versions that I have had the pleasure to read. His arcs have been excellently written with delightful characterisation and pretty absurd situations the interdimensional demon who constantly plagues Bettie is one of those you could consider that. For proof take a gander at the opening.
I love the way that this book is structured. Also the fact that each arc has been tied into the bigger picture and yet is still new reader friendly shows us that David can really utilise the tools of his trade. The way we are able to see how David traverses so smoothly from segment to segment is fantastic as the whole flow of the book is pretty amazing to see. Nothing about this feels rushed, glossed over or even missing in any manner which is one of those things that I love about his writing.
The concept behind this story is pretty sweet as well. From the dialogue/banter between Bettie and McKnight is the stuff that legends are made of and I can never tell if they are flirting and or fighting with one another, there’s a thin line between love and hate. Still it’s also a chance to show the reader just how much someone like Bettie is underestimated while showing her intelligence and observational accruement. The character development here is something that I love to see and it’s continual and makes Bettie one of the more fascinating characters out there right now.
We skipped the light fandango Turned cartwheels ‘cross the floor But the crowd call out for more. That is kind of what I feel when at the interiors here. The attention to detail here is utterly phenomenal and the way that the varying weights of the linework are utilised to create such near delicate lines to show us things like aged stone or the clothes they wear to the unwelcome guests at the end are complete wow factors. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off one of the better eyes for storytelling around. I love how the backgrounds are utilised here to show size and scope of the story as well as enhance the moments we see. Oh and the way they are coloured to highlight such things is just as spectacular and complete that overall look, tone and feel.
Spoiler alert we see Winston Churchill here and what Bettie thinks of him and he of her oh to hear that exchange in person to catch those subtle nuances in their speech pattern, that’s already in my head. With an absolutely cracker story concept, story development and stunning characterisation alongside some of the best interiors around make this what we’ll all be talking about after the Holidays!
Dynamite Entertainment 2018
Written by David Avallone
Illustrated by Julius Ohta
Coloured by Ellie Wright
Lettered by Taylor Esposito
Introduction
This volume continues the declassified adventures of Bettie Page, from the period of her life when she served as a government agent under my supervision. I had thought, honestly, that the exploits chronicled in “Bettie in Hollywood” and “Model Agent” might have served to sufficiently inform the public of Bettie’s heroism and patriotism, but Dynamite assures me that there is a hunger for stories of this kind at the moment. With some reluctance, I submitted to having further entries of Bettie’s “Secret Diary” adapted into this form. Despite Mr. Avallone’s long association with subversive elements, I am convinced by previous chapters that this commitment to Ms. Page’s legacy, and indeed, America, is not in question
Col. L McKnight, Special Agent, (Ret.)
It’s books like this that remind us how fun the imagination can be. The mystery that surrounds some former celebrities and why they disappeared from the spotlight can be obsessive. David’s alternate reality spy thriller is one of the more interesting versions that I have had the pleasure to read. His arcs have been excellently written with delightful characterisation and pretty absurd situations the interdimensional demon who constantly plagues Bettie is one of those you could consider that. For proof take a gander at the opening.
I love the way that this book is structured. Also the fact that each arc has been tied into the bigger picture and yet is still new reader friendly shows us that David can really utilise the tools of his trade. The way we are able to see how David traverses so smoothly from segment to segment is fantastic as the whole flow of the book is pretty amazing to see. Nothing about this feels rushed, glossed over or even missing in any manner which is one of those things that I love about his writing.
The concept behind this story is pretty sweet as well. From the dialogue/banter between Bettie and McKnight is the stuff that legends are made of and I can never tell if they are flirting and or fighting with one another, there’s a thin line between love and hate. Still it’s also a chance to show the reader just how much someone like Bettie is underestimated while showing her intelligence and observational accruement. The character development here is something that I love to see and it’s continual and makes Bettie one of the more fascinating characters out there right now.
We skipped the light fandango Turned cartwheels ‘cross the floor But the crowd call out for more. That is kind of what I feel when at the interiors here. The attention to detail here is utterly phenomenal and the way that the varying weights of the linework are utilised to create such near delicate lines to show us things like aged stone or the clothes they wear to the unwelcome guests at the end are complete wow factors. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off one of the better eyes for storytelling around. I love how the backgrounds are utilised here to show size and scope of the story as well as enhance the moments we see. Oh and the way they are coloured to highlight such things is just as spectacular and complete that overall look, tone and feel.
Spoiler alert we see Winston Churchill here and what Bettie thinks of him and he of her oh to hear that exchange in person to catch those subtle nuances in their speech pattern, that’s already in my head. With an absolutely cracker story concept, story development and stunning characterisation alongside some of the best interiors around make this what we’ll all be talking about after the Holidays!
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