Apropos of Nothing Studios 2018
Created, Written, Pencilled & Cover Painted by Mark Sparacio
Interior Digital Paints by Chris Summers
Lettered & Edit Assists by Marshall Dillon
Chelsea Dagger, a story about the War on Terror, has been researched for almost three years and is based on facts and real events that have happened across the world. In response to wanton acts of terrorism, death and destruction in many countries, a Global Anti-Terrorism Task Force has been established to deal with these threats. The Task Force code-named Excalibur, after King Arthur's legendary sword, is headed by Director X. The field agents of Excalibur are all deadly, highly skilled, combat trained women representing nations who are fighting the war on terror.
I am fan of the premise behind the book a group which is formed by women to fight the war on terror is a nice angle to take. In most countries where extreme terrorist factions arise from women are discounted and thought to be less than nothing in the grand scheme of things so by being “undercover” in these regions allows for them to do what men cannot which is get close to them without them realising it’s happening. Plus there’s the added bonus that they get to do some kick-ass women who happen to be Miss Universe calibre in their beauty.
Mark does a pretty good job here with how the book is structured. He quite adeptly takes us on a journey here that kind of starts in the middle and it’s a good way to go. The opening which takes place much further in the past, 1099 AD to be precise, in the newly formed Kingdom of Jerusalem where a Templar Knight leaves the company of some Arab Muslims who seem to indicate the birth of radicalised religion. Prophetic in nature, of course it is and it’s a great idea for how things would, could and might have begun. Also it’s great in that it’s eye catching and grabs the readers attention so they want to read further.
As the story moves forward and we see the modern day acts of terror that has the world on the edge of their seats trying to find blame when someone should be doing something about it is a stark look at how the modern world works. Instead of being aggressive they bicker back and forth trying to find blame when in reality it lies at their feet for not trying to root out it’s source and eliminate it. That however is where Excalibur comes in and once Director X has seen enough it’s time to rally the troops and get this party started.
I love the cameos by real people in this, Anderson Cooper and Nancy Palozi, not to mention Peter Kingsman whom I have no clue as to who is, are well rendered and dead on their real life counterparts. The utilisation of page layouts here and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a strong solid eye for storytelling. The features of different peoples comes to life extremely well and there are some ugly folks here due to angles the features on some faces look odd but that comes with the realism of being in that particular frame. I wish there were more backgrounds in use instead of relying solely upon the main focal points but I say that a lot these days and with this much attention to detail and how realistic it all looks time is a factor.
The characterisation here is really rather impressive. It is one thing to think of what is going on in someone’s head and another to find a way to channel an extremist and make it come across as authentic as any top profiler could without destroying your own sensibility. The on the flip side of that creating characters to add humour and lighten the mood is so perfectly done to balance it all out. Also that there is time made so that we get an in-depth look into Chelsea's background through flashbacks gives you a look at why she's not only the team leader but why's she's uniquely qualified to be in the field.
While the action at times can feel G.I. Joe unrealistic let’s not forget this isn’t a “based on true events” in the manner in which the women work. This is for both education and entertainment and what we see while having that air of authenticity to it is also fictional. Though the use of gadgets and such that we see shows a distinct knowledge and look at what the military uses and takes before the public gets a version. Let’s face it that happens all the time and the general populace has no idea.
With it’s real life locations and the intense look at extreme terrorist violence and the response to that make this a fantastic story to read. Well researched with some great writing, story & plot development and top notch characterisation all wrapped up in some stunningly beautiful artwork Chelsea Dagger is more than a graphic novel it’s the it’s the historical fiction thriller we’ve been waiting for!
This is currently having a kickstarter to fully fund the book and if this sounds like it’s something you want to read then pledge today and assure your own copy. Trust me Dan Brown, David Balducci and Tom Clancy are officially on notice. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chelseadagger/chelsea-dagger