Top Cow Productions/Image Comics 2015
Written by Matt Hawkins & Dan Wickline
Illustrated by Linda Sejic
One of the Star Nations, The People’s Republic of Haven, is on the surface a democracy, but in practicality a central party controlled dictatorship. Wasted economically by its welfare state, Haven embraced an expansionist policy of military conquest to sustain its bloated system. Conquering system after system, Haven finally set its sights on the Star Kingdom of Manticore, home to our hero Honor Harrington…
Captain Harrington’s mother called and sent her daughter on a mission to find her Uncle. Taking two of her men with her, they were convincing, they headed to where he was last reported. Well luckily for her uncle Jacques spots her first and we learn there is much more going on here than meets the eye. He isn’t by himself and he and Michael, the gentleman he’s with, seem to be working undercover. I do like that Dan and Matt aren’t wasting time letting us know that this isn’t going to be what we thought it was.
While Jacques is pointing out his niece she and her men are meeting with Alia head of security on Eros. Of course she’s there for multiple reasons, to meet them, get a good look at them and let them know she’s aware they are there. You have to like her, brazen, bold and hard to read she’s one of those no nonsense types much like Harrington herself.
Here’s what I am really enjoying about this. Harrington admits that this isn’t her forte she’s much more comfortable at the helm of a ship in space and this subterfuge isn’t comfortable for her. That means she’s kind of learning on the fly and making it up as she goes along. That is better test of her character than anything else. That she gets information from a sex slave, a genetic slave one who is engineered to serve is ironic and helpful for now. But what she learns about Eros is probably more than she bargained for. If this were a longer limited series she more than likely wouldn’t have learned so much so quickly.
Linda does a very nice job on the interiors. More comic book style than I was anticipating but very nice nonetheless. Though I am slightly upset that this sex slave wasn’t shown more or I dunno somehow much more desireable to see. If you are going to engineer a being for sex than it should be drop dead fabulous but it’s comics and there are limits. Though at least a nice tight butt shot couldn’t have hurt.
Every place like Eros in every iteration we’ve ever seen has a darker underbelly to it that is well hidden from the glitz and glamour on it’s surface. If you really want to make money it isn’t going to come from vacationing and gambling or even those companions it’s from the stuff that upstanding citizens don’t like to admit they love. Underground fighting, hunting safari’s on the surface this skirting the rules and enjoying a thrill that’s what people really pay for. Is this what her uncle and his associate want her to see? If so then perhaps they’ll be able to team up and do something about all this together.
Harrington and Alia are probably too much alike and why they instantly don’t like each other but have that respect for each other.
I like this it’s fun, interesting and is a great way to further push and explore Harrington as a person out of her depth. Pushing the limits of what they’ve done before is why we enjoying the Top Cow line of books.