Avatar Press 2019
Written by Pat Shand
Illustrated by Daniel Gete (main) & Esad Ribic (backup)
Coloured by Juan Rodriguez
Lettered by Kurt Hathaway
About: Warrior Nun
Now a Netflix original series, re-launches this summer for readers of all kinds with a new Nun and new attitude! Dora has stumbled across an ancient order, and a new threat thrusts her into a role she never imagined - defender of humanity!
I missed my opportunity to review the first issue as I didn't get my hands on a copy till much later than it came out. After I read it, I loved it and knew I had to get a review out there for this story. I have been a fan of the work at Avatar Press for a long time but in recent years I have kind of strayed and really only reading one title. It's harder for me to get them in for some reason at my local shop and having to order them online isn't always convenient for me but this one, this one is worth finding no matter what it takes. What an amazing story this is and to see Dora as a modern teenage girl who has absolutely no desire whatsoever to be there is portrayed beautifully by Pat. There is this great sense of authenticity to his characterisation and it's one of the main reasons I enjoy reading his work.
I am thoroughly enjoying the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through the sequence of events unfolding before us as well as the release of information to the reader. Hey we're dealing with Nun's here and they are strict about loose lips in a lot of ways. The character development that we see here is superb. The entire time Dora and Anya are talking and getting to know one another you can feel the bond which they are forming with one another. The pacing which is pretty amazing takes us through the story seeing the twists and turns that create this strong, interesting ebb & flow to the book. The dual storytelling that we see happening simultaneously is really well done. This is an impressive book, story, with how it's being told.
While I know this is a prequel to the Netflix program I would very much like to see more from this creative team on any Warrior Nun book, though more Dora is always preferable. There is something special we see here when the creators just click with each other and bring us such a superb level of storytelling.
By all that heaven allows is the interior artwork here that good. The linework we see is exquisite and how the varying weights are utilised to bring about this level of attention to detail is beyond stunning. From the softness of teenage faces to the wizened look of the nuns and the horrific visage of the demons everything is so distinct and interesting to see. The composition inside the panels is perfectly done as we see the backgrounds being utilised to their fullest in demonstrating depth perception, scale, as it enhances the moments and brings us a sense of size and scope to the book. The rocks utilised to create the walls are so authentic looking and it screams old like a secret society of warrior nuns should be housed in. Then there are the windows and god almighty that just mesmerises the reader. With the colour work here we see everything at new heights. The way that we see the base colour and then the various hues and tones within it creating shading and shadows, or highlights is magnificent. The page and the panels are utilised to their fullest here and the eye for storytelling that we see is a masters at work.
So there are some things that made me giggle and the entire time the nuns were say “I Rebuke You” and “Be Gone” were a tad over the top. I mean fallen angels who become demons are beings I don't see being banished that way, it sounds more like it comes from popular culture. But hey what does a nice Jewish boy like me know about that stuff? What I do know is that this is first class, top notch, head of the class storytelling that needs to be go on after this arc.