Barbarella #1


Written by Mike Carey

Pencils by Kenan Yarar



I didn't really expect too much from this book, figuring it would probably be some lightweight bit starring a ditsy sex kitten. But nostalgia called. And I was actually pleasantly surprised. The feel is much more the French original rather than the Jane Fonda movie. Barbarella is captured by an alien race whose religion is so anti-sin they have declared genitalia forbidden. They find her guilty of possessing a vagina, and alter her body to remove the offending organ. She is imprisoned, but meets up with a rebel and plots an escape. There is nudity, but it's not so much cheesecake as natural. (Not to the extent of Bitch Planet, say, but it's there.) There are problems - some things happen too easily, the bad guys are played pretty broadly, and the artwork is good but not outstanding. But Barbarella herself is well-handled. No melodramatic vows of vengeance, but a cool promise to return for what they've taken from her. Not a sex kitten, but a woman confident in her sexuality. An action hero who refuses to kill. She's controlled, mature and competent. I really liked this book, and I'll be back for the next issue.