Princeless Book 4: Be Yourself #1

I picked this issue up last summer at Double Midnight Comics in Manchester NH.

Title: Princeless Book 4: Be Yourself
Issue: 1
Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment
Date: June, 2015
Writer: Jeremy Whitley
Artist: Emily Martin
Colorist: Brett Grunig
Letterer:Emily Spura

Adrienne, Bedelia, and Sparky crash-land in Grimmorium Swamp, home of such flesh-eating goblins, electric fish, and squirrels. Things rapidly go from bad to worse.

Meanwhile the King's latest attempt to bring out Devin's manliness instead ends up playing to his budding detective skills, and it may unlock the path to rescuing the Queen.

There were a lot of good details and creative challenges here that keep right on the edge between comedic and deadly serious. The character interplay was great, and the story veered into some fun unexpected directions, while continuing to bend and twist gender tropes at every opportunity.

Rating: 8/10

Princeless Volume 1

From the unread book shelf, rather than the random stack of unread comics (which stands at 5 to go with less than 24 hours to departure). I bought this in the English-language section of one of the local bookstores here in Ho Chi Minh City.

Title: Princeless
Issue: Volume 1
Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment
Date: 2015
Writer: Jeremy Whitley
Artist: M. Goodwin
Colorist: M. Goodwin
Letterer: Jung Ha Kim
Editor:Shawn Gabborin

Trade paperback collection of the first four issues of this comic series.

What I loved about Princeless is that not only does it turn classic fairy tale tropes on their heads, it continually comes up with new, original, and surprising ways of doing so.

The story begins with Princess Adrienne. Growing up extremely cynical of the old tales of princesses locked away in towers, she finds herself in that very situation despite her determination to avoid it.

But rather than waiting for her prince to come and save her, Princess Adrienne befriends the dragon guarding her, fakes her own death, takes up a sword that she finds conveniently placed under her bed in the tower, and sets off to rescue her sisters from the towers they have been placed in.

This story is nonstop fun, slowing down only for a couple of tender moments before moving into more mayhem as Adrienne navigates the perils of impractical female armor, makes a new friend and ally, and finds herself on the run from her own father's guards.

Short backup story gives a funny view of the world from the Prince's side of things.

This was witty and amusing, and I look forward to reading more.

Rating: 8.5/10