Writer: Ryan Scott Ottney
Artists: Frank Mills (p), Todd Swain (i)
Publisher: Angel Gate
Note that this is an advanced review of the book, due out soon – look for it in Previews and order from your retailer
This one-shot crossover issue sees three of Angel Gate’s leading female characters team-up in order to stop a joint nemesis from managing to turn one of them against the rest. A renowned international smuggler, Simon Callahan, meets with one Professor Whitaker in order to verify the authenticity of his latest acquisition, as per his mysterious employer’s instructions. Unfortunately for those involved, the dangerously dynamic Judo Girl has been tracking Callahan’s movements for months and has tracked him down to the very Los Angeles museum where he is meeting Whitaker. Worse yet for our antagonists, the museum happens to be the one where the forgotten Greek goddess Isis works as caretaker under her pseudonym of Jessica Eisen. Needless to say, it does not take long for the combined might of these two women to catch them red-handed, although Callahan did have enough time to activate his employer’s transmitter device to send the item in question, the Book of Lights, to them before it was too late. After this action-packed opening, our third heroine enters the fray – the 10th Muse herself, Emma Sonnet, to provide vital information as to the powerful secrets of the book, the identity of the mysterious mastermind behind this scheme, and exactly why Callahan was turned to stone after being apprehended by Isis...
The first-act set-up of simply stopping a minor misdemeanour between a couple of black-market operators is swiftly followed up by some wonderfully enjoyable superheroics. Angel Gate’s books have carved out a quite brilliant little niche in the comic book marketplace by taking inspiration from some of the greatest stories the world has ever seen – Greek mythology – and adding a lick of nostalgic four-colour superhero paint to them. The finished product doesn’t try to break any boundaries or marginalise its costume action for the deconstruction of its heroes, as is becoming the norm throughout several of the big-name superhero titles nowadays, and instead revels in both the unique premise afforded to its readers by the mythology aspect, and the all-ages fun that comes from indulging in some Silver Age style storytelling. Put it this way – it can surely be no accident that Judo Girl comes straight from the ‘60s!
As for the rest of the trio, their roots are entrenched in the Greek mythology aspect. Isis’ origins are due to shortly be explored more fully by writer Ryan Scott Ottney in a couple of upcoming books, while the main character, 10th Muse, is the secret tenth daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Each of their children is a Muse charged with protecting a specific art or science. Emma is the Muse of Justice, yet her birthright also leaves her vulnerable to those who know how to exploit it through weaknesses such as the Book of Light. This ties into the resurrection of a classic character from Greek mythology in this issue, and one who is none too pleased to learn of the Muse’s continued existence...
It would be lax to fail to point out just how beautiful this comic looks. From Dalhouse’s wonderfully atmospheric colouring on the first page, to Swain’s lively inking during the climactic warehouse fight scene, and Mills’ delightful facial expressions on the characters throughout the entire book, this is eye-candy of the sweetest variety. It’s good to know that the writing is up to par as well. Ottney’s dialogue changes from brief summaries on Greek mythology to cheesy-yet-welcome one-liners (in particular from the fantastic Judo Girl!) with great ease. The book itself may be nothing particularly ground-breaking, but it is a true reflection of the enjoyment that can still be had from classic ensemble superhero books. Any comic book fan would be well-served to take a peek at this title.
Oh, and the chicks are hot. But that’s not the point... is it?
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