Review: DC Comics Bombshells Volume 2 - Allies

As the otherworldly Tenebrae descends upon England, the Bombshells are dispatched to eliminate the evil force once and for all. With the combined might of Baroness von Gunther, Edward Nygma, and Nereus on its side, it becomes quite clear that lives will be lost and sacrifices must be made in order to defeat the Tenebrae.

DC Comics Bombshells Volume 2: Allies collects DC Comics: Bombshells #7-12, written by Marguerite Bennett and illustrated by Laura Braga, Mirka Andolfo, M.L. Sanapo, and Marguerite Sauvage.

Allies is the thrilling conclusion to the first year of DC Comics: Bombshells and finally sees the title’s heroines assembling together to fight the Tenebrae. Writer Marguerite Bennett builds towards this final confrontation through a series of interconnected vignettes that develop the protagonists’ arcs and establish the villains. For instance, Stargirl learns the truth about her parentage while Supergirl and Mera team-up to do battle against the Tenebrae beneath the waters surrounding London. Meanwhile, Catwoman and Huntress free Batwoman from the clutches of Brother Night and Wonder Woman does battle against Baroness von Gunther. Each of these narratives are brimming with action and punchy dialogue, particularly the segments featuring Batwoman. Bennett is to be commended for being able to give these characters distinctive voices and for reinventing them for the time period this book is set in.

I am continually impressed by and engrossed in the character work that Bennett does in Bombshells. Mera and Stargirl prove to be the runaway stars of this particular collection, as both are given important arcs and contribute greatly to the final fight against the Tenebrae. We learn that Mera has effectively misrepresented her past, which comes back to haunt her and it threatens to harm the people she cares most for. With Stargirl, she vacillates between her unshakeable desire to be a hero and her deepening insecurities over being a human in a world of superhumans. For both characters, they demonstrate heroism in through selflessness and determination. It’s both endearing and poignant, particularly during the climax (which left me rather teary-eyed). Beyond the inspirational aspects to these characters, Bennett also injects a lot of fun into them as well. Mera’s dialogue is very playful and she even reveals herself to be Wonder Woman’s first kiss. She’s also written to speak in song, which is a really unique quirk.

Mirka Andolfo provides a highly stylized aesthetic that is vibrant and whimsical. It has a vague shoujo-like quality to it, which pairs really well with the tone of Bennett’s dialogue. Marguerite Sauvage’s art is comparable to this as well. It’s very cute and feminine, but she really nails the toughness of these characters (especially Batwoman). Laura Braga’s art is more traditional for the superhero genre, but is certainly amongst some of the best in contemporary comics. I absolutely adore the way she illustrates Wonder Woman and admire just how beautiful all of her characters are. Her action sequences are particularly memorable as well. Lastly, Sanapo captures the pin-up origins of Bombshells quite well with her style. It manages to be both playful and sexy.

DC Comics Bombshells Volume 2: Allies is great fun. It’s fresh, hip, and irreverent, but also retro in all of the right ways. Bennett’s dialogue is dynamic, her character work is nothing short of brilliant, and the action is blockbuster-sized. There’s a lot of depth in Allies as well and it has its fair share of moments that tug on your heartstrings (provided you’re as sensitive a reader as I am). This series also showcases female talent at its finest. The art is polished and electric, while the story itself is cohesive and epic in scale. In an ideal world, Warner Brothers would greenlight a Bombshells movie ASAP and hire Bennett as the screenwriter. Yes, this series is that good.

RATING: A