The propaganda machine at full force.
Creative Staff:
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Bilquis Evely
Colors: Wendy Broome
What They Say:
Supergirl and Stargirl are willing to promote patriotic propaganda-until they learn a dark secret.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
With the Enlistment phase over, Bombshells moves into its next arc with the nine part Combat phase. That certainly sets the tone for what’s to come, though it doesn’t mean we’ll get everyone together on the same page anytime soon. And that works out just fine as having the various arcs play out with those involved getting their own issue and time to shine often works better for something as sprawling as this. And we know that the team will form eventually, so getting more one on one time to really make the characters and their motivations more fully formed is a big positive. With this installment, we get a new addition to the art team with Bilquis Evely coming on board to tell a new tale in the Stargirl and Supergirl storyline.
The pair have found themselves being well used by Arkayn since everything went down in Moscow recently and while they’re not exactly thrilled with aspects of it, they’re certainly enjoying the fact that they get to go after the Nazi’s. What’s interesting is that we do get the solid application of a hero here in a time of brutal war that’s taking a roll on the Russian population as even with all the carnage that they’ve see they’re still not killing anyone. Working with the Night Witches, they take out the planes left and right yet avoid killing any of the pilots – even if they’re being shot at them after ejecting. Taking them as prisoners of war works well, though you can see regularly how those that are in charge of the operations are really quite displeased by this since they’re not following orders and there’s a sense of a de-clawed vengeance going on here.
What I really like here is the time spent early on going through aspects of the propaganda phase with how the two are being promoted to the military at large, which in turn spreads throughout the lands. Neither are comfortable with it considering the positives played up about their father while avoiding his exile and all the hardship caused. The two have some good conversations about it, which ties into how they act while fighting the Nazi’s. And that in turn plays into the real trouble ahead for them that will de-nationalize them I’m sure as they discover how Arkany is manipulating them for his own advantage, showing himself to be just as dangerous as the Nazi’s in many ways. It’s a well done piece overall considering the constraints of the series layout and while it’s a bit blunt it does mostly work.
In Summary:
This installment brings on board Bilquis Evely to handle the art and she does a really good job here with it in bringing these two to life in their propaganda style uniforms. The action is well handled, the layouts solid and the overall feel definitely clicks within the series general tone. I was a bit dismayed at times with the number of splash pages for it, but it’s also something that’s being done for the propaganda purposes so I completely get it. She does fill out those areas with some good background elements that makes it worth poring over some, though you do still feel like you fly through this installment just a touch quicker than some of the others. I’m definitely glad we’re in the combat phase and am quite curious to see what’s next to come from the book.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: September 19th, 2015
MSRP: $0.99
