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(Saber-tooth) Cat Class and (Saber-tooth) Cat Style: Vanya 05

The Story So Far

Vanya and Serah are two Time Guards trapped in the prehistoric past, surviving against dinosaurs, savage humanoids, giant snakes, and the looming threat that at any moment will come an attack from the Torridians, an alien race who have declared war on the humans. Rescued by an outpost of other human soldiers, Vanya and company accept a new mission to procure hidden supply caches in an effort to boost defenses against the Torridians. However, she is captured by Niya, another Time Guard aligned with the Bone Tribe.

Vanya is crouched on a cave ground holding a 2-tipped spear. Behind here, from the shadows, emerges the face of a giant sabertooth cat. Vanya is framed between the cat's two large front teeth.
Standard cover for issue five of Vanya done by Zoran Jovicic and Antonio Wong. Image from the Bad Bug website.

Issue 05 Plot

Vanya, Serah, and Guy are brought by Niya to the cavernous lair of the Bone Tribe and introduced to the Bone King, who reveals he, too, was a Time Guard, originally named Vitor 2991. The Bone King tosses a severed raptor head and Vanya and Serah, showing that underneath its scales are cybernetic/robotic parts, “Torridian Tech.” 
Niya leads Vanya away to a vantage point where she watches the Bone King slip a chip into Serah’s temple which will “bring out her innermost desires.” A woman of the Bone Tribe, who has black “crying” eye shadows akin to Joseph Michael Linsner’s Dawn character, inserts a chip into her own temple before receiving cunnilingus from Serah.

Elsewhere, two different fronts of invasions from two different species begin to happen concurrently. A pack of saber-tooth tigers, which had been stalking Vanya and company, attack a Bone Tribe campsite. Meanwhile at the human outpost, a Torridian fleet of UFOs begins their bombardment.

Back at the Bone Tribe’s cavern, a ritual orgy to awaken a Torridian Dragon takes place, with Guy and Niya as the center show. With everyone occupied with the ritual, the saber-tooth tigers make their presence known.

Commentary

Building on the momentum from issue four, issue five of Vanya goes all out and spares no expense upping the threat level while at the same time cashing in on some of the setups put forth in prior issues.

A purple alien. Wearing a horned head dress, green skirt with a dagger. Wielding a two bladed spear. Legs are backwards like a Dinosaur or Torgo from Manos the hands of Fate. Behind the Torridian there is a plume of smoke and burning rubble.
General Tora, a Torridian.

The big setup/payoff is the reveal of the Torridians. Only referred to in dialogue in prior issues, the Torridians look fierce. Imagine a Mewtwo, only purple-ier, more menacing, with golden tattoos, and outfits akin to sword and sandal attire, but dark green. They are an interesting mix of sword and sorcery and alien in appearance and look like boss characters from a game like Baldur’s Gate. They look formidable and should give Vanya a run for her money when she eventually encounters one.

Another setup that sees a payoff are the saber-toothed tigers. Originally shown on the last page of issue two, stalking Vanya, Serah, and Reed (a character that would eventually become eaten by a T-rex in issue three), the tiger initially seemed to have been forgotten, or cast aside, or just made a one-time appearance to underscore the hostile environmental threat Vanya is operating in. Instead, the tiger turned out to be quite tenacious, following Vanya in secret through issues three and four, before jumping right into the fray of issue five, becoming a deus ex machina of sorts.

And finally, there is the re-reveal of the Torridian Dragon egg. The green egg made its first appearance during the ritual in issue three. The egg was not overtly named; it was simply referred to as “the blessed fruit” and placed on an altar where Niya and another member of the Bone Tribe had intercourse. However, the ritual in issue three was interrupted when Niya was called away from her place of honour by the Bone King to instead go kill a flock of Phorusrhacids. In issue five, it appears that the interrupted ritual is being re-attempted, with Niya back at her place of honour on the egg altar, though this time engaged in sexual acts with Guy which causes the green egg to burst open and beams of white light to shine out of Guy’s eyes like Sascha Schneider’s painting “Hypnosis.” The hatched dragon is not actually revealed. 

Of cause and effect note, if the Bone King had not undermined Niya in issue three, and instead sent other warriors to deal with the Phorusrhacids, then the ritual would have taken place then, allowing the egg to hatch, giving the Bone Tribe “a weapon under their control.” Since the tribe would not be pre-occupied with the ritual in current time, they would have been more alert to fend off against the prowling saber-tooth tigers, effectively halting the deus ex machina.

Another character that seems either ill-equipped or overestimating their own abilities like the Bone King is the Astral Guard character Elah. Another cashing in on a setup, in the universe of Vanya, the Astral Guard are the biggest, most skilled, most important warriors, what the Time Guard become after their years training in the prehistoric past. These are the leaders and the guardians of humanity as humans make their way through space and time. Elah comes off as ineffectual. At this point in the story, the Torridians have effectively obliterated humanity by bombarding Earth and sending humans fleeing to different timelines. Elah sends a call to the Torridian general Tora, chastising them for breaking the law, and giving them one day to release their captives and leave the timeline or they will come at them with the full force of the Astral Guard. The question is – should they not have already done this when the Torridians attacked humanity months ago? Elah’s threat sounds too little coming way too late. If Elah represents the best of the best that humanity has got for protection, no wonder the Torridians have been able to steamroll over everyone.

Swag Impressions

Issue five of Vanya is loaded with some fantastic variant covers, but the cover art done by Renato Camilo and Martina Rossi is the winner of the bunch.

Issue 5 variant cover. Variant perches atop a tree branch, nude save for her cloth boots and bracers. Below her are embers from a fire. Above her is a full moon and other trees. Her dreadlocked hair waves in the wind.
Personal copy of the Renato Camilo and Martina Rossi nude variant cover of Vanya issue five.

The Camilo covers continue to knock it out the park, basically becoming the canonical representation of the titular character. The Camilo representation of Vanya is the right balance of cheesecake and Jungle Girl, highlighting her dreadlocks that are not really underscored in the interior pages.

Per usual, with stretch goals met during the original crowdfunding campaign to fund issue five, there is a lot of complimentary swag that supplements the reading experience.

Six trading cards. The first is a carnivorous dinosaur (not sure what species) that has robot legs and a metal nose and jaw. Next is a triceratops with front legs that are robotic and horns that are too. Next is a flying pterodactyl that has two cannons protruding from it. On row two there is a dinosaur with electric spines coming from its back. Next to that is an Ankylosaurus with a metal spiked mace for a tail tip, and finally there is a close up of a T-rex face with one of its eyes beaming red.
Robosaur Trading Cards.

Firstly there is a set of six Robosaur trading cards done by series artist Zoran Jovicic. These all depict cybernetic dinosaurs, such as a T-Rex with a red Terminator-style eye, a pterodactyl with cannons on its back, a triceratops with robot front legs and bladed head scales. These are the twisted images conjured by a childlike imagination and they are awesome. Reminiscent of the likes of Dino-Riders and Dinosaucers, cartoons from the late 80s that combined dinosaurs with tech.

Four items here. First is a holo-foil trading card. It depicts Vanya under water with bubbles around her. Next is a large black Tarot card for The Sun. It shows Vanya atop of pterodactyl with a sword raised above her (very Heavy Metal). Next is a TINY sticker of Vanya leaping in the hair, lunging with knife in hand at a raptor. Finally there is a rectangular sticker of Vanya in the nude. She is nestled between the branches of a mossy tree with a purple sky behind her.
Stickers and Tarot card that got with Vanya issue five.

Next there is a variety of swag: a holofoil trading card by Zach Raw depicting Vanya under water, a holofoil sicker that depicts a nude version of the Vanya #5 cover done by Bruno Freitas and Antonio Wong, a tiny sticker showing Vanya lunging at a raptor through a azure blue sky, and a tarot card of “The Sun” that shows Vanya riding a pterodactyl, with her blade held high in the air a ’la the iconic poster for the Heavy Metal (1981) movie.

The tarot card is a brilliant swag item, outside the norm of trading cards, magnets, and stickers, and it looks like Bad Bug is deploying the concept with their other titles. This is a neat concept, and it helps tie the different Bad Bug series together intertextually (via the cards), but for folks who perform/read Tarot, collecting the cards will yield a different style deck outside the traditional Rider–Waite style, which is quite exciting. 

Conclusion

Issue five of Vanya is epic in scope and action, capitalizing on the momentum of issue four. Concepts and ideas either foreshadowed or hinted at in prior issues are finally realized. Since all these setups are having payoffs in this issue, it creates a strong sense of urgency, giving the comic a heightened tone of bigger stakes. The multi-genre smorgasbord of time and space travel, dinosaurs, robot dinosaurs, cavemen, aliens, futuristic vs. primitive weapons, and so on that was promised in earlier issues is finally starting to congeal, and rather seamlessly at that. Vanya is looking to become the comic is set out to be.

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug:

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Going Commando: Vanya 04

The Story So Far

Two hundred plus years in the future mankind has mastered both space and time travel. Vanya is a Time Guard, a warrior in training who must spend a year in the prehistoric past honing her survival and combat skills. Her skills are much needed as the Torridian alien race have launched a massive attack against humanity. Vanya and her romantic partner, Serah, travel the primeval jungle, dealing with dinosaurs and savages, as they make their way to an armory to supply themselves against the alien threat.

Cover depicts Vanya sitting at a campfire, inspecting a blood soaked stone spear. There is a shadow of a roaring T-rex behind her.
Standard non-nude cover of Vanya issue 4 by Zoran Jovicic. Image from the Bad Buy website.

Issue 04 Plot

After days of jungle trekking and having lost Reed to a Tyrannosaurus attack, Vanya and Serah are rescued by a contingent of soldiers who are also stranded in the past after attempting to escort a group of scientists to safety after a Torridian attack. Though their outpost looks ramshackle from the outside, the inside is fitted with computers and tech, a cafeteria, and most importantly, a shower in which Vanya and Serah partake of together before being joined by another soldier named Guy.

A panel from the comic that shows a human outpost. The outpost looks jumbled together, made of stone, wood, and metal. A hovercraft swoops toward it.
Human outpost in the prehistoric past.

Vanya gives a debriefing to Captain Jax about her adventures training as a Time Guard while he fills her in on the Torridian attacks against Earth. The captain has a mission to retrieve some supply caches, so it is back to the jungle for Vanya, Serah, and Guy, though armed with rifles because who knows what threats will be awaiting the trio out in the wild.

Commentary

The previous issue of Vanya was a bit on the slower side in pacing. Though the narrative was partially upended when Reed was suddenly and swiftly dispatched by a T-Rex, the overall plot seemed to slow down a bit as the characters had not made much progress to their goal to find the armory. Issue four, on the other hand, course corrects this and throws a barrage of new ingredients into the “story stew”: the rescue of Vanya and Serah, the outpost of human soldiers, new characters including Lucas (who has had a prior relationship with Serah) and Guy (who takes the place of Reed), new weapons, a new mission (that is similar to their old mission [find the armory/find the supply caches]), and, of course, the first time confrontation between Vanya and crew with Niya and her entourage. Basically, A LOT happens in issue four which brings on more excitement and more surprises.

Panels from the comic. The first panel says "It's beautiful" and it's a plate of Panel of Vanya eating a Croissants. The next panel shows Vanya biting into a Panel of Vanya eating a Croissant saying "Mmmm this is the best thing ever." The final final shows Guy winking saying "Second best thing" with Vanya replying "Mmmm".
Panel of Vanya eating a Croissant.

One of those surprises is a subtle one by the new character of Guy. Guy initially comes off as hyper masculine, proclaiming himself to Vanya as “the second-best thing” (with a wink) referring to his sexual prowess in the shower with her and Serah. In a normal B-movie situation, Guy is the type of soldier to be a braggart who will later receive sort of comeuppance. Yet, later in the issue, Guy raises his rifle to shoot at a herd of Ankylosaurus but is stopped by Vanya: “… just don’t shoot at anything until it growls at you, ok?” In normal pop culture situations, a character like Guy would see his masculinity and authority challenged, especially coming from a woman. An attack on him. Yet, he does not take it that way at all. He takes in what Vanya is showing him, confirms with a “Got it” and proceeds on normally (and by “normally” meaning him, Vanya, and Serah all share a moment of intimacy in a river before continuing their mission as professional soldiers). In fact, in a perhaps ironic twist, it is Serah who later fires her gun at a group of Compsognathus and then getting chastised by Vanya for giving away their position. 

The Guy/Vanya/gun scene is a small scene (probably more meant to underscore the deadly nature of the dinosaurs and what they are capable of), but coupled with many other similar small scenes (such as Serah reuniting with Lucas, Serah joining in with Vanya and Reed, and so on), it paints the future world of Vanya as a post-jealousy environment and more pro-gender equality society. As hinted at in the review of issue one, these sort of scenes (coupled with the graphic violence and explicit sex) gives Vanya strong Paul Verhoeven vibes. 

The end of the issue becomes the first encounter between Vanya and Niya. Both sets of humans manage to injure each other, but there are no fatalities on either side and in the end Vanya and company are captured. It is a little shocking at how easily Niya took Vanya down. Is Niya a better warrior? Has Vanya lost her touch so quickly after having a retaste of civilization? Something else? Regardless, Vanya needs to get her poop-in-a-group because the final page of the issue ominously ends with Niya and cohorts leading the three heroes to “a surprise.”

Vanya sitting atop of a brontosaurus at night above a canyon glowing purple.
Vanya 04 non-nude variant cover by JC Fabul and Bryan Magnaye. Personal copy.
A nude Vanya sitting atop of a brontosaurus at night above a canyon glowing purple.
Vanya 04 nude variant cover by JC Fabul and Bryan Magnaye. Personal copy.

Aside from the standard cover by Zoran Jovcic (who does the interior art as well), Vanya #4 sports a variety of alternate covers, in both non-nude and nude editions by a handful of other artists. The best alternative cover for issue three is done by Renato Camilo and Tommy Shelton. If Camilo’s name sounds familiar it is because they hands down did the best alternate cover for issue two and the second-best cover for issue three. Camilo has a distinct style that fits the Vanya covers, one that is hard to describe but can easily be seen such as in the character’s dreadlocks that looks like headless but powerful snakes from Medusa. Camilo depicts Vanya with a balance of cheesecake glam and sword and sorcery warrior woman aesthetic. There is a slight hint of parody in the Camilo/Shelton cover: the raptor in the background is searching around, akin to the scene in Jurassic Park where the raptors are trying to sniff out Tim and Lex Murphy who are hiding in the kitchen. Vanya, on the other hand, is not hiding from the raptor, but actively ignoring it as she focuses on giving morsels to the Compsognathus (Compys in the comic) as if giving bread to ducks.

Cover depicts Vanya sitting down, wearing no clothes. She is holding a piece of meat in her hand and feeding it to a tiny dinosaur. Behind Her a blue striped Raptor hunts around.
Renato Camilo and Tommy Shelton nude variant cover of Vanya 4. Personal copy.

Since the Kickstarter campaign was wildly successful a few stretch goals were unlocked that included physical ephemera for backers. First there is a holographic art print of Vanya done by artist Zach Raw who has done covers for other Bad Bug titles, such as Bad Pussy, Astrowitch, and others. With its cyberpunk-ish imagery and purple tones the print evokes some hardcore synthwave vibes. 

Shiny art print. It shows an armored Vanya shooting from her pistol while leaping through the air.
Holographic art print by Zach Raw.

And finally, there is also a set of dinosaur trading cards (artist unknown). The cards look kid-friendly being duotone in nature: the dinosaurs are all white (inviting someone to colour them in with crayons) while the backgrounds are all a single colour: red for the raptor, orange for the stegosaurus, etc. The cards are both charming and disarming, being so “accessible” in nature in contrast to the Vanya comic with is full of sex and over the top violence. 

Five baseball card sized dinosaur trading cards. The dinosaurs and black and white while the backgrounds are one colour. The Stegosaurus is orange, the triceratops is green, the pteradcyl is purple, the raptor is red, and the Plesiosaurus is blue.
Dinosaur trading cards for Vanya issue 4.

Overall, a big “wow” for issue four. Just the right amount of jungle adventure, fighting, erotica, dinosaur cameos, and plot advancement. Things are going down in the world of Vanya, past, present, and future. 

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug:

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Jungle Romps and T-Rex Chomps: Vanya 03

The Story So Far

Vanya is a Time Guard, an elite warrior in training who must spend a year living in the prehistoric past, honing her fighting and survival skills. While Vanya is in the past, humanity is attacked by the alien race called the Torridians. Serah, a soldier and Vanya’s romantic partner, is sent back in time to retrieve Vanya. Vanya, Serah, and another Time Guard name Reed, team up and make way to an armory to retrieve weapons while under the threat of dinosaurs, barbarians from the Bone Tribe, and the Torridians themselves.

Vanya is leaning against a slain T-rex (a small one). She has a smirk and is holding a spear.
Vanya #03 Cover by JC Fanul and Bryan Magnaye.

Issue 03 Plot

After weathering a stormy night, Vanya, Serah, and Reed continue to follow the tracks of another group of warriors who are making their way to a hidden armory. During their trek the trio encounter a giant turtle whose shell was part of the ground, small carnivorous dinosaurs, and a rampaging T-Rex. Elsewhere the Bone Tribe engages in an orgy/ritual, but Niya, a Time Guard herself, is called away from the festivities in order to deal with a flock of Phorusrhacids – giant carnivorous birds – that are attacking the tribe. 

Commentary

Three issues and nine pages into Vanya and the comic receives its first George R. R. Martin treatment as Reed is devoured by a T-rex. Just as suddenly as Samuel L. Jackson is delivering a rallying speech in one moment and whisked away the next by a shark in Deep Blue Sea, so is Reed as in one panel he quips that “It’s nice to know that not everything is trying to eat us” immediately followed by the T-Rex chomping down on him. The sudden, abrupt end to Reed is both gruesome, yet darkly comedic, a throwback to the prior issue with a similar gag when one moment it is clear and the next it is raining on the characters. It should be noted that the T-rex’s head is covered in arrows, establishing him as the same one that appeared in issue two, interrupting an amorous moment between Vanya and Serah. No doubt this Tyrannosaur will show up again in a future issue and perhaps get its comeuppance.

Introduced in issue one, Reed seemed like a character that would have longevity. His time was short in the comic, but his presence did accomplish a handful of story-critical tasks. Plot-wise, he is the character that gets Vanya and Serah on course to find the armory by picking up the trail of another band of warriors. For the erotic-element, Reed acted as a male character for readers to project themselves onto. Tonally, up to this point in Vanya all the encounters the characters have had ended in fights they easily overcame, or fleeing to get the advantage later. Vanya’s narration tells the readers the prehistoric world she is in is hostile, but the adventure so far has been easy-peasy. Reed’s death dispels that notion and puts back in the forefront that the world they are in is deadly and needs to be taken seriously.  

A character who is not being taken seriously but should be is Niya, the champion of the Bone Tribe. Briefly introduced in issue two, Niya is revealed to be a Time Guard herself and the most capable warrior of the tribe. However, she is not respected by the tribe’s leader, the Bone King, who forces her to leave her place of honor in the orgy/ritual to deal with the marauding Phorusrhacids by herself. Returning back to take her place in the ritual, the Bone King proclaims, “Well done, Niya.” but is chastised the next morning by being told she “should have done better” regarding a scavenging trip. Niya is akin to a worker bee who is really good at her job, but management keeps her demoted because she is just “too good.” The Bone King’s unappreciation of Niya will surely come back to bite him (pun intended if his fate is at the maw of a dinosaur).

The intrigue is still building in Vanya issue three, but if there is a critique to be had it is that the plot is moving a little on the slow side. It feels like the characters should have accomplished a bit more in the adventure at this point. The cliffhanger in the final three panels promises some characters (Established ones? New ones) will cross paths, so that holds promise that something major is about to go down.

Narrative content aside, Vanya’s offerings extend past its pages into the realm of covers and ephemera. There are a plethora of alternate covers, both nude and non-nude, for Vanya #03. One of the best covers for the issue is the Bruno Sousa / Tommy Shelton variant that depicts Vanya bathing at the base of a waterfall. The cover is a call back to a page from Vanya #01 where Vanya narrates her ritual of washing in a specific waterfall for its disinfectant properties. While the other covers are action packed, this cover goes the serene, tranquil route. 

Vanya is nude, at the base of a small waterfall. She has two feathers in her dreadlocked hair and a necklace made of teeth.
Vanya #03 cover by Bruno Sousa and Tommy Shelton.

Folks who contributed to the Vanya #3 Kickstarter campaign were rewarded with a trove of additional loot.

A circular coaster with a black border. Vanya is in the center, nude, with flowing red hair. The stick is rectangular and shows Vanya fighting a dinosaur with her knife underwater. The magnet is square and shows Vanya crouched in a defensive position with her knife.
Vanya #03 coaster, sticker, and magnet set.

Firstly, for swag with function, there is a coaster, (that is a bit bigger than a large pog), a small sticker of the cover issue three cover done by Renato Camilo / Sanju Nivangune, and a square magnet of the Renato Camilo / Bryan Magnate cover for issue one. 

Vanya is completely submerged underwater, lashing at an aquatic dinosaur with her knife.
Vanya #03 cover by Renato Camilo and Sanju Nivangune.

It is a pity that the sticker for the Camilo/Nivangune is so tiny because their cover is easily the second-best cover for the issue (just barely being beaten out by the Sousa/Shelton cover). The colors are fantastic.

Art print of Vanya. Same art as the coast, but not nude. She is in front a jungle and has flowing red hair.
Vanya #03 art print.

Next there is a lovely art print (artist unknown) depicting Vanya against a dark jungle – the same piece used on the coaster, though not nude. 

Four trading cards. Top left is June, a Cyberpunk lady with latex boots and garters with long purple hair. Top right is Vanya, wearing an animal skin bikini top and bottom and holding a dagger. Bottom right is Nell, with blonde hair with 2 bun. She has one striped stocking on and the other is off on the floor. The bottom left is Maggie, with a glowing white eye and holding two pistols with smoke coming out as if they have just been fired.
Trading guards of Bad Bug heroines by Captain Shima.

And finally, there is a set of four trading cards done by Captain Shima depicting the heroines from four of Bad Bug’s flagship titles: (clockwise from the top left) June (HyperGeist), Vanya, Nell (Death Nell), and Maggie (Dead End Moon). Bad Bug is getting into the habit of creating interesting trading cards among all their titles, (for example, some are in Tarot style), so these are always fun to receive. All in all, a mighty haul from the rifts of time.

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug:

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Hunter – Lover – Killer: Vanya 02

The Story So Far

Two hundred plus years in the future, mankind has expanded across space and time. Leading the humans’ expansion are the Astral Guard, elite warriors born out of surviving many months in the prehistoric past.

Standard, non-nude cover of Vanya issue 2. Vanya is sending atop a T-rex head. The T-rex is roaring and Vanya is holding stone knives in both hands. Behind her are trees and cliffs.
Vanya issue two, cover A.

Vanya Tepanov is eight months into her journey as a Time Guard to become an Astral Guard, spending her days surviving dinosaurs and other creatures from the far past. Vanya’s world is turned upside down after she encounters another Time Guard named Reed and her betrothed from her present, Serah.

Issue 02 Plot

Unbeknownst to Vanya, two months after she started her trials, the alien race of the Torridians commenced a surprise attack on humanity. In order to proceed with a counterattack, soldiers were trained and sent back to the past to fetch the Time Guards, with Serah sent to retrieve Vanya.

Despite the looming threat of the Torridians, Vanya and Serah intimately rekindle their romance, with Reed welcomed in. Sexual appetite satiated, the trio decide the best course of action is to proceed to an emergency armory that has a stockpile of weapons. Vanya and company are not the only ones with an interest in the armory as a tribe of savages have also set their eyes on the cache prize.   

Commentary

Neo-jungle girl Vanya’s adventures continue in the second issue of the planned twelve issue series with a dramatic increase in narrative stakes, the introduction of new characters and threats, a stronger sense of humor, and, of course, erotic content.

As with issue one, issue two of Vanya goes full speed at rapidly laying out the greater narrative context. The Torridians are introduced (but only their UFOs are shown), along with a tribe of barbarians led by the, pudgy, dino skull wearing Bone King, and more dinosaur encounters. In addition to the Bone King, one of his soldiers, Niya, is introduced. An attractive jungle-girl herself, it can probably be surmised she will become both a nemesis and a paramour of Vanya. With all of this going on the stakes in the Vanya universe must be dire, especially if the humans in the present are sending fresh meat into the past fetch the Time Guards who have not completed their own trainings quite yet.

The world of Vanya takes much inspiration from the works of Paul Verhoven regarding sex and violence: over the top and plentiful. Due to all three major characters having been without sex for many months, their pent-up lust for one another explodes across multiple pages, only interrupted with the arrival of a T-rex. In just a few panels the comic goes from erotic, to suspenseful, to humorous as the trio crack a pop culture joke about Jurassic Park being a documentary.

Two panels from issue two. The left panel shows the heads of Serah and Vanya. They each have 3 band-aids on their faces. Serah says "Don't move. They can't see movement." The right panel is a close up of Reed. He has two band-aids on his face. He replies with "I watched that Documentary once."
Jurassic Park reference.

Even more subtle in these rapid panels are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details, such as the T-Rex’s head being peppered by lodged arrows, indicating the king of dinosaurs has encountered something humanoid (savages? Cavemen? Other Time Guards?) before. Other humorous moments include Reed making a Jaws reference of “We are going to need a bigger bow” after witnessing a giant anaconda constrict a barbarian and when Reed mentions that “they will be fine” in one panel, followed by a sudden downpour the next. It is great timing and does not impede the overall atmosphere of the comic.

A peppering of pop culture references aside, the second issue of Vanya begins to show even more genre homages. While issue one solidified Vanya as a jungle girl homage, issue two teases additional pulp elements. For example, the spaceships of the Torridians take inspiration from 50s and 60s era circular UFOs from sci-fi comics and movies, yet they act as formidable as the alien crafts in Independence Day. Another genre throwback is with the Bone King and his lair (which looks akin to a volcanic lair high in the mountains) which fully embrace the spear and fang genre.

As is custom with many adult Kickstarter endeavors, Vanya #02 comes with a plethora of alternate covers, in both non-nude and nude varieties. Two standout covers are the Renato Camilo/Boyfiy Miah and the Pow Podrix/Jasen Smith covers. The Camilo/Miah cover is particularly flirty as it is detailed and colorful, giving an “inviting’ sense. The Podrix/Smith cover scales back the colors and goes more ominous in mood. The exploding volcano, approaching T-rex, and Vanya drawing her bow convey strong adventurous, Turok vibes.

Nude version of the Renato Camilo/Boyfiy Miah cover. Vanya is laying on her stomach, propped up her elbows, looking over her shoulder. She had red dreadlocks. She has a knife and fur boots, but no under garments.
Nude version of the Renato Camilo+Boyfiy Miah cover.

In addition, the Vanya #02 crowdfunding campaign met many of its stretch goals, which aside from the additional pages of sexual content (no doubt the extended ménage à trois between Vanya, Serah, and Reed), entails a handful of ephemera and swag. 

A magnet depicting a close up of Vanya, with a red feather in her hair and the setting sun and ocean behind her. To the right is a white, circular coast. Vanya is in the middle with the blue feather in her hair. She is wearing a ripped pink top, pink shorts, and pink roller skates. Behind her is a circular emblem that kind of looks like an Aztec calendar.
Vanya Magnet and Coaster.

For utility items, there is a square magnet by an uncredited artist that shows a close up of Vanya with a setting sun behind her. Along with this there is a round coaster that depicts Vanya in pink rollerblade and blowing bubble gum, taken from an alternate issue two cover done by Gregbo Watson and Gwenaelle Daligault. 

Two trading cards. Both show the exact same image except one is nude and the other isn't. Vanya is in a swamp fighting a large blue snake with black stripes. There are trees standing on their roots sticking out of the splashing water behind her.
Vanya trading cards.

Next there are two trading cards (one nude, one note) that depict Vanya in a swamp fighting a large blue and black snake. There is no credited artist, but the cards evoke some epic thrash metal.

Four square stickers, all are headshots of different Bad Bug leading ladies. Vanya is in a profile, holding three spears and brown dreadknots. June has long purple hair with cyberpunk gridlines behind her. Maggie is missing an eye and she is blowing the smoke out of a revolver. Nell is wearing a fishnet top and has sailor moon buns. She is winking.
Bad Bug leading lady stickers.

Next there are four square stickers, also with an uncredited artist, each showing a headshot of a lady character from different Bad Bug Comics: Vanya, Nell (Death Nell), June (HyperGeist), and Maggie (Dead End Moon)

Hypergiest art print. The colors are all blue and purple. June sits on her knees atop a bed. She is wearing latex boots with garters and a black corset. She has 2 LEDs in her purple, beehive hair. On the bed beside her is an empty wine glass and wine bottle
HyperGeist art print.

And finally, there is an art print (uncredited) of June from HyperGeist, sitting on a bed with a wine glass and bottle at her side.

Vanya #02 is a great continuation of what was started in the first issue. Bigger scope and more threats are introduced yet the comic does not feel bogged down. The comic has a laid-back attitude regarding sex and violence, but in its primal setting, it works. The increase in humor in issue two was not expected but it is quite welcome. 

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out the reviews I’ve done of other titles published by Bad Bug:

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Comics

She’s Got the Killer Instinct: Vanya Issue 01

The Story

In the far future of 2288 AD, mankind has mastered time, dimension, and space travel. Leading humanity’s front-line conquerors are the Astral Guard, fierce warriors who are battled hardened by spending a year surviving in the prehistoric past.

The standard cover for the first issue of Vanya. Vanya is armed with a bow while a triceratops charges at her. There is a full moon in the sky.
Standard cover of Vanya issue 01.

Vanya Tepanov is such a candidate for the Astral Guard, currently eight months into her year of living in four billion years in the past. Each day is a test of her skills, instinct, and luck, as she must deal with the likes of sabretooth tigers, Pteranodons, raptors, and even other Astral Guard trainees, dubbed Time Guards, that she is warned to stay away from. However, a chance encounter (and a night of passion) with a Time Guard named Reed jumpstarts Vanya’s newest escapade where the prehistoric past and the highly advanced future clash. 

Commentary

Vanya issue one is a crowdfunded comic book published by Bad Bug Media, the first in a planned twelve issue run. Kickstarted in August 2021 and shipped to backers in February 2022, Vanya is an ambitious, multi-genre adult comic. The Kickstarter campaign states that the series is for fans of Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, and that it is a “sci-fi twist on the jungle girl genre.” The first issue of Vanya is written by Mike Tener (who is also the editor in chief of Bad Bug), with art by J. C. Fabul (The Dragonfly) and Zoran Jovicic (Burlap), colours by Bryan Magnaye (Militia, Twin Worlds), and lettering by Aaron Locust (Death Nell, HyperGeist). 

With its multi-genre approach, Vanya is ambitious and high concept. The future scenes hint at both a Blade Runner colonial setting (replicants at off world colonies vs. Astral Guards conquering new planets) and a Starship Troopers style of fascism (levels of citizen ship). The time traveling aspect of Vanya looks to take inspiration from Ray Bradbury’s story “A Sound of Thunder” in that going to the past is business-like, matter-of-factly, mixing hunting/safari-ing and surviving. Lastly, the jungle girl aspect is greatly emphasized, combining the menacing and awe-nature that dinosaurs evoked in Jurassic Park, the agility and nimbleness jungle girls like Sheena exhibit, and the eroticism of Budd Root’s Cavewoman, but fully embracing the pornographic elements that the genre normally only hints at. This is a lot to juggle, but Vanya anchors itself with its focus on the prehistoric/jungle girl aspect of the comic.

A nude cover of Vanya issue 1. It depicts a naked Vanya emerging from the sea at night. Behind her, off in the distance, is a brontosaur.
Nude cover variant of Vanya issue #01.

Usually, the first issue of a new comic IP is unwieldy as it tries to accomplish too much (introduce characters, setting, plot, and so on) in too little space. Vanya is surprisingly quite concise in setting its game pieces: the one page pseudo-Star Wars opening text paints the big picture, while the comic proper does a succinct job at establish Vanya’s personality and goals (she wants to become an Astral Guard so her and her girl beau Serah can move to another world), establishes the risks, dangers, and day-to-day life in the prehistoric past (dodging tigers to fending off infections). As with the multiple genres, most comics would crumble under the weight of what Vanya is going for, but instead it pulls it all off effortless, at least in this debut issue.

Like the dinosaurs of the past, Vanya goes big, and its first issue is cleanly edited, drilled down to a concise story that could scatter in too many directions but does not. The action scenes are thrilling (taking down an entire Pteranodon and riding it into the ground), there is an air of intrigue that comes from unknown forces in the future, and the sex and nudity is integrated into the plot and not simply there to just be titillating. 

For more information on Vanya and the comic’s creative team, check out the links below:

Also, consider checking out other reviews I’ve done of titles published by Bad Bug:

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Comics Peplum

Et tu, Mithra?: Rome Eternal #2

The Story So Far

The Mithra Mysteries are a specialized terrorist team, led by the Lion of Jupiter, who wreak havoc in an alternate history Rome, one that is technologically advanced with cyberpunk tech. The last mission of the Mysteries had Jupiter allowing himself to get captured and connected to the Emperor’s Navigator to have his memories prodded by the Veritas Decider. However, Jupiter is acting as a trojan horse, implanted with special memories that trap the Decider, allowing his team to initiate their assault and steal information from the Navigator.

Cover art for Rome Eternal #02. It shows an armored character cradling a female assassin who has died in his arms. Behind them, in the back, is a menacing figure wearing a mask.
Cover art for Rome Eternal #02.

Issue #2 Plot

Information in hand, the Mysteries’ next mission given to them by their Pater is to infiltrate the imperial palace and assassinate Emperor Tiberius. The mission goes horribly wrong as the Mysteries walk right into an ambush due to their ranks having been compromised by an informant. Concurrently, detective Rufus begins to investigate the Mysteries’ attack on the Navigator and Veritas Decider but is stymied by Germanicus and his Praetorian Guard. Rufus’ partner, Eugenio, seeks out a contact in Praetorian Intelligence who perhaps can provide some data on the Mysteries and the Guard.

Commentary

Rome Eternal issue two commits to the same bit that 2021’s The Suicide Squad did by killing the heroes right as their mission starts. In a true Game of Thrones fashion, no one is safe in Rome Eternal in that nearly all the named characters from the first issue, along with newly introduced characters in issue two, are horrifically dispatched. On one hand this raises the stakes of Rome Eternal considerably while at the same time underscoring the cunning and brutality of [techno] Rome. On the other hand, readers do not get a chance to see the members of the Mysteries in much action. In issue one they are all introduced along with their corresponding power/specialty, so there is the expectation to see them in their element, doing their thing, building up more characterization to give their eventual demise more weight. So, it is bittersweet to see the Mysteries members annihilated, quite easily at that.

As with issue one, Rome Eternal embraces non-linear storytelling. While issue one used memories in tandem with unfolding events, issue two is told in flashback while also switching perspectives between the Lion and the Mysteries and Rufus and his investigation. Ultra violence and non-linear storytelling, it is as if 90s Tarantino decided to make an alt-history neo-peplum.

The art and writing quality from issue one carries over to issue two and everything is top notch. The art is especially stand out, both detailed and colourful. Dark blues dominate this issue, with the nighttime assault and covert meetings in alleyways. The newly introduced Detective Rufus and Germanicus have detailed attire that are anachronistic, they feel both ancient, yet new. It is these details that keep grounding the sword and sandal setting in a different, hi-tech context. Rome Eternal is fully committed to the bit.

With nearly all the heroes killed and the issue ending on a major cliffhanger, it is nail biting to see what will happen next. The introduction of Rufus indicates Rome Eternal may start diving into the toga and sandal genre with more intrigue and the addition of political maneuvering from Germanicus. It is nice to see all these 60s peplum tropes being explored in a way different fashion in Rome Eternal. 

For more information on Rome Eternal and its team, check out the following links:

Categories
Comics Peplum

The Dream That Was Rome: Rome Eternal #1

Plot

Ancient Techno Rome. Veritas Decisor Titus Amaro and the Emperor’s Navigator are memory diving into the mind of The Lion of Jupiter, the terrorist son of the Greek Sergius Lauro who led a failed rebellion against the empire. Titus witnesses the memories of when the rebellion was squelched by Javelin Germanicus followed by the indoctrination ritual from the Cult of Mithra of bringing the Lion into their ranks.

Cover art for Rome Eternal #1. It shows the Mysteries, standing in front of a Roman statue missing its head, and behind that a Colosseum that has been cyberpunked.
Cover art for Rome Eternal #1.

Meanwhile the companions of the Lion of Jupiter, collectively called the Mithra Mysteries (Corax the Raven, Persus the Persian, Amalia the Virgin, Heliodromus the Sun Runner, and Miles the Soldier), initiate their plan rescue their leader and retrieve something else of value.

Commentary

Rome Eternal is a neo-peplum comic written by Homero Rios (Heavy Metal), with Diego Yapur (Bloodshot: Rising Spirit,Death Dealer) on art, Oscar Carreño (Wolverine: Xisle) on colours, and Shawn Lee (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Judge Dredd) doing editing. The first issue was published in November 2024 by Magma Comix. The comic takes place in an alternate history where ancient Rome did not fall but instead became an empire that is a mixture of antiquity and hi-tech, with floating chariots, laser spears, and the cyberpunk-esque ability to view someone’s memories. The juxtaposition of old and future in Rome Eternal is conceptually comparable to the Fallout universe but replace 50s atomic-era Americana with the SPQR.

Ostensibly, Rome Eternal is a superhero/specialist team story, with each member of the Mithra Mysteries bringing a unique talent or ability to the fold: Miles is a giant, brute of a man who wields a titanic hammer; Persus is akin to an agile, stealthy thief, Heliodromus shoots flames from his bracers, Amalia is a sniper, Corax is able to fly and hack into machines, and the Lion is the leader and mastermind. Since issue one of Rome Eternal has two narratives going at the same time, (the real-world narrative and the narrative of the memories of the Lion), each character is given two introductions: one via the memories and then via them showcasing their abilities and the other when they commence their assault. It is a unique take on character introduction.

As a sword and sandal story, Rome Eternal brings its own unique spin to the genre, akin to other neo-peplum comics such as Jonathan Hickman’s Pax Romana and Jean-David Morvan’s Hercules: Wrath of the Heavens. The Rome depicted in Rome Eternal is just as corrupt and decadent as any portrayal in a historic epic, but the addition of hi-tech really ups the brutalism in a way similar to the space marines in the Warhammer 40K universe, where armour and (chainsaw) swords clash with bolt guns and spaceships. It is jarring (in a good way) how one panel will look exactly like it is from an antiquity comic (such as Frank Miller’s 300) and the next the image will be replete with laser rifles and electro-spears.

Rome Eternal is a high concept idea, and writer Rios brings the singular components (techno ancient Roman X-men) while Yapur and Carreño bring the great visuals. The art of Rome Eternal is colorful, creative and detailed, and it has to be in order to portray the mixture of ancient architecture in tandem with cyberpunk technology. The armour and uniforms of all the character look both old and futuristic at the same time. There is a great amount of detail in the characters, but this is also one of those comics that is not afraid to explore the background art as that is the realm that will solidify the anachronistic setting the comic is establishing. 

The arrival of Rome Eternal could not happen at a more appropriate and cyclical, time in pop culture and real-world history. In late 2000 Ridley Scott’s Gladiator was released, starting a revival of the sword and sandal genre with films like 300 (Zach Snyder, 2006), Troy (Wolfgang Petersen, 2004), Immortals (Tarsem Singh, 2011), The Eagle (Kevin Macdonald, 2011), and many more. A bulk of the peplum revival coincided with the presidency of George W. Bush and eight years of right-wing hegemony. Depending on how they are perceived, peplum texts can be a critique of fascism (Neil Marshall’s Centurion) or a glorification of it (such as the jingoism in 300). Fast-forward twenty-four years and Rome Eternal #1 is released, the same month as Gladiator II, and just at the eve of another wave of the rise of the right under Trump. Gladiator II attempted a course correction in its story and went more overt in calling out the evils of the empire. Rome Eternal looks to be echoing the same message, to rebel against fascism. 

Will a renewed cycle of sword and sandal films, games, comics, and other texts arise again? Rome Eternal is looking to lead the pack and it will be great to see what the rest of the story will convey and commentate on.

For more information on Rome Eternal and its team, check out the following links:

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Comics

Feeling Fa-Boo!-lous: Becca Boo Issue Three

Plot Recap of Issues One and Two

Becca, a well-meaning but slightly dim woman with a high libido, is hit by a van and dies. When the Grim Reaper comes to take her away, he becomes distracted, allowing Becca to glance at his papers and see her fate. In an attempt to reverse course, she uses her sexual prowess (for good!) to bed men, women, and other ghosts, including Bloody Mary who becomes a friend to Becca in the afterlife.

Cover art for Becca Boo #3. Becca is dressed in her blue-ish/white 1 piece dress and heels. She is holding a scythe. Her shadow is that of the grim reaper. It's kind of a take on the Star Wars: Phantom Menace poster of Anakin the kid with the Darth Vader shadow.
Standard cover of Becca Boo #3 by Kenan Halilovic. Photo taken from PDF.

Becca Boo Issue Three

The Grim Reaper arrives at Bloody Mary’s apartment to finally escort Becca away. Once again using her charms and sex appeal, Becca is able to buy more time in the afterlife by having kinky sex with Death at his bachelor pad. Becca tells the Grim Reaper that she is using her time as a ghost to do good deeds, and recounts her activities the past two months, which include bedding the new tenant in her apartment (sparing him from a fate worse than death: karaoke!). However, the Grim Reaper falls asleep during Becca’s flashback. Seeing her chance to escape again, Becca makes haste, taking Death’s robe and scythe with her. With the help of Bloody Mary, Becca glams up the outfit with white stockings, exposed midriff, and lots of ribbons, and is now ready for more undead action.

As with issues one and two, Becca Boo #3 was a crowdfunded endeavor, which completed its campaign in September 2024 and fulfilled in January 2025 (during a time that the Canadian post was on strike). The third issue continues Becca’s exploration being a ghost, with the story trying out new comedy angles. If Becca Boo #1 was leaning in on ditzy blonde comedy and Becca Boo #2 added in some teen boner comedy, Becca Boo #3 transitions to all out parody. The centerpiece gag in #3 is a spoof of the Ring/Ringu films, where Becca crawls out of a wells à la Sadako, and then trips coming out of the wall-mounted television set. It is a sequence that was parodied over twenty years ago in Scary Movie 3, so it may not be the most current pop culture reference. However, the gag still works and it transitions extremely well to the sequential art format and fits in with the in-universe comedy of Becca Boo as issue one continued a callback to the early 90s movie Ghost.

Panel from Becca Boo #3 that parodies the Rings films. There is a wall mounted TV that shows an image of a well. Becca is show falling out of the TV, head first onto the floor with a "thud".
Becca fall out of the TV a’la The Ring.

Another spoof can be seen at the end of the comic when Becca dons the attire of the Grim Reaper. Recollections of The Simpsons 2003 Halloween episode “Treehouse of Horror XIV” which contains a segment called “Reaper Madness” where Homer becomes the Grim Reaper (itself a parody of the Tim Allen Santa Claus films) comes to mind. Becca’s sexy death outfit gives off a gothic Lolita vibe.

On the subject of the Grim Reaper, this character becomes much more fleshed out in issue three. Issue one introduced Death as a character who may not be the best as his job as he is easily swayed by the promises of sex, and issue three ramps this facet about him up to eleven. The Grim Reaper gives off the impression he is smarter than Becca, the reality is that he is easily manipulated by her sexual powers. The Grim Reaper adds tremendously to the comedy of Becca Boo with his facial – er – skull expressions. It sounds fairly hard to have a skull be so emotive, but Death brings all the squees, furrowed brows, and exasperations, so kudos to interior artist Kenan Halilovic for really bringing Death to life (pun 100% intended) and having him so animated.

Panel from Becca Boo #3. Becca says "Aren't you the least bit interested in what I've been up to for these past few months?" Death, with a look of resignation says "Nope."
Becca and Death in Becca Boo #3.

Bloody Mary is not as prominent in this issue as she is in issue two, but the narrative seems to be pushing her to be the straight character in the comedic escapades.

Becca, as oblivious as she is, displays a surprisingly amount of cleverness and guile (probably accidental on the character’s part) as she is able to escape the clutches of death (again!) and, during flashback, seduce the chaste man who has moved into her apartment. Becca is truly singularly focused to redeem herself as a ghost and escape eternity from hell, so it will be interesting what her next move will be as she assumes the guise of Death.

Artwork shows Becca Boo wearing a black hood, but white garters and white stockings. Topless and holding a scythe with 2 fuzzy things dangling from it. Kinda like fuzzy dice from a car rear view mirror. There is a spooky forest and a full moon behind her.
Personal copy of Becca Boo #3 with cover art by Luca Strati.

As with prior Becca Boo Kickstarter campaigns from publisher Obscura Comics, Becca Boo #3 sports a wide array of alternate covers which in turns have various incarnations of not nude/nude artwork. All of them portray Becca in with different sex appeal styles.

Five Becca Boo trading cards, each one depicting a different cover art. There is also a magnet that looks like the trading cards in size.
Becca Boo #3 trading cards and magnet.

Obscura continues to provide fun swag as stretch goals are met. The numbered trading cards and magnet depict the different issue covers.

A bookmark that shows Becca Boo in a dark/purple top and hood. A small sticker with the blue Becca Boo logo. A postcard of Becca Boo with white garters and stockings. Death is behind her, grabbing her breasts with his skeleton hands.
Becca Boo #3 bookmark, logo sticker, and postcard.

There is also a bookmark, postcard, and sticker, all fun and collectible swag that all adds to the reading experience of Becca Boo.

More info on Becca Boo can be found at the following websites:

Categories
Comics Peplum

Yor’s [Comic] World: Yor, The Hunter From The Future #01

Yor, the Hunter from the Future is a 1983 Italian Barbarian film directed by Antonio Margheriti (Castle of Blood [1964], Ark of the Sun God [1984]) and starring Reb Brown (best known as the lead protagonist in the MST3K-riffed Space Mutiny [David Winters, 1988]). The movie is a strongman/sword and sorcery film that came during a wave of similar other films (Ator, the Fighting Eagle [1982, Joe D’Amato], Conquest [Lucio Fulci, 1983], The Barbarians [1987, Ruggero Deodato], and so on), that were capitalizing on the success of Conan the Barbarian (1982, John Milius), though the added Star Wars-esque elements at the film’s end edge Yor into sword and planet territory. The film has enjoyed cult status, no doubt due to the presence of Brown and Margheriti’s special effects.

The film was adapted from a series of Argentinian comics titled Yor the Hunter that was created in the mid-70s by writer Ray Collins (Eugenio Juan Zappietro) and artist Juan Zanotto. For decades the comic has been inaccessible to an English-speaking audience, however Antarctic Press (Gold Digger and Ninja High School) is remedying this situation by publishing a translated edition of the original Yor comics. Slated to be released across four issues, the first was released in late August/September.

One thing that becomes apparent when comparing the two version of Yor is just how closely the film follows the plot of the original comic book incarnation. Issue one of Yor, divided into three episodes, corresponds to the first thirty minutes of Yor the movie. All the major narrative events and characters are there.

Film Yor vs. comics Yor:

Brown’s Yor is more lighthearted with a strong helping of naivety. Comics Yor is much more grimdark and serious. Film Yor is an outsider to the initial tribe depicted in the film while comics Yor is already part of the tribe and becomes a leader of it when he exposes a false god – a woolly mammoth encased in ice. Both are strong barbarians that wear a medallion and wield a stone axe. 

Film Kalaa vs. comics Kalaa:

Film Kalaa is played by Corinne Cléry (Bond girl Corinne Dufour in Moonraker [Lewis Gilbert, 1979] and O in The Story of O [Just Jaeckin, 1975]) who is both the love interest of Yor and the damsel in distress of the film. Film Kalaa does not have as much character development as comics Kalaa who is much more strong willed. Comics Kalaa initially rebuffs Yor when he selects her to be his wife, not holding a high opinion of him. Comics Kalaa is also a damsel character, who must be rescued by Yor. 

Film Pag vs. comics Pag

Cinematic Pag is played by Antonio Margheriti regular Luciano Pigozzi (Beetle in Ark of the Sun God, Francesco in And God Said to Cain [1970]) and pretty much is a one to one of comics Pag. Both are confidents/guards of Kalaa, proficient with a bow, and full of sage-like advice.

The major plot beats of the comic are present in the film.

Both the comic and film features a dino battle early in the story. In the film, Yor is introduced by him saving Kalaa and Pag from a triceratops. In the comic Yor saves Pag from a T-rex.

Ukan and his Blue People attacks Yor and friends, kidnap Kalaa and steal Yor’s medallion.

And after the battle throws Yor over a cliff, where he survives. 

Afterwards Yor and Pag enter the caves of the Blue People in order to save Kalaa. In the film Yor rides a pterodactyl in to make a grand entrance while in the comic Yor and Pag battle the pterodactyls en route to the caverns. An epic battle ensues and in both media versions end with Yor destroying a dam and flooding the caves of the Blue People.

While the film adapts the plot of the comics fairly faithfully, where it really deviates is in tone. The filmic version of Yor is much more lighthearted. Even though it has a fair amount of blood (from when Yor slays the triceratops), the overall atmosphere of the film is fantasy-adventure, akin to Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (John Korty, 1984) with a bit of spear and fang thrown in for good measure. Conversely, the comics version of Yor is much more dark, grittier, and violent. There are executions, rape, and the violence is less cartoonish. The comics version of Yor also narrates the inner feelings of Kalaa and Yor, and they ponder the nature of love in the hostile, primitive world.

After comparing the two iterations of Yor, it is interesting to note just how faithful Margheriti’s adaption was to the source material, save for the tone. It is an interesting case study in how the same story can be told the same textually, but differ greatly in atmosphere and mood. Both film and sequential art incarnations of Yor compliment each other quite well. Fans of the film may not find the camp element in present in the comics version, but can certainly appreciate seeing the original source material of Yor and how it all came about. On its own, the comics version of Yor is fun, and feels like it could have been published in the early years of Heavy Metal. 

Yor, the film, definitely derails itself as it progresses and veers into Star Wars territory, so it will be interesting to see if it continues to be faithful to the comics when issues two through four are published.

Being a Yor superfan, I’ve accumulated some Yor artifacts over the years, and the publishing of issue one of the comic is a perfect opportunity to show off a bit of the collection, which include different home video editions (including a German version of Yor on DVD signed by Reb Brown himself) and soundtracks. Check everything out in the slide show:

I had the opportunity to talk about Yor on the Fan2Fan Podcast, which can be streamed at the Fan2Fan Libsyn.

For more information on the Yor comics, check out the following links:

Categories
Comics

Just Here for the Boo!s: Becca Boo Issue Two

Becca Boo, the ditzy bombshell who awoke one morning in a grave and deduced that she was a ghost, finds herself as an actual ghost when she is hit by a truck. Though Death comes for Becca, he becomes distracted at the prospect of hooking up with a talented lady, and takes off. Becca looks through Death’s book and reads that she is bound for Hell, and uses the opportunity to flee. 

Over the next few months Becca finds herself haunting mirrors, where adolescent men summon her by repeating her name. However, urban legend icon Bloody Mary takes umbrage at Becca infringing on her turf. Bloody Mary’s anger is short lived as Becca Boo is able to charm and bed her. As the two undead ladies become acquainted with each other, a knock as the door announces someone sinister has arrived for Becca. 

The ending of issue one put Becca Boo in a narrative crossroad. The story of Becca Boo could have continued with the idea of Becca not actually being dead, but maintaining her insistence that she is a ghost, and interacting with the world accordingly. The second option is to have Becca become a ghost and influencing the living world in comedic ways, going the route of movies such as Beetlejuice (1988), Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991), and Frighteners (1996). The former would have been much more challenging to write but it would have kept the comic exploring an iteration of ghost-comedy that is not often done. The latter is the safer and easier option, so it is understandable that the writers of Becca Boo decided to go the route of making Becca a ghost. 

Issue two of Becca Boo maintains the comedic tone of issue one with some fun delighters. Becca Boo dips into parody territory by having a Ringu-esque Bloody Mary, covered in blood and tattered clothing, becoming an erotic apparition. Becco purrs to Mary “You know what happens when you change a few ingredients in a Bloody Mary? You get a cosmopolitan.” She is technically not wrong, (take out everything but the vodka and replace with cranberry juice, Cointreau, and lime juice), she just has a different grasp on what “few” means. But in a strange, Becca Boo sort of way, there is some insight to be had in her proverb. 

The cast of characters in the second issue is broadened with the introduction of Bloody Mary and Death, providing Becca more opportunities to interact with others, be them living, dead, or undead, providing more venues for comedic dialogue and situations.

The art maintains the same consistency as with issue one, with all the characters looking fleshed out and detailed. The majority of issue two takes place indoors, but attention has been paid to make sure the rooms, walls, et al. look interesting and not generic. Where a time-pressed artist would simply have an empty wall to save time, Bloody Mary’s flat is adorned with weird-circular art pieces (gold records?) and plants. Unlike issue one, issue two of Becca Boo only contains one scene of sexual intercourse, but it is stretched longer over more panels, adding an underscored element of intimacy between Becca and Bloody Mary.

As with issue one, issue two of Becca Boo was a crowdfunded endeavor. The campaign met almost all the stretch goals of cards, magnets, etc., but the publisher, Obscura, failed to include the bonus items with my pledge, so I unfortunately cannot comment on them as I typically do with these indie comic reviews. Fun comic, but terrible fulfillment, which is waved away under the risks of pledging to a Kickstarter, and that these items are simply “extras.”

Disappointing fulfillment aside, the product proper of Becca Boo is what matters. 

Becca Boo continues to be fun and sexually playful. Despite Death’s notes indicating she has lived a “vapid..drunk..driven by libido” life, Becca’s heart is in the right place, giving readers a worthwhile character to latch onto and worry about what will happen to her as she negotiates the afterlife looking for redemption. 

Edit 2025-02-18 – Publisher Obscura did rectify the missing stretch goals and sent over the missing swag shortly after this review went online, so extreme kudos to them for making that right.

As with issue one, issue two of Becca Boo came with trading cards that sports an alternate cover on each one.

And there is a book and magnet as well, all fun, high quality extras that make these crowdfunding endeavors extra fun.

More information on Becca Boo can be found at the following websites: