Comic - Swords of the Swashbucklers (1984) [+]
Oct 02 2023
Dynamite reprinted Swords of the Swashbucklers a few years ago and it was included in a Humble Bundle I bought. I wasn't expecting much but it's quite good. The reprint comprises a graphic novel (back when Marvel Comics had a specific Marvel Graphic Novel series) and then a 12-issue limited series.
Marvel Graphic Novel #14: Swords of the Swashbucklers. South Carolinian teen Domino Blackthorne Drake wandering the beach near her home discovers an alien device and accidentally activates it. This both infuses her body with alien energies that gives her elemental powers -- she will be able to turn her body into earth (invulnerability), air (flight and air blast), liquid (soak things and tidal wave form), or human flame (flight and fire blasts) -- and simultaneously summons a Colonizer scout ship.
Outside of our solar system the Colonizers have conquered this area of the galaxy. They go to a planet, kill all the natives, then colonize the planet for their exponentially growing population. Meanwhile they're opposed by pirate captain Raader and her Swashbucklers. On board the Starshadow -- in this universe space ships are actually sailing ships with cannons that use solar sails to maneuver -- she strikes back at the Colonizers though mostly in a pirate-y way, e.g. freeing captives but keeping all the loot.
Anyway, Colonizer scout arrives to threaten Domino and her family. Raader and Starshadow also arrive in time to rescue Domino who shows off her powers. Domino and her pet cat (who later becomes the sentient Cap'n Kidd) wind up on board Starshadow and enlist in order to help rescue Domino's parents who were captured the Colonizer scout. Turns out Raader's mother is Domino's great-great-great-...-grandmother, a pirate queen kidnapped by another Colonizer ship so Raader (half Colonizer, half human) is related to Domino (and family is very important to both Raader and Domino and guide some of their more suicidal missions in the future).
Oops, I've already gone into the limited series. In the 12-issue run Raader and Domino rescue Domino's parents then Raader has to be rescued then fighting the Colonizers, betrayal from Raader's XO, betrayal from a fellow rival pirate Black Bess, starting a rebellion against the Colonizers, then a final battle with the Colonizer fleet. The series ends with Domino and Cap'n Kidd back on Earth with her parents and some new relatives and it's a fairly good finish to the story.
Swashbucklers: The Saga Continues (2017) This is a five-issue story from Dynamite continuing right after the end of Swords of the Swashbucklers. Some dead characters need to be brought back to life an that's a bit deus ex machina and the Earth needs to be saved again which turns out to be more deus ex machina (and is commented as such by Cap'n Kidd). We do get everybody coming back though, the art is better, and the narration more contemporary (1980's comics are very wordy with lots of narration boxes and character exposition). Unfortunately I guess it didn't sell well because issue 5 ends with a cliffhanger shot and there hasn't been a sequel.
Overall, Swords of the Swashbucklers is an entertaining story and The Saga Continues is an ok sequel which unfortunately undercuts the ending of Swords.
Marvel Graphic Novel #14: Swords of the Swashbucklers. South Carolinian teen Domino Blackthorne Drake wandering the beach near her home discovers an alien device and accidentally activates it. This both infuses her body with alien energies that gives her elemental powers -- she will be able to turn her body into earth (invulnerability), air (flight and air blast), liquid (soak things and tidal wave form), or human flame (flight and fire blasts) -- and simultaneously summons a Colonizer scout ship.
Outside of our solar system the Colonizers have conquered this area of the galaxy. They go to a planet, kill all the natives, then colonize the planet for their exponentially growing population. Meanwhile they're opposed by pirate captain Raader and her Swashbucklers. On board the Starshadow -- in this universe space ships are actually sailing ships with cannons that use solar sails to maneuver -- she strikes back at the Colonizers though mostly in a pirate-y way, e.g. freeing captives but keeping all the loot.
Anyway, Colonizer scout arrives to threaten Domino and her family. Raader and Starshadow also arrive in time to rescue Domino who shows off her powers. Domino and her pet cat (who later becomes the sentient Cap'n Kidd) wind up on board Starshadow and enlist in order to help rescue Domino's parents who were captured the Colonizer scout. Turns out Raader's mother is Domino's great-great-great-...-grandmother, a pirate queen kidnapped by another Colonizer ship so Raader (half Colonizer, half human) is related to Domino (and family is very important to both Raader and Domino and guide some of their more suicidal missions in the future).
Oops, I've already gone into the limited series. In the 12-issue run Raader and Domino rescue Domino's parents then Raader has to be rescued then fighting the Colonizers, betrayal from Raader's XO, betrayal from a fellow rival pirate Black Bess, starting a rebellion against the Colonizers, then a final battle with the Colonizer fleet. The series ends with Domino and Cap'n Kidd back on Earth with her parents and some new relatives and it's a fairly good finish to the story.
Swashbucklers: The Saga Continues (2017) This is a five-issue story from Dynamite continuing right after the end of Swords of the Swashbucklers. Some dead characters need to be brought back to life an that's a bit deus ex machina and the Earth needs to be saved again which turns out to be more deus ex machina (and is commented as such by Cap'n Kidd). We do get everybody coming back though, the art is better, and the narration more contemporary (1980's comics are very wordy with lots of narration boxes and character exposition). Unfortunately I guess it didn't sell well because issue 5 ends with a cliffhanger shot and there hasn't been a sequel.
Overall, Swords of the Swashbucklers is an entertaining story and The Saga Continues is an ok sequel which unfortunately undercuts the ending of Swords.