Its 1942. New York is left vulnerable as every able-bodied male is enlisting to take part in the great war, meaning there is a distinct lack of traditional protectors. From out the shadows steps Marla Drake and her alter ego, the lithe and strong heroine Miss Fury.
In this issue, Marla’s office is broken into and secret plans have been stolen. The cops are on the trail as such, but it’s Miss Fury who seems to be able to follow the leads and finds not answers, but more questions. This plot may seem simple, but remember, the tale is set in a simpler time.
Writer Corinna Bechko continues to impress with her work.  Marla is a savvy and clever woman and as Miss Fury possesses a level of humour that made me smile. Sure it may not be Spider-Man repartee, but at the moment, I don’t think the current Spider-Man has Spider-Man  repartee. Regardless of that comparison, both Marla and Miss Fury are fun sides of the same person. Bechko’s script is the reason, containing a mix of situations for which the heroine to react to. The dialogue works well in all the various situations Miss Fury finds herself in.
I always feel that the art can really let a Dynamite book down. I am more than glad to say that this isn’t the case with this book. Jonathan Lau is a Dynamite workhorse, having worked on books like Battlestar Galactica and Green Hornet amongst others. Here, Lau captures the 40’s aesthetic well. What I also like is that despite Miss Fury’s costume is skin-tight, the art doesn’t fall into cheesecake. Now, I don’t mind cheesecake art in the right context. Here, the art helps sell the idea of a strong and able character, both in and out of costume. Lau mixes talking head panels with action driven ones, showing a flair for storytelling. Poses for the conversational parts do look a tad staid, but do includes some great facial moments. Vinicius Andrade is potentially the star of the book with some fantastic colors throughout adding texture to both Marla’s daylight world and Miss Fury’s dark nights. Whilst I am talking about art and colors, with this being a Dynamite production, there are a variety of covers to choose from. Not to belittle the others, the one to get is the fabulous cover by Tula Lotay and Jonathan Lau featured in this review.
I suppose there will be comparisons to Peggy Carter; both feature strong women at a time in history when women weren’t given their due. As with its other licence properties, Dynamite seems to be trying to strengthen its cadre of female characters. Corinna Bechko and Jonathan Lau have both produced a great issue, which starts strong and remains strong throughout.
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Cover A: Tula Lotay
UPC: 725130246509 01011
Cover B: Jonathan Lau
UPC: 725130246509 01021
Author Profile
-
I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
Latest entries
