In ATHENA: THE UNDYING (ONE-SHOT), available from Second Sight Publishing on October 20th, 2021, Princess Athena Mira was wrongfully exiled for centuries and cursed as a vampire. Now, a survey team has ventured onto Athena’s island and may have inadvertently opened a door for her return.
The Details
- Written By: Larry Jarrell
- Art By: Larry Jarrell, Bill Marimon
- Letters By: Hector Negrete
- Cover Art By: Rod Espinosa
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: October 20, 2021
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Was It Good?
Well, it’s certainly original. It’s Halloween time and horror comics are right up our alley, so a one-shot about a vampire princess with a grudge seems a perfect fit. And it is, but there are some definite rough spots, specifically around the art.
I wasn’t kidding about originality. A princess who’s next in line for the throne is cursed by jealous usurpers with vampirism and exiled onto an exotic island populated with mythical and prehistoric creatures. There’s no specific location or time for the setting, so it comes as a surprise when you see Athena hails from a technically advanced kingdom, much more advanced than the real world. It’s an odd mix of old and new with supernatural elements thrown in for good measure. It’s odd but it works well as an eclectic fantasy.
There’s more detail in the next section around the plot, so keep reading if you want more details. Generally, the conversations between Athena and the invaders to her island are natural for two sets of characters that are immediate antagonists to each other. The action is right on par with some of the best vampire action comics you’ll find (Blade comes to mind), and the premise lays out a solid foundation for an anti-hero’s journey.
That said, there are a few panels/pages where the art looks unpolished compared to the rest of the comic. It could be due to the scan of the copy we received, but we review what we get. There’s a distinct drop in quality after the opening meeting on the beach. The linework isn’t nearly as clean or finished, and it throws the reading experience off. It’s definitely not terrible but you can clearly see a shift as if the work had to be rushed to finish.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Princess Athena Mira was next in line to succeed her father as ruler of Miranthia. Usurpers to the throne secretly cursed Athena with vampirism, and she was banished before she could take the throne. Now, Athena lives on an island populated with all sorts of beasts – from minotaurs to dinosaurs.
Thousands of years later, a portal opens on the beach of Athena’s island and a scout team from Myranthia emerges looking for precious minerals. Athena receives word of the intrusion and confronts the invaders head-on. The last act concludes this first issue with a sniper shot, robot fights, dinosaur beheadings, and an accidental mob push through the portal back to Miranthia.
Final Thoughts
ATHENA: THE UNDYING (ONE-SHOT) takes the concept of royal vampires and drops straight into a fantasy world with robots and dinosaurs. The concepts are highly original, the acting and dialog are well done, and the character designs are fairly unique. That said, the pencils/inks hit a quality bump about midway through to throw the enjoyment factor off.
Score: 7/10
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