BARBARELLA: THE CENTER CANNOT HOLD #1, from Dynamite Comics on March 1st, 2023, starts the next arc in Barbarella’s epic journey to stop a galaxy-ending war before it starts.
The Details
- Written by: Sarah Hoyt
- Art by: Riccardo Bogani
- Colors by: Werner Sanchez
- Letters by: Carlos M. Mangual
- Cover art by: Derrick Chew (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: March 1, 2023
Is It Good?
Picking up immediately after the events of the first Barbarella arc, BARBARELLA: THE CENTER CANNOT HOLD #1 finds the titular character, her rodent-like companion Vix, and her holographic angel TALN in a bid to meet Vix’s masters, the Architects, and stop their pending war against the Unnamable.
Whew! That sounds like a lot for a first issue, but you get all that plus more. In short, it is a lot.
A lot, however, isn’t inherently bad or good. It all depends on the execution. Sarah Hoyt does an admirable job of bringing readers up to speed on the previous arc, intermixing exposition and dialog with an escape story set in Vix’s home world. If you’re looking for a refresher on what happened previously but want a little new adventure to go with it, yes, this issue works.
To be fair, new readers may struggle with absorbing older information and taking in new information (and characters) while trying to figure out who’s who and what’s what. In other words, this issue would be a tough sell as a jumping point.
Anyone whose read our reviews for some time knows we are not fans of decompression except for very specific cases. This issue is one of those cases because Hoyt tries to fit too much information and story in the allotted pages. The net result is a comic with a lot of reading occasionally interrupted with bizarre action.
Yes, the action is a bit bizarre and leans heavier into the psychedelic camp made famous from the original film starring Jane Fonda. Vix’s planet is populated with all kinds of anthropomorphic animals who have a vigorous dislike for humanity. Barbarella encounters a (possible) ally in the form of a polygamous, rabbit version of James Bond. And Barbarella encounters a spaceship that looks like a mid-century, ranch-style home. If you thought the first arc was weird, this issue gets much weirder with a campier tone.
How’s the art? It’s good. This is our first encounter with Bogani and Sanchez, and they turn in a solid issue. One of the unbeatable selling points of the previous arc was the spectacular art from Madibek Musabekov and Ivan Nunes. The art in this issue isn’t as good as the previous arc, so set your expectations accordingly.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Barbarella, Vix, and TALN heading to Vix’s homeworld to meet the Architects and stop them from commencing war against the Unnamable. Before Barbarella can make her case for peace, their ship is hijacked, Vix and Barbarella are separated for interrogation, and TALN’s holographic matrix is temporarily dispersed.
Of course, Barbarella manages to escape her detention cell, but she only manages to escape with the help of Jack Wylder, an anthropomorphic rabbit with a James Bond style. We conclude the issue with a meeting of the wives (yes, plural), an unusual ship, and Vix in deep trouble.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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BARBARELLA: THE CENTER CANNOT HOLD #1 begins Barbarella’s next leg of her quest to end a cataclysmic war before it starts. Hoyt brings newer readers up to speed while peppering in adventure and new developments for seasoned readers. That said, there’s a lot of exposition to get through, the tone has grown dramatically campier, and the art, good as it is, doesn’t match the art quality from the previous arc.
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