In BARBARELLA (VOL. 2) #4, available from Dynamite Comics on October 27th, 2021, Barbarella searches for the mysterious Lady on the planet Automata where its inhabitants have been turned into soulless cyborg slaves.
The Details
- Written By: Sarah Hoyt
- Art By: Madibek Musabekov
- Colors By: Ivan Nunes
- Letters By: Carlos M. Mangual
- Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: October 27, 2021
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Was It Good?
Issue #4 is a solid entry in the series, turning down the uneven sci-fi elements that hurt the last issue and turning up the breathless pontification about the power of love to save the day… literally.
We’ve been keen on this series up until now with good reason. Hoyt breathes new life into the classic pulp character by walking a very thin line between whimsical and campy. However, the last issue tipped toward the campy side with a few unexplained plotholes and pseudo-science to help the titular character save the day. In issue #4, the balance is restored, and the main character uses her whimsical charms to save the day in a way that’s believable in context.
Where the first few issues in this volume dealt with a mystery about who or what is enslaving planets, we’ve firmly moved into a standard Quest plot where Barbarella hops from planet to planet to solve the conflict of the month in her search for the Lady. It works well enough, although, there is a risk of getting repetitive if the Lady continues to remain in the shadows for too much longer.
Regardless of the plot, this art is simply stunning. We’ve been singing Musabekov’s praises since issue #1 and this issue is no exception. The backgrounds and character designs are as incredibly detailed as they are imaginative. Special credit goes to Nunes for the outstanding coloring work. Filling in the little shading details in Barbarella’s hair alone is worth an honorable mention.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Find out how Barbarella and her crew escaped a water planet before arriving on Automata in our BARBARELLA (VOL. 2) #3 review.
Barbarella, Taln, and Vix arrive on the planet Automata to follow their next lead in their search for the Lady. What they don’t know is the Lady looks like an exact copy of Barbarella. Before they can land their ship, they’re shot down by a sniper. Barbarella and the rest escape without harm, and they chase down the sniper only to find out he’s a scared stooge who was ordered to shoot them down by the Lady.
When Barbarella questions the sniper we learn Automata is populated with cyborg slaves — robot bodies with human minds from captured prisoners. The process strips the slaves of their memories, soul, and emotions. Suddenly, Taln is kidnapped by one of the cyborgs and taken to a gladiator pit. When Barbarella accosts a cyborg and forces it to take her to Taln, she’s shoved into the pit to die with him.
We conclude the issue with heavy Christ symbolism, a world-changing PDA (public display of affection), and tears made of oil.
Final Thoughts
BARBARELLA (VOL. 2) #4 strikes the right balance between whimsy and camp to produce another solid entry about the space warrior who saves lives with the power of love. The plot tells a self-contained story while slightly hinting at an overall arc, but the arc could use a little more forward progress. Once again, the art in this series is simply stunning.
Score: 8/10
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