In WHITE LILY #3, available from Red 5 Comics on May 12th, 2021, Lilya Litvyak’s reputation as a skilled pilot is growing. When her squadron is ordered to Stalingrad to fend off German incursions, her kill count sends the White Lily’s reputation into full bloom.
The Details
- Written By: Preston Poulter
- Art By: Walden Wong, Diana Greenhalg
- Colors By: Alonso Espinoza
- Letters By: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Art By: Lovalle Davis
- Cover Price: $3.95 physical ($0.99 digital on ComiXology)
- Release Date: May 12, 2021
Was It Good?
It’s not bad. There’s a lot to like in this comic.
You have a strong protagonist with a fairly distinct range of supporting characters.
The art is excellent. Good lines, good colors, good anatomy, and the action in-panel packs a punch.
Taking the central theme of fighter pilots during WWII and finding new stories from the Russian point of view is uncommon. It’s always a plus to find the new story within the old story and give it a twist.
The piece that doesn’t work is the very clunky dialog. This is a Russian squadron in the Russian military with occasional brushes against English and German forces. There’s no reason for anyone, especially the main character, to talk in stiff, clipped English phrasing.
It’s like listening to somebody who’s raised with English as a Second Language (ESL) when their know the language but it’s stiff and textbook. Their speech doesn’t flow. If (nearly) everyone in the book is Russian and they’re speaking to each other in Russian (albeit translated to English), it doesn’t make sense to have characters speak in stiff English. It may seem like a small criticism, but as you read through the issue, it felt more and more like listening to robots talk. It’s an odd choice that doesn’t work.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Lilya Litvyak, callsign White Lily, has developed quite the reputation in her squadron as a skilled flyer. Now, her flying skills and the skills of every member of her squadron will be put to the test when they’re called in to support the 515th squadron engaging German fighters of Stalingrad.
During the air battle, Lilya takes down her second enemy, but not before her own fighter is hit and she’s forced to eject. Katya Budanova, a formidable pilot in her own right and Lilya’s friend, protects Lilya’s flank while Lilya parachutes to the city below.
Lilya lands safely, but she’s surrounded by German forces. She manages to evade capture until nightfall by avoiding random gunfire and one or two booby traps.
When the sun goes down, the temperature drops, and Lilya finds refuge with an older woman who barely has enough food or fire in her bombed-out hovel for herself. They keep each other company through the night with stories by the meager fire.
As Dawn approaches, Lilya sets out with helpful direction from the older woman to get to the river and a Russian military encampment. Lilya makes it back to camp and a worried Katya.
Later, Alexei Solomatin talks privately with Lilya to let her know how he feels about her. He proposes and she accepts since they both acknowledge the danger of their position as fighter pilots mean they may not see another day.
As the missions progress, so does Lilya’s kill count. Her reputation as an expert fighter, especially as a woman, starts to bring her some fame and notoriety. Everyone is happy with their progress in the war (if there is such a thing), but not everyone is completely happy for Lilya. It seems her engagement with Alexei bothers Katya, implying Katya has feelings for Lilya. We’ll see how that plays out.
We conclude the issue with everything looking up… right before it all comes crashing down.
How Does It End?
The leaderboard gets an update. Lilya’s fighter gets a paint touch-up. The Americans translate Lilya’s callsign incorrectly.
Final Thoughts
WHITE LILY #3, available from Red 5 Comics on May 12th, 2021, is an interesting take on a little-explored corner of history. The issue has strong art, strong colors, perfect lettering, and a visually interesting look. If the creators can get the awkward dialog straightened out, this series will be a keeper.
Score: 7.5/10
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