Review - Princeless #2

It's been quite a while since we last heard from Adrienne, the damsel hardly in distress, in Princeless #1. Action Labs Comics and Firetower Studios is back though with Princeless #2, full of more misadventure, dragons and swordplay. Sounds exciting right?

The story is by Jeremy Whitely, with art by M. Goodwin and colors by Jung-Ha Kim. To say that Princeless #2 is going the direction you think it's going is a grave mistake. And that's a good thing.

Princeless #1 ended with Adrienne and her dragon Sparks freeing themselves from the confines of the tower, where she was placed for her "protection" by her father the king. None of the suitors were good enough for the affections of fine Adrienne, which naturally meant they weren't good enough for her sisters either.

Adrienne set off to find her other sisters and free them from their towers, all the while sticking it to their father. It's the time honored dance between fathers and daughters, where fathers think they know what's best and daughters think they know what's best. It just leads to a lot of miscommunication.

The second issue spends more time with Devin, Prince of Ashland, and the king's only male heir. While modern times have proven that women are quite capable of running the show, the times of kings and kingdoms still scoffed a the notion of a woman ruler. Devin is struggling to come to grips with the fact that's he the prince, as evidenced by his mishandling of a sword and his father's constant berating.

Princeless #2 is a solid second issue, providing the reader with just enough backstory regarding Adrienne's predicament to keep you hooked. Whitely's dialogue is fresh and reverent, lending an air of joy to the proceedings. And Adrienne is a strong female character without being preachy about it. Too often you have female characters that are meant to be strong that just come off as patronizing and need a lesson in humility.

Goodwin's art continues to impress, with the facial expressions standing out most. Again, the art is somewhat cartoonish, but it really works within the context of the comic. Kim's colors are also topnotch, relying on strong borders and a darker color palette.

Princeless is turning into a solid comic if you're looking for something new. There's enough left open in the story that you want to know how it turns out and, thankfully, it's not predictable. Whitely, Goodwin and Kim really seem to be hitting a groove together as this book fires on cylinders.

Princeless #2 should be available now. There's been some mixups with the release date, so if you don't see it be patient. It's worth the wait. Check out some interiors below.