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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 0:07:10 GMT -5
I'm not overly impressed by the art either. I have been disappointed with the Marvel artists on the Conan/REH books over the last year. Not that I'm saying that they've been bad, but I expected at least one run with a spectacular artist. it's not scratchy so it's got that going for it for me. For all of the Conan stories this past year, with the exception of the Alan Davis issues, the best I've been able to say about the art is "It's ok". Yeah, the preview don't look too bad. Nevertheless, Marvel shoulda assigned at least one superstar artist on one of the numerous Conan/REH related titles over the last year. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 0:10:59 GMT -5
Thanks Johnnypt. Becky Cloonan sounds keen. She shoulda been on the art as well. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 0:13:42 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2020 9:08:14 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2020 9:09:36 GMT -5
 DARK AGNES #1 (OF 5)Written by BECKY CLOONAN Penciled by LUCA PIZZARI Cover by STEPHANIE HANS ROBERT E. HOWARD’S SWORDWOMAN IN HER FIRST SOLO COMIC SERIES!
Forced into an arranged marriage, Agnes de Chastillon took matters into her own violent hands to free herself from the yoke of a life she never wanted. Now, the woman known as DARK AGNES, along with her mercenary partner ETIENNE VILLIERS, make their way through 16th century France as sellswords on their way to join the wars in Italy, where the real money is! But when Etienne is captured by the DUKE OF ALENCON’s forces and set for execution, it’s up to Dark Agnes to save the day! But what evil designs are being enacted on Agnes, and will she doom herself by saving Etienne?
An all-new story following up Robert E. Howard’s tales, the swashbuckling saga of DARK AGNES in Marvel Comics starts here!
Link: www.marvel.com/articles/comics/robert-e-howard-s-dark-agnes-sharpens-her-sword-for-her-own-solo-series-in-february |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2020 9:49:03 GMT -5
Dark Agnes #1 Review
A good first stab at the swashbuckling Dark Agnes by David Brooke
Many know Robert E. Howard for his work on Conan the Barbarian, but he was a writer of many tales besides the Cimmerian. Marvel Comics is putting those other tales to the test as they branch out with Valeria and now Dark Agnes. This character is not connected to Conan, but is of a similar fantasy vein where magic is real. In this case, though, she lives in 16th century France. A sellsword and adventurer the first issue is out tomorrow, but is it good?
Becky Cloonan is at the helm as the writer on this series with Luca Pizzari on art and they start us off in Chinon, France 1521. A man known as Etienne Villiers is set to have his head lopped off by execution and he’s a sassy one. As his charges are being read off to the onlookers he looks quite proud of some, denies the murder, but generally is ready to say goodbye to the good life. Luckily for him, he’s friends with Dark Agnes, who rushes in to save him. The setting, the escape, and the action is all very 16th century France and you’ll immediately be whisked to the location and the fun adventure at hand with this opening.
As the story progresses, Pizzari and Cloonan do a good job recounting the past of Agnes and all its terrible twists. She’s running from something and we don’t quite know what, but she sure has lived a life of adventure with various roles to help her become a great swordsman and a great shot. Cloonan reveals how Agnes is a bit of a wild card due to her temper and it’ll be fun to see how this character is fleshed out further as the story goes on.
Pizzari gets to stretch a bit with Jay David Ramos on colors via some interesting dreams and flashbacks. Montaged layouts make the dream come alive and there’s some interesting use of barbed branches to cut up Agnes’ dream into a horror. What the creator’s nail is how Agnes is tough as nails, but deep down she’s as human as the rest of us. The art can at times be too cartoony for my liking–there’s a crazy-eyed look from Agnes at one point that’s comical when it shouldn’t be–but it works for the most part. The style suits the book when it’s fun and adventurous.
This is a swashbuckling adventure audiences will find a fun read with a dark underbelly. There is a mystery in Agnes’ personality you’ll want to uncover.
DARK AGNES #1
IS IT GOOD?
This is a swashbuckling adventure audiences will find a fun read with a dark underbelly. There is a mystery in Agnes' personality you'll want to uncover.
A fun period piece
Details Agnes and her friend in ways that'll have you wanting to learn more
Nails the mood and setting of the time
The art can be too cartoonish for its own good especially when it gets serious
8/10 GOOD
Source: www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2020/02/04/dark-agnes-1-review/Dark Agnes #1 Review
Buckle your swashes– Robert E. Howard’s feisty femme fatale is back! How does a 1930s literary character set in 16th-century France hold up? Let’s dive into Becky Cloonan’s DARK AGNES #1 and find out!
Our story begins by introducing Agnes’ ne’er-do-well friend Etienne Villiers on the wrong side of a chopping block. His cavalier attitude is a bit over the top, but Becky Cloonan doesn’t have a ton of pages to get into the intricacies of the characters in this first issue, so it’s excusable to a degree. Of course Agnes comes to the rescue just as the axe is about to fall, in a cliché but still impressive introduction to our main character. The gathered crowd, actually against the execution, begin a fun “fish fight” and our two protagonists beat a hasty retreat.
Having made their escape, Agnes and Etienne catch up on old times, and Cloonan uses the flashbacks to give readers background into DARK AGNES, a character many probably aren’t familiar with. The exposition is handled well, and makes you want to find out more about Agnes’ past adventures.
The pair wind up at an inn, where Agnes has a bit too much to drink and almost starts a bar fight. Cloonan again uses these moments to show what readers are in store for with Agnes, and the simple scene of Etienne helping her to bed does more to show their friendship than pages of exposition would have. After a bizarre dream sequence, Agnes literally leaps to the aid of what will become her future employer, which is where this issue ends and our heroine’s next adventure presumably kicks off.
As for the art, it can best be described as inconsistent. Some of Luca Pizzari’s pages are good, especially close-ups. Other pages even the main characters’ looks change from panel to panel. The cartoony anger clouds and lighting bolts above characters’ heads feel unnecessary and out of place. The biggest positive is that there aren’t a lot of blank backgrounds, so that’s something.
FINAL THOUGHTS
DARK AGNES #1 is a fun introduction to a “new-to-me” character. Becky Cloonan doesn’t shy away from the “dark” aspects of Agnes, and drops intriguing clues and tidbits of her past. The inconsistent art holds the issue back from being something special, but there’s enough good stuff here to warrant a look.
7.5/10Words By BESOTTEDGEEK Source: weirdsciencemarvelcomics.com/2020/02/04/dark-agnes-1-review/
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2020 9:51:20 GMT -5
Video review by Graphic Policy:
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Post by alexander on Feb 7, 2020 13:08:49 GMT -5
I've just read the first issue.
Very disappointed. Agnes is one of my favourite REH character and I just don't recognise her in the comics.
The story is light hearted (while REH stories are rather dark), with several scenes looking like they come from a Japanese TV cartoon of the 1980s. For me the tone is totally out of key.
Then Agnes murders someone. Did he vaguely reminded her of her betrothed? Whatever this is also not the Agnes I've come to know.
Additionally why on Earth did they feel the need to invent a new story rather than stick to Howard's? It's not as though They've been adapted several times like Conan's.
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Post by johnnypt on Feb 7, 2020 13:59:50 GMT -5
I've just read the first issue. Very disappointed. Agnes is one of my favourite REH character and I just don't recognise her in the comics. The story is light hearted (while REH stories are rather dark), with several scenes looking like they come from a Japanese TV cartoon of the 1980s. For me the tone is totally out of key. Then Agnes murders someone. Did he vaguely reminded her of her betrothed? Whatever this is also not the Agnes I've come to know. Additionally why on Earth did they feel the need to invent a new story rather than stick to Howard's? It's not as though They've been adapted several times like Conan's. Marvel doesn't seem to be into that at all this go round. Out of the 24 issues of Conan they put out the past year, we've got only 3 or 4 that are even tied specifically near a Howard story. Everything else is brand new, and generally nowhere near as interesting. Like you said, it's not like Conan where you've had a load adaptations already. Agnes has appeared in a total of four of the DH Savage Sword issues and only two of those were from Howard? Don't get it, but that's how it is. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2020 3:20:51 GMT -5
I've just read the first issue. Very disappointed. Agnes is one of my favourite REH character and I just don't recognise her in the comics. The story is light hearted (while REH stories are rather dark), with several scenes looking like they come from a Japanese TV cartoon of the 1980s. For me the tone is totally out of key. Then Agnes murders someone. Did he vaguely reminded her of her betrothed? Whatever this is also not the Agnes I've come to know. Additionally why on Earth did they feel the need to invent a new story rather than stick to Howard's? It's not as though They've been adapted several times like Conan's.I agree, wholeheartedly. Instead we got the flashbacks like we did in Jim Zub's Serpent War - Becky Cloonan should have adapted the 2 REH yarns and completed the fragment Mistress of Death before a mini-series like this one. It woulda helped Becky Cloonan get a better understanding of the character. |
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Post by darklordbob on Feb 9, 2020 2:28:02 GMT -5
The more cynical me tends to think that would lead to comparisons to Howard's writing and we can't risk that now can we.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2020 1:56:25 GMT -5
DARK AGNES #2 (OF 5)BECKY CLOONAN (W) • LUCA PIZZARI (A) • Cover by STEPHANIE HANS Variant Cover by JAY ANACLETO MAYHEM, A MASKED BALL, AND MURDER MOST FOUL!
AGNES and ETIENNE enter the lair of the beast—sneaking into the palace of DUKE D’ALENCON, even as his agents hunt for them!
But when a murder victim turns up in the court, will they escape notice or be drawn deeper into the labyrinth of disaster forming around them?
All this and the return of a ghost from Agnes’ past!
32 PGS $3.99 Release Date: 4 March 2020
Variant by Jay Anacleto |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2020 7:32:45 GMT -5
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Post by robp on Feb 29, 2020 8:10:20 GMT -5
This current artworks style reminds me of the old 80s arcade game Dragons Lair. Too cartoony for my liking
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Post by charleshelm on Feb 29, 2020 10:00:43 GMT -5
Poor trigger discipline...
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