Description:
An
all-new book featuring Marvel's Mightiest Women! In a secluded corner
of the Battleworld, an island nation is fiercely protected by a team
of Avengers the likes of which has only ever been glimpsed before.
Fighting to protect the small sliver of their world that's left, the
Amazing A-FORCE stands shoulder to shoulder, ready to take on the
horde!
Collects:
A-Force 1-5 (Secret Wars)
Authors:
G. Willow Wilson, Marguerite Bennett
Artists:
Jorge Molina
Published By:
Marvel
Published When:
Dec 1 2015
Parental Rating:
PG
Review:
What a wonderful surprise! This book was a charming and delightful
read.
A-Force Volume Zero is a Secret Wars Warzones! tie-in. The bar of
my expectations for such a book is very low. In mega-event
crossovers, you can anticipate a thin plot and little character or
relationship development, with the story serving as little more than a
platform for a series of confrontations between the protagonists and
their opponents.
This TPB collection, on the other hand,
introduced a compelling new character in
the form of Singularity, the
universe-as-girl; it was
filled with examples of leadership and deep relationships; and it
worked in
some thematic implications of patriarchal oppression. Writers
Marguerite Bennett and G. Willow Wilson hooked me from the very first
page, and reeled me in.
The story sees a band of super-powered women protecting a little
slice of Utopia, in the form of the island of Arcadia in the midst of
the Battleworld chaos. They patrol the skies and perimeter, keeping
their citizens safe.
But when a bout of youthful excessive enthusiasm leads to the
banishment of America, one of the younger members of the group, the
drama, tensions, challenges of and to She-Hulk’s leadership bubble
to the surface.
And as evidence mounts of a traitor in their midst, the women of
A-Force wrestle with how to care for and support one another, while
defending their principles and their island's citizens, from
outsiders and from the women Thors who enforce the laws of
Battleworld.
The story revolves around a core group, led by She-Hulk and with
her closest confidants being Dazzler and Captain Marvel. Yet there
are cameos by many other prominent women and heroines in the Marvel
universe.
Penciller Jorge Molina's images are evocative and show the
strength of character, resolve and leadership of these women. And he
only seldom slips into any of the objectifying angles and renderings more
common in the world of superhero comics.
Relationship drama abounds in this short collection, perhaps most
intensely with the Nico character. Don't miss her intense
confrontation with Loki her mentor, beautifully written and drawn!
And that patriarchy? Ask yourself "where
are the men and what are they doing?" as you read this book. In
Arcadia, the men are pushing strollers and sleeping in as their wives
and partners head off to work, protecting the island. Men outside
this Utopia, however, such
as Dr Strange, are the inflexible
outside powers, enforcing harmful rules not
designed with the well-being of these women in mind.
And the most powerful males and costumed heroes only appear as attacking zombie hordes. It makes a statement about
the oppressive tendencies of the male of the species, and the
intrusion it brings into the strong leadership, aspirations
and self-determination of the women leading this Utopic
land.
The book is officially rated "T+" but I think that is
excessive, I consider it PG for its level of comic-book violence and themes.
Score: 4 capes out
of 5
ISBN-10: 078519861X
ISBN-13:
978-0785198611
Language: English
Pages:
112 pages
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