Written By: Genevieve Valentine
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Drawn By: Ariel Medel-Colored By: Nanjan Jamberi
Since Xena’s television show ended in 2001 I haven’t given it much thought. While the saying “you don’t miss something until it’s gone” is very much true, here it’s more “you don’t realize you missed something until you have it again”.
That perfectly sums up my feelings on Xena: Warrior Princess #1. The new ongoing from Dynamite, written by Genevieve Valentine (Catwoman) and with art from Ariel Medel and Nanjan Jamberi, takes place 25 years after the events of the Twilight of the Gods arc found in season 5 of the show.
That fact in and of itself could potentially be a roadblock for folks who didn’t see those episodes in the original show, causing them to be a bit lost when this book starts. It could also be a deterrent for people who did see the show all the way through to its conclusion, as after that arc ended, there was still another season of episodes, which contained a fairly concrete ending for Xena.
Speaking for myself, I watched a great deal of Xena when it originally hit Netflix, but I also haven’t seen every episode. That type of relationship to the show seems to be a perfect fit for just jumping on into Valentine’s run. Having less than or more than that might cause some confusion.
All that said, I enjoyed myself a lot with this book and kudos to Valentine for including two child characters (Aya and Laila) who are actually immensely entertaining without being one-note caricatures. While they aren’t in the group the entire issue, I do hope they make more frequent appearances as time goes on.
For fans of the show, even in the first issue, there is plenty of crossover outside of just Gabrielle. The Harpies are a major part of the first arc, and Valentine even takes us back in time a bit, where we get to see Xena and Borias take on the Roman empire. In fact, I think the very thing that might turn off some new readers is also the book’s biggest strength, in that it feels like an incredibly faithful extension of the show.
Visually I really enjoyed Ariel Medel’s pencils, especially on Xena herself. I felt there was a stronger overall likeness to Lucy Lawless in her depictions of the character, as opposed to her rendition of Gabrielle. Medel’s slightly angular compositions sync well with the color work by Nanjan Jamberi, and I’m looking forward to seeing some bigger action sequences from the pair in future issues.
Xena: Warrior Princess #1 is a great start, and has a lot to offer old time fans as well as Xena newbies. Issue #1 is in comic stores right now, and you can view a preview of the book in the gallery.
