Issue 74

Review by Jim Johnston

Title - "F" is for Fear

Story - Bill Black and Don Secrease

Pencils - Brad Gorby

Inks - Mark Heike

Colour - Rebekah Black

Lettering - Lance Breedlove

Editing - Bill Black

Synopsis

• Proxima, Krone, Gorgana, Valkyra, and Darkfire are brought together by the Traveller. He promises them great power if they can release him from a prison cell in another dimension. They agree and, by working together, they retrieve two ancient and arcane objects which will bring about his release. The Traveller then sets them a further task - Capture Jennifer Burke and bring her to him. Meanwhile, General Strock continues with the re-structuring of the Fem Force.

Story

• Travelling in a badly crippled spacer, a quarrelsome Proxima and Krone arrive on Earth. They land near a deserted mansion. There, they meet Gorgana, Valkyra and  DarkFire. The assembled villainess's are addressed by a mysterious voice who introduces himself as the Traveller. He informs them that he has been "aiding" them by manipulating and guiding them to this spot. He further tells them that he is projecting his image from another dimension where he is currently imprisoned. The mysterious entity promises them all great powers to overwhelm their most hated foes - the individual members of the Fem Force.
• The Traveller sets the assembled a task, telling them they must work together to be successful. Their task is to retrieve two arcane and mystical objects which will free him from his prison. He dispatches them in two teams. Both teams recover their respective objects and learn the value of teamwork in the process. This lesson is reinforced when all five villainesses work together to defeat a huge guardian demon who had pursued Krone, Darkfire, and Valkyra back into this dimension. Elated at their victory, they all join hands and christen themselves the FEARFORCE.
• The Traveller takes possession of the two arcane and mystical objects and then sets the new team a further task. They are, at first, angry that he is stringing them along, but since it is the only way they can gain their promised power they agree. This final task will be a pleasure for these evil women. They are to capture and bring before the Traveller - Jennifer Burke, the 2nd Ms. Victory.
• Meanwhile, General Strock continues with the Fem Force's reorganization. An appropriate member of the Sentinels of Justice will join and work with each Fem Force member in her area of responsibility. For example, Scarlet Scorpion and She-Cat will deal with street violence. The ladies also discuss their ongoing difficulty with the press and public opinion. Synn joyfully learns she is now an official member of the team.
• I really liked -
  1. How we learn that some of the events in previous stories and issues were manipulated by the Traveller to bring the villainesses together. I thought this was a smart piece of story-telling. It directly and retroactively ties those earlier stories to this adventure. This device provides us with a satisfying sense of continuity while allowing those earlier stories to be self-contained.
  2. How the Traveller convinces each of the villainesses to join together and work for him by reminding them of their defeats at the hands of the Fem Force. Also, I like seeing how these evil ladies gradually learn the value of teamwork. We see the formation of a formidable team that will mean trouble for the Fem Force.
  3. The little one-page interlude depicting the Fem Force reorganizational meeting, where the team members discuss their public relations problems. Tara comments that the press and general public perceive them as "Man Haters," to which a surprised Synn innocently replies, "Gosh, I like Men." Then we see Synn's "delight" - reflected in her great big smile - at finding out that she is now a member of the Fem Force. This page was a fun interlude from the more serious events in the rest of the story and also shows us a "human" side of the Fem Force.
  4. In the early part of the story, where the Traveller reminded the various villainesses of their continual defeats at the hands of the Fem Force, flashbacks and current activity were combined seamlessly to give us a lot of back story (motivation, history, etc.) in a small amount of space - Another excellent bit of story telling.
• I didn't like -
  1. It was too short. Things just get set up for a great story but then it's over and we have to wait to find out what happens next.

Art

• Generally - There is a wealth of great material here. It's a prime Gorby/Heike team-up done in rich, lush style. There is a lot of attention to detail paid to the characters and their stances, posture, body language, and facial expressions. The layout is excellent. The same set-up is never used twice. It really helps to tell the story and move the action along without ever becoming over-elaborate or getting in the way of the story.
• The art is in colour. Although the Fem Force has become better-known recently for its excellent black and white work, the colour issues are also truly outstanding. The colours are crisp and clear and never appear overly garish or bright. Like the layout, the colour really adds to the story without getting in the way.
• Cover - The Fear Force evilly regard small images of She-Cat, Nightveil, and Ms. Victory, who are apparently trapped inside an unbreakable orb. The cover was drawn by Mark Heike.
• Splash Page - On a moon-lit night, Proxima's spacer hovers above an abandoned and spooky-looking house preparing to land. The page also has a large insert of She-Cat in her new costume. It's included because "Brad likes to draw her." That's a good enough reason for me.
• Splash Page II - On page 10, the assembled FearForce (Krone, Proxima, Valkyra, Darkfire, and Gorgana) celebrate the formation of their new team. It's very impressive.
• I really liked -
  1. The way the the Traveller is depicted. He comes off as being more than just a simple evil entity. The character has depth. Although his face is mostly a black surface with narrow yellow eyes and lots of sharp white teeth, it does reflect a variety of attitudes and expressions. My favourite is on page 19. The Traveller has a bemused expression as Krone tries to punch out his projected image.
  2. The "teamwork" sequence (on page 18) where the FearForce works together to banish a guardian demon who has chased Krone, Valkyra, and DarkFire back into this dimension. My favorite is the big center panel in which Valkyra clobbers the demon with a giant hammer which was created by DarkFire, knocking him back through a dimensional wormhole opened up by Gorgana. Proxima and Krone do their part by "softening him up" in the top panel. The icing on the cake was the "brand name" on the face of the hammer. AC and the Fem Force comics have many such touches. It's one of the things that sets them apart from other comics.
  3. The last page where the nasty looking Traveller directs the snarling, leering, vicious, evil-looking FearForce to "...Bring me Jennifer Burke - the Second Ms. Victory." This is a very effective last scene that raises the tension and warns us that there is trouble ahead for the Fem Force.
  4. Synn's ear to ear smile as she learns that she is now in the Fem Force (page 16).
  5. Valkyra's surprised and dismayed expression when the guardian demon zaps her (Not the reaction we would expect from the Nazi villainess).
  6. Krone in a losing battle with the now giant-sized guardian demon (page 15).
  7. The Traveller convincing Gorgana to join the team by reminding her of the history and depth of her hatred for Nightveil. This is a largely borderless page that features flashbacks, memories, and current action which all comes together very effectively (page 6 - full page).
  8. The big figure of the sinister Traveller seemingly overlaying and overwhelming some of the panels which implies that he is outside of the action but directing, dominating, and manipulating the events (page 5).
• I didn't like -
  1. Couldn't find anything to dislike about the art.

Back-up Story

Title - A Hell of a Holiday (this story is a flip comic with its own cover)

Story/Plot - Mike Frankovich, Jr.

Dialogue - Don Secrease

Art/Letters - Dick Ayers

Inks - Chris Allen

Edits - Bill Black

Synopsis

• Traveling to a ranch out west for a vacation, Dawn Hunter finds that a fire-breathing creature has driven away most of the area's inhabitants. Suspicious of a remaining resident - Helen Hades - who seems overly anxious that Dawn's hosts - James and Yvonne Shay - should also leave, Dawn decides to investigate. She discovers that Helen and her henchmen are responsible for the attacks. Dawn takes action and derails their plans.

Cover

• A colour photo cover featuring Lois Hamilton as Dawn Hunter. Ms. Hamilton wears a striking black leather outfit and looks very impressive. The inside cover features a black and white photo of Ms. Hamilton as Dawn Hunter along with some background information on the character and the organization for which she works.

Splash Page

• Dawn records her observations of the deserted town. These observations are presented as a series of small panels which overlay the top part of the picture. This layout is very effective in conjuring up a feeling of emptiness and foreboding. Like much of the rest of the story, this page has a very cinematic quality about it.

Story

• While travelling to Aeire Ranch in Montana for a western-style vacation, WIA agent Dawn Hunter comes to the town of Lynde. She finds it totally and mysteriously deserted. Continuing on, she arrives at her destination where James and Yvonne Shay, the ranch's owners, explain that most of the area's inhabitants have been driven off by some sort of fire-breathing creature. They also recount how a group of state investigators disappeared while looking into the situation. They further mention that communications with the outside world have been cut off, leaving the remaining inhabitants (mostly ranchers) entirely isolated.
• Their account is interrupted by a visit from Helen Hades, a sinister looking individual, and her two hulking henchmen. Helen Hades urges the Shays to leave, warning them that they could be the creature's next target. The Shays cooly reject her advice. After Helen and her henchmen leave, Dawn tells the Shays that, given the dangerous situation, she will understand if they want to leave. James and Yvonne firmly refuse, reminding Dawn that the Aerie ranch is a WIA post and that they are the agents in charge. As professionals, they know their duty.
• Dawn goes out on a recon mission but, because of heavy rain, is unable to discover anything conclusive. She returns to the ranch just as the creature is launching an attack. Though nearly engulfed by the flames, James is able to drive the creature away using a bazooka - clearly demonstrating that even though he is confined to a wheelchair he is far from helpless.
• With the aid of high-tech equipment, Dawn is able to discover that Helen Hades and her henchmen are responsible for the attacks and that the "beast" is simply a modified assault vehicle tricked out to look like a fire-breathing monster. She overhears their conversations and learns their ultimate plans. After driving away all the locals, they will quickly and ruthlessly exploit the area's hidden silver deposits before moving on.
• Dawn goes into action, taking out one of the henchmen, then using a "molotov cocktail" to set fire to the beast before it can return to the Aerie ranch to finish its' evil work. Enraged, Helen Hades launches a headlong attack against Dawn, attempting to strangle the heroine. In the course of the fight, Dawn inadvertantly knocks the evil woman into the fire. Dawn cannot save Helen because she immediately has to deal with Helen's other henchman.
• Helen Hades entire scheme goes up in flames and hopefully everything will return to normal. In a humourous final panel, it appears that Dawn may be unable to have her vacation.

What I liked about the story -

1. The narrative is presented as a series of recorded entries into Dawn's personal journal. It is an unusual and effective idea.
2. The villain is a ruthless capitalist exploiter with no regard for the environment who will hunt and destroy anyone or anything that stands in the way - and she is female. This is a refreshing change of pace from the usual comic book villain.
3. The James and Yvonne Shay characters. Although he is in a wheelchair, James is hardly a cripple. He takes a decisive role in the action, fearlessly taking up the bazooka to stop the beast's attack while Dawn and Yvonne are being driven back by the flames. It is significant to note that James and Yvonne remain at their post when most of the area's inhabitants leave. They remind Dawn that they are professionals and they will not run from their duties and responsibilities (no matter what the danger). Thus, they demonstrate that they are a brave, loyal, and dedicated couple. Also, the fact that they single-handedly operate the ranch even though James is in a wheelchair is significant. I believe the writer is reminding us that "handicapped" people are not "helpless." I especially like the way he gives this message without any overt fanfare or without drawing undue attention to James' condition. James Shay is presented as a character in the story who happens to be in a wheelchair, but being in that wheelchair is only one aspect of the character. There is much more to him than that. I really like it when the writers take the time to work such positive messages into their stories and I like it even more when they subtlety incorporate these messages into the story without overly emphasizing them.

What I didn't like about the story -

1. The name of the Helen Hades character. While I like the concept of the character and I enjoyed the way she was presented, her name seemed a little too "comic-booky" or obvious.
2. The story was too short (see also what I didn't like about the art).

What I liked about the art -

1. The Dick Ayers artwork. I really like his style. Conceptually, it was a real treat to see the work of a classic Golden Age artist like Dick Ayers illustrating a modern Good Girl Art story in a Western setting. I wish there were more stories like this one.
2. Dawn Hunter's form-fitting Western-style outfit. I also enjoyed the somewhat impractical but eye pleasing outfit worn by Yvonne Shay. The two ladies were often in the same panel and it was fun to compare and contrast the characters.

What I didn't like about the art -

1. I wanted more than 8 pages of Dick Ayers art.
2. Helen Hades "up swept" hairstyle (which implied horns). I believe I understand the point that the artist was trying to get across but it seemed to obvious. Plus, it reminded me a little too much of Proxima (the outcast Rurian General who often appears as a foe of the Femforce).

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