DC Comics: Bombshells, Vol. 1: Enlisted by Marguerite Bennett

DC Comics: Bombshells, Vol. 1: Enlisted by Marguerite Bennett

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I had originally attempted to read this story through the individual comic issues, but gave up after the first or second issue. Reading the collection of 6 issues reminds me that I cannot judge anything off of one issue.

In theory there’s an interesting possible story here – looking at Superheroes (mainly female) back during WWII, many of whom (all?) are modeled on superheroines and supervillains operating in modern times. In practice? Eh. It isn’t really what the people behind this comic did. They just took modern heroes/villains, and shoved them back in time. Including side characters like that Amanda Weller (whatever her name is). Some of whom actually existed back then, some didn’t – some could have based on what they are and how long they might live, some couldn’t have and still be here in their modern form.

I mean, like, for example, Wonder Woman was around in WWII – both literally in real world terms (first appearance of Wonder Woman in the comics: 1941), and in story terms (depending on the origin story, Wonder Woman has been around since WWI, WWII, or relatively modern times. So having Wonder Woman, the actual one not someone modeled on the concept, operating in World War II is doable. And reading the comics that feature Wonder Woman, read like the Wonder Woman movie – except instead of WWI, stuff is happening in WWII. Oh, and, apparently, Wonder Woman is quite friendly with Mera (who later gets called Aquawoman in the comic issues).

And . . . I’ve lost the plot already. Mmphs. The idea I wanted to note was that some of these people could have been operating back in WWII, but that isn’t the point of the series, apparently. The point is to take people from ‘our’ time, and shove them back in WWII time. Like Zatanna, Harley Quinn, Supergirl, Batwoman, Maggie Sawyer, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Poison Ivy. And have them be basically themselves. Instead of having them be similar and/or parents of them. Well, there’s the ‘Joker’s Daughter’ one, but . . . I’m not really sure who she’s supposed to be.

Just like my review, actually more so than my review, the story line is confusing and disjointed. On the one hand, the story keeps being interrupted so other characters could suddenly have the focus; on the other hand when the story shifts back to a specific character, the story seems determined to be as weird as possible. Like, Batwoman is introduced as being a baseball player playing in the female league while ‘the men’ are off at war; and a vigilante . . . who wears the same costume as the baseball player; the police act as if they wish to ‘question’ Batwoman but do not know who she is as both wear masks. Except . . . . you’d think it wouldn’t be that hard for police to know where and how to contact a baseball player/team/team manager/etc. Then again, it is play acting since Batwoman actually is dating the police in the form of Maggie Sawyer (see, lesbian action! See implied lesbian sex! Etc etc). Except, that baseball story line was there and gone again in like three seconds. Then a weird spaceship like thing (okay, some kind of early helicopter, but still) lands on Batwoman’s roof. And . . . Batwoman is recruited to join the Bombshells, being led by the same woman who formed Suicide Squad in a different universe. Then . . . several other people are visited . . . and when we return, Batwoman is in Berlin, being a spy. As herself. That story line is relatively straight forward, albeit disjointed. Other story lines? Super disjointed and confusing.

Like the one where Supergirl and her twin sister (seriously, I can’t tell Kara and Kostanri (however her name is spelled) apart) join the Soviet air force. I know the Soviets are supposed to be seen as evil and stuff, but there were some good people here and there. And turning the Night Witches, the female piloted air force, into evil harlots is just wrong. Just . . . mmphs.

I’ve read stories wherein Superman landed on Soviet controlled land. This one just happens to have that, but it being Supergirl land there. But . . . the Soviets decide to see Supergirl as a traitor and evil and must die . . . instead of using her for their own objectives? I . . what?

Bah, my brain is kind of messed up, this review is messed up.

All the story-lines are super weird and confusing. Like when Harley Quinn finally turns up. She appears to be sane and working in a hospital. She talks to a patient who used to be her colleague. Then Quinn’s eyeball grows to three times normal, and she rips her clothing off, dances around singing and beating up people and flying randomly to France. WTF? Quinn’s a chaotic character, but there’s usually something more to her actions than random insanity. Though it might sometimes look like random insanity.

So – Supergirl’s story line is fucked up; Quinn’s is random insanity; Zatanna is super powerful but . . . ‘trapped’ by circumstances – her story line is fucked up more by the circumstances than anything else; haven’t mentioned it, but Wonder Woman’s story line is also fucked up (seriously, at some point she ends up in prison because the allies wanted to kill some prisoners and WW wouldn’t let them). Individually fucked up story lines, and together a disjointed mess.

On the positive side, there are both lesbian superheroes and Jewish superheroes in attendance – sometimes at the same time. Talking about Batwoman and Zatanna here.

I read this collected volume in one sitting while ‘wasting time’ before a movie. For what it is, and what I used it for, it entertained me. Story line was too annoying, though, for me to continue the series. If series continued, no clue if it did.

Oh, one last thought – getting back to my inability to tell Supergirl apart from her sister – that happens a lot in this collection. Too many of the characters look the same/similar to other characters. Like I could have sworn Harley Quinn was one of the other baseball players since one of them looked like her, but that doesn’t correspond to her storyline. Then Batwoman runs into another Harley Quinn like person but . . . again not her. And there were times I found it hard to tell Supergirl/supergirl sister and Maggie Sawyer apart. Other times I had trouble telling Zatanna and Catwoman apart. Bah, my poor eyesight? The art itself? Pfft, don’t know, probably my eyesight.

Rating: 3

April 27 2018




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