LEGENDERRY #1 Review: Dynamite Gets Steampunked
Published by: Dynamite Entertainment
Written by: Bill Willingham
Art by: Sergio Davilla
Legenderry is among the elseworlds and what if category of comics, taking established characters and turning them on their head a bit. These types of setups contain some of my favorite stories, from Age of Apocalypse, The Nail, 1602, and so on and so on. Its always exciting to see your favorite characters given a unique spin. In this case, we have Legenderry, a Steam Punk Adventure doing the same for Dynamite’s stable of heroes (and antiheroes in Vampirella's case). Written by Bill Willingham of Fables fame, this book has a lot going for it, so let’s dive in, shall we?
Let's start with the lovely art of Sergio Davilla, whose characters leap off the page in every scene, and whose work serves the victorian steampunk vibe of everything so well. Even people in the background become characters rich with personality thanks to his wonderful pencils. None of this would be possible without Wes Hartman’s colors, filled with gorgeous reds and greens that are vibrant, yet not overpowering. Kudos to the art team, and the Joe Benitez cover doesn't hurt matters either.
The first issue of Legenderry sets up their world and circumstances pretty well, and centers around Brit Reid (Green Hornet) and Scarlet (Vampirella). Scarlet runs a tight ship at her exclusive nightclub, and Brit still runs his newspaper, but is more preoccupied with how martinis are made than getting the next hot story. All the witty repartee comes to a crashing halt when a woman (Red Sonja) stumbles into the bar deeply in need of assistance, and a battle, actually more like a bloodbath, ensues. I’ll leave the rest of the story for you to read, and I extremely strongly recommend doing so. Willingham moves the plot along quickly while still giving you a nice grasp of who these characters are and what drives them.
Hands down I would read a Willingham Vampirella after getting a look at his take on her, so if that’s a thing, then sign me up. I don’t have the longest history with Dynamite’s characters, but I’ve read enough to get the gist, and if you have any familiarity, even just a little, I think you’ll enjoy this too. For new readers it's a great jumping on point, you just might not get some of the tips of the hat to longtime fans.
If this sounds up your alley, Legenderry #1 is available at your local comic shop now, and issue 2 hits stores soon. Definitely recommended, and catch the full preview of issue 1 down below.
