A cultural phenomenon in the late 90’s, Xena: Warrior Princess was one of the better (of very few options) female-led action series of its era. Flashforward twenty-odd years, and not only does she now have a few comic series already under her belt but now finally one with an all-woman creative team to boot! Can this be the series that brings the character back to relevance?
Written by Vita Ayala
Illustrated by Olympia Sweetman
Colored by Rebecca Nalty
Lettered by Ariana MaherIn a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings… a land in turmoil called out for a hero! She was XENA, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle! In this all-new series, writer VITA AYALA (Black Panther, Shuri, Wonder Woman, The Wilds) and artist OLYMPIA SWEETMAN throw Xena and her companion Gabrielle headfirst into a mysterious adventure. Can Xena discover the secrets of a village full of super-strong children, before jealous and petty GODS get involved?
Vita Ayala keeps this script pretty safe for the most part, and it’s a solid way of reintroducing the character and her traits to a modern audience. Xena here is the substitute for the absent and potentially incapable Hercules, who has a decidedly intimate yet friendly relationship with her companion Gabrielle. Xena here is a hero to the people, yet stands aloof and tough-seeming. When one of the denizens of a nearby village explains the situation with Discord, the goddess holding them captive, he grovels before Xena who stands tall with arms crossed. Ayala makes sure she has power in this narrative, and that people respect it in the dialogue and in the way she scripts the character’s actions.
However, we also see a more maternal side to Xena when she comforts one of the distraught denizens, Lydia. Ayala writes Lydia as a character conveying the fears of witnessing both Discord and Xena and what terrible conflict they could bring to the small town. Xena instead shows that she understands Lydia’s true loss, and the burden of looking after her grandchildren, and comforts her with a deep understanding, even as the younger person in the situation. Not only this, but Xena takes Lydia’s issues to heart, pondering everything that she’s said even as she takes to bed. It goes to show how well Ayala gets Xena and reinvents her for a modern age as a character not just focused on physical activity, but who places equal importance on the mental wellbeing of those she is protecting.
The use of mythology, like the original show, is tenuous yet entertaining. The way that it is used here makes it feel original and not derived from a beat-by-beat historical re-envisioning. This is partly by the role that Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship tells in this story. They are the mythic heroes in this context, and they are the ones telling stories of heroes and terrifying old gods. Regardless of how well Discord the gothic leather wearing Goddess fits into the fashion context of this series, she emanates an intimidating presence because of how well Ayala built her up in oral fables earlier in the issue. Ayala uses folk stories like these successfully in this context, and they work even better when told by Xena and Gabrielle themselves as they serve as owners of the story, in this case, giving them importance and power through knowledge.
Olympia Sweetman handles artwork here, serving up a style that feels classical, free-flowing and kinetic. The opening three-page sequence has beautiful, heavy ink linework to it that makes it feel like a great blend of modern day artwork and something like an early ’70s Neil Adams page. Xena here is portrayed effortlessly, showing her flair for action and lithe skills to boot. From here, we get a great sense of movement throughout the issue – whether it be from Xena and Gabrielle riding horseback over a cliff, or Heron and Hesperos hauling hay and water through their farm, Sweetman handles this like a pro. Some movements do feel a little exaggerated, however, like the representative of the village of Sideros appealing to Xena. His body seems to seize up with drastic begging movements, and while it’s not an entirely unlikely posing, it jars with the flow of the rest of the art.
Continued belowSweetman’s emotive work is pretty solid across the board. We get the valiant, thoughtful and occasionally intimidating version of Xena, who works great as both a protagonist and a role model. Sweetman also does great work with rendering the older Lydia. She bears lots of rage and sorrow from the first time we see her in the town meeting, but from then on we get her in a deep melancholy that eventually turns to resounding determination. However, sometimes this emotive work slips, like when Xena sports a completely blank expression when receiving thanks from the family she saved. Thankfully, it doesn’t make the story too jarring but it does stick out somewhat.
The setting work here is also fantastic but appears few and far between. The opening scenes give us a great sense of ancient Greece that this series occupies, with sweeping fields and great valleys decorated with pine trees. Similarly, the village of Sideros is an intriguing place, built into the side of a canyon. However, there are often long scenes, particularly the fight scene at the end, that seem to just take place in a colored void, losing a sense of placement for the characters. Still, what we get is often strong enough to resonate through these scenes, but it can be easy to get lost within them.
Rebecca Nalty’s coloring is a great mix of old school vibrancy with some modern shading and lighting effects. The opening double page is not only a great shot of Xena because of her traditional heroic pose, but because Nalty paints a subtle sunbeam shade glinting over her figure. The village of Sideros also has a solid palette, with more traditional, realistic browns and greys highlighted by the odd pop of blues and burning reds. Similarly, as much as the colored backgrounds of fight scenes could feel empty, Nalty for her part makes them fit in with the tone of the fight: with fierce blue to red gradients and slabs of gold in moments of Xena’s success.
“Xena: Warrior Princess” #1 is a solid reintroduction to the character for modern readers. There isn’t too much that feels like it’s reinventing the character, and that’s a good thing since the concept was solid enough anyway. Ayala plays with mythology in fun ways too, and Sweetman and Nalty do a good job bringing the story to a carefree, ever-flowing life. For folks interested in getting into the character, this is one of the best ways to do so currently.
Final Score: 7.6 – A great revamp of a beloved character and franchise, “Xena: Warrior Princess” #1 hits all the right beats to feel like a faithful adaptation.
