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Princeless #1

By Andy Frisk
April 22, 2010 - 22:48

In Princeless, the new fairytale with a twist comic book from Firetower Studios, Princes Adrienne, as a young girl, utterly rejects the premise of the fairytales her mother reads to her. “That story is complete hogwash,” exclaims Adrienne. Why do princesses need to be locked away in towers, guarded by dragons, and rescued by princes? Hogwash. When Adrienne, as a young adult, discovers herself locked away in a tower, guarded by a dragon, and pursued by princes, all due to the machinations of her father, the king, she decides she’d rather go princeless. With a dragon for a friend, and a sword discovered hiding under her bed, her decision is much easier than you’d image to follow through on…

Writer Jeremy Whitley crafts a tale of a princess, a prince, a dragon, and an overbearing father that resembles nothing of the like from the canon of medieval fairytales. The goal of Princeless, in Whitley’s own words is, “to create a princess who was capable of rescuing herself.” Adrienne is the antithesis of the typical fairytale damsel in distress. She’s witty, sharp tongued, dark skinned, and quite capable of taking care of herself. Is Whitley breaking new ground here? Not exactly. He is telling the story he wants to tell though, on his own terms, and it's a tale with a worthy message that is fun to read.

Artist Luis Franco uses a simple style with a cartoonish look to bring the young princess and her fairytale world to life. His artwork is very simple and nearly void of any background or surface detail, but it isn’t poor. Whitley is dealing with very basic ideas here on the nature of fairytales and their treatment of women, and Franco’s art reflects this. His work’s bright colors and easy to follow panel transitions will easily appeal to a younger audience without turning off a mature one.

Overall, Princeless is unique. There isn’t a series about a dark skinned princess who rides her pet dragon into the sky in search of adventure. It will be fun to see where Whitley and Franco take the spunky Princess Adrienne in future issues. 

For more on Princeless and Firetower Studios visit: http://firetowerstudios.com

Rating: 7 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12