Damsels in Excess #4 Review

Is this a worthwhile penultimate issue? Or an outright failure? Read on to find out.

The official description from Aspen:

The noose begins to tighten around Evanfar, from Barra and Ilina’s armies as well as from within, as Bethany’s kingdom crumbles without the strength of her leadership. However, Bethany has far more stunning revelations to deal with—as she comes face to face with her treacherous mother Valeria—the Queen of Shadows!

I’ve asked myself, repeatedly, “why do I like this series so much?” And I have a very simple answer: the creative team behind it rocks. They have continually delivered a quirky reality with a compelling narrative to boot, while exercising their understood boundaries and playing within them. To sum up: go buy this.

Vince Hernandez pens the script and he certainly keeps the various princesses in play, as war grows and lines are further defined. The whole of the journey began with a curse that’s evolved into a re-worked acknowledgement of societal shortcomings, with a timely sense of humor. The main thing readers need to know about the text is that the author imbues it with a unique personalty while charting an easy to follow course. Right from the first page to the final panel there’s a clear understanding of the material as it flows with modern sensibilities. In the end Damsels in Excess is a thriving fantastical tale with likable characters.

Bethany‘s plight gets more and more serious as her former friends lay siege to her kingdom, but thankfully the art accompanying the written word keeps the festivities at the level they need to be. Mirka Andolfo offers up unique renditions that exist on a playing field all their own, as a barrage of exquisite pencil strokes strike and settle a tone. The stakes rise as the talent and Mad5 deliver dynamic colors that certainly work.

Damsels in Excess #4 represents a comic that’s a worthwhile read and also stands as a competent penultimate issue. The team behind it knew what they needed to do while solidifying a franchise that deserves many more volumes for years to come. Recommended.