Review – Barbarella #1

December 6, 2017
Barbarella #1 –
Dynamite Entertainment
Written by Mike Carey
Art by Kenan Yarar
Colors by Mohan
Letters by Crank!
When you say something has a cult following, that usually means you’re dealing with something that fans fully embrace no matter what the masses think about it.  When we first saw Barbarella on the screen in 1968, it was different and not exactly well received by all.  Still, the character lives on, in cosplay and in the hearts of fans who continue to find the her even to this day.  She may have started in French comics, but Dynamite is bringing her to American with a new series.  Let’s take a look at Issue 1.


My reviews here are always spoiler free, and I will continue to do that, but just know I cannot reveal much here.  Barbarella finds herself somehow entangled in what looks to be a group of beings strictly based in their religion.  It is very much a wrong place, wrong time scenario that doesn’t get handled very well.  When things go bad, she finds out that she is not alone and much more about what is going on with those that have captured her.  This is where it gets difficult not to spoil things, as there are a couple of major elements to this story and a reveal that I think is best left to be discovered by the reader.  What I can tell you is, towards the end a risk is taken and we are left with a cliffhanger leading into Issue 2.

I have to be honest here, this book is a bit all over the place.  There really isn’t much lead in to what is going on, or even any of the characters that are involved.  Assuming that you know who Barbarella is, that’s not a bad thing, but I was hoping for a bit more about the antagonists before just being thrown into their world.  It’s obvious what they are, but not why, and I feel like that could have added some depth here.  There are times where this book tries to be about empowerment and a modern way of thinking, but it just feels very forced and really didn’t work for me.  Plus, I’m just not sure that this is the book to try to do that with.  If you were trying to completely re-invent the character and lay that foundation, it may work.  Instead it just feels like we’re thrown into the second act of a late night B-movie that feels more campy.  If that’s what you’re looking for, this book may be for you.  I just didn’t get a whole lot out of it, and I couldn’t get invested in pretty much anything.  I think I’ll have to pass.

RATING:  DROP