Glory: The Once and Future Destroyer #1

I was recommended this trade paperback by a friend at my LCS because of my love of Savage Dragon and all things wild, crazy,brutal, fun and "out there". For a ten buck price tag and Ross Campbell doing the art I decided to give it a try. I was very surprised on how much I liked it and for those thinking they want to jump on board, there isnt a better jumping on point, trust me.

OVERVIEW:

Glory is the story of an Alien Warrior princess who is the half breed of two warring species from a distant world. She appeared in the 40s and became a super hero on earth fighting in WW2. After being a hero for years she eventually disappeared and was forgotten. Our story picks up here where a young reporter has become fascinated and plagued by strange dreams about Glory, and attempts to find the legend.

The art here is really fantastic stuff. The colors are amazing ranging from crazy bright color on aliens and vibrant blood splashes to the dark shadows and shades of a snow covered french Forrest. The main heroine Glory is...insane. I say that in a good way. Gone is the over sexualized Psylock thong style Glory, replaced by a straight beast. Glory is similar to a hulking type...hulk. Her super strength and fighting prowess is illustrated by her gigantic bubbley muscles and scars covering her body.This really sets her apart to other female comic characters. I mention this because the art on Glory really sets the tone of this book. The non human character models are fantastical with a nod to wild sci fi fun. Everyone has a cartoony yet highly detailed look and the over the top gore always brings you back to the action. The violence is a big part of this first story. Honestly, it is really bloody sometimes maybe even too much and it may put some poeple off, but I feel Keatinge and Campbell are really showing how brutal a fighter Glory is. One of the biggest themes of this book is about dichotomy of controlling rage or letting it control you, and the repetitive violence is used to paint that vivid picture.

This trade contains issues 23-28 but it really is an issue 1 and the first story arc. The original Glory was a 90s title created by Rob Liefeld. Now I wasnt versed at all in the original story line but another plus is no previous knowledge of Glory is needed prior to this book. The creative team of Joe Keatinge and Campbell have totally revamped these characters look and feel.The book is laid out in a way of presenting you the characters pasts through flashbacks and auxilliary characters while still driving the story forward. And there is definatley a good story here. I wont ruin anything but there is a lot more going on with Glory's past than meets the eye. The war she is trying to prevent is not what it seems, and by the end of these 6 issues you will really be wanting to know more of her motives and more importantly, her family's.

Pros:

Awesome art

Solid story

Cool twists and reveals

Fun brutal action

Cons:

Too violent for some

Sometimes the flashbacks were better than the current story

Semi annoying co main character (Riley)

Verdict:

Glory is an interesting book. You really don't see female superheroes that are ripping aliens to bloody shreds with their bare hands. And you especially don't see them built like Glory. This book wasn't created by Joe Keatinge, but he and Ross Campbell have sure taken the story and put their own awesome spin on it. For fans today this book is something different and I hope it succeeds. This first trade is a solid read filled with action, interesting characters, Great art, brutality, and a fun universe. I give "Glory The Once And Future Destroyer" an 8/10.