Review: Fearless Dawn #1

Fearless Dawn isquite possibly one of the funniest comics I’ve ever read. The entire style ofthe series is a weird mesh between the Rocketeerand Heavy Metal magazine. The maincharacter Fearless Dawn works as a secret agent for the government, but isknown for not playing by the rules… or even knowing them. This book isintentionally inspired by pulp comics and the fore mentioned series as well andall of it works seamlessly together to produce a style of comics that’s beenmissing in the market.

The story opens with Dawn coming to pick up her jet. This isno ordinary jet as it’s actually too small to fit even her inside, instead sherides it more like a horse… or a bomb falling from the sky like in Dr. Strangelove. After picking up herjet she heads to Manitoba to steal a super drug that turns men into superstrong ugly monsters. After flying in guns blazing Dawn is subdued by knock-outgas, no really knock-out gas it says it on the can. She’s then hauled away by ahuge ugly man that is either permanently on the drug or permanently ugly. Helocks Dawn up at the orders of his buxom brunette Captain. Soon anotheragent is dispatched to retrieve the drug and Dawn; agent Number 7 invades thebase and is quickly beaten by the super powered Nazi soldiers and thrown into a cell with Dawn.

The cliffhanger to the story is pretty silly, but it worksfor the story. I really enjoyed the book, it was fun and full of action andfighting and it knew what it was doing. This isn’t a story that takes itselftoo seriously and in fact it really felt like a throwback to a simpler time incomics. I also like the subtle sexuality that the book had; it didn’t ram itdown your throat or make it extremely obvious but sprinkled in here or there.For instance a scene with Dawn and Number 7 in their cell; Number 7 is tryingto bend the window bars and Dawn is bending over with her butt in the air forno real reason. This is probably the most noticeable example I can give you andeven then if you weren’t paying attention you could miss it. It’s subtle in theway Elephantmen is, where it’s mostlythe art not the dialog that’s sexy.

Creator/Writer/Artist Steve Mannion does a fantastic job onthis series. I really enjoyed the look and the overall feel of the book; somuch so that I bought the next three issues. Mannion’s art is very good and hasalmost a classy feel to it; on one hand he’s drawing a half-naked woman (Dawn)carrying guns and riding on a mini jet, but then on the other hand he’s drawinghideous man monsters that fill entire pages but all of it is really elegant. It’s a strange balance but Mannionpulls it off. 

I actually picked this book up digitally and it’s available fromeither of the two digital giants Comixology or Graphicly, although I will saythat Comixology offered a “special” edition with extra pinups in the back ofthe book for the same price as the regular issue. Granted, pinups in a digitalcomic is pretty pointless but it was some good art. If you’re looking for somegood pulp inspired action with a buxom brunette fighting another buxom brunettethen check out Fearless Dawn fromAsylum Press.

Score: 4/5