Unhappy With Review
From: Grey Wolf <greywolf@c-zone.net>
Subject: review of Artesia
Date sent: Thu, 08 Nov 2001 17:02:43 -0800
I just read your revierwers review of Artesia #1. While I couldn't
agree more about Artesia's armor (something that Artesia's creator Mark
Smylie has admitted was done for artistic license than realism, and
which was corrected in the later series), I have to take issue with the
rest of the review.
First, the presence of nude spirits is nothing new - check out the Anime
movie "Princess Mononoke" for nude tree spirits (at least from behind).
Fairies have been portrayed nude in literature for centuries. It should
have been noted that the nudity was not done suggestively or seductively
in order to increase sales. If you compare it to any number of "bad
girl" comics, it will become evident that these spirits were handled
tastefully (heck, they have a slender frame and hardly any breasts at
all, evidence that the author/artist was not aiming for tittilation).
The spirits are intimate with Artesia yes... for she is a witch, and she
communes with them (and others) frequently. I think it added to the
atmosphere of the setting myself. If nudity or sex is an issue, be sure
not to read future issues. Sexuality is not as repressed in Artesia's
world as it is in ours.
As for the concubines of the highland lord, well, I don't think this
differs too much from history. Harem's are not signs of male fantasies
(they exist in today's world so they aren't a fantasy), but are rather
signs of male-dominated societies. In such societies (think Middle East
here), the concubines actually become a family of sorts. In societies
that this has happened over thousands of years, it is actually an
accepted lifestyle. If the women are provided for, why not share a
man? Amusingly enough, a friend of mine mentioned this about her
husband after he had been out of work for several months due to a back
injury: "Heck, I'd gladly share him with other women as long as they
helped with the laundry, the dishes, the yard, etc." While she was only
kidding, it ocurred to me that it could benefit women who found
themselves in a male dominated society to band together.
And typical of male-dominated societies, women are not to have power.
Artesia does not only excel in battle (a fact that has made her a
captain, and inspired some jealousy amonst her male rivals), but she is
also a witch (with supernatural power). This causes her to be at odds
with her Lord, who sees her earning the respect of his armies as well as
being connected to something he can barely fathom. While Artesia thinks
nothing of it, her Lord is very threatened. Of course religious beliefs
play into this as well.
This series perhaps irritated the viewer because they were expecting a
funny book. Artesia is a serious fantasy world complete with
challenging themes of power, politics, sexuality, intrigue, and
religion. Oh, and one mustn't forget: medieval warfare and magic.
The biggest problem I had with this series was the fact that there were
so many players, so much detail that was presented in an atypical
fashion. We didn't get captions that told us who a diety was. We got a
treatise in the back of the book. This put me off at first, because I
was lost as to who was who. I had to read all 6 issues twice before
things started sinking in. It is evident to me that this fantasy world
is very, very detailed. I urge readers to continue with the series and
perhaps give it a re-read. I actually had to take notes on who people
were (don't have to do that in a typical comic!), but once I did I
started recognizing people and tying them to a name, I began realizing
the scope of Artesia and appreciated it's presentation style.
Compare this comic to another fantasy comic: Warlands (put out by
Image). If you come away thinking "Artesia sucks and Warlands rules!"
you aren't the targeted audience anyway.
Thanks for listening,
GW
Chico CA
AJ Reardon Responds:
Greetings, GW!
First let me say thanks for writing . . . It's nice to hear feedback on my reviews, even if it is negative:) Also let me say to all the readers out there to feel free to drop a note to me when you feel strongly about what I write (positively or negatively). You can write straight to me and/or my editor Sheryl... Just remember, it's my opinion, not her's! Second, I congratulate you for putting forth a very strong arguement for a comic book that you clearly enjoy. Have you ever considered being a reviewer?
Now, down to the nitty gritty. Of course nude spirits are nothing new... Most art is done by men! Ok, low blow there. Seriously, yes, nude spirits are common. It doesn't mean that all spirits have to be nude. It doesn't mean that it couldn't have been done more tastefully (and you are right, they could have been worse. And don't even get me started on the bad girl books... can you say pet peeve?). Now, as for faeries, I checked my copy of Katherine Briggs' Encyclopedia of Faeries (I'm a faerie geek in my spare time) and found that most were actually traditionally clothed, usually in green or red. There are of course some notable exceptions... Some types of water fae, nymphs (obviously!) satyrs, hobgoblins, and a few stray fae here and there. I know a lot of modern art portrays faeries in the nude, some more tastefully than others. This is really a minor point of contention, though.
The real point here is harems, isn't it? Just because they exist in modern day doesn't mean they're not also a fantasy for those who don't have access to them... For instance, I can fantasize about a pristine 1964 Mustang convertable with a sparkly green paint job and black leather interior. I'm sure one exists someplace, but it doesn't mean I'm any more likely to get it than your average man is likely to get his very own harem.
You mention that in societies where this has been a prevelant lifestyle, it's quite accepted. Well, female circumsion is accepted in some African countries... Does that make it right? This isn't the only one of your opinions I take exception to... Let's look at your quote "If the women are provided for, why not share a man?". I ask you instead, why should they HAVE to share a man to be provided for? Now, I could see it if there was a rational explenation... Ie, many of the men have been killed in the war, thus making a shortage of men. Men are allowed to have several wives, so that the women are provided for, and so that they can also bear children so the population doesn't decline. But since no such explenation was made, I view this only as a lord's excesses.
You also say, "it ocurred to me that it could benefit women who found themselves in a male dominated society to band together." How does it benefit them to band together under the domination of one man? I see no benefit in this... Are they standing up for their rights? Gaining any freedom? It seems to me that all they're gaining are perfumes and silks, which in the long run mean little.
I can agree with you on the conflict between Artesia and her Lord.... What he originally thought to be a convenience (a woman who could fight and do magic) becomes a challenge when she threatens his power by most likely being a better commander than he was. And everyone loves a story about an underdog (in this case, a woman in a seriously male-dominated society) who succeeds.
And, excuse me, I was expecting a funny book? How do you get that from my review? I'd have to be dense to look at that cover and expect comedy. Comedic comics, in my experience, tend to go for simpler art with brighter colors, and usually funny covers to draw the reader in. And, for the record, serious fantasy is my favorite genre in both comics and novels. I regularly read fantasy books of varying degrees of seriousness and intensity, filled with magic and gory battles. Artesia was hardly something new to me, it just simply didn't appeal to me for many reasons involving that specific story, not the genre.
Your mention of how the story gets more complex later on DOES interest me, as the industry certainly needs more complex, involved stories. If the first issue had shown some of these complexities, I may have been more disposed to picking up the rest of the series, but I still feel no need to. For the price of the remaining five issues I could invest in 2 fantasy novels that would probably give me more enjoyment and certainly more reading time.
To answer your closing comment, regarding WarLands... When I first read the series I found it to be good, but I've matured in the past two years, and it has simultaneously gone down hill... See my recent review of WarLands: Age of Ice. I may have panned it more than I panned Artesia. Suffice it to say that WarLands and Shidima have until the end of the year to impress me before I stop buying them.
I'm sure that even if you like Artesia, you will agree with me that the comics industry suffers from an extreme lack of good fantasy titles! Too many creators seem to think that a bimbo in strange armor is a good supplement for a real story. Let's all hope for a well-written, complex fantasy comic that will please ALL fantasy fans of all ages... Oh, and maybe a harem will drive up in my Mustang:)
AJ Reardon
Reviewer for Collector Times
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