Princess Sally (Mini-Series): Issue 2

 
Princess Sally (Mini-Series): Issue 2
Publication Date: March 1995

Issue 2 of the “Princess Sally” mini-series disappointingly retreads a lot of the same ground as the first issue. Sally, St. John, and her team of Freedom Fighters set their eyes on the third and final power station. Located on an atoll and inaccessible by land or sea, the two instead drop in from the skies. Arlo is shot down in the landing and Penelope stays after him. Sally and the team successfully destroy the station, battling the giant robot guarding it. As night falls, there’s still no sign of Arlo or Penelope, Geoffrey’s shaky allegiances comes into question, and Sally’s fate is up in the air.

So, yeah, part 2 of “Deadliest of the Species” follows a very similar outline to part one. In both, Hamlin and Geoffrey argue. In both, the team sneaks into a dangerous location, guarding by automatic weapons. In both, they are beset by a giant robotic threat once inside. Both end with a mysterious sequence set inside some strange building.

However, as a rip-off of Penders’ own work, part two still functions alright. The Octo-Pod, a grotesque robotic combination of octopus and insect, is certainly a more threatening presence then the buffoonish Orb-Bots. The air drop with the hang gliders is a good sequence and features some of the series’ snappiest dialogue. Like the first part, the focus is still on action and upward-moving pacing. So there’s no slow moments in issue 2. Though lacking slightly in freshness, it’s still a satisfying action story.

Mostly, the heart of the tale emerges in two ways. First, there’s Sally’s thoughts for her team mates. The new Freedom Fighters are still a thinly defined bunch. The opening page describes the personality of everyone. Hamlin is a hot-headed prick. Penelope is friend to the animals. Arlo would sacrifice anything for his friends. Dylan is young and thoughtful in both mind and heart. Okay, sure. There’s not much evidence of that in this story. However, Sally’s decision to not stay behind for Arlo when he’s injured is interesting. It shows that the character is a military leader and sacrifices sometimes have to be made in combat. The comic also draws attention to how it’s not an easy decision for her to make. The two’s disappearance also adds some dramatic tension to the book’s latter half.

And then there’s the issue of Geoffrey St. John. The story continues to emphasize his skills as a badass. He successfully blows up the Octo-Pod. (This scene also shows Penders’ weakness for team writing. Sally and Geoff dominate the action. Everyone else just hangs out.) However, we still aren’t sure if we can trust him. The final pages show the skunk offering Sally’s body to Robotnik, foiling the team’s planned assault on Robotropolis. However, a smart reader can identify this as a red herring. One panel hints at too much. St. John had traded Sally with some sort of double, this all being part of a plan to subvert Robotnik. Once again, Penders has a bad habit of showing too much of his hand, spoiling any dramatic tension.

So part 2 isn’t as good as part 1. It’s still a reasonably successful story with some decent attempts at emotional heart but much of the excitement has started to drain away. Art Mawhinney’s artwork is typically great and continues to provide a lot of pleasure to this series. Will “Deadliest of the Species” end on an up-note? Find out next time! [7/10]