Depending on how we count the more batshit parts of her… ahem, armor, Jaïna from La Geste des Chevaliers Dragons scores up to three bingos! And judging even just by covers, other dragon knights would get similar results:
I was looking for an opportunity to bring this comic up again, and eventually bingo seemed to be the most appropriate way.
The reason to remind you of this title is that it’s getting its non-awaited official English translation as Chronicles of the Dragon Knights. And English readers deserve a warning.
This comic holds a special (non positive) place in my heart, as it is a softcore porn pulp thinly veiled as a “feminist” deconstruction of fantasy tropes. And one of original inspirations for this blog.
Going through the first issue alone made me cringe at least every other page. The problem with Dragon Knights include, but are not limited to:
- the core idea hinges on demonizing female sexuality (if all women lose virginity, there’s no-one to save the world from dragons)
- writing makes no sense (men constantly insult their saviors for being women, main character’s mission is jeopardized for an easy to avoid reason)
- art is rife with tropes that are heart and soul of sites like @eschergirls or @comicartcorrections, like Sameface Syndrome, crotchleg, Subway sandwich thigh and long pelvises
- the dragon knight costumes (obviously) qualify for BABD material
Nothing about it makes sense other than “let’s have an excuse to draw hot chicks with swords in ridiculous skimpy armor posing weirdly against elaborate, yet mediocre dragons and mutants”.
But what else shall be expected from something that keeps the same-faced heroines with the constant dull pout expression have their boobs or butts put front and center of every panel possible?
~Ozzie
Years ago, unbeknownst to the public, the U.S. government began to capture more and more various creatures, building a walled city and setting up an experimental testing facility on an abandoned island in the Pacific Ocean.
Within a few years the island was filled with hundreds of different creatures, and government scientists worked to understand them.
But in 2012 disaster struck and the island was evacuated. Now the inmates have taken over and gangs of different species fight for control within the city walls.
But something was left behind on Monster Island, something the government desperately needs. And the only way to recover it is to send an elite unit into the most dangerous place in the world: Monster Island.
How convenient that one of the iconic “monsters” happened to be an extra from “Generic Fantasy MMORPG” – to the extent where the only other monsters showcased on covers are a horned cyclops and an extra from 60s Planet of the Apes movie. (Zenescope’s collective creativity continues to shine)
I can’t help but feel that if I was going to pitch a project based on the idea of an island of monsters… that you might want to focus on a variety of horrifying monsters rather than horrifying and cliche outfits.
And oh, the “sexy Boba Fett” outfit in the middle, that’s a “cosplay” variant cover… that’s how committed to not showcasing their core idea on the cover that they are. They’d rather use other people’s ideas and use it as an excuse to put sexy women on the cover.
– wincenworks
As promised last year, here’s the Thor-Wonder Woman bingo! That costume easily qualifies for top 5 of worst things Diana ever wore to fight in. It makes my brain hurt.
~Ozzie
Turns out, it doesn’t take an impossible amount of effort to make a male character look both quite sexually available and genuinely powerful at the same time. All without contorted posing or questionable anatomy.
So, why it is so difficult to depict female characters in the same manner, if they’re supposed to be “empowered”?
~Ozzie