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BARBARELLA AND THE WRATH OF THE MINUTE-EATER HC (graphic novel review)

Review by Benn Robbins
Barbarella and The Wrath of The Minute-Eater
Written and Illustrated by Jean-Claude Forest 
Adapted by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Published by Humanoids Inc.
EAN 9781594651045 / $34.95 

I love Barbarella.

I think I covered that in my last review for the first oversized hardcover collection that Humanoids published. You can read that HERE.

I had previously, only read the stories collected in the first book. They were the only ones made available in English for a very long time.

I couldn’t even find The Wrath Of The Minute-Eater in its native French, let alone English.

So when Humanoids announced they had the rights to Barb and were giving it a glorious treatment that I have come to love, I was psyched.

I was psyched because not only would I finally have a hardcover of the Original Barbarella stories but I would FINALLY be able to read the continuing stories of my favorite cosmic girl and her quirky adventures through space and time. This time around the story is a single tale told almost episodically. Though it feels a bit choppy in parts, it never lost me as a reader.

I think it helped itself through it’s fast paced storytelling and stunning visuals.

The Wrath Of The Minute-Eaters did not disappoint. It was a rollicking, titillating and somewhat psychedelic blast.

A giant carnivorous ear, sex robots, and a host of new and crazy characters join Barb and her returning crew of the “Big Bug” spacecraft as they take her newest attraction the Circus Delirium to a new dimension to find new and exciting attractions for her to showcase. Thanks to an aquatic-man named Narval and his dimensional transporter; Barbarella, Bill and ’Timec travel to the world of Spectra.

Hoping to find strange and wild acts, Barbarella realizes, almost too late that there is ulterior motive in the aquatic man’s motives and the adventure and danger begin in earnest.

Wrath of the Minute-Eater is jam packed with even more wonderful imagery and tons of tongue-in-cheek humor than it’s predecessor. Intrigue and even more sexual tension, that we have all come to expect, from creator Jean-Claude Forest dances off the pages at a break-neck pace.

I really love the fluidity of his pen and the ease in which he is able to convey so much detail and nuance with such simple line work. He is a master of achieving the perfect glance and look given by each character as to let the reader know what is really going on in their minds.

Barbarella’s power and confidence are never betrayed and though she may seem the naive fool. She constantly catches her enemies ff guard with her forwardness and sexuality. Prevailing in the end and getting the best of every situation, even if it results in the loss of some of her clothing. Whatever. She doesn’t care. Sexuality is a tool and a weapon to those defenseless against the feminine wiles she possesses.

Kelly Sue DeConnick(Captain Marvel, Pretty Deadly, Avengers Assemble), once again, knocks it out of the proverbial park with her adaptation. Retaining all the nuance required to keep it “in the times it was written” but making it accessible to a modern audience, DeConnick is once again the perfect choice to bring this French erotic science fiction story to a new contemporary English reading audience.

This book fills me with such joy and I can only hope that Barbarella’s re-emergence into the comic and pop culture stream of conscience will mean that not only will we see a reprinting of the 1977 story The False Moon and Forest’s collaboration with artist Daniel Billon for the 1982 The Storm Mirror but possibly new stories of our emancipated space heroine maybe from DeConnick herself or a number of other amazing comic writers and artists that immediately come to my mind.

Here is to hoping that this sexually liberated female space adventurer of the past will become today’s modern day sci-fi heartbreaker and name taker. I hope someone out in the ‘verse is listening.

This needs to happen.

As the 1968 film tag line says, lets “See Barbarella do her thing!”

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