Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Image, Review | Tagged: a man among ye, false, image, image comics, stephanie phillips, top cow

A Man Among Ye #3 Review: Anne Bonny Forms a Crew

A Man Among Ye #3 continues the Image Comics/Top Cow-published historical-fiction pirate comic by writer Stephanie Phillips, artist Craig Cermak, colorist John Kalisz, and letterer Troy Peteri. The first two issues blended fact and thrilling fiction in this gripping tale of Anne Bonny, Calico Jack Rackham, and Mary Read. Can this third issue of A Man Among Ye keep up this riveting pace?

Everything that readers loved about A Man Among Ye #1 and #2 is present in #3, as Anne and Mary face off with another pair of women as they both attempt to steal a ship. Phillips takes on Anne is consistently nuanced, as she's ruthless in some ways but is, when she sees a woman fighting for something, willing to find respect in her opponents, always quick to forge an alliance when one can be formed. What starts here as a fight to the death becomes a partnership of what seems like situational trust. Still, Phillips' clever writing suggests, without saying it, that Anne Bonny may just be an exceptional judge of character. Due to her own circumstances, Bonny is quick to relate to a powerful woman fighting back against the roles she is expected to play, and that leads to her in this issue developing a bit of a crew of her own.

The art from Cermak and Kalisz is expressive and naturalistic, finding a balance between realism and stylized, simplified lines that evokes both the clean work of the Luna Brothers and the deep shading of someone like Stephen Mooney. This blend makes for a unique comic book with simple, straight-forward panelization that facilitates the action and character beats of the story. Everything here is understated, even Peteri's lettering, allowing the character work to shine.

Overall, A Man Among Ye continues to be a gripping blend of historical fiction and comic book action that readers will not want to miss.

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