Dynamite Entertainment crossovers don’t have the best track record (see Prophecy), but when Fables creator Bill Willingham does one, you kind of have to take notice. Legenderry: A Steampunk Adventure promises to reimagine characters like Vampirella, Green Hornet, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Phantom, Red Sonja, Zorro and Flash Gordon, among others, into a shared world with a that particular aesthetic that mixes 1800s styles with industrial technology.
In the first issue, we see Vampirella – or Madam Pendragon – as the mysterious proprietor of Club Scarlet, a happening hotspot where fancy types are to be seen – including wealthy newspaper publishing magnate Britt Reid (whom you may know as The Green Hornet). Their extended flirtation about mixology is interrupted by one Magna being chased into the building by masked thugs looking to kill her – and Madam Pendragon takes it personally, mutilating the lot of them with a heavy amount of carnage. Curiously, the subsequent police investigation – for which Pendragon is less than forthcoming – reveals that all of the thugs seem to be clones of each other, marked with the same scar over their left eyes. After seeing the police out, Pendragon and Reid get Magna’s story – it seems she’s the younger sister of one Sonja Spadarossa, who sailed a way on a ship called the Auroroa Quest a year ago and hasn’t been heard from since. Magna’s inquiries into her disappearance have been met with disturbing discouragement from mysterious sources – culminating in the thug attack. Pendragon and Reid resolve to figure things out – which involves a celebrity gossip monger named Felix Avalon collaborating with the mystery man in charge of the masked thugs.
The whole ‘steampunk’ notion has always been kind of neat as a general concept, although it’s become such a “thing” at this point that it feels more like an affectation rather than a unique experience. Thankfully, it seems to be a secondary concern in Legenderry so far. Willingham is also thankfully not bum-rushing as many of the famous characters out in the first issue as he can, which helps us feel like this is a bit more of a story than it is a gimmick. Pendragon’s extended action sequence, which she goes about in a matter-of-fact demeanor, is pretty cool, and Sergio Davila has a good old time going for broke on it with his artwork – which is as impressively detailed as is necessary when depicting the whole steampunk aesthetic. There are times when Davila’s facial expressions leave a bit to be desired, but overall, his style is very busy and his facial differentiation is commendable.
This is a seven-part series, so hopefully Willingham has enough time to craft a story that breathes. It’s mildly interesting at the moment, but not particularly exciting. Perhaps that will change as the tale develops. We’re likely to get Kato action in the next issue, after all, and the recent resurgence of Red Sonja makes me curious as to how she’ll fit into a world like the one in Legenderry. Also, the Phantom could be really cool, too. The possibilities are fun to consider, but that goes with just about any reimagining of franchise characters in different settings. Willingham’s job will be to make that translate into a good tale, and he may just do it.
