In a setting that feels both mythological and futuristic, can the meager forces of The Morrigan, Goddess of Death keep in check the armies of Brigid, Goddess of the Sun? Find out in She Said Destroy #1!

SHE SAID DESTROY #1

Writer: Joe Corallo
Artist: Liana Kangas
Colorist: Rebecca Nalty
Letterer: Melanie Ujimori
Publisher: Vault Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 29, 2019

Previously in She Said Destroy: Brigid, the Goddess of the Sun has taken over the solar system, converting everyone except for one colony into worshipping her. The last holdouts believe in The Morrigan, Brigid’s sister, Goddess of Death. Brigid is preparing to take them over too, unless The Morrigan has some hidden reserves she can draw upon.

MODERN AND MAGICAL CLASH

She Said Destroy #1 opens on a world that appears both modern and magical, and we get a crash course in the central conflict. This was once a world that had a wide variety of gods, and now it’s down to two, Brigid and The Morrigan, and we see this story from The Morrigan’s point of view. It’s a fascinating concept, rooted loosely in Irish mythology, which could equally be a tale about rebellion against the powers that be, or a metaphor about monotheism.As we draw closer in, we meet the main character, Winona, sparring with her friend Raul. Something big is happening, and Winona is as excited as her friend is not.

We cut to Brigid’s flagship. She directs her people to where she believes her sister’s people are. They find a little outpost that is held by a single person, Jackelyn, who offers some of her blood for help from the Queen of the Fairies. The power that emanates from her kills one of the attackers, and by breaking her sword, she destroys all their weapons. Still, Brigid’s forces outnumber her and capture her.

Back in The Morrigan’s colony, everything is in an uproar as they’ve learned that Brigid is approaching. We also learn that Winona is the favored one. She’s the one the fairies cluster around. And plainly Raul is a bit jealous. The Morrigan shows then enough of a vision that they can tell what happened to Jackelyn, but Winona needs to go to the Fairy Conclave and try to get guidance from The Morrigan more directly. She insists on taking Raul along. He seems to think she’s feeling sorry for him, but she wants him, as a friend, to be with her so they can do this together. Winona’s strength seems to be bringing out the best in people. What troubles me about this is that we have to be told this, as we don’t see enough to be able to figure this out yet for ourselves.

I think the concept is interesting, and it’s opening with threads that have a lot of potential. But I’m having some trouble understanding what places and relationships we really have here so far. Did Jackelyn’s outpost have any people in it besides her? Was she on the same world as the main colony? Are Winona and Raul some kind of special monastic or religious students, or are they just a couple of normal young people? Why do we care about The Morrigan other than that she is the underdog and our point of view narrator?

SOME TRULY LOVELY MOMENTS

The art style in She Said Destroy #1 has an economy of linework that sets things out boldly and simply. There’s an appropriate use of establishing shots which are very pretty and, with a few well-chosen details, give us a fair amount of flavor. The world Winona is on has floating islands, a lot of lush, green forests, and at least one city with massive skyscrapers. Jackelyn’s outpost is also on a floating island, and she seems to be in a secluded temple, but I cannot figure out where it is in relation to Winona – it could be the next island over, one more island out of thousands, or in some other sector of space.

There’s good use of color and symbolism. Brigid wears a sun crown, and her colors are generally in the warm end of the spectrum. The Morrigan uses a lot of crow symbolism, and there’s a lot of purples and blues used for her. Despite the simple line work, the characters are quite expressive, and the cast is diverse which helps make the world feel richer.

BOTTOM LINE: THE FIRST SMALL BIT OF A BIG STORY

She Said Destroy #1 has a title that really grabs you, and it feels like there is a lot of story here yet to be told. I don’t yet have a sense of what is at stake for anyone, but this issue intrigues me enough that I’m curious to see where it goes next.

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