Isabellae Volume 1 is on sale now in comic shops. It's the story of a young woman, fighting to take charge of her destiny in the midst of feudal Japan. It's an action story filled with samurais, ghosts, bounty hunting, and strong, empowered women. Isabellae came to Dark Horse through Kari Torson, Director of International Licensing. Originally published in France, Isabellae found critical acclaim with international comics fans. Now, for the first time ever, it's collected in English, and ready to reach audiences hungry for a new spin on the classic heroine. Here's what Kari had to say about what inspired her to bring Isabellae to Dark Horse!
"This gorgeously illustrated and brilliantly colored bandes dessinée had me hooked from the start. Like the feminist lovechild of Kill Bill and The Witcher, Isabellae is a refreshing response to the gritty, violent, male-centric action/adventure stories that seem to dominate in our industry. This genre tends to apologize for physically strong women by overly sexualizing them. However, with Isabellae, Raule and Gabor have given us a story in which the main characters own their sexuality en total–they decide when and how to use it, if at all. And more often than not, the male characters acknowledge and defer to the mental and physical prowess of their female counterparts. It’s empowering to see that.
Isabellae is the hero I’ve been waiting for, and bringing her story to Dark Horse is an absolute honor." -Kari Torson, Director of Interntaional Licensing.
Pick up Isabellae Volume 1 in comic shops today and in book stores on August 20! Look for Isabellae Volume 2 in comic shops on November 6!
Montana Kane, translator
Raule, writer of Isabellae
Gabor, artist of Isabellae