Graphically Designed
The 11th Hour salutes comic heroines to cheer for.
      by Alicia Thompson

Painkiller Jane

This painkiller's a little more permanent than morphine.

Jane Vasko was a cop, a good one. She had a medal of honor, a fiancee, and a job she loved. She was good enough to be noticed by some important people and be handed a very important assignment -- goin' undercover to bust a designer drug ring run by the Blanco brothers. But her partner blew their cover, leaving Jane wide open. After being dosed with an untested designer drug that left her in a coma for two years, she awoke to find her life as she knew it was gone. But Jane was out for a little payback. With her newfound healing powers, she managed to put the Blancos out of business. Now she lends a hand to people that can't get help any other way. Sounds kind of Angel-esque -- except Jane has much better shoes.

Why I love her: Jane has got attitude to spare. Maybe waking up from a coma makes you really angry. (Faith, anyone?) Jane is into skimpy outfits, and she's a redhead. (What is with all the redheads? Half the X-men are redheads. Maybe the red hair gene is next to the superpower gene.) But she was undercover both times, so the outfits are called for. And apparently the Blancos like redheads, or Jane wouldn't have gotten the assignment to begin with. I don't mind a cliché so much when it's explainable. She's also quite broody, but I guess that's your right if you can survive the full blast of a grenade. Also, her bandages are really quite fashionable.

Painkiller Jane #0 is out now.

More Than Mortal

Deidre: Enemy of bad fairies and shifty-lookin' fellas.

Deidre's been having weird dreams. Dreams about death and war, things she could never have seen in the monastery where she grew up. On an even more disturbing note, she's been losing time. Deidre leaves to search for her past and uncovers more than she expected. But with the help of a man called the Witchfinder, she discovers that she is the new Protector of Ireland, like her ancestor Brigid. She is charged with keeping Ireland free from evil, mostly the bad fairies and anything shifty.

Why I love her: Deidre is scared in the beginning, but wouldn't you be? However, she embraces her duty and she does what she needs to in the end. The author shows a remarkable knowledge of Irish folklore. Of course, if that isn't your thing, Deidre can kick some major ass, thanks to her supernatural status. And, ok, she wears skimpy clothes and that's never explained, but it's the Middle Ages and uh, it's hot in Ireland? In defense of Deidre, the books are compelling and the story captures you to a point that the clothes become less than important. Anyway, those are mostly pinups and covers. I can deal with sexy pinups. Also, she has armor, which never hurts.

More Than Mortal: Otherworlds series is out now.

Shotgun Mary

Here's how we like our comic book chicks: fully clothed and packin' heat.

Shotgun Mary is a spin-off of Warrior Nun Areala. Mary, you see, is a warrior nun. Not two words I'd ever thought to see side by side, but it works. In the comic world, The Vatican has a special forces unit of nuns and priests that fight evil spirits and demons, which Mary was a part of. But Mary was a bit extreme, even for them. So she decided to leave and strike out on her own.

Why I love her: Simply, she kicks major ass. With a massive chip on her shoulder, Mary is going to make evil pay. And if the evil spirit inside you won't leave, well, then you just might have to die. Somebody has to make the tough calls. She doesn't like it, but she'll do it, and you better not get in the way. Mary actually wears pants and long sleeved shirts, as opposed to the coochie-length short shorts that seem to be so popular. Plus, she kills a giant spider with a shotgun. Nice. Not even the Pope tells this girl what to do.

Shotgun Mary is undergoing a major revamp and is due for a relaunch later this year. Hope she's as cool as ever when she returns.

So what have I learned? Decent comic chicks are out there, there just aren't as many as there should be. There are some great comics that are pretty T and A, but are still readable. Sexy pinups and covers do not make the story better, guys! Work on your writing and I'll read it. And throw in some clothes for your girls, and I'll be a fan for life.

Special thanks to Yannick Belzil, Mikkie McGreggor, Benn Dunn, Ian Feller, and Comics and More in Savannah, Georgia.

Meridian is TM and © 2000 CrossGeneration Comics, Inc. All rights reserved. Images used with permission. Shotgun Mary images used with permission, copyright Antarctic Press.

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