Bombshells: United, Vol. 2: War Bonds

Bombshells: United

by Marguerite Bennett, Sandy Jarrell (Illustrator)

Spinning off of the hit DC Collectibles statue line, the incredible Bombshells reunite once again in a brand-new story about the greatest heroines the world has ever known!

Kate Kane, the all-American Batwoman; Diana f Themyscira, warrior princess of the Amazons; Kara Starikov and Kortni Duginovna, defenders of Mother Russia; and Mera, royal daughter of the legendary Atlantis come together once again in an action packed, female-empowering story: THE BOMBSHELLS!

Marguerite Bennett (Earth 2: World's End) delivers once again in this alternate reality where super-powered women are on the front lines fighting for justice! Collects Bombshells United #7-12.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, LGBT

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2018

Reviews

[The Library Ladies · Rating 3 out of 5]

(originally reviewed at thelibraryladies.com )

I’m feeling a bit morose that this is going to be the second to last “Bombshells” story collection for the foreseeable future. I’ve moved on from being angry to depressed when it comes to this series being cancelled, and I’m thinking that I’m moving closer and closer to acceptance. There are a couple of reasons for this acceptance that are more on the unfortunate side, but more on that in a little bit. Because at the end of the day I still think that it is a damn travesty that DC cancelled this title just because of how unique it is and how it covers a vast swath of characters who come from diverse backgrounds and give diverse voices to the stories they are telling. And now it sounds like I’m reverting back towards anger, so before that happens let’s get to the nitty gritty of what worked, and what didn’t, in “Bombshells United: War Bonds”.

It’s been a little while, but we once again have caught up with Kate Kane and Renée Montoya, aka Batwoman and The Question. They have moved on from their final battle and have ended up back in Spain, where they first met and fell in love. But it’s also where they lost their adopted son Jasón, when mercenary The Cheetah murdered him for the hell of it. The loss is still gaping, and while Kate and Renée have found each other again the pain lingers. I liked that we got to see their grief in this way, as something that will always be with them, even if it isn’t as all encompassing as it had been initially. This theme of grief is where the crux of this story comes in, post-Franco Spain,’s new ruler is a whole new tyrant that we know as Black Adam, who is also haunted by a terrible loss from his past. He is looking for a way to resurrect his dead queen Isis, and has heard of a pit with magical powers that can bring people back to life. But it’s Kate and Renée who stumble upon it first, finding this Lazarus pit in the middle of an underground labyrinth. And who else do they find there, but Talia Al Ghul and Cheetah. And Cheetah is there because she has brought Jasón back to life, as she is now driven by guilt and a need for forgiveness and redemption. Okay folks, it’s real talk time. I really, REALLY appreciate that Bennett is trying to think beyond the usual physical and violent conflict resolution that we see in superhero stories, and I understand that it’s a fun way to show that women’s roles and stereotypes of being peacemakers and nurturers can be subverted into something powerful enough to stand up against super villainy. But, for the love of God, this is the fourth time that a nemesis has seen the evil of their ways thanks to spending time with the Bombshells (or in Cheetah’s and Paula Van Gunther’s cases, just kind of needing the conflict resolution to fit an upcoming plot device), and it is getting old. I am all for redemption arcs, and I think that it’s especially important that bad women in fiction get these arcs since it feels like men do when it suits the storyteller. But I want them to be complex and interesting, not just tossed together in a moment because of peace love and understanding. It also makes it so that our cast of villains becomes smaller and smaller, and you instead need to introduce new (albeit familiar) antagonists to stir the pot, like Black Adam. I will admit that I’m not as familiar with him, as Shazam (aka Miri Marvel as she is in this story) was never a title that I got into very much. But even if I had been into him, I feel like introducing a new huge big bad at this point was just another example of fantasy bloat that “Bombshells” is starting to see more of.

That makes it sound like that I didn’t like anything about this turn of events, and that’s not totally true. Like many stories with similar themes that come before it, Kate and Renée will have to contend with the unforeseen consequences of Jasón’s resurrection. Though it isn’t full on zombie Jasón or anything like that, you do get the sense as the story goes on that perhaps things won’t be as happily ever after as Cheetah intended it to be. I also liked that for Kate and Renée, Cheetah’s actions weren’t automatically welcomed with open arms. They didn’t forgive her automatically because of this, and I thought that that was a realistic and refreshing turn of events. It’s one thing of the Batgirls or Wonder Girls are able to take a former enemy into the fold and show them compassion. But Harvey Dent and Clayface didn’t murder their kids just for the fun of it. I thought that Bennett hit that nail on the head, that atonement doesn’t automatically earn forgiveness.

The art in this collection worked better for me than it did in “Bombshells United: American Soil”, mainly because it didn’t feel as cutesy. There were also nice moments of pondering or waxing poetic on mythology that felt more muted and subdued, and I really took to it. Maybe it helped that during one of these sequences Kate ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MAGGIE SAWYER IS STILL BACK HOME WAITING FOR HER. In any case, I thought that the design worked well and added a lot to the retro style narrative.

As mentioned above, we are only getting one more collection of “Bombshells United” before it’s over. One more. There are so many things that haven’t really been addressed across the other characters, and given that there has been a new explosion of characters I’m worried that the focus is in no way going to be brought back to where it needs to be to have a totally satisfying ending where all loose ends get tied up. And while that is in part certainly the fault of the cancellation (I’m sure that Bennett had lots of really good ideas and paths on how and when she was going to take them on), it’s also in part an example of why exploding character rosters and plot lines can come back and bite you in the butt. As I slide closer to acceptance that this series has ended, I hope that in the next, and final, issue I will walk away with some satisfaction. And that Kate, Diana, Kara, Harley, and all the rest are given their due that they so richly deserve.

[Joana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so GOOD!!! I really like reading the story placed in the Spanish Civil War, and to see the past come to play with the present - these characters work so well together!!
Really LOVED this book, much better than volume one of "Bombshells - United" and I hope to read more :)

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

So now we get some more story with the Bombshells introduced in the last series. I do rather enjoy this series, and the art in this volume is a little softer than in previous ones. Overall, I recommend this to any comic fan!

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork and the coloring are so lovely, character's design is great too! Plus...the Spanish civil war!

More to come

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]

War has been raging now for many years, and the Bombshells seem to be no closer to a resolution despite their many victories. But for Kate Kane and Renée Montoya, a reprieve is in sight. When a magical labyrinth and a pit of healing water returns their lost son to them and offers them sanctuary from the fighting, it could be time for them to throw in the towel. But Miri Marvel can’t stop Black Adam alone, and what is dead should never live again – but is that reason enough for Kate and Renée to throw away what could be their one chance at happiness?

Kate Kane’s always been the main character of Bombshells, when you boil down to it. She was the one that started it all, and is probably the character that appears the most, so it’s about time she show up in Bombshells United. She and Renée’s history is front and centre in this arc, and it’s the driving force behind the conclusion as well. Of course, Marguerite Bennett manages to mesh in her versions of Black Adam and Talia Al Ghul as well, fleshing out the already rich and vibrant world of Bombshells with some more iconic characters.

The scope of this arc is much more personal than the previous one, really homing in on the two main characters and showcasing how far they’ve come, how much they’ve lost, and how much they can still lose. The lens widens up again nearer the end as Black Adam and Miri Marvel take centre stage, but the themes that are prevalent in the earlier issues carry through as Black Adam is faced with the same dilemma as Kate and Renée are.

I feel like what really hurts me when writing these Bombshells reviews is that I know how the series ends. It’s truncated and rushed, and had so much potential, which makes arcs like this seem like they’re focusing on things that aren’t important when we could have had so much more in terms of the broader story. They’re great character pieces, and I really like the story, but it just feels like we didn’t have the time to spend on these things. I don’t want to penalize this arc, or the next one for the same reason, but looking at these stories in retrospect just makes me sad, and it really shouldn’t.

It’s the usual suspects on art for this arc, with Stephen Byrne and Mirka Andolfo tackling most of the chapters, while the likes of Richard Ortiz, Siya Oum, and Sandy Jarrell also show up here and there. Bombshells was never the most consistent in terms of art style, but it was pretty high on the art quality, and I’m glad that that’s continued over into Bombshells United.

Bombshells United’s second arc is a success all around, in terms of characters, artwork, and world building. The only real problem with it is retrospective; if you take it as it is, Bombshells readers will enjoy it immensely. But if you take it as part of Bombshells United as a whole, it’ll make you feel more than a little sad.

[Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of Marguerite Bennett's Bombshells and Bombshells United , especially as pertains to Bennett's representation of the world as it should be where no one is put down or put out for their sexuality or the color of their skin or what have you. Given that the current president panders to his base by excluding anyone who isn't a privileged cis white male, Bennett's work is groundbreaking--the world as it should be is not what it is and it is important that Bennett keep telling these stories so that we have a map to making it a reality.

But not every story that happens in the world as it should be focuses on the world as it should be. If we accept (and we should accept) that homosexuality is only part of someone's identity and not the core of it (this has always been silly to me--we don't count heterosexuality as one of these identity markers--then again when we do such things the end goal is often to exclude) then by extension, sometimes the stories will not focus on such things. In the earlier Bombshells series we learn that Kate Kane, Batwoman, currently involved with Detective Maggie Sawyer (possible because unlike in Batwoman the Bombshells don't live in the "real" DC universe) actually had a relationship with Renee Montoya (The Question) when both fought against fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Tragically, the relationship crumbled when their adopted son, Jason is killed by the Cheetah. But this being based on the "real" DC Universe, we up to this point have not met the Bombshells version of Talia Al-Ghul, nor have we seen a Lazarus Pit. This presents both Kate and Renee with an opportunity--the Cheetah, attempting to make amends for her past, uses the Pit to resurrect Jason--what does this mean for Kate and Renee's shared past and for their future?

Of course, the action revolves around another person discovering the Lazarus Pit, in this case Black Adam. Adam has his own grief that he is dealing with and he views the Pit as the means to his salvation, but it turns out that his motivation is misguided and the gift he intends to bestow may not be appreciated by its intended. In the process, Kate and Renee are able to figure out what Jason's return means to them, both individually and as a couple. As with Blake Crouch's novel Recursion , the Lazarus Pit in some ways exists as a manner of changing the past and as with Recursion the law of unintended consequences arrives in full force.

Ultimately, War Bonds may be one of the more human stories of Bombshells collections, but it distills down to a story of what happens when two people who love each other are forced to deal with tragedy and the destructive effect that has on them. In a perfect world, this story would be fine, but Bennett is showing us the world as it should be, and up to this point Bombshells story arcs have advocated this. This story takes a step back, I think--especially with Black Adam's expanded role in the action. Perhaps continually harping on the fact that the world as we know it sucks when it comes to the rights of the LGBT community and minorities is overkill, but when you take into account that the Batwoman creative team resigned because DC editorial wouldn't let Kate and Maggie get married, I'm willing to argue that they aren't saying it enough. Yes, stories like War Bonds should just be the norm, but that's how it works in the world as it should be.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comic shows what Bombshells could be if it weren't trying to shove every single female character in the DC Universe (as well as several of the males) into a fairly short series of comics. This trade paperback consists entirely of Batwoman, the Question, and a few other characters (most of whom were already introduced) fighting Black Adam (a Shazam villain), who is trying to uncover a Lazarus Pit in Spain to revive his wife, Isis, who had killed herself to end an ancient war.

It's great to see Miri Marvel/Shazam again, and the Lazarus Pit was a great way to help bring some closure to Kate and Renee's arc. Cheetah definitely received one of the better redemptions in Bombshells. It was interesting to see her try to undo her cruelest action, only for it to backfire. I may try my hand at writing fan fic of her future adventures with Tahlia.

Isis is an interesting character. It's disappointing to see the Woman in the Refrigerator trope in a series whose main selling point is showcasing so many of DC's female characters. There doesn't seem to be a lot about these versions of the characters to say they couldn't switch places--have Isis become the occult despot to revive Black Adam.

Another thing to talk about is that this seems to be treating death differently in DC Bombshells. There is a scene where Supergirl and Wonder Woman discuss what happens after death while Supergirl is mourning Stargirl. I felt like it was treated like a reassuring mystery. Here, I got the impression that what's after death here is a very vital nothing.

[ElphaReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was great seeing Kate Kane again, and I really did enjoy the plot line with the Lazarus pit. Plus, I liked the emotional upheaval that Kate and Renee had to face when Jacon came back from the dead all thanks to Cheetah, and the fallout from that.

But, once again, this story is going for the 'the power of love can redeem all' theme, and it's starting to feel repetitive. This time it's Cheetah who has seen the error of her ways, and she feels so bad about her past misdeeds (because so does her former ally Paula Van Gunther) that she wants to make it up to her former enemies and be on the side of right. That's fine. But it's starting to get a little old. I would like to see a bit more variety in how conflicts get resolved in these stories, and I would REALLY like to see a bit more growth and motivation beyond 'because it's the right thing to do'.

I still really like this series and I really like the characters. But I do hope that the conflict resolution gets shaken up a bit as the story goes on.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been holding off on reviewing this volume for a while, but it turns out this hasn't helped me get my thoughts together. On the one hand, I think this was a big improvement on the first volume of Bombshells United -- it was much tighter as a narrative, fewer extraneous new characters, and a welcome return to Kate and Renee as protagonists. On the other: I have been waiting for Jason's resurrection since his character was introduced, and THIS is what I get? Excuse me. I can recognize that it's a better narrative decision while still being absolutely furious about it. (Also, I'm kind of ehnnnn on Cheetah's redemption -- i think there's kind of a limit on how many Nazis can be good guys now, you know? Cheetah would have been a much better candidate than the Baroness, actually, which makes me even more annoyed at the attempted redemption arc in volume one. Sometimes villains are just bad! They don't all need to see the error of their ways!)

[Wren Worthington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so this was a wild fucking ride. It was pretty regular bombshells material for the most part (i.e., nothing insanely good but definitely shit I love). Then came the intro of my girl talia al ghul and I was,,,,,, disappointed. Like I'm glad her character didn't revolve around ra's like it sometimes does but she was drawn very uuuuh,,,, pale, in very,,,,,,, exoticised clothes. So yeah :/ But then they hit me with the really fucking good writing with isis, jasón and the minotaur all choosing to sacrifice themselves and the conclusion of the red thread metaphor/motif that had been present throughout the volume. And then they gave me healthy grieving and moving on as well as robin symbolism so yeah suffice to say I Wept. All in all one of my favourite volumes of this series but the talia stuff bothered me so much that I just can't rate it as high as I want to.

[Drucilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batwoman was never my favorite in this series so I didn't miss it when she disappeared from the storyline, but Bennett did a good job of bringing her back here. Black Adam, the Lazarus Pit, and all of the other DC comics lore that's introduced in this volume is done really well. I do have one nit-pick and it's really terrible of me to point it out, but it was so glaring that it stopped me while I was reading. This series always has multiple artists working on it but a drawback from that is that things aren't always consistent from issue to issue. In this instance, a scene is colored completely different from the previous issue. In the first one, it looks like it's a brightly lit room and in the follow up, a dark room with only the green light of the Lazarus pit to light it.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, the breakout character in the Bombshell series has been Batwoman. It was Batwoman's story that kicked off the series but she soon fell to the wayside as others took over. So I was glad when Kate Kane returned with her own story separate from the other Bombshells. This is one that still takes place during an alternate WWII but it is set in Spain and involves different characters. The story is also better written and easier to follow than some of the other volumes. The artwork compliments the warmth of the story and because the story is focused so much on one character The pages are not too busy or loud. I really enjoyed this book and consider it to be one of the best in this uneven series, it could probably stand on its own as a Batwoman entry as well.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story moves to Spain, where Black Adam has ousted Franco as dictator. The story delves into Adam's past, and thus this reality's version of the Shazam mythos, as well as bringing in Talia al Ghul, among others. The focus, however, is more on Batwoman and her bonds to those around her, following up on some of the background previously explored in other volumes. This works really well, and Black Adam seems a perfect fit as a jackbooted fascist. While the artwork is still variable (although this time around, more often good than weak) the bittersweet tale with the usual period touches puts the series back on track, just in time for the finale in the next volume.

[Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying the second volume of Bombshells a bit more than the first, as it focuses on just a few characters in smaller adventures.

That said, I think this volume also really showcases that Marguerite Bennett is probably a nice person who enjoys musicals and Jane Austen and fanfic rather than, say, Guns of Navarone. Once Black Adam gets a sorta-redemption at the end (I think this happens to almost every villain in this series?), I figured we weren't entirely on the same wavelength in terms of what we want out of media. But it's NICE. The girls all look nice and are 90% gay and have cute otufits.

Mirka Andolfo sure knows how to draw a lady yo. Talia's Arabian Nights look? Daaayummm

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

TBH I am puzzled...

I was very nicely surprised by vol1 of Bombshells United so I expected the story of UNITED again.
Yet this is story only about Batwoman... So... why did this time the authors of the United project decide to make such a mistake to talk about one character in the project dedicated to all of the characters united.... I will never understand...

Dont get me wrong , the story was nicely done...artwork amazing as always with Bombshells... but the question remains and I hope I ll get the opportunity to ask authors again why did they tell the story about Kate Kane only under the United umbrella.... Although she surely is after Wonder Woman my dearest dc female hero...

[Dallas Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to greatly miss Batwoman in these last few Bombshell volumes.

She's back with her playful signature banter for a bit, but this story has a lot more depth and pondering with her.
For those we feel a thread through in our lives, a closeness, how do we rationalize and understand it, what does it mean?

An all time favorite page in here tries to answer these thoughts and more.

Also has a huge Shazam and Black Adam fan, we get a rendition of those characters that feels like a must to check out!

Some additional fallout to other Bombshells more related to Batwoman here, fantastic stuff all around!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story this one told. Bombshells United issues seem to be telling longer stories of one or A couple characters rather than small snippets of lots of characters. I still want to see more new characters get added, characters that the designs were already made - like green lantern and star fire. But I really enjoyed this issue. I love batwoman and Shazam - and maybe that’s why I’m rating this issue so highly.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume was slightly better than the first one. This collection focuses on Kate Kane and Renee Montoya and their adventures in Spain. It was nice to have a collection that was just about Batwoman, some of the other Bombshells collections suffer from having too many Bombshells in the pot. I didn't find this Bombshells super compelling, but it wasn't terrible either. Just kinda meh.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This still remains one of my favourite series. Loved the story of Batwoman in this one. So heartfelt and bittersweet. Mirka Adolfo's art was amazing as always too but Stephen Byrne's art and colouring absolutely blew me away. Stunning!

[raphaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragically beautiful

I think, in one way or another, we can all relate to the concept of loss and this story showed it. Just how it can drive us to do anything to change the outcome of a single tragedy.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

TALIAAAAAAAA.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art style seemed to change on this midway through, which was disconcerting. I felt very bad for Maggie Sawyer back in Gotham. She deserves better!!!

[Edward Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series isn't quite as good as the previous one featuring the Bombshells, and it's no surprise that volume 3 will be the last, but it's better than some of the stuff out there.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid war time story about relationships (bonds) and what they can mean for us...using superheroes.

[Ma'Belle · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with the first volume of this spin-off sequel series, I really liked certain elements present, but it felt like a chore to read otherwise.

[Rivulet027 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy stories that explore grief and this was wonderful.

[Burton Olivier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story and some wonderful art in this one.

[Brigid Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

so good!! art is much better in this one! this was such a creative way to bring jason back and i love how complicated batwoman’s relationships are

[Theo · Rating 2 out of 5]

art and concepts are brilliant but i felt like i was in a fever trying to understand the plot so i can’t say i overly enjoyed it

[WendyTheOwl · Rating 3 out of 5]

FR
Il faut savoir que j'avais lu la première "collection" des Bombshells, et que j'avais beaucoup aimé. J'ai mis du temps à me plonger dans United, car je savais que ça avait été annulé.
Et je dois avouer que je n'ai pas autant aimé que les six premiers tomes. J'ai trouvé ces histoires trop "fouillis", je n'ai pas toujours aimé les dessins. Une petite déception, mais ça va encore !!

ENG
You should know that I had read the first "collection" of the Bombshells, and that I really liked. It took me a while to get into United because I knew it had been called off.
And I have to admit that I prefer the first six books. I found these stories too "messy", I did not always like the drawings. A small disappointment, but it's okay !!