Rogue Angel: Teller of Tall Tales

by Barbara Randall-Kesel

Annja Creed is a world-traveling archeologist who also happens to be the heir to Joan of Arc's mystic sword. In this debut story, Annja's drive to explore unrecorded, shadowy history leads her to Virginia City in search of a rumored manuscript that could change the public perception of Mark Twain forever. But a very powerful mystery man doesn't want anyone to find the truth, and will stop at nothing - not even murder - to keep Annja away from the answers she seeks.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

Reviews

[Craig]

Annja Creed was the star of fifty-seven paperback novels published by the men's adventure Gold Eagle line between 2006 and 2015. She's an archaeologist and television host with attributes of Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, Sara Pezzini, and she adventures solidly in the best 1930's pulp traditions. She also commands the mystical sword of Joan of Arc, and frequently faces supernatural foes. This is a graphic novel based on the character set in Virginia City where she's been called in to help excavate an area where Mark Twain once worked. It's a fun story, with pretty good supporting characters. There's a somewhat heavy-handed message that racism and misogyny are bad (that is self-evident within the story without explication), and the back-story gets a little too convoluted, but other than that it's pretty well written. The art isn't bad but doesn't fit the adventure well; it's a little too cartoonish, and Annja looks a bit too much like a junior high school girl cosplay. The covers from the individual issues by Rebecca A. Wrigley are included at the back and they're excellent.

[Robert]

Another promising series derailed by lazy ideology.

The author bought into the (incorrect) belief that crying 'racism' is a trump card that wins every argument, and now thinks that describing a villain as 'racist' is the only character development you need.

The author is wrong, and the art suffers for it.

[Emily]

Picked up the first book in the mass market fiction series because I liked this comic so much!

[Grab]

Finally a kick-ass comic with a strong leading lady in charge not attached to a man and unapologetic about the fact that she's a woman. The novels are excellent, and I sincerely hope and pray the IDW pursues doing more of them (there is no shortage of them to choose from) with De Liz and Dillon again. Many times over. Renae De LizRay Dillon

[Michael]

Take a dash of Tomb Raider, add a sprinkle of Witchblade and a light glaze of Highlander and what do you get? A book that 'rots like bad pulp'. Well maybe not that bad but it is pretty bland and the plot is a bare MacGuffin of the month for bad guys and good girls to chase after. Maybe it would get better but this seems very lazy to me. The art doesn't really lend much of a hand to the production either.