As a recently married young man who knows his daughters will be as opinionated and vocal as his wonderful wife, I keep a short list of things I want to share with those future daughters. This is a list of books and movies that will inspire them and guide them to be who they want to be and never fear bullying or retribution for their choices. At the top of this list is a new comic book called Princeless.
Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin have created a series that defies expectations. It is a series that asks questions like why should princesses wait around to be swept off their feet by princes? Why can’t a young girl take up her father’s craft and excel at it? Why should a young boy be ridiculed for being smart and sensitive? All of these wonderful ideas are wrapped up in a beautiful comic that is heartwarming, funny, and full of high-stakes adventures.
Last year, Whitley released 4 issues of Princeless, which took off and began to sell out immediately. This year, he returns with Princeless Volume 2, which presents the further adventures of Princess-turned-knight Adrienne as she decides she’s done waiting to be saved and takes on an epic quest to free her sisters from their towers. Volume 1 provided readers with a hilarious and touching tale of a family thrown into turmoil by the brave decision of their daughter. Volume 2 takes the reader into a wider world where even young Adrienne will have her assumptions challenged.
Whitley and Goodwin have crafted an amazing all-ages comic that everyone should be reading. More importantly, this is a book you should be sharing with your loved ones and discussing. It is a fun children’s book that at the same time challenges its readers to evaluate their own decisions. Parents and children can find it difficult to discuss their hopes, expectations, and fears. They often face the same challenges that Adrienne and her parents face, except maybe with less dragons. It is rare for a comic to go above and beyond entertainment, but Princeless is a series that offers readers so much more.
Princeless Volume 1 is available in trade paperback from publisher Action Lab Entertainment, it will start releasing in single issues to comic shops very soon, and it is currently available for pre-order. They are also available on Comixology, if you can’t find a digital copy. So, what are you waiting for? A knight in shining armor to sweep you off your feet and buy you a comic? Forget that; go and buy yourself a copy right now!
