Warhammer 40,000: Sisters Of Battle #3 - Marvel Comics

WARHAMMER 40,000: SISTERS OF BATTLE No. 3, December 2021

Whilst there’s certainly ample going on inside Torunn Grønbekk’s well-penned narrative for Issue Three of “Warhammer 40,000: Sisters Of Battle”, it will probably be hard for some of this mini-series’ loyal followers not to feel a slight sense of déjà vu as this comic’s lead protagonists simply continue to travel ever “deeper into the tunnels of Siscia.” Indeed, a fair portion of this twenty-page periodical’s plot could somewhat harshly be viewed as consisting of little more than Canoness Veridyan’s squad once again gunning down a number of emaciated chaos sympathisers against the all-too familiar backdrop of some grungy-looking, subterranean city tunnels; “Are you sure this is the correct path, Novitiate?”

Mercifully though, for those readers able to persevere with this arguable repetitiveness, the Norwegian author still manages to include plenty of intriguing moments with which to keep any fan of “the all-female military force” suitably hooked, such as a tantalising flashback sequence concerning Canoness Selene’s confession on the planet Balta some twenty-three years in the past. These insights into the Emperor’s faithful genuinely help bring some extra depth of character to this comic’s central cast, and help demonstrate just why the tightly-knit crew have been able to outfight so extensively-entrenched an enemy as Milady Crea’s daemonic rebellion.

Furthermore, Grønbekk cloaks the harsh-talking Inquisitor Ander with a thoroughly dislikeable, yet wholly enthralling, shroud of secrecy. Clearly keeping his cards incredibly close to his chest, the member of the Ordo Hereticus absolutely reeks of distrust during his curt conversations with Canoness Preceptor on board the Retribution-class battleship, Fiery Heart, and in doing so makes it disconcertingly clear that Veridyan’s supposedly straightforward mission to merely “retrieve a lost Inquisitorial acolyte” from a heretical uprising is far from the actual truth of the matter.

Ably aiding Torunn with this book’s storytelling is Edgar Salazar, whose well-pencilled layouts certainly contain plenty of “no-holds-barred action” whenever the script requires it. However, it is debatably the Mexican illustrator’s touchingly tender moment portraying Cassia’s life-saving blessing from the Emperor himself, which is potentially the artist’s finest contribution to this particular publication. Surrounded by her aghast comrades-in-arms, the unconscious warrior’s seemingly fatal throat wound is astonishingly shown to miraculously close in unison with the gathering’s vocal prayers for the Master of Mankind to show mercy.

The regular cover art of "WARHAMMER 40,000: SISTERS OF BATTLE" #3 by Dave Wilkins