A Man Among Ye #8 - Image Comics

A MAN AMONG YE No. 8, January 2022

Rather neatly bringing this comic’s second story-arc to both a satisfying and disconcertingly tragic end, fans of Stephanie Phillips’ incarnation of Anne Bonny should get a tremendous amount of enjoyment from Issue Eight of “A Man Among Ye”. In fact, considering that this twenty-page periodical’s plot so succinctly ends “one year later” with the central protagonist giving birth to a baby girl, it is sadly somewhat difficult to imagine where else the pirate queen’s future adventures could really go, unless the famed female buccaneer decides to once again threaten Governor Woodes Rogers’ control of the Caribbean.

Fortunately though, the American author does pen plenty for this book’s lead cast of characters to do before they all seemingly sail off contentedly into a star-lit night’s sky - including the final confrontation between Calico Jack Rackham and his former lover. This swashbuckling duel has arguably been a long time coming, considering the Captain’s early treachery, and doesn’t debatably disappoint as a somewhat sick at heart Bonny manages to hold her own against her significantly stronger opponent, courtesy of at least one feisty kick up into the man’s groin area; “That’s my girl… At least I know you still care.”

Likewise, the ultimate fate of the duplicitous Amira is suitably apt, following Anne’s revelation that she knew the cold-hearted killer was working alongside the disloyal Rackham all along. The smug, overconfident look on the arrogant bounty hunter’s face when she is initially threatened by Bonny imbues her with a distinct unpleasantness, which is later only matched by a genuine sense of ‘just deserts’ as an emotionally distraught Mary Read plunges a fatal sword blade through the lavishly-dressed woman’s chest from behind.

Just as successful as Phillips’ penmanship is Josh George’s pencilling, which does a truly cracking job of depicting the strained relationship between Calico Jack and Anne just before and then during their exchange of sword strokes. The stunned look on Rackham’s face when he realises he’s to become a father is wonderfully illustrated by the “2000 A.D.” artist, and many a reader would undoubtedly have ‘heard’ the parental excitement in his next words if it wasn’t for the Captain’s suddenly savage demise at the hands of the back-stabbing Amira.

Written by: Stephanie Phillips, Art by Josh George, and Colors by: John Kalisz

A Man Among Ye #7 - Image Comics

A MAN AMONG YE No. 7, October 2021

Featuring a truly dynamic opening sequence in which Anne Bonny rather savagely demonstrates just why the Pirate queen is so feared by those cutthroats who sail the high seas, Stephanie Phillips’ narrative for Issue Seven of “A Man Among Ye” certainly sets a cracking pace. But whilst this vicious, and ultimately fatal furore, with a decidedly vile bounty hunter contains some truly sense-shattering swashbuckling with flaming torches, daggers, and deadly throwing knives, this comic arguably sags somewhat in the middle as it focuses upon a whimsical Captain John Rackham reminiscing about his time spent with his former red-haired lover two years earlier.

Of course, such a flashback firmly establishes the tight, intimate bond the pair enjoyed when previously carousing the Caribbean during “the waning days of piracy”, yet such second thoughts as to whether the rugged skipper will actually go through with his plan to give his ex-lover “a slow and painful death” doesn’t necessarily require Josh George to pencil six pages worth of panels. Indeed, a single splash illustration might have just as successfully delivered an insight into Rackham’s internal emotional battle, and resultantly given this comic’s creative team a little more room to explore Bonny’s successful escape from prison.

Enjoyably however, once the American author’s storyline does return to Anne’s desperate flight through a series of poorly-known underground passageways, this book’s earlier briskness returns in spades - most notably once a few well-placed Redcoats spot the fleeing jailbirds as they make their way to the port’s docks. This fracas genuinely helps sell how much more formidable a band of fighters the fleeing women have become since fate first threw them together, and the look of uncertainly upon the British riflemen’s faces as they confront such bold battlers is one of the highlights of the publication.

Likewise it’s nice to see both Phillips and George trying to give the swelling cast as much individual spotlight as possible during these intense, tightly-framed fight scenes. The likes of Jane Castor, Iris and Mary Read have debatably been little more than non-speaking passengers for much of the group’s flight, so it's rather enjoyable to finally witness them either blasting away at a hot-headed assault by the King’s finest, or demonstrating their prodigious seamanship skills when in a pinch. 

The regular cover art of "A MAN AMONG YE" #7 by Josh George

A Man Among Ye #6 - Image Comics

A MAN AMONG YE No. 6, August 2021

Considering that this particular issue’s narrative is largely restricted to the affairs of Anne Bonny whilst the hung-over Pirate Queen stands helplessly imprisoned inside a Caribbean gaol, Stephanie Phillips’ writing still manages to provide the audience with plenty of excitement courtesy of both the murderous machinations of the mysterious Amira, and a foul-looking, tooth-stealing vagabond who stalks this comic’s leading cast for the latter half of the book. Indeed, it’s impressive just how much tension the American author manages to generate from a storyline which predominantly has the likes of Mary, Iris and Jane Castor steadfastly held behind iron bars at the utter mercy of Governor Rogers’ loyal Redcoats.

Foremost of these agitating antagonists has to be the aforementioned Amira, who is soon depicted as being as deadly as she is voluptuous. It’s arguably clear straight from start, whilst she is flirting with a naïve prison guard, that the beautiful woman is up to no good. But even so, the poor man’s grisly poisoning still comes as something of a shock, especially when his terrible death is later made all the more brutally evident by Josh George prodigiously pencilling the still open-eyed deceased staring up at the ceiling in a pool of his own vomit and blood.

Similarly as successful is Phillip’s portrayal of another assassin presumably determined to collect the bounty upon Bonny’s flaming red head. Unlike the extremely talkative Amira, who seems truly blessed with the ‘gift of the gab’, this cold-hearted killer barely utters a syllable, and instead manages to project plenty of intimating menace simply by walking down the jail’s corridors whilst scrapping the end of his blade along one of its walls. Of course, the fact the scarred mercenary also takes the time to gleefully remove one of the dead guard’s teeth with his dagger additionally helps mark him out as one of this twenty-page periodical’s bad guys.

Enchantingly however, not everything within this publication is focussed upon Anne’s somewhat suspicious rescue attempt, with the plot occasionally flitter upon the treacherous Jack Rackham and his own plans to lethally dispatch his former lover. These scenes showing the traitorous pirate being less than happy with his plight as Woodes obedient lapdog are rather satisfying, but also strongly suggest that Amira may well be motivated by more than her desire to recover the long-lost treasure of San Marcos as she claims; “And if we want to catch a woman, we have to do more than think like one. We need a woman’s touch.”

The regular cover art of "A MAN AMONG YE" #6 by Josh George

A Man Among Ye #5 - Image Comics

A MAN AMONG YE No. 5, July 2021

Initially depicting some sedentary-paced scenes involving Anne Bonny and “her crew of lady buccaneers” enjoying the rudimentary diversions of a supposed safe haven, Stephanie Phillips’ script for this opening instalment to her “second volume of A Man Among Ye” is probably best described as one containing two somewhat separate halves. For whilst Jane Castor’s brief attendance at a marvellously-envisaged puppet show certainly contains a modicum or two of tongue-in-cheek violence, it isn’t until the poorly disguised noblewoman encounters some knife-wielding ruffians down a darkish alleyway midway through this twenty-page periodical that things start to get truly interesting.

Indeed, up until Iris reaches for her trademark hand-axe to confront a sinister-looking, one-eyed vagabond, the most excitement this comic’s audience can arguably hope for is either Mary Read’s haughtiness over the Pirate Queen’s protracted sleeping habits or a marvellously-envisaged marionette of Woodes Rogers treacherously slaying a poor-thinking pirate as part of a well-received theatre show; “Anne brings us to this sh*t port and then disappears with booze and whore while I tend the boat and clean her messes. Someone here has to at least try to do something about this situation.”

Enjoyably though, once the criminals are identified by a local, law-abiding sword-smith, the pace of this publication really heats up, with Phillips penning one of this series’ finest moments as Bonny mercilessly engages two British soldiers in an intense flurry of cold steel. Initially, it is debatably easy for some bibliophiles to forget that the titular character is a vicious killer, and can therefore only be seen as an anti-hero at best. However, the American author makes it shockingly clear just where the female felon stands during this skirmish by having the woman lethally stab one redcoat when he’s distracted by being on fire, and unpityingly hacking apart a hapless second trooper after the kneeling figure pleads for mercy.

Ably aiding and abetting all these illegal acts is “Grimm Tales of Terror” artist Josh George, whose ability to imbue all the figures drawn within this comic with plenty of dynamic life really helps sell the lethal intensity of its action-sequences. In addition, this magazine also contains a glimpse of the gifted illustrator’s storytelling process once the actual narrative has concluded, and resultantly offers a rare insight into the world of sketched layouts which is worth the cover price alone.

The regular cover art of "A MAN AMONG YE" #5 by Josh George

A Man Among Ye #4 - Image Comics

A MAN AMONG YE No. 4, January 2021

Firmly fixated upon Anne Bonny’s daring attempt to rescue Captain Jack Rackham from his imprisonment on Fort Nassau, Stephanie Phillips’ narrative for Issue Four of “A Man Among Ye” arguably contains it all, from fast-paced swordplay and ear-shattering explosions through to shrewd scheming and villainous treachery. Indeed, apart from this twenty-page periodical’s rather frustrating conclusion, which sees the injured female pirate and her unconventional crew fleeing from the Bahamas-based fortification empty-handed, this comic book is virtually flawless, and doubtless will have many within its audience clamouring for the American author to pen some more adventures about the notorious buccaneer.

Much of this publication’s success stems from the writer steering well-clear of lazily having this mini-series’ lead protagonist just steamroller her way through Woodes Rogers’ forces, regardless of the governor’s formidable firepower, sizeable fleet and numerous soldiers. Instead, Bonny uses her brains to infiltrate the dauntingly defended stronghold, and rather cleverly latches on to the story of the Fall of Ancient Troy as told to Mary Read by a friendly sailor on the night her father was murdered by brigands; “The Trojans took the horse into their impenetrable city, only to have Greek warriors climb out of the horse once night fell.”

Similarly as successful is Phillips’ use of Jane Castor and her loyal companion Iris, who both play prominent roles throughout Anne’s delightful deception. Jonathan’s “gorgeous daughter” does a good job of fooling Rogers into believing she has somehow captured one of the most wanted pirates in the Caribbean, and debatably provides one of this comic’s highlights when she soundly socks the always-arrogant Woodes squarely on the nose. Whilst the high-born lady’s former servant plays a pivotal role in decimating the ex-English sea captain’s docked armada with a few well-placed torches and plenty of gunpowder.

Of course, this book’s greatest moment comes when an utterly astonished Bonny realises that she has risked all for a man completely unworthy of both her loyalty and love. Rackham’s decision to stand alongside the duplicitous Charles Vane and cold-bloodedly kill his former partner provides a genuine heart-stopping moment within the magazine, and the realisation that Calico Jack was entirely prepared to shoot her dead in that instant is as shocking as artist Craig Cermak dynamically pencilling Iris mortally burying her axe-head deep within Vane’s chest several moments later.

Written by: Stephanie Phillips, Art by: Craig Cermak and Colors by: John Kalisz

A Man Among Ye #3 - Image Comics

A MAN AMONG YE No. 3, October 2020

Opening with a swashbuckling duel between buccaneer Anne Bonny and Jane Castor’s servant girl, and finishing with the bloody elimination of John Rackham’s treacherous crew, Stephanie Phillips’ script for Issue Three of “A Man Among Ye” certainly promises its audience a pulse-pounding depiction of a pirate’s life during the Eighteenth Century. But whilst such an entertaining carousel of sword-play, double-dealing, and brutal murder undeniably provides this twenty-page periodical’s plot with plenty of pace, the storyteller’s execution and logic arguably lets down this epic adventure in a couple of places.

For starters, it is quickly explained that the significantly wealthy lady Castor has fled with Iris from a disagreeable betrothal with the intention of stealing a ship in order to reach New England. However, it quickly becomes clear that neither woman can actually steer a boat or even hoist its mainsail for that matter. In addition, Jane’s companion later verbalises her belief that the pair of refugees had apparently agreed not to head for New England, so just what the couple’s plan actually was, apart from standing in someone else’s vessel during the dead of night and claiming it for themselves, appears utterly unclear.

Similarly, Bonny’s savage battle with Iris for ownership of the stolen ship is frustratingly confined to the background as the comic instead strangely focuses upon young Mary Read getting a lesson in diction from the insufferably arrogant Jane; “First. I was stealing the ship first. It’s an important distinction.” This conversation is undeniably important, as it quickly establishes the motivation behind this mini-series’ latest additions to the cast. However, by moving the swordfight momentarily ‘off-screen’, it does debatably lead to the question as to just how a simple domestic is able to stand her ground for such a long-winded discussion against supposedly one of the most feared fighters on the highs seas with nothing more than a small hand-axe..?

Happily such quibbles are easily forgotten courtesy of some excellent layouts by Craig Cermak, which are so detailed that many readers will doubtless feel it is well worth the effort to go back and scrutinise each panel for at least a second or third viewing. The 2011 Kubert School graduate does a particularly fine job of pencilling Governor Woodes Rogers’ soldiers gunning down Rackham’s former shipmates without any compunction whatsoever, with each sailor’s disbelief and terror evidently etched on their faces or visible in their frantic movements.

Written by: Stephanie Phillips, Art by: Craig Cermak and Colors by: John Kalisz

A Man Among Ye #2 - Image Comics

A MAN AMONG YE No. 2, August 2020

For those readers able to ‘push through’ some utterly unnecessary expletives found during this twenty-one page periodical’s opening third, Issue Two of “A Man Among Ye” probably still provided them with plenty of entertainment, courtesy of Anne Bonny’s antagonistic relationship with her bald-headed, brutish shipmate Biff, and an intriguing flashback to Mary Read’s first encounter with murderous pirates “eight years ago”. True, the comic’s predominant focus upon the burgeoning relationship between the red-haired killer and the adolescent “lobsterback” does lead to a somewhat long-winded, sedentary scene set atop the crow’s nest. But once the virtues of killing and doing “horrible things” have been aired, Stephanie Phillips’ narrative quickly gathers pace as Governor Woodes Rogers makes it abundantly clear that thieves will not be tolerated at Fort Nassau and Captain “Calico Jack” Rackham’s superstitious crew plot a deadly mutiny.

Indeed, one of the strengths of this mini-series’ story-line arguably lies in its depiction of the wider issues occurring inside the Bahamas, and the Crown’s merciless determination to rid the colony of pirates. There’s clearly a lot more going on than the self-contained intrigues occurring on board the Kingston, with the American author even squeezing in a tantalising look as to the potential fate of “the infamous pirate king” Charles Vane - imprisoned at Rogers’ pleasure with little more than a view of the gallows to keep him company. Such fleeting insights really do provide this publication with a plethora of hooks to keep its audience enthralled, with this instalment’s cliff-hanger conclusion particularly providing the book with a captivating ending as an abandoned Bonny attempts to slope another’s sloop so as to save her Captain’s life; “I’m sorry, but I stole this boat first.”

Artist Craig Cermak’s pencilling is also impressive throughout this comic, with “the co-creator of Red Team” clearly putting plenty of thought and energy into his panels. Few perusing bibliophiles spying the illustrator’s tremendous sketch of Read’s father being blown sideways by a pirate ship’s cannon fire would debatably be able to stop themselves momentarily wincing at the perceived sound of the ball blasting its way through thick wooden timbers, or later slightly sway in the high winds as Mary takes her “first sip of the demon rum” on the main mast.

Written by: Stephanie Phillips, Art by: Craig Cermak and Colors by: John Kalisz

A Man Among Ye #1 - Image Comics

A MAN AMONG YE No. 1, June 2020

Promising plenty of “high adventure on the high seas in the waning days of piracy” in its pre-publication blurb, Stephanie Phillips’ script for Issue One of “A Man Among Ye” certainly must have entertained the vast majority of its audience in June 2020, with its fascinating depiction of Anne Bonny and Captain “Calico Jack” Rackham. Indeed, it’s hard not to imagine hearing Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt’s popular music score for the film franchise “Pirates of the Caribbean” playing in your ear as you witness the couple savagely slaughter the crew of a King’s ship at the start of the comic; “Our prize lies below decks, boys. So gut any man who stands in your way!”

Interestingly however, the creator of “The Butcher of Paris” doesn’t depict this book’s anti-heroine as a stereotypical, good-natured pirate with a heart of gold, but rather every bit the brutally cold killer her partner-in-crime clearly is. Such ferocity genuinely makes it more believable that Bonny could achieve such success at “a time when women had no rights in the newly formed British Empire”, and her willingness to blow the brains out of a mortally wounded soldier on the deck of his sinking ship after the lad has earnestly asked for quarter is genuinely chilling.

Of course, there’s much more to this twenty-two page periodical’s plot than simply having Captain Rackham’s vessel scouring the Bahamas seeking plunder, and Phillips does a good job of splicing several secondary storylines into the mix, whilst simultaneously penning plenty of ‘screen time’ for this comic’s leading cast. The American author’s insight into Governor Woodes Rogers’ personally-based motivation for wanting the waters he rules pirate-free is particularly enjoyable, as is the former privateer’s plan to incite mutiny amongst Calico Jack’s crew with the false guarantee of both a bounty and pardon for the man who brings him their skipper’s head.

Adding enormous value to the sleek look of this book’s layouts are Craig Cermak and colourist Brittany Pezzillo, who together imbue even the most sedentary scenes with an abundance of animated life. The aforementioned battle aboard a British frigate is especially well-illustrated with the hapless Redcoats and their bloody wounds literally making the ship’s well-detailed wooden boards run crimson in claret.

The regular cover art of "A MAN AMONG YE" No. 1 by Craig Cermak