In Marvel‘s debut comic series based on Games Workshop‘s Warhammer 40,000 universe, major revelations were dropped. This wasn’t just some generic army force going to battle, the series rewrote what we knew about one of the major characters in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Warhammer 40,000: Sisters of Battle #1 kicks off the second series to debut under Marvel and it’s clear in this first issue, we’re in store for a shift in focus.

The Sisters of Battle are an army but one focused on religion and prayer. Its focus is to lead the charge against those that stand against the Emperor, the living corpse that is revered in god-like ways. Torunn Grønbekk takes us into this world with a new story that gives us something similar, but different enough, from the first volume by Marvel. While the comic does have a “named” character in Canoness Veridyan, it’s not Veridyan’s story. So far, this isn’t some earth-shaking revelation about the character. Instead, its most interesting aspect is the Sisters surrounding her.

Sent to a planet in the middle of an uprising, the Sisters of Battle must figure out what’s going on while retrieving an asset. We’re given hints as to the evil behind everything but overall, the first issue is a general mystery. What we do know is the corruption is everywhere. The squad is up against numbers they weren’t expecting. We get reactions from the average Sister. We experience their fear and their faith. You get the sisterhood between them and the sadness when one is lost.

Warhammer 40,000: Sisters of Battle #1 also delivers some interesting thematic aspects that reflect the real world. We’re seeing the masses fall under the spell of something. It could be the leader. It could be something else. But, these are individuals turning on their fellow citizens corrupted by a force. To say it doesn’t hit home a bit would be a lie.

Edgar Salazar‘s art is solid. The issue has a lot of detail, something the Sisters of Battle are known for. Instead of smooth armor repeated over and over in the Space Marines, the Sisters have rather intricate looks in the armor including small rivets, skulls, and more. It’s a more ornate look and Salazar nails it. Arif Prianto handles the color while Clayton Cowles does the lettering and the color and lettering help nail down the feel of the world and issue. There’s a “dirtiness” about it. The world features browns and dark colors. The Sister’s ship is blues and whites.

Warhammer 40,000: Sisters of Battle #1 might lean a bit more towards fans of Games Workshop but the issue should be accessible for those who know nothing about the world. It delivers solid hints in the details as to what the Sisters of Battle are about and the world of Warhammer 40,000. It gives us the next chapter for that world in the hands of Marvel comics and shows they’re willing to shake up the formula a bit with each new series.

Story: Torunn Grønbekk Art: Edgar Salazar
Color: Arif Prianto Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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