It's pretty much a given that when I come across comic books with female protagonists published by independent comic book publishers, I'm going to pick them up. I'm not sure if it's because I started reading Nancy Drew books at an early age and fell in love with the female sleuth, or if it's because from the moment I read my first comic book back in 1979 that I gravitated toward the female characters, such as Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, Ms. Marvel (the original), She-Hulk, and later, Huntress, Power Girl, Black Canary, Hellcat, Night Nurse, Ms. Tree, Somerset Holmes, and others. Or maybe it simply because the male characters seem to always be much more prominent on book shelves and comic book racks that I wanted to see more of the lesser publicized characters. Whatever the reason, I do enjoy reading a good story about a strong female lead. Heck, that may even be why I love horror films (slasher flicks) so much, is because 99% of the time, it's a final girl who manages to one-up the killer and survive at the end!
Whatever the reason may be,
Sara Lone definitely caught my attention when I came across it in the Previews some months back. I picked it up, unaware it was actually a French comic book that has now been translated and published here in America. The story center around Sara Lone (whose real name is Joy Carruthers), a young woman who, after a fight with her father, runs away to New Orleans, where she eventually becomes a burlesque dancer. When her father's body is discovered buried at a beach in Texas, his head separated from his body, the police pay a visit to New Orleans to inform Sara. From there, circumstances spiral, as Sara's boss makes a play for her, and Sara knocks him unconscious, taking some of his money and a box that seems to be important. A fellow dancer takes advantage of the situation, stealing the rest of the money from the safe and killing the boss, framing Sara for the murder. Before Sara can be charged with the crime, however, a government agent steps in and whisks her away, taking her under his wing. Of course, his protection doesn't come without a price...
Erik Arnoux crafts a very intricate tale with a number of players, secrets, and entanglements. Set in the early 1960s, at a time when John F. Kennedy is elected President, the story involves some very dark, behind-the-scenes events involving the Cuba missile crisis, Lee Harvey Oswald, and a plot to remove a President who refuses to follow orders. At the same time, it involves a sunken ship, a stolen treasure, and a cursed idol; it involves the racism of the '60s and the misogyny of that period; and it involves a woman's desire to live her own life on her own terms. The art is beautifully rendered by David Morancho, with soft colors that belie the dark nature of the story.
The four issues cover a period of nearly four years - from the election of John F. Kennedy to the assassination of the President. And while the comic tells the story of Sara Lone, it also tells a (fictional?) behind-the-scenes story of the events leading up to Kennedy's death. The players on this chess board are definitely far from the cardboard cut-outs one might normally see in a story like this - Sara is running from the law, dealing with the death of her father, handling the day-to-day business of her father's fishing business, searching for a long-lost treasure that could save the company and the livelihoods of her employees, and learning to adjust to a new life as a pawn in a covert government operation. Plus, she has to deal with the startling secret she learns about the man who has been "protecting" her for the past four years. Meanwhile, Rip Vandoorne thinks he is simply using a woman that is an expert with a gun, unaware that his higher-ups have their own agenda that might not quite mesh with his; he is unaware that Sara has discovered the secrets of his past; and he is unaware that his own ethics and morals will soon create a conflict between his job duties and his own personal code, leading up to a double-cross that could cost both him and Sara their lives.
It's definitely a complicated story, but most certainly an enjoyable one. I had empathy for Sara and the life she has had to lead, and I grew to appreciate Rip and the job he was trying to do within the confines of his superiors' orders. While nothing in the story changes the historical facts of what actually happened in the real world, it does give the reader a sense of what possibly could have been going on behind closed doors (and on park benches and in secluded warehouses) that led up to that tragic day in November 1963. And while the story reaches a logical conclusion, there is certainly room for more stories about Sara, which I would love to see one day. Whether that will happen or not is a whole other mystery...
RATING: 9 hot dogs with double pickles and extra cheese sauce out of 10 for telling an out-of-the-ordinary comic story with excellent writing and gorgeous visuals!
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