Valor Comic (Finally, it is here!)

Most of the projects that I back on Kickstarter are comics, board games and computer games... one of the projects that I've been looking most forward to receiving has been this project. The second volume of the Valor anthonlogy, which is a collection of comics in a fantasy setting with a female lead. Now, as the father of two girls, I want them to be exposed to stories and fairy-tales where the female is much more than the prize, the damsel in distress or some superfluous backdrop. Let me tell you, if you think that the representation of females in movies/stories is a normal distribution that is somehow related to their representation in the population... well, you are sadly way off the mark.... but I think Vanellope from Ralph Breaks the Internet puts it better than me...

So, when I see something that is of good quality that also has a great female lead (which isn't a boy's fantasy of what a girl is...)... then I'm going to jump at the chance to support it! With that in mind... I jumped at this double anthology.

The shipping of the physical versions was unfortunately delayed (it was expected to be last summer...) due to injury and then problems with the reprinting of the original anthology... however, the response from the founders was superb, and I was happy to trust them with their assurance that the physical versions would be shipping, just at a delayed date. In the meantime, they have long had the digital versions available for those who had backed them. However, as much as I enjoy digital books for their portability... there is nothing better than getting the dead tree versions! Especially with comics, which I still don't find translate well to the digital screen..... (Speaking of which, I just remembered I have heaps of stuff on my tablet that I haven't read yet!)....

Anyway, it's a tough call whether I should let my oldest have them first... or if I should have first crack at them!

Fairy Tales do not inform children that there is such things as monsters. Children already know that there are monsters. What Fairy Tales really teach is that monsters can be transformed or destroyed.

• Paraphrasing G.K. Chesterton

What is Valor? Valor is a comic anthology project composed of adapted, re-imagined, or invented fairy tales showcasing the talent of numerous creators. The anthology is aimed at all-age readers, and is LGBTQA+ friendly.

The purpose of the stories is to pay homage to the strength, resourcefulness, and cunning of female heroines in fairy tales. Although fairy tales are often presented as a "feminine" form of literature due to the abundance of princesses, a lot of classic princess archetypes are passive, asleep, imprisoned, or offered as a prize. Valor, and all the creators participating in it, want to give female heroines the roles they deserve, to inspire young and old readers alike.

From the Valor Kickstarter page