Princeless, Vol. 2
Trade Paperback
Written by Jeremy Whitley
Illustrated by Emily Martin
Colored by Kelly Lawrence
Lettered by Dave Dwonch
Cover by Emily Martin
Action Lab Comics
Release Date: July 26, 2013
Cover Price: $14.95

The feisty Princess Adrienne is back, and she’s definitely not waiting around for a lame prince to come and “rescue” her. In Princeless, Vol. 2, writer Jeremy Whitley and illustrator Emily Martin continue along the heroine’s quest to save her sisters — as surely, no one else can.

Warrior Princess Adrienne and the half-dwarf/half-human, Bedelia Smith, are on a mission: rescue Adrienne’s sister, Princess Angelica, from the tower that she’s a prisoner in. Accompanying them on their journey is a pretty-boy poet named Roderick, who happens to be in love with Angelica. As they enter the town gates, Adrienne and her allies quickly learn that Angelica is not as helpless as other princesses. In fact, she’s not only living outside of the tower, but she’s become an idol of sorts to the townspeople due to her overwhelming beauty. As Adrienne insists that she’s there to rescue Angelica, circumstances quickly turn for the worse when Angelica’s guardian demon is summoned seeking to kill Adrienne.

Concurrently, King Ash has gathered the fiercest knights in all the land to capture the knight who tried to “kill” his daughter, Appolina. Still unbeknownst to Ash is the fact that the very knight he wants dead just so happens to be his daughter, Adrienne. Amongst the mercenary knights is The Black Knight, whom Ash has a long-standing friendship with, though he’s never seen the knight’s face or heard the knight’s voice. When one of Ash’s men returns with news that the queen has gone missing and that The Black Knight was seen riding off from the queen’s carriage, Ash seeks help from the only other being who is friends with The Black Knight: the leader of a werewolf clan on the outskirts of the kingdom.

Whitley’s second story arc for Princeless is just as good, if not better than the first. His lighthearted fairytale land with hints of dark themes is filled with believable and imperfect characters who are all very fun to read about. Adding new characters with whispers of a larger kingdom, it is clear that Whitley is a master world builder.

Bringing in Martin to take over art duties was a fantastic choice. Undoubtedly, she has a talent for bringing characters to life. With introductory panels for each new character, Martin offers up-close portrayals of the new arrivals, clearly displaying their personalities without a helping word spoken. She is able to bring new life to the recurring cast through exaggerated facial expressions and cartoon-style color schemes.

Princeless, Vol. 2 is a solid addition to a great series. With old and new characters alike, Adrienne’s world is growing and so must she. Get caught up in the adventure quickly, or stay stuck in a tower, waiting for something else who might not come along.