Eugenie Markham is the star of Storm Born.  She’s a shaman, just like her father.  But don’t make the mistake of thinking this is some Daddy’s girl.  Eugenie has inner strength, physical power, a mind that cant be manipulated and the body of your favorite girl next door.  That’s right.  Forget all about your reboots and gimmicks.  Read about a real woman but I don’t think you can handle her.  Ms. Markham can clean herself up and intimidate you into immobility.  Men are too scared to approach a woman that attractive, and too intimidated to speak to one that smart.  If you happen to cross her path, she will destroy you.  No matter what side of the eternal battle you align yourself with she could kill you with weaponry or break you with womanhood.

I may have gone too far already.  Maybe its time to tell you who this woman is and why you should care.  Its time to review:

Richelle Mead’s Dark Swan:  Storm Born #1

written by Richelle Mead and Grant Alter art by Dave Hamann.  Published by Sea Lion Books.

Eugenie is a shaman.  She can communicate with, and battle, the supernatural.  She first battles a large Keres – an ancient death spirit.  Here is the moment in which the reader discovers that something bad is about to happen to Eugenie.  The spirits know her true name.  For any one reading this who has also read any fantasy knows, you never let the fae or their like know your true name.  Names and words can equal power.  Eugenie is a mere human, and is already at a disadvantage.  Many of your favorite humans battling supernatural forces have only won battles because they knew their opponents true name/form.  Eugenie has lost that power.

I wont tell you how this battle ends but as this is only issue one, you know our heroine at least survives for another day.

Lara, as Eugenie’s secretary, tells her of the next case.  A man’s sister has been abducted by fairies.  Don’t be fooled by thinking that these tiny humans with wings are Tinkerbell.  The world of the fae is the most dangerous place for a shaman to enter.   No one wants Eugenie to go, and that’s all the reason she needs to go.  When the world tells a person who is trying to prove herself that she can’t do something — that is now the only thing in the world she wants to do.  Never tell Eugenie the words “can’t” or “don’t”, not even if you’re family.

Yes, we get to meet her parents and there is some larger mystery here.  Eugenie’s father shares her gifts while her mother chooses to remain unaware.  The parents are only in here for a couple of pages but there are years of stories here.  The relationship between Eugenie and her father, her father’s past, the relationship between father and mother.  I’m not even up to the big scene in the comic and already this book is to the top of my must read pile.  I have to know what happens next.

I haven’t even gotten to her roommate yet.  To be honest, I have a feeling I’ll write volumes about him soon enough.

Eugenie goes out for the night and meets the most amazing man, Kiyo, at the bar.  Kiyo is funny and charming and drawn amazingly well.

The night goes, to say the least, very well for both parties.  The book toyed with language and blood but here is where its officially not a kid’s book.  I don’t mean that in a bad way.  It means that the book is free.  Free to not write down to its readers.  Free to not simplify anything.  Free to make your own (responsible) decisions.  The freedom and confidence our shaman exudes.

For the big comic book companies wondering how to draw in more female readers, this is the way.  An amazing heroine who doesn’t look enhanced by plastic surgery, family involvement, and beautiful looking men.  All inside a well told story.  Put down your 33rd reading of Twilight and buy this now!

(Still here?  Good.  Go back and re-read your copy of this comic, especially the last page.  “Something”.  Hmmm…. Why wouldn’t he say “someone”.  The mystery and the excitement deepens for issue two.)