Review: The Mission of Joan of Arc
Introducing Voyage Comics and The Mission of Joan of Arc
A while back, I reviewed the Finnian and the Seven Mountains comic series by Philip Kosloski and his team at Voyage Comics. My review of the Finnian stories was overwhelmingly positive, and so I am happy today to revisit the world of Voyage Comics with a review of The Mission of Joan of Arc, a retelling of the story of the Maid of Lorraine in the exciting and colorful style that Voyage is known for.
Joan of Arc was a peasant girl from Domrémy, a town of Lorraine in eastern France. She lived from 1412 to 1431, and though her lifespan was brief (she died at 19), she made a lasting impact in French history and is one of the Church’s most beloved saints. In an age when England had overrun large portions of France during the Hundred Years’ War, St. Joan—driven by visions and promises of divine assistance—rallied her people and led them to victory against the English, ultimately enabling France to reclaim her lost lands. Joan’s story of heroism, faith, and fortitude have inspired countless generations of men and women. Voyage Comics brings this story to life with a dramatic retelling in comic format with their Mission of Joan of Arc, written by Philip Kosloski and illustrated by Alexandre Nascimento and Jesse Hansen.
A Commitment to Quality Storytelling
These days, graphic novels and comics are extremely popular, and I get sent a lot for review. Reading through a lot of this content, I sometimes sense that publishers are churning out graphic novels just because it’s a fad—because “it’s what the kids are into.” Some will push content into graphic novel form without understanding the elements that make a graphic novel successful.
As I said in my review of Finnian and the Seven Mountains, this is thankfully not the case with Philip Kosloski and his team. The people behind Voyage clearly love the comic book medium and understand it. This really shines through in every artistic and editorial choice I have seen from Voyage Comics. When reading The Mission of St. Joan of Arc—or any of their products that I have seen—I really felt like I was reading a real comic, not just content masquerading as a comic.
An Immersive Reading Experience for All Ages
When I got this comic, my kids took it and read through it together. It was fun to watch; my older daughter read it to the younger ones while doing all kinds of voices and accents for the characters. It was a deeply immersive experience for them and my younger daughter’s first thorough introduction to the life of St. Joan. It’s not difficult to see why they liked it. As with Finnian and the Seven Mountains, The Mission of Joan of Arc weaves skillful storytelling with exciting, colorful artwork that admirably captures the drama of St. Joan’s life and mission.
One thing I appreciate about the Voyage artwork is its originality. While many graphic novels and comics are trying to emulate Japan’s anime and manga styles, Voyage seems to be looking back to the golden age of American comics from three decades ago. Many of these illustrations reminded me of the style I used to see in the X-Men comics back in the 1990s, which is quite a compliment. It is especially evident in some of the more creative frames, like the depictions of St. Michael the Archangel. All this is to say it’s not only a good story but very aesthetically pleasing to look at.
Why Voyage Comics Stands Out
Voyage Comics has expanded its catalog considerably since I reviewed Finnian and the Seven Mountains last year, with retellings of saints’ lives and some original content. This is great, as I think we need to see more of this kind of thing. One thing I like about Voyage Comics is that they can present exciting stories of faithful men and women without sanitizing the history or being too kitschy and saccharine. I definitely recommend getting a copy of The Mission of St. Joan of Arc. I’d place the reading level at about age 10, but my 8 and 13-year-old daughters both enjoyed it as well, so it has a broad appeal.
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