Triskelion #1-5 Review

Triskelion #1-5
Story and Art: Kathryn Briggs

Triskelion is my feminist book of the year (so far?).  It feeds my personal interests in the patriarchal view of female villains. Yet, the story isn’t just a feminist story. The comic is a creative experience. It’s not something that can be read while perusing.

The narrative is verbally heavy and visually dense because it demands attention and gets it. Yet, reading it is easy because the story is familiar. Still, the analysis of heroes, villains, and victims complicates the story. It also intersects those elements with history, motherhood, tropes, storytelling, and the patriarchy.

Furthermore, the creativity doesn’t stop at the writing stage. It expands into the art. There is no one style used and that is brilliant in and of itself.

The story of Triskelion looks into a tension between Circe, Athena, and the protagonist. The tension represents the difficulty understanding the roles of heroes, villains, and victims.

Instead of searching for those themes in the narrative, Briggs analysis them. She produces an understanding of them by paralleling the narrative with quotes of different feminist thinkers. The quotes are analysis of her own story. They help outline the line of thought throughout the narrative. The analysis and the verbal experience is beautiful and exciting. They show a new way of creating fiction in comic form.

If the verbal part is beautiful, then the art of Triskelion is sublime.

Never have I ever seen such a creative use of different art forms to tell a story. The story isn’t just a fiction, but an essay as well. Briggs uses all the tools at her disposal to create an artistic production. Each issue is an artistic surprise. No matter what the reader is expecting, they get a new surprise.

There are collages, computer renderings, pencils surrounded by shrubbery, or characters from many fandoms. Also, there is no strict guideline followed in form or in style. The idea is a free-flow of narrative and design. It is perfect for the mode and perfect for the style. Briggs’s style is unique and amazing.

The Verdict:

BUY IT! Seriously, get yourself a copy of Triskelion by Kathryn Briggs. You will not regret it. Do it if you are interested in creative comic writings or stylings, in analytical understandings, or in being introduced to an amazing story! However, I do believe it is not for everyone. Still, it is an experience worth having! Honestly, between the collage designs and the interplay of narrative and analysis, there is more to the narrative than just a story. Triskelion is cathartic to read and I can assume to write as well. The story works through the ideas of heroes, villains, and victims. It outlines how their dynamics flows and change. They are dependent on each other and they can overlap. With all those elements, the story becomes just an amazing mind-blowing experiential creation. Triskelion makes the reader think and gives an insight into the author’s personality.

Look out for the latest issue at ThoughtBubble! Also, you can find the other issues on ComicHaus.