Sky Doll: Sexy, slick, and slightly screwed up

Full of juicy candy-colored sexy goodness, Sky Doll marks a wide departure from the traditional Marvel portfolio. I was particularly excited to read this because not only is it Marvel's first reprint of a European comic through a European publisher, it also features a female writer and colorist (Barbara Canepa).

So let's lay it out. Set in a distant future, the protagonist, a quirky and clueless sex-droid named Noa, ploys her trade at a spaceship-wash on the planet Papathea. As we are introduced to the sad and slavish nature of her lifestyle, a second plot comes into play. Papathea's high priestess, the Papess Ludovica, is revealed to us to be a manipulative and power hungry entrepreneur who keeps the masses enthralled through special effects displays of "miracles." We also learn that Ludovico, the papess of carnal love, previously ruled alongside the Papess Agape, who championed romantic love. After a destabilization of power, Agape was banished by Ludovico, and her followers were persecuted. A mystical connection between the mysterious Agape and Noa soon becomes apparent.

But enough of plot... what can we take away from this comic. First, despite being a comic written by a women, which clearly references the struggles of women to earn rights and find identities outside of sexual objectification in the face of patriarchy and religious oppression, Sky Doll is basically a breast fest. Seriously, this comic has more nipples than a Joel Schumacher Batman flick. It's difficult to feel anything but pity for our heroine Noa when she's constantly having crotch-exposing accidents and exclaiming "Oooh!" like something out of an Art Frahm painting. I suppose the real question is, are Sky Dolls closer to women or robots? It's not difficult to create empathy for a robot with just a small amount of self awareness... take for example the Ghost in the Shell animated films, Transformers, Short Circuit, etc. However, when a robot begins to more closely resemble a human being, the situation becomes more complex and requires a more serious handling (i.e. Blade Runner). The robots of Sky Doll are completely sentient, human-shaped, possessed of their own personalities, and able to express many emotions, including dismay at their sexual slavery. They are, in essence, humans. Thus it is difficult to understand why our goofy and charming protagonist Noa doesn't simply wise up, rise up, and lead all of her sister robots to freedom. I can only conclude that Sky Doll, though lusciously rendered and sexy, is basically an immature sexual fantasy about power dynamics. Aside from the gorgeous colors, figures, architectural constructions, etc., there isn't much that separates Sky Doll from smut like Bondage Fairies.

And did I mention that every character has a little animal nose, dog ears, and a tail? What the heck is that about? Furries, eat your heart out.

-Emily