As per the ending of Barbarella #2, Barbarella and Vix have managed to escape from Planet V and are safe and sound on Barbarella’s sentient spaceship, Stellaria-6. But Barbarella barely has time to relax before she finds herself investigating a distress signal from a planet called Alpha Prime, at the behest of an associate of hers, Earthgov Special Agent Jury Quire. Jury has been arrested, along with Earthgov representative Dreicus, on an artificial planet called Metrafusion, which is the heart of intergalactic trade. They were covertly investigating Metrafusion’s connection to whatever is happening on Alpha Prime, but now they’re facing a swift trial and execution unless Barbarella can get to the bottom of this mess.

It turns out that the entire population of Alpha Prime has been removed from the planet and transported to another unnamed planet, which resides in an uncharted star system. Arriving at this new planet, it outwardly appears to be an idyllic utopia, but it quickly becomes apparent that all is not as it seems, and this paradise is more of a prison. A shocking personal betrayal ends this issue on another dramatic cliffhanger that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat.

Along the way, we also meet Z, a beautiful blue-ish-skinned humanoid female with purple hair who was the sole remaining individual on Alpha Prime when Barbarella arrived. It turns out that Z is a sexbot.

I mean, she’s a wellness robot whose skills include “a number of functions to stimulate pleasure sensors.”

So, yeah, she’s a sexbot. And she already seems like an invaluable addition to Barbarella’s supporting cast.

I love Blake Northcott’s characterization of Barbarella. She writes her as a courageous sci-fi heroine who’s just as confident in the bedroom as she is on the battlefield. She could not have asked for a better collaborator on this title than Anna Morozova, whose artwork is a joy to behold. If you’re not on board this book yet, you’re missing out!

Chacebook rating: FIVE STARS

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