• Golden Rage #1 cover
    Golden Rage #1
    Writer:
    Chrissy Williams
    Artist:
    Lauren Knight
    Letterer:
    Becca Carey
    Cover Artist:
    Lauren Knight
    Publisher:
    Image Comics
    Price:
    $3.99
    Release Date:
    2022-08-03
    Colorist:
    Sofie Dodgson

In the new series from Image Comics, the golden years have never been more brutal. Written by Chrissy Williams, drawn by Lauren Knight, colored by Sofie Dodgson and Shayne Hannah Cui, and lettered by Becca Carey, Golden Rage #1 depicts a dark and twisted world where elderly women, deemed useless by society, are sent to a remote island. On the brink of desperation, the women defend themselves and their resources the only way they can -- in a battle to the death.

Lost in the crowd is Jay, a younger woman. All she wants is to leave the island of Hell's grannies in one piece. But to her dismay, she's outnumbered and taken hostage by three of the island's inhabitants. However, these ladies want nothing more than to protect her from the mysterious Red Hats and stay alive themselves. If Jay wants to make it out in one piece, she might have to respect her elders.

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Right out of the gate, the premise of Golden Rage #1 is interesting -- The Golden Girls meets Battle Royale. It's an interesting take on the post-apocalyptic dystopia as social commentary -- a genre that has increasingly felt too real, too prevalent, and too stale. Williams uses this series to explore the way elders, particularly elderly women, are viewed and treated by society. It's refreshing to see a cast comprised mostly of older characters, especially in a story targeted at the increasingly bloodthirsty Young Adult audience. Of course, the protagonist, Jay, is a considerably younger woman, presumably a fish out of water desperate to leave this battleground.

Golden Rage #1 presents some lofty messages about women and aging and the society that torments them. It's about as subtle as a cane to the face. The message it sends about the treatment of women and the elderly is poignant, but it can come across as rather clumsy and, ironically, somewhat immature, especially in the narration and dialogue. Otherwise, the story and its setup are quite good, building a sense of mystery about the goings-on on the island.

The three elder ladies are fun, mysterious, and well-written. Sweet, cheerful Lottie, hotheaded, tough-talking Caroline, and the taciturn, burly yet maternal leader Rosie all have a nice dynamic that would be compelling to any reader of any age. Hair-raising horrors, bloodshed, and unsubtle social commentary aside, it's a real treat to see these three ladies gossip, bicker, take baths, cook brunch, and take names. The Hulk-like Rosie is the most compelling. She's equal parts intimidating, deadly, and motherly -- demonstrating a competence reminiscent of Sarah Connor or an aging Buffy Summers.

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golden rage #1 excerpt

The art in Golden Rage #1 comes courtesy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer veteran Lauren Knight and Tank Girl colorist Sofie Dodgson, neither of whom are strangers to dark, brutal comics. Knight's character designs, florid line art, and keen composition are as gorgeous as ever, and Dodgson's limited color palette of feminine pinks, magentas, purples, and reds is equal parts sweet and scary. The imagery in this issue is deeply unsettling. Carnage is unpleasant, no matter who the recipient happens to be; however, there is something very disturbing about seeing elders inflicting such violence on one another. Adding to the discomfort is the deliberate subversion and exploitation of familiar motifs associated with old women; knitting needles and yarn soaked in blood, torn baggy cardigans, pearl necklaces breaking and beads flying, aprons, spectacles, brunch, and of course, lots of cute kitties.

Golden Rage #1 has some growing up to do, but its mature heroes are worthy of the grand, bloody battle up ahead. It remains to be seen if these four gals finish their golden years in glory or with gore, but perhaps both are on the horizon in the next issue. The entire creative team has set the stage for an adventure that's as charming as it is disturbing.