Druuna: Morbus Gravis II
In my review of Morbus Gravis I I noted parenthetically how Heavy Metal magazine had just recently ceased print publication. This is a real shame, as it was a terrific mag with high standards for art and storytelling throughout most of its history. What it also means though is that these Druuna books have become collector’s items. For a cover image I actually had to take a snap of my own copy of Morbus Gravis II as I couldn’t find one online (sorry for the glare!). On Amazon a copy in the same condition as mine would set you back at least $250.
So everybody’s favourite (well, at least my favourite) post-apocalyptic babe is back, with her boobs out and her red thong only being replaced, as occasion demands, by some vintage lingerie, or nothing at all. Things begin with romantic sex on the beach, followed by some post-coital posing (“I want to admire your body for one last time . . .”), before our hero wakes up and it’s revealed she’s been having some kind of mind-sex with Lewis, the guy who was running the ship before Delta (the computer system) took over. Now he’s just a head floating in a tank, sharing a telepathic link with Druuna, falling in love with her but also dreaming of finally being allowed to die. The story, such as it is, has Lewis sending Druuna on a mission to destroy the “tower of power” that keeps Delta running.
There’s nothing remotely politically correct about any of this. Not only is Druuna raped, but she likes it. Ditto for the bald-and-busty friend she picks up. Which may be meant as empowering but I doubt it. Not when a dominatrix in a leather skirt, wielding a riding crop, shows up and we’re told her name is Seka (the screen name of an actress known in the 1980s as the Platinum Princess of Porn). We know where Serpieri is coming from, and where he’s going to.
But it’s not just sex and violence that are near allied but love and death, Eros and Thanatos still going at it. I do think this is a comic with something to say. And Druuna isn’t just suffering the misfortunes of virtue in this world. She’s a true goddess. “In these times of hunger and death,” one brutal lover says, “the fact that you exist defies reality.” Only in a comic book I guess.
Alex Good 
I get the feeling that Serpieri didn’t ever have a girlfriend.
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I honestly don’t know. There’s definitely something adolescent in his fantasies. But then I had an uncle who was a very good painter and art teacher and he was married and had a bunch of kids and when you went to his house it was filled with paintings he’d done of busty nude women. He just liked their shape.
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Well artists have been doing nude women since time immemorial, Botticelli, Michaelangelo etc etc, so your uncle is not alone, I don’t think old Paolo is in that league though. Still, whaddo I know, Im basing my opinion on your reviews rather than the original work, so it’s an opinion-lite, but I can’t help thinking it all sounds tawdry and seedy. Live and let live though and whatever floats your boat.
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I’d say more porny than tawdry, to make a fine distinction. But so much fantasy (art anyway) has that porn gene in its DNA. Serpieri just embraces it.
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By golly this sounds almost topical, what with you guys having your own little Accused drama up there. From what I read (one article) it sounds like you’ve got one side saying the chick is Druuna and the other saying she’s Jodie Foster. And the Druuna side won.
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That hockey player case? It was a total hot mess. Didn’t know it was a story that was carrying that far. Where did you hear about it?
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It’s been all over X. But I didn’t know what it was all about so I went and found that article (from the BBC, I believe). That seemed to sum it up pretty well.
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Those old complaints are really hard to prosecute. Plus they had her telling different stories. If I were the Crown I would have been very reluctant to take that to court. The verdict shouldn’t have come as a big surprise.
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Yes, different stories and other non-participants in the room contradicting her and so on. The verdict, on the summary information, seemed sound to me.
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And the non participants are mates of the chaps who did participate so their testimony is bound to be fair. 🙄
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So we throw out eyewitness testimony? All I know is the basics. On that information, I can’t see how any other verdict was possible.
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From all I’ve read the verdict itself was correct, wasn’t disagreeing with that.
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Weather is hot and muggy today here. Hope everyone is staying cool where they are!
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Only in comics indeed.
You going to sell your set and make a bundle?
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I figure in another twenty years it will be worth ten times as much!
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You’ll be too old to spend it then! 🤣
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Might not even still be around. Oh well. I’ll let my heirs fight over it!
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With inflation, that should make it worth about the same ad toilet paper.
I remember when people were scalping toilet paper after all…
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I was just thinking today of the line-ups just to get into the grocery store. What a shitshow that was.
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We weren’t too bad, I found an eco company delivering loo roll 🤣 http://www.whogivesacrap.com
Still use them now 😀
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I guess paper from bamboo makes more sense than paper from trees. I think hemp is also a good green alternative.
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