Turning a trope on its head is today’s sci-fi/fantasy writers’ bread and butter, and there’s no trope that’s been flipped more than the Damsel in Distress. Princess Princess is all about a princess who rescues another princess. Elissa Sussman’s Four Sisters series combines a patriarchal monarchy reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale with familiar fairy tale elements to comment on classism and gender roles. Even Nick Jr has Nella the Princess Knight!
With all these writers and artists working in so many different media approaching the same tired cliches, it’s really not enough to say “The princess is the hero now, girl power!”… although that’s certainly a start. Each person tends to bring a little something extra to make their take on the trope stand out. In Another Castle, we not only see a princess attempting to escape her own role, but get a better look at the lives of the creatures that make up the “evil” army.
Together, writer Andrew Wheeler and artist Paulina Ganucheau bring us into the world of Princess Misty of Beldora, who’s been trained in combat but ONLY to prevent her abduction by the local evil dictator Lord Baldug of Grimoire. After a somewhat reckless decision to go after one of Baldug’s spies, combined with the inept interference of her soon-to-be-betrothed Prince Pete, Misty ends up captured.
Wheeler’s take on this narrative is to ask, “What is keeping the princess from rescuing herself?”. Misty is fairly capable and could more than likely get away from Baldug and his minions on her own, so what keeps her locked away in Baldug’s tower? The monsters that serve as Misty’s captors, the royal that Baldug deposed, and the weird bureaucracy behind all the trials a hero would normally surmount in an attempt to rescue a damsel in distress are all parts of the story that Wheeler uses to answer that question.
Wheeler is certainly not guilty of overburdening readers with information, or spending too long on any one plot point. However, there are narrative elements that he could have spent more time on, particularly the development of minor characters. Since Misty’s arc is so well developed, perhaps this is merely a sign that Wheeler is leaving room to expand in future installments?
Ganucheau’s depiction of Beldora and Grimoire is influenced, as she says in an interview with PreviewsWORLD, by classic Disney, 80’s fantasy manga, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. The world of Another Castle is brightly colored, its characters extremely animated, and its design familiar but unique. It’s especially visually engaging because Ganucheau’s character designs are highly diverse, not only in terms of body shape and facial features, but in her interpretation and depiction of the various monster citizens of Grimoire. Despite the narrative similarity to video games, where potential enemies are highly consistent and in fact repetitive, Ganucheau’s dedication to making each individual design stand out makes Another Castle a well fleshed-out world.
Even for those who think the pitcher has gone to the princess well once too often, Another Castle stands proudly with the other works that have breathed new life into the classic story.
