I've been writing reviews for this comic for the past couple of days now, just because I can. If you haven't read part 1 and part 2 you should probably do so before reading this, otherwise it won't make much sense.

I read a review that said that this series is a "realistic and responsible representation of BDSM" and responsible it is, which you know, is a good thing, especially after the whole 50 Shades misinformation galore. However, when we're 300 pages into the story, we don't really need to be stuffed -once more- with exposition about how real BDSM is like and how much of a big role trust and communication play into it. It's boring, it's tiring, it's frustrating and poorly done. Good writers will just fill you up with exposition and you won't even notice it. Not here though. Nooope.

There's a scene, a freaking infuriating one, when a new friend, Anne, a woman with the same features as any other in this comic, bombards Lisa with really heavy personal questions and everyone's ok with it because "BDSM people" and must-explain-BDSM-to-those-youngsters vibes from Sejic. Hell dude, we get it. Everyone in this comic is going to be into BDSM one way or another and you hoped that your exposition scene would pass unnoticed because it would make sense for the n00bie to inquire about shit. Well if you're gonna go that route you best create a plausible scenario.

It's already weird how Lisa became so fast THAT close with Cassie, that Cassie needs her to be present for her tattoo appointment. The plot demanded that they bond so it happened without there being any chemistry between the two. So we cannot take their friendship for granted, because it's not real yet, their bond has been narrated but not shown. Neither can we suspend our disbelief to use this nonexistent bond of theirs as an excuse to introduce a new character and give them the freedom to ask invasive, rude stuff just because they're all besties with Cassie. You can't expect us readers to find it normal, or endearing, when Anne-the-tatoo-artist (who's literally a stranger to Lisa) asks our protagonist, the person whose eyes we watch the story from, some really personal questions about her sexual preferences, how she discovered them etc AND makes some pretty annoying assumptions about her too. You need to ease into the relationships between characters, and lay off the exposition for a bit, because as they are now I can't find them believable.

I'm ranting again about Sejic's writing. But you can't whine about much else. His art is standard and pretty well known by now. His women suffer from the same-face problem, some panels are hastily drawn, details are only there when the subject pleases Sejic.


This is one of the most interesting things I've noticed reading Sunstone. When Sejic was working for Top Cow there needed to be some level of consistency between the art levels of each issue, of each page, of Witchblade. He didn't much get to say "well I'm kinda bored of drawing this doorknob, so f@ck it I'll just leave it as a sketch." But he has that ability with Sunstone, it's his baby 100% so he gets to focus on whatever the hell he wants. And oh boy, is it apparent. There are many pages where there's a gleam, a detail that draws your eyes to it and you can see the effort that's been put there, because it stands out from all the rest; and you know, you KNOW, that Sejic had a blast drawing that. It's like looking into his mind, or his process, a bit and it's thrilling.

Hm...

I don't know why I'm writing these reviews but it sure is fun to read a comic critically again. I feel nice devoting my time and attention to a comic as I would to a book. Reading them this way and (half-ass) analyzing them helps me take them -more- seriously. I guess that's a bonus point for Sejic too, when I think about it. He kinda forced me to take a more serious look at his work (all that exposition sure didn't go to waste!!11!!1234!!) and that's a difficult thing for any creator to do. Nice job, Sejic! ( )

I love the interaction between Ally and Lisa. I dig that we are getting to see their love story unfold in this way. I think I am probably the minority when it comes to the other side characters. Alan is cool but I really don't care for anyone but our leading ladies. Great read though! ( )

Lovely and very educational ( )

I'm really amazed at how well the author writes the feelings and internal struggles of the characters, every single one. I wasn't expecting the story to be this outstanding. I knew his artwork was going to be great, but I'm just enamored with the story! ( )

The third Sunstone volume, and the third thing I've read by someone named "Shinez" (or however that name was spelled). Though not the third thing I've read by Šejić. And that's one of those things that came as something of a shock to me.

There I was, years ago, happily poking around on DeviantArt, putting my own art up (I probably have something around 200 pieces up, but that's not important, and I don't really recall what my page on there is called), and poking around other people's work. Favorting things like cats, and pictures of ruins, and archaeology, and ducks, and pretty pretty sunsets and . . what's this? Hmms. Women in bondage. As a comic. It's not the only comic I'd read on DeviantArt, it's not even the only 'adult' oriented one I've read on there, but it's the only one that turned out to be actually created by a professional comic book guy.

I had read the first two volumes and found them quite intriguing, interesting, a great look at BDSM, at a specific BDSM couple, and growing love between two women. Reading them on DeviantArt. Under the name Shinez. It was around then, though, that I realized that Shinez was actually a man from Croatia and not, say, a woman. I've no real idea why I had initially been confused. He probably even had listed his gender on there as male, but I hadn't looked.

All that to say that I was vaguely disappointed that whatever female I had created in my mind didn't actually exist, and to note that Stjepan, at least in this series, created some well constructed female characters.

But this is the third volume, not the first two. While I had access to this one for a longish time, I hadn't actually read it until it came out in graphic novel form from Image Comics. And then it took me a month or two to actually get around to reading this one. I was slow in doing so for several reasons. Mostly because this is the first volume I hadn't previously read. So it'd all be new to me.

Well, the story was solid. The characterizations were good. The relationship very slowly continued growing closer. Very slowly. Good bits of humor. Etc. My only real problem is that I could not always tell the characters apart. I think the series has 5 or more red-haired people in it. And they mostly don't look a like, but there's flash-backs and the like, and hair gets changed and . . well. I mean, the blond is easy to identify. Then we go back in time to a flash back and . . she has black hair? Or is that the red-head with black hair? Or? mmphs. hehe.

Well, now I just have to wait for volume 4 to appear. And gobble it down. ( )