In 2021 Marvel teamed up with Black Library/ Gamesworkshop to bring out a five part Sisters of Battle comic series. The Sisters of Battle are essentially Gamesworkshop’s female version of the Space Marines as I understand it. Not only are these devout, borderline fanatics of the Emperor, but they are also in certain circles referred to as nuns with guns. A sort of inward joke as they take their loyalty to the Emperor very serious.
I read these comics last year and can not say a lot on them apart from that it did not overstay it’s welcome. I am not as well read on the Sisters yet, but this five part series did give me a little more insight into their workings. The series sees a band of Battle Sisters going on a mission directed by the Inquisition on a planet where compliance to the Imperium has been broken. The Sisters are sent in to discover the origin of this heresy and soon uncover that it might not be as straightforward mission as it seems.
What I’ll say on this series is that I enjoyed going through it. It did what it set out to do and told not just a visual story but also a decent one. Art was pretty to look at, and by pretty I am not referring to the nuns and their arsenal if you mind my bad pun. These gun toting battel vixens can kick as much as as their male brothers and the fact that they are female does not make them seem weaker than the bulky Spehsh Muhreeens. No they can hold their own pretty well and do a good job of it too. Out of this series, issue 5 is probably my favourite cover of the lot. Not that the other covers are ugly, number 5 just reminds me of this other old joke…
I am not sure that this series is completely done yet as the ending was sort of open ended, but knowing 40K that happens often. I have seen that there is another Marvel 40K series that tells a story of Marneus Calgar, probably the most well known and respected Ultramarine out there. I will be giving that series a go later on. I just want to get a little further with the Horus Heresy first as I have not been introduced to him just yet and I do not want the comic to spoil any major plots for the Heresy.
I gave this series as a whole a 4 out of 5. It’s a decent story in my opinion, I have no idea if I should recommend it to anyone that is not already familiar with 40K. It might help people unfamiliar with the franchise to see if 40K could be for them perhaps, but I am not an expert on that scenario. As an added bonus for this review, I’ll give the Good Reads comic summaries for each book below. Maybe it tickles anyone’s fancy, who knows?
#1
A squad of Adepta Sororitas, led by CANONESS VERIDYAN arrive on planet Siscia to retrieve a lost Inquisitorial acolyte and put down a heretical uprising. As Novitiate GHITA’S first mission with her Order gets underway, what should be an easy mission turns into something much worse, as an unknown force deep within the subterranean city of the planet rears its ugly head!
It’s no-holds-barred action, mystery, and daemons galore as the all-female military force lets bolters blaze and flamers scorch in this all-new saga! Show your faith and fervor to the Emperor by joining us for the start of the next phase of WARHAMMER comics at Marvel!
#2
Novitiate GHITA steps up and guides the SISTERS OF BATTLE deeper into the mystery of SISCIA. But how will her past impact the future of the mission? If they can’t fight their way through the unexpected appearance of a DAEMON in the tunnels, it may not matter! And — a shocking development within the Sisters’ ranks!
#3
DAYS OF DEATH AND MIRACLES! A death in VERIDYAN’S ranks sends shock waves through the squad! Still, they travel deeper into the tunnels of Siscia…and only a miracle can save them now. But the Sisters’ faith in the Emperor is never shaken – even in the face of CHAOS!
#4
VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE! The Sisters learn the story and fate of the Inquisitorial Acolyte, but this doesn’t necessarily equal mission accomplished… And: a discovery of the nature of SISCIA will require a drastic battleplan that will change the face of the planet forever! Chaos runs deep!
#5
THE TIME TO REPENT IS PAST – IT’S ALL-OUT WAR ON SISCIA!
Time has run out for the SISTERS OF BATTLE when they encounter the forces of SLAANESH! As CANONESS VERIDYAN’S survivors attempt a return to the planet’s surface, CANONESS ORIS and the full might of the order strike down!
Wordaholicanonymous 
I have a Sisters army, so have been very interested in this – and 4/5 means I should probably take a look!!
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I got this through the marvel unlimited app. It wont take you long to get through it either. I read them al in 1 train trip of about an hour and a half. Whatthis series also helped me with was explaining a little bit of the units inside the Sisterhood. Like the sisters repentia and the diff between them and the Battle sisters. Did not know the repentias were basically canon fodder… this faction is harsh😳
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I’ll definitely check this out at some point, yeah! I think there seems to be a bit of a theme with some of the new 40k fiction, in trying to show these sorts of differences and whatnot. Older books don’t seem to take the models much into account, so you get all sorts of interesting ideas, whereas now there’s more of a subtle push to almost tell stories about the models, which is quite good at times because you get to know more about the plastic!
Sisters are definitely one of the harshest factions out there, yeah! Were there any Penitent Engines involved?
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Penitent enjins being their versions of Dreadnaughts? I can’t recall. But there might have been one in the background of a panel or two in the last volume.
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Kind of like dreadnoughts, yeah. They have a person strapped to the front of them with all wires and crazy stuff coming out, it’s pretty dark when you look into that!!
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Yeah Ive seen a model or two, they are repenting and not venerated as a marines dreadnaught it seems. Such a weird concept. I wonder how the Emperor feels about, knowing that he spurned Lorgar and co for their fanatacism
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I think it’s one of those supreme ironies of any fiction, really, and it really serves to underscore the perversity of the Imperium, how they basically started the Heresy by rejecting Lorgar, fought a massive civil war that burnt the galaxy, then when the dust settled, basically adopted Lorgar’s original ideas as the core faith and kill everybody who disagrees with them. When they themselves had originally killed the people who adopted those beliefs. It’s just so 👌🏻
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The Battle Sisters are in a couple of the Ciaphas Cain books, so I actually knew what you were talking about here, hurray! 😀
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Another win for 40K🎆
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It sounds interesting but it does seem like it’s better appreciated by fans of the universe who know what it’s talking about. Thanks for sharing, Dawie!
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Thanks for stoping by man. It could be interesting for people new to the genre, but in as ho much they will pick up another book after this I can not make a guess on.
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