Morning Glories #30

Although the character has been around for months causing trouble for the Morning Glories Academy, Morning Glories #30 gives us our first real glimpse into who Irina is and how her past shaped her into the soldier that almost destroyed everything. Captured after her failed coup, Irina doesn't find herself in one of the Academy's prisons but in the comfortable home of Mr. N. whose job it is to try and turn the wayward's soldier back to allegiances more in tune with those of the Headmaster.

Much of the comic is set in flashbacks showcasing Irina's Hanna-ish upbringing in the woods with a harsh mother who trained her from childhood to be a soldier and killer (even going so far as hiring grown men to attempt to rape and kill Irina to further her training).

Aside from the violence of her past we also learn two important pieces of information about Irina's past. 1) Irina is related to members of the Academy's faculty, and 2) Casey Blevins (in the role of Danielle Clarkson) is responsible for finding Irina.

Morning Glories #30 is a bloody issue given the circumstances of Irina's flashbacks which help explain the anger and deadly intent Irina seems to live and breathe. Mr. N., who states that several of the young woman's goals aren't that different from those of the Headmaster, also seems to genuinely want to help Irina into continuing her education. As to what his plans are for such a ruthless killer, and what exactly Casey's role in the troubled young woman's past truly is, we'll just have to wait and see. Worth a look.

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