When I began reading Manifest Destiny with issue #1 I was mighty impressed with this fantastical alternate tale of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The behavior of the crew and officers was refreshingly varied with some period nuances.
However as the expedition goes deeper into the unknown the same weary tropes that no postmodern work of fiction can seemingly do without have risen to the surface, apparently to stay.
The female American Indian character is depicted according to the only two traits seemingly possible for our society to stomach:
1. She is a wise and limitlessly insightful Amerindian, morally and practically superior to whites in every way.
2. She is a high flying superhero against which men and monsters are helpless.
They’ve been losing me for a while, and lost it here. But I’m sure they have picked up numerous readers for infusing this otherwise original story with our most beloved fictions, the sainted Indian and the woman of power.
