Tigress Island #2 – Battle of the Soiled Doves

No honor or dignity among ladies of the night on Tigress Island #2 Main Cover by EPHK, Image Comics

PREVIOUSLY ON TIGRESS ISLAND #1:

Previously, 5 ladies traveled to China for a new career opportunity. They came from all over the world: Japan, Australia, the USA, and even Russia. Regardless of their different backgrounds, careers, talents, or motivations, they all had one thing in common: they were all out of options. As a result, they found themselves hired by one “agent/marketer” named Olmsted. So, the job offered by Olmsted was described as “companionship services for upscale locations and/or events”.

TRAFFICKED

Unfortunately, it was all a ruse. The ladies: Delight, Bridget, Lonni, Yulia, and Hema became victims of human trafficking. After their business meeting with Olmsted, they all woke up in a dark container being transported to an unknown location. Undoubtedly, this was a shock for all of them. Certainly, this was no longer the escorting services they signed up for.

WELCOME TO TIGRESS ISLAND

Once they landed, they came face to face with their new reality. Along with the person in charge of their “wellbeing”. Her name? Sorinah and she’s the Provost of the island. Big baddie in more ways than one that handles the women with an iron fist for the trafficking enterprise of one Maximo Alameda II. Finally, after the ladies tried to plead for their freedom, they were shown their accommodations. Finally, the ladies saw firsthand how big this enterprise was and how many other women fell victim to it prior to their arrival.

*SPOILERS FOR ISSUE #2

SOLICITATION:

“An island prison full of lost women. A vindictive warden. And a slim chance to escape if they can work together. But not everyone shares the same vision. Our girls are going to have to fight their way out.” (Image Comics)

NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES

Now, on issue #2, there’s a lot to process. First, we see the ladies confront Vanessa, their unexpected companion. Apparently, Vanessa was not supposed to be trafficked with everyone else. Because she dated Olmsted, she thought herself safe from sharing this fate with the rest of the escorts. However, the likelihood that Olmsted sold Vanessa out by mistake is slim to none. 

REVOLT

Eventually, the newly arrived ladies were strong-spirited and unwilling to accept this injustice. So, they asked around, gathered as much intel as possible, spoke up, and demanded their human rights to be respected. But all of it fell on deaf ears. In fact, some of them were punished for speaking out of line. On the other hand, the other prisoners actively tried to stop them from making trouble. Most of them were unwilling to join their efforts because they had accepted their fates and adjusted to their new lives as sex slaves.

HOW ABOUT THE ART?

Unlike mainstream comic book series, Tigress Island does not shy away from the inherent sexuality of its characters. In spite of the story dealing with sex workers and what have you, EPHK’s art style creates space for the levity. Of course, sex trafficking is a serious matter, but when you depict women with unrealistic body proportions, you tend to relax your shoulders and allow the story to be told.

OVERALL GRADE: 9/10

FINAL THOUGHTS

Initially, this series could be perceived as gratuitously sexy for no reason. Especially when considering what the main plot is about. If you have been paying close attention to the news cycle for the past year or so, you’ll realize the parallels with Tigress Island and another very infamous island that we’re not going to mention here today. However, there’s some depth and complexity in these characters that’s worth exploring. If you’re looking for some ridiculous, sexy ladies to fight back against their captors, in a story where no one is innocent, Tigress Island might be the sort of NSFW content you didn’t know you were looking for.

Let us know your thoughts on Tigress Island #2 in the comments section below: