After Netflix learned that it would lose Marvel’s series from its library, the company wanted to make sure it didn’t lose out on all the lucrative comic book properties.
As a result, it brought in some Netflix original comic adaptations, including The Umbrella Academy, The October Faction, and Raising Dion.
Now, Warrior Nun has been added to the list.
Warrior Nun is an adaptation of the manga-style American comic book Warrior Nun Areala by Ben Dunn.
The comic book series has a group called the Order of the Cruciform Sword, a military order in the Catholic Church that battles literal demons to protect the world.
In the comic, a Valkyrie named Auria rejected her pagan ways and became a believer in Christ. As a result, the renamed Areala chooses an avatar every generation to lead the group against demonic forces. The main leader in the comics is Shannon Masters.
The comic book series was controversial for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Many members of the church didn’t like their symbols used in comics, while non-Catholics didn’t like the fact that the church was seen as heroic.
However, the books do have a huge following. Faith is real in the comics, and they pay a lot of respect to religious beliefs.
The Netflix series does not follow the comic book series too closely, but it does use the Order of the Cruciform Sword, bringing to the modern-day.
Alba Baptista stars as Ava, a paraplegic who spent over a decade in a Catholic orphanage after the death of her mother. Right before she turns 19 and leaves, she takes her own life and ends up in a morgue.
Right after Ava’s death, a battle between the Order of the Cruciform Sword and a group of mercenaries roars into the church. In a last-ditch effort by the OCS to protect a divine artifact known as the Halo, Ava is resurrected from the dead and learns she is the new chosen one to lead the OCS.
The biggest problem with the first half of Warrior Nun is that it takes forever for Ava to accept her fate. She spends a lot of time with new friends she makes when she gets out of the morgue. However, as with much of this series, that plotline is dropped as the story moves on.
However, when the series moves to the action, it is incredible. The fight scenes are spectacular, and the fact that Warrior Nun doesn’t go too far in showing extraordinary demons outside of giant monsters chasing the Halo means that the show can spend more time on the action and less on special effects.
The cast is uniformly excellent.
Baptista is solid in her role as Ava and comes across as a young Ellen Page. The second best actor has to be Toya Turner as Shotgun Mary, the one member of the OCS that refused to take her vows but remains loyal to the group.
Tristan Ulloa is Father Vincent, who spends the movie acting as the Giles to Ava’s Buffy. Credit also goes to Joaquim de Almeida, a slimy ladder climber in the Catholic Church named Cardinal Duretti, whom no one trusts.
There is also a side story with a scientist named Jillian Salvius, who is working on a scientific device, hoping to mix science with religion to open a portal to the afterlife.
However, while this seems like it will play a big part in the series, it doesn’t. At least, not yet.
Just like Umbrella Academy, Season 1 of Warrior Nun ends with a cliffhanger. Fans do not receive a complete story, and the season doesn’t even end with a resolution to a self-contained story. Instead, several smart twists and turns lead to the final fight.
The cliffhanger ending means that without a second season, watching the first season will be a frustrating waste of time.
As long as there is a second season, the first season of Warrior Nun is highly recommended.
The acting is great, and the action is fantastic. This series has some tremendous crowd-pleasing fight scenes, and the story is a ton of fun. However, be warned the show takes a little time to pick up, but by the third episode, Warrior Nun is off to the races.
For viewers who are okay waiting for Season 2 to wrap up the story, Warrior Nun is an easy recommendation.
