Joan of Arc
[id: a black-and-white comic of joan of arc. she is depicted as a sturdy young woman with chin-length dark hair. she is shown spitting out blood, more smeared on her face as her expression contorts in anger. “joan is more violent than often depicted,” the narration reads. a shot of her standing with a neutral expression and arms at her sides is shown. “younger, too. less blonde. her genius was not in strategy (where she’d often in her passion forget defense),” it continues, “but in the way she reached out to others.” her outstretched hand, a scar covering her palm, is shown.
“she didn’t just bring a torch to the dark corners of apathy,” continues the narration over a shot of a torch in hand, and then cut to white: “she lit the room.” joan is then shown extending a sword, arrows flying at her and beams of light surrounding her. “the maiden of prophecy, leading the french, who were so broken, to victory.” she interacts with other soldiers. “war weariness beat back by a teenage girl—”
joan is shown standing in a field, arms loose at her side. “she was small and stocky,” continues the narration. joan smiles slightly as a close-up of her face is shown, showing birthmarks and uneven eyes. “she had the olive skin of a farmer and common face. she hid a birthmark behind her ear, a kiss left by a saint that whispered there,” the narration reads as that gentle ghostly kiss is shown.
“she yelled orders through pain,” the narration continues over shots of her screaming and angry. “she shouted at generals.” and then joan is shown against darkness, crying as the narration continues, “she whispered goodbyes and prayers in ruined fields of the dead.” fade to white. “she was volatile and headstrong and resilient. even her image, burned three times,” continues the narration over a shot of smoke billowing up, “stays.” /end id.]
