Sky Doll
Sky Doll is a science fiction comic written, drawn and colored by Italian artists Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa (of W.I.T.C.H. fame).
In this story, sky dolls are sentient robots made for a multitude of jobs-- mainly for the pleasure of males. Papathea, the planet the story begins in, is entirely dominated by a Theocracy that keeps power by a mix of manipulation of the masses, fake miracles and an iron rule. Oh, and by double standards: women on this planet are mostly oppressed and forced to conform to an impossible ideal of chastity but men are allowed to "sin" without guilt as long as it's with the dolls.
Noa is one of many dolls, working in the "Heavenly Carwash", car washes with some heavy fanservice. Noa is unusual for her kind as she dreams and feels she could do better -- most dolls tend to take their virtual slavery situation quite lightly. Roy and Jabu are emissaries of the papacy on the road to Aqua for a peace treaty, who decide to make a quick stop on the carwash. Noa, after making a mess of a situation and deciding that enough is enough, stows away in the guys ship. After being discovered and with the reluctance of Jabu, she joins the expedition and learns more about herself and how messed up the situation on her planet really is.
So far books 1-3 have been released in French, Spanish, Danish, Japanese and English by Marvel comics, though Heavy Metal Magazine published all three books in a single issue about a year before the announcement. The fourth issue, Sudra, is about five years overdue as well. Two volumes of short stories have been published; Space Ship Collection and Lacrima Christi, the first being a prequel about Noa's life before the story began, and the other being a bunch of side stories.
- Art Evolution: Quite noticeable on the small parts made for the space ship collection and Lacrima Christi.
- Author Filibuster: Someone's got a problem with church and state not being separated, or with a church's power gone berserk. It's the tyrannical Ludovica who's apparently the big problem, and a significant population wants the more moderate vanished Papessa Agape to come back. There was a lot of such business way back in Ye Middle Agese, with occasionally-epic pope/antipope fights between factions. See the Medici family and the Borgia family. Both authors have spoken about their huge dislike of organized religion, and in recent issues it has been revealed that Agape was no saint, and probably even more monstrous than Ludovica in her personal life. Also, the treatment regime on Aqua is a not-so-subtle dig at Scientology's similar shenanigans.
- Back from the Dead: Roy, thanks to Noa.
- Belief Makes You Stupid: The masses are easily swayed by the Miraculatore's Miracles.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Apparently, Agape.
- Bread and Circuses: who cares about the bread, the religious circus shows and Fan Service are rampant! Especially religious broadcasts stuffed with fanservice.
- Cain and Abel: Papessa Ludovica and Papessa Agape, though Agape is already dead by Ludovica's hands by the time the story begins. Or did she?
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Ludovica the impulsive, materialistic sister (as befitting someone who's supposed to represent carnality) and Agape the serene, spiritual sister (representing spirituality, natch).
- Church of Happyology: The religion of Aqua.
- Clockwork Creature: The skydolls have to be recharged every few hours by winding them up via a key that fits in their back, each skydoll having one key that will only work for them.
- Clone Jesus: Noa, maybe.
- Corrupt Church: And if it wasn't obvious enough from Papessa Ludovica, her miracle-maker is basically Cesare Borgia's doppelganger. Complete with unique hat.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Frida Decibel does an awfully good job of playing the dimwitted yes-man shill for Ludovica, but some in her employ is a member of the followers of Agape. And so is she.
- Cult
- Deadly Decadent Court: Ludovica's. And Agape's.
- Do Androids Dream?: the Skydolls (gynoids) do not dream. Noa is the only exception. Makes us wonder...
- Downer Ending: One in the Spaceship Collection and many of the stories in Lacrima Christi end this way.
- Enigmatic Minion: The Miraculatore seems to mostly service Ludovica's elaborate stage shows and her. In reality he uses that as a cover to set up a coup to bring down Ludovica's regime from the inside in the name of his beloved Agape.
- Evil Redhead: Agape.
- Fan Service, Fetish Fuel: In-universe, the skydolls--best to keep the populace distracted with of course. Otherwise the story has a good bit thrown in for the reader here and there.
- Fan Service with a Smile: Most of the jobs of the dolls.
- Hypocritical Humor: Humor is stretching it, but in the series proper, the Miracle Genie calls Ludovica a "perverted psycho" behind her back. Lacrima Christi shows he has no right to criticize.
- Innocent Fanservice Girl: Noa.
- Lolicon: The gothloli Doll from Spaceship and presumably, Marie's little sister from Lacrima Christi.
- Loving a Shadow: Pretty much the only reason the Miracle Genie puts up with Ludovica is because she's Agape's flesh and blood.
- Marshmallow Hell: Noa does it to Roy at one point.
- The Messiah: Agape and possibly Noa with powers to back it up. Ludovica masquerades as this.
- Mission from God: Roy and Jahu are sent on a mission by Ludovica to try to convert the the People of Aqua. At least that's what Roy thinks. Jahu on the other hand was given more specific orders on how to deal with the heretics.
- Mushroom Samba: In order to enter the People of Aqua's city you have to reach a higher level of consciousness. Noa and Roy are able to do this thorough meditation. Jahu on the other hand just pops some drugs and ends up hallucinating running through a hallway of breasts. This leads to a near-Marshmallow Hell moment of the most epic order.
- Nice Hat: The Miracle Genie's awesome turban.
- Noa has some jaunty chapeaux to her name too.
- Nipple-and-Dimed, Shirtless Scene: Ludovica, Noa and especially Agape who, unlike the other two, never covers her breasts.
- No Name Given: Miraculatore/The Miracle maker/The Spirit of miracles/Miracle Genie.
- Not So Different: Ludovica and Agape.
- One-Gender Race: The Aquarians are all female. This doesn't end well for them. Later events gives they don't continue to be this.
- Parental Incest: The Miraculatore claims to be Noa's father. She has at least one dream where she made out with him.
- It's heavily implied in the first volume that this was based on reality. The man has issues.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Ludovica at times.
- Rape as Drama: Several moments in Lacrima Christi.
- Redheaded Hero, Rose-Haired Girl: Noa seems to favor red and pink wigs.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Roy and Jahu, Jahu is more laid back and somewhat cynical and Roy is more active and optimistic.
- Ludovica and Agape.
- Religion Is Wrong
- Scenery Porn: The gorgeous pans of the architecture and busts of crying angels in Ludovica's room, while the Miraculatore takes her from behind stands out.
- Sex Bot: The sky dolls.
- Shout-Out: Lacrima Christi is the name of an Italian wine.
- A chapter from Spaceship has some dolls dress up as anime heroines. One of them is Sailor Moon.
- Stalker Shrine: The Miracle Genie has one to Agape.
- Tears of Blood: One of Ludovica's "miracles."
- Tears From a Stone: Sky dolls can't cry unless modified to do so. Guess what Noa can do? And do with them?
- What the Hell, Hero?: This series has many but worthy of consideration is the fact that Noa had dolls killed on her escape from her creator.
- Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?: Noa used to do this before the series began.
- Wrong Name Outburst: During the scene in Ludovica's room the Miraculatore says "Agape", the name of Ludovica's counterpart who she had killed before the story begins. She notices, but doesn't give him the audience-expected hell for it.