Whether or not you already know about Anne Bonny, A Man Among Ye is sure to liven up the summer. We could all use some swashbuckling pirate escapism right about now!

Dramatizing real historical figures and events, A Man Among Ye (Image Comics/Top Cow, written by Stephanie Phillips, art by Craig Cermak) follows infamous female pirate Anne Bonny and her lover, John “Calico Jack” Rackham. Their exploits soon catch the eye of an equally ruthless pirate hunter, Governor Rogers. On top of this, Anne has to deal with scrutiny and suspicion from her male shipmates.

While discussed, the period-typical misogyny isn’t the main focus of the story. Anne is capable and fearsome in her own right. She soon finds companionship with a stowaway, Mary Read, who served in the British navy disguised as a boy – until Calico Jack’s crew destroyed her ship. In her own free-spirited way, Anne serves as a mentor figure to Mary, who has good reason to be wary of pirates.

The story takes a few liberties with historical fact. The real Mary Read was more than 10 years older than Anne Bonny and dressed as a man all the time. Here, Mary is younger than Anne. She’s also revealed to be a girl when taken prisoner, so she faces the same misogynist hostility that Anne does. However, I feel these changes enhance the narrative. Mary’s relative innocence and decency balance out the cutthroat antics from the rest of the cast. Also, General Rogers has a personal score to settle with Calico Jack, so I’m eager to see what trouble the crew stirs up next.

A Man Among Ye issue #2 is available now and issue #3 comes out on September 16!