How is Netflix’s Warrior Nun different to the comic?

Netflix's Warrior Nun has been a must-watch for fans of shocking, demonic thrillers since it hit Netflix in July.

The manga-inspired series is based on a comic of the same name by Ben Dunn and follows orphan Ava, played by Alba Baptista, who is resurrected in the first episode by a holy relic.

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How is Netflix's Warrior Nun different to the comic?

The original comic, Warrior Nun Areala, was first published in 1994 by Antarctic Press and is a manga-style American comic book. It tells the story of nuns fight demons in the name of the Catholic Church.

For those familiar with the source material, some of the elements in the new series may come as a surprise as there are some big departures from Dunn's comic.

The most glaring difference is the protagonist. In the original comic, the plot is centred on Sister Shannon Masters — an older, Joan of Arc-like heroine.

In Netflix's interpretation, teenage Ava is the heroine, a far cry from the mature Shannon Masters. Although Shannon and Ava are both orphans revived by relics, Ava does not appear in the comics at all and is a completely new character.

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The action in Dunn's comic takes place in New York in the comics but in the TV adaptation, it is set in modern day Spain.

Shotgun Mary, played by Toya Turner is one of the main characters taken from the Warrior Nun Areala comic books. She is nicknamed after the two shotguns that she carries anf fights alongside the Order of the Cruciform Sword.

Speaking at Spain's 2019 Freakcon, showrunner Simon Barry said they used "the mythology of this universe to tell our story" rather attempting to retell the comic directly.

In the original comic, Shannon is the heroine of the Order of the Cruciform Sword, a group of Warrior Nuns and Magic Priests who fight in the name of the Catholic Church.

It was a controversial comic for its use of religious imagery, but was also a cult favourite.

This fictional group of nuns and Priests was supposedly formed back in 1066, after a Valkyrie named Auria renounced her paganism and turned to Jesus for salvation.

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Auria changes her name to Areala, and changes form every generation to continue on her mission.

In the comic, the current Areala is Sister Shannon Masters, who arrives in New York City at the beginning of the comics to fight evil with her team of fantatics.

Warrior Nun is available to stream on Netflix now.