Over the course of a long continuous series of storylines, Sister Shannon Masters' cast, powers, and trappings have slowly expanded throughout the years, thus creating an entire society within the Church. There has been some controversy regarding the character from both religious and non-religious people, the former for appropriating Catholic imagery and the latter for how the comic book unapologetically shows the Catholic Church as a force for good. While there have been other comic books emphasizing Christianity and superheroes using Christian imagery, "Warrior Nun Areala" is unique in that it is a mainstream, albeit independent comic that addresses the subject matter with significant detail.