matt4hire's review
3.0
One of the odder Beto stories, and that's saying something. There's a strange ending that seems to just serve as a very dark punchline to a very dark joke, and it seems like the rest of the story is that, too. However, Beto's storytelling skills are fully on display here, and his art is superb as ever. I'm just left befuddled as to what he's trying to say.
devinr's review
4.0
This is a horrifyingly exquisite book, a beautifully-drawn nightmare of a story. Gilbert Hernandez uses his round, almost-innocent style to tell the story of innocense, corruption, sensuality, and brutality, through the story of Empress, a young girl who grows up in the book's three acts. It's hard for me to describe this book: it's certainly not easy to read but I think it's worthwhile. It has beautifully drawn pictures of terrible things and it tells a story that has the opportunity to surprise you even as you wallow in the bleakness. A great book from one of my favourite cartoonists.
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