tiamatq's review against another edition
2.0
I really enjoyed the first collection of Matt Wagner's Madame Xanadu. This one didn't do it for me though. The story follows Madame Xanadu as she does some old-fashioned detective work in 1940, following a series of mysterious deaths and reliving memories of her life in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition.
I thought the plot dragged on, with occasional highlights, such as cameos from Dian Belmont and Wesley Dodds. The storyline following her time in Spain was fairly predictable - no big revelations when Nimue's nature causes problems with the Inquisition! The dialogue is also pretty bad - particularly the scene with the showgirl and Richard Miller.
Most of all, I didn't like the artwork. It felt very messy and busy, particularly compared to Amy Reeder Hadley's gorgeous work in the previous volume. Some of the characters' expressions were hilarious given the context of the scenes. For example, when Nimue's lover has been taken by the Inquisition and a neighbor confronts her with this news, her expression reads as... sleepy.
This mysterious killer releasing his demon dog to kill a man... cross-eyed? Detecting a bad smell?
And good old Tomas de Torquemada... Indiana Jones-style face melt? Look at those teeth, they're horrifying!
With a subpar story, dialogue, and artwork, I'd say this one is skipable. I'm hoping the next collection is better than this one. I like the Madame Xanadu character, but it felt like she didn't have to make much effort here to solve the mystery and defeat the villain... because who doesn't have mummified shards from the brain of a kraken lying around? Seriously. I feel that Wesley Dodd's and Dian Belmont's perspectives would've been much more intriguing than what we get here.
I thought the plot dragged on, with occasional highlights, such as cameos from Dian Belmont and Wesley Dodds. The storyline following her time in Spain was fairly predictable - no big revelations when Nimue's nature causes problems with the Inquisition! The dialogue is also pretty bad - particularly the scene with the showgirl and Richard Miller.
Most of all, I didn't like the artwork. It felt very messy and busy, particularly compared to Amy Reeder Hadley's gorgeous work in the previous volume. Some of the characters' expressions were hilarious given the context of the scenes. For example, when Nimue's lover has been taken by the Inquisition and a neighbor confronts her with this news, her expression reads as... sleepy.
This mysterious killer releasing his demon dog to kill a man... cross-eyed? Detecting a bad smell?
And good old Tomas de Torquemada... Indiana Jones-style face melt? Look at those teeth, they're horrifying!
With a subpar story, dialogue, and artwork, I'd say this one is skipable. I'm hoping the next collection is better than this one. I like the Madame Xanadu character, but it felt like she didn't have to make much effort here to solve the mystery and defeat the villain... because who doesn't have mummified shards from the brain of a kraken lying around? Seriously. I feel that Wesley Dodd's and Dian Belmont's perspectives would've been much more intriguing than what we get here.
nancyotoole's review against another edition
4.0
At the end of the first volume of Madame Xanandu, Disenchanted, our heroine opened up a shop, allowing her to read tarot cards and help people who required her supernatural expertise. In Exodus Noir, she find herself following a series of mysterious deaths. These events in 1940s New York City cause her to reflect upon her own past during the Spanish Inquisition. The further she digs into the case the more she realizes that the connection between the present and the past is stronger than she first believed.
I couldn't help but fall in love with the first volume of Madame Xanadu. I loved the fantasy storyline, the trip through time, and most of all, the quality of Amy Reeder Hadley's artwork. This is somewhat of a surprise for me, as someone that tends to value story over art. When I learned that the second volume of the series featured a new artist, Michael W. Kaluta, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Still, while Kaluta's art style rarely enchanted me as Reeder Hadley's did, there's no denying that the art is still very good, although dramatically different. He has a knack for capturing different time periods, something I felt was especially strong during the New York City scenes.
The story in Exodus Noir has a very different feel than Disenchanted. Instead of watching two characters clash through several events in history, Exodus Noir focuses on a single storyline, with flashbacks to a previous era. The juggling of the two timelines works really well, and I enjoyed figuring out how they were ultimately connected. The Spanish Inquisition scenes features Madame Xanadu in a lesbian relationship, which I was pleased to see was dealt with respectfully. Under a lesser writer and artist, I suspect that the scenes could have felt very exploitative. In the New York storyline, Madame Xanadu's supernatural adventures are aided by a couple guest stars from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, which only drive home the fact that I really need to read that comic book series as well.
Exodus Noir is a satisfactory follow up to Disenchanted. Although I was sad at first to see Amy Reeder Hadley step out at artist, Michael W. Kaluta does a very good job of capturing the two time periods. The more cohesive storyline is a great read with a couple surprises that I didn't see coming. I look forward to reading the next two volumes of the series, which continue to take our heroine though history.
I couldn't help but fall in love with the first volume of Madame Xanadu. I loved the fantasy storyline, the trip through time, and most of all, the quality of Amy Reeder Hadley's artwork. This is somewhat of a surprise for me, as someone that tends to value story over art. When I learned that the second volume of the series featured a new artist, Michael W. Kaluta, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Still, while Kaluta's art style rarely enchanted me as Reeder Hadley's did, there's no denying that the art is still very good, although dramatically different. He has a knack for capturing different time periods, something I felt was especially strong during the New York City scenes.
The story in Exodus Noir has a very different feel than Disenchanted. Instead of watching two characters clash through several events in history, Exodus Noir focuses on a single storyline, with flashbacks to a previous era. The juggling of the two timelines works really well, and I enjoyed figuring out how they were ultimately connected. The Spanish Inquisition scenes features Madame Xanadu in a lesbian relationship, which I was pleased to see was dealt with respectfully. Under a lesser writer and artist, I suspect that the scenes could have felt very exploitative. In the New York storyline, Madame Xanadu's supernatural adventures are aided by a couple guest stars from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, which only drive home the fact that I really need to read that comic book series as well.
Exodus Noir is a satisfactory follow up to Disenchanted. Although I was sad at first to see Amy Reeder Hadley step out at artist, Michael W. Kaluta does a very good job of capturing the two time periods. The more cohesive storyline is a great read with a couple surprises that I didn't see coming. I look forward to reading the next two volumes of the series, which continue to take our heroine though history.
wealhtheow's review against another edition
1.0
The magical adventures of Nimue, aka Madame Xanadu. This time, she is reminded of her own encounters with the Spanish Inquisition when men in the 1920s start dying of a curse that began generations ago. On the one hand, this is also the story of Nimue being a grand ol lesbian, which I appreciate. On the other hand, the art is terrible and the dialog and underlying plot as hackneyed as ever.
williamc's review
2.0
Without the series' usual art from [a:Amy Reeder|5387809|Amy Reeder|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1365102945p2/5387809.jpg], this second volume reads like standard supernatural-meets-noir fare, with illustrations that seem slightly fetishistic in portraying the relationship between its two most prominent female characters. This means the graphic novel sat half-read on my shelf for months after I'd started. There isn't much here to recommend.
lenabrary's review
4.0
Interesting story. I picked this comic up on a whim and boy, was I happy I did. Magic and lesbians and an interesting storyline? Sign m
me up! I'm definitely interested in learning more about Madame Xanadu.
me up! I'm definitely interested in learning more about Madame Xanadu.
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