A review by joshgauthier
Lady Mechanika Vol. 1: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse by Joe Benítez
4.0
I picked this one up knowing basically nothing about it - dramatic cover, cool steampunk vibe, plus I heard someone say it was good. I didn't know much more going in.
Turns out, it really was good. With vibrant and engaging art as well as a rich and well-developed storyline, "Lady Mechanika" offers a very strong read and (to me) seemed notably developed for a comic. It's funny. It's got adventure. It takes place on a large scale, but doesn't forget the struggles and successes of the characters on a more personal level.
My one main complaint - as there often is one - is that (for me) the visuals for the female characters make it clear that there is a male team behind the stylized artwork. But the artwork is otherwise great to look at, and it is backed up by consistently solid writing, so it was a lingering complaint, but really the only problem I had with this volume.
So, all in all, it's a well-developed world with an engaging and multi-leveled story and fun characters. Steampunk adventure really does make for an enjoyable read.
Turns out, it really was good. With vibrant and engaging art as well as a rich and well-developed storyline, "Lady Mechanika" offers a very strong read and (to me) seemed notably developed for a comic. It's funny. It's got adventure. It takes place on a large scale, but doesn't forget the struggles and successes of the characters on a more personal level.
My one main complaint - as there often is one - is that (for me) the visuals for the female characters make it clear that there is a male team behind the stylized artwork. But the artwork is otherwise great to look at, and it is backed up by consistently solid writing, so it was a lingering complaint, but really the only problem I had with this volume.
So, all in all, it's a well-developed world with an engaging and multi-leveled story and fun characters. Steampunk adventure really does make for an enjoyable read.