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A review by caomhin
Lady Mechanika La Dama de la Muerte by M. M. Chen, Joe Benitez
4.0
This was my first encounter with Lady Mechankia, an English lady with mechanical limbs travelling the New World. Originally published in a three part series this compilation let's you enjoy the complete story and all the accompanying artwork. And that means artwork is a good place to start.
You're not exactly picking up a graphic novel for stick figures that would be at home in an XKCD comic strip, but this one? Wow. It's stunning and vibrant. It's one of those that indulges in flourishes, the frames often decorated with cogs and gears. Some of the frames are a little static at times, but they're generally fairly minor pieces. The showstoppers are spectacular though. The front cover is incredibly eye catching - it stands out as slightly different. It's a wonderful take on La Calavera Catrina (if you'll forgive the anachronism) with a gorgeous palette and presence. Luckily it doesn't stop there. Aside from the story artwork we're also treated the the individual covers of the original books - something that is a huge bonus if you've ever felt cheated at the collections that rob you of those pieces.
The story? Well coming into the middle of a series I don't know how or why Lady Mechanika turns up in a seemingly random Mexican village, but as it's Día de los Muertos we get some glimpses of previous stories. I didn't feel lost but I've no doubt there would be some extra richness if I'd greater background to the story. At times Benitez possibly over-explains the local customs, but not harmfully so. Its a fine balancing act though, and any less could well have invited criticism for it being too obscure and inaccessible so I was happy to ride it out. Likewise the smattering of Spanish words. I really don't speak the language, just a few words picked up here and there, but the use of them here wasn't difficult to understand and gave a nice flavour to the conversations. But I digress. The story is good. It's brief too so don't expect huge character exposition, although I'd say Benitez does impressively well in that regard given the limited opportunities. We get a few interesting minor characters, a little dose of action, and it's enjoyable. The whole thing is fairly self-contained and I'd be surprised if it had much impact on other stories in the series, but that's also good. Much as it left me feeling I wanted more Lady Mechanika on my shelves I didn't feel I was robbed of a conclusion or left hanging as the author taunted me into hunting down the next installment.
A good story with great artwork. It's eye-catching, and a satisfying read.
You're not exactly picking up a graphic novel for stick figures that would be at home in an XKCD comic strip, but this one? Wow. It's stunning and vibrant. It's one of those that indulges in flourishes, the frames often decorated with cogs and gears. Some of the frames are a little static at times, but they're generally fairly minor pieces. The showstoppers are spectacular though. The front cover is incredibly eye catching - it stands out as slightly different. It's a wonderful take on La Calavera Catrina (if you'll forgive the anachronism) with a gorgeous palette and presence. Luckily it doesn't stop there. Aside from the story artwork we're also treated the the individual covers of the original books - something that is a huge bonus if you've ever felt cheated at the collections that rob you of those pieces.
The story? Well coming into the middle of a series I don't know how or why Lady Mechanika turns up in a seemingly random Mexican village, but as it's Día de los Muertos we get some glimpses of previous stories. I didn't feel lost but I've no doubt there would be some extra richness if I'd greater background to the story. At times Benitez possibly over-explains the local customs, but not harmfully so. Its a fine balancing act though, and any less could well have invited criticism for it being too obscure and inaccessible so I was happy to ride it out. Likewise the smattering of Spanish words. I really don't speak the language, just a few words picked up here and there, but the use of them here wasn't difficult to understand and gave a nice flavour to the conversations. But I digress. The story is good. It's brief too so don't expect huge character exposition, although I'd say Benitez does impressively well in that regard given the limited opportunities. We get a few interesting minor characters, a little dose of action, and it's enjoyable. The whole thing is fairly self-contained and I'd be surprised if it had much impact on other stories in the series, but that's also good. Much as it left me feeling I wanted more Lady Mechanika on my shelves I didn't feel I was robbed of a conclusion or left hanging as the author taunted me into hunting down the next installment.
A good story with great artwork. It's eye-catching, and a satisfying read.