Advance Review: Lady Enigma Volume One
Launching soon On Kickstarter
Lady Enigma—A Victorian Gothic Supernatural Graphic Novel—will soon launch on Kickstarter from Simon Birks and Blue Fox Comics. It is a landscape comic by David Brana and Olga Carmona Peral.
In Victorian London, siblings Sarah and Brian Perkins, united by their love for each other and the pain of their past, combat dark criminal threats. Sarah possesses paranormal abilities that have disturbed her since she was a child, while Brian is a pragmatic Scotland Yard inspector.
One More Year is a 160-page landscape, full colour, Gothic-supernatural mystery comic written by David Braña and illustrated by Olga Carmona Peral.
Delving into this gothic horror detective selection of stories, I was first struck by both how the art and lettering fit this style of story. The landscape method is one seldom used, and my copy of Private Eye is one of the only books I have in this style1.
That, along with the engrossing story, makes this an excellent read, with horror, ghosts, and murders to deal with. We also jump straight into it, with the death and a creepy doll to contend with. This first adventure gives us all the introductory aspects we need. A brother and sister, both struggling to deal with the apparent suicide of their father, both dealing with it in different ways.
Brian is a police officer now, and he is attempting to forge his path, but a strange death brings him back to his sister, who may be able to help but is battling her demons.
Sarah, with her abilities, takes to alcohol to numb the pain, but these cases help her and her brother not only grow closer but also get some closure from the death of their father.
This book contains some cleverly interconnected stories and excellent world-building—including an entertaining story about Japan—all based around Victorian England. Yes, there is a short mention of a certain serial killer in Whitechapel, but that is all—there is enough to deal with.
There is some excellent peril, and I found this book to be an excellent page-turner. It not only kept me hooked to the end, but I also hoped there was more to come from this team and these characters.
The artwork combines the gritty Victorian style with the darker aspects of the backstreets and the more supernatural aspects. It works well with some brilliant colouring choices and lettering.
This is a thrilling read with action, suspense, and ghostly horror. It catches you early on and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Sign up here for the launch on Kickstarter:
It does mess up my bookshelf somewhat.