Minor Arcana, Volume One: The Fool

I am a big fan of Jeff Lemire since I read The Essex County Trilogy  almost two decades ago. He is one of the most prolific comics creators in the field today, with a huge list of comics credits and having won a slew of major awards along the way. He has written a number of series for DC Comics and Marvel as well as his own creator-owned works like Black Hammer, and Sweet Tooth. I was very excited to read his newest ongoing series, his first solo one since 2012, Minor Arcana, and this book collects the first five issues.

Theresa St. Pierre is the protagonist of the series, and she's been called back to the small town of Limberlost to care for her mother, who has cancer. Theresa hated growing up there and is very reluctant to return, but she has had a bad run of her own and really has nowhere else to be. She is also a recovering alcoholic and generally seems to hate people. Her mother works as a psychic, and Theresa always thought she was just running an extended con on people, but then something happens that makes her realize that these abilities might be real. 

What makes this book so compelling to me are the hallmarks of Lemire's work. He is able to created strong characters with whom the reader is drawn to care about. Theresa is surly, unpleasant, and imperfect but also gives people credit when it's due, and she is a surprisingly relatable person. Also, the small town setting and family drama are fertile ground for delving into the past, unearthing secrets and revealing events that have profoundly shaped the present day. I loved how suspense builds through the plotting and pacing and how revelations in singular moments really pay off in terms of both story and imagery. All of Lemire's storytelling tools are in full effect here. I was instantly drawn into this world, and I cannot wait to see what else happens here.

I had a difficult time finding reviews of this trade paperback, but Jared Bird called this collection "tremendous work" that "feels special." There are a range of reviews available from The League of Comic Geeks, where it has been rated 4.3 (out of 5) stars as of this post.

Minor Arcana, Volume One was published by Boom! Studios, and they offer more info and a video preview of the series here. Lemire also speaks extensively about the influences on the series in this interview.