Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter

First off, let me say that I am a sucker for books like this. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my favorite shows ever, and I love the turn-of-the-century England, steampunk-style, monster hunter vibe displayed in these pages. Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter is a fun, action-packed, and sometimes creepy graphic novel. The title character is an orphaned teenager who lives with two servants. The first is Napoleon White, a butler/chauffeur, and the second is his wife Mrs. White, a governess. Together they look after Scarlett and Ravenwood, her family's estate, which is in a state of disrepair since her parents' death. She came into monster hunting as the family business, but she does not just hunt monsters because it is her calling or there's some mystical need, she does it to earn the reward money needed to keep ahead of their creditors.

One obstacle that Scarlett faces is that she is legally too young to hunt monsters, and the local "Watch" is onto her. The second is Count Stankovic, a rival monster hunter who has a special desire to not only foil Scarlett but ruin her life. As there are frequent monster attacks in this version of London, the two adversaries come into frequent contact. And when Scarlett tracks some monsters to their source and sees the Count involved, she begins to feel that he is not only hunting monsters but summoning them as well.

I felt that this book had a great amount of action and intrigue. I can't say that it is the most original or complex plot I have ever read, but it is a fun, well crafted piece of genre fiction. I got sucked into reading the whole thing in one sitting, even though I told myself I was only going to read the opening vignette. It's ghoulishly delightful, and if you like books with gruesome monsters and steampunk weaponry, this one will be right up your alley. Also, I should add that this book has a clear ending, though it leaves the door open for a sequel. I hope that it sells well so we get one.

This book was a collaboration between writer Marcus Sedgwick and artist Thomas Taylor. Sedgwick has written several novels and won the Printz Award for his book Midwinterblood. Taylor is an accomplished children's book author and is most famous for being the first illustrator of the Harry Potter series. I very much like the tone and style of the art here, which I find to resemble an amalgamation of those of Joann Sfar and Richard Sala. It's appropriately creepy, muted, and ominous, perfect for a tale such as this. Both creators speak about their work on Scarlett Hart in this interview.

The reviews I have read about this book have been fairly positive. Kirkus Reviews summed up that it would be "fun for a spooky night, anchored by likable characters and a zippy story." Publisher Weekly wrote, "Taylor’s energetic artwork captures the time and place through the use of metallic grays and browns, while integrating an array of gothic and steampunk motifs." Elizabeth Bush was less taken with the plot and wrote that "this debut graphic novel series chugs along with little more than a workmanlike, repetitious plot of monster appearance/confrontation action scene/Hart-vs.-Stankovic rivalry."

Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more here.

A review copy was provided by the publisher.

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer

Something I can reveal about this book, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer, is that the stories in here are for the most part not real but they are constructed from some excellent research, facts, and historical events. It follows the exploits of an unusual duo, countess/mathematician Ada Lovelace and mathematician/grump Charles Babbage. In reality, these two met and had a great friendship/collaboration that resulted in the invention of two machines, a difference engine and an analytical engine, precursors to what we now recognize as computers. But, neither machine was actually fully built in either of their lifetimes. What is more, Lovelace died pretty young, so their collaboration was rather short-lived.

 

From those bits of reality, this book follows a narrative into a pocket universe where Lovelace and Babbage's lives played out differently: they both live longer lives, build their machines, and use them for various adventures. Along the way they meet major figures of the day, including Queen Victoria, the Duke of Wellington, and author George Eliot. These episodes are full of wit, humor, and well explained footnotes. The artwork is very expressive and vital, and the entire enterprise bursts with personality and energy. This is probably one of the geekiest books I have ever read, and I rather enjoyed it. I don't know if this quite a book for every reader, but it would certainly be a hit for those who like Victorian era antics, computer science, and/or sophisticated humor.

Sydney Padua is an animator and illustrator who began working on this project as a webcomic, just for kicks. It clearly has grown into something much larger, a bonafide graphic novel. She speaks about her work on this webcomic and book in this interview.

This work has received two Eisner nominations, so it was no surprise that all of the reviews I have read about it have been very positive. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and made it a special selection, summing up, "Permeated by delightful illustrations, obsessive foot- and endnotes, and a spirit of genuine inventiveness, it’s an early candidate for the year’s best." Maria Popova called it "layered and wonderful in its totality." Dr. James Sumner wrote a more academic review, and he remarked that "Padua’s work is, in fact, rather better researched than certain more solemn texts on Lovelace and Babbage."

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage was published by Pantheon Books, and they have more info about it here.

The Mystery of Mary Rogers

No foray into the spooky and horrific genres of graphic novels would be complete without including Rick Geary's work. He has been making comics for decades now, winning major awards for his efforts, and telling all kinds of historical tales in graphic novel formats (just check out these reviews and see).

This book, The Mystery of Mary Rogers is an entry in his A Treasury of Victorian Murder series. It tells the tale of a beautiful, flirtatious cigar store clerk and her unfortunate demise in New York City in July of 1841. The news of her death was slow to circulate in the days and weeks after her body was found in the Hudson River, but it soon became a public sensation with innuendo about scorned lovers and a potential abortion. The crime was never solved, and the story found some eternal attention due to its being the basis for Edgar Allan Poe's second murder mystery (he invented them, you know) "The Mystery of Mary Rogêt."

Where this book really shines is in its depictions of the life and times of the 1840s. Seeing how information was communicated, how there was really no centrally organized police force, how gangs formed links with the local government, and how limited their crime solving methods were compared to today's was truly fascinating. It was as if this book was depicting an episode of Law & Order: 1841 (dun dun). The amount of research and detail put into this book make it come that much alive, well establishing the historical context and conditions of the tale. He also includes the many possible solutions to this crime, including some miserable post-scripts from the major players in the story.

And speaking of details, these elaborate and well structured plot and settings are only enhanced by Geary's typical excellent, cartoonish yet realistic artwork. His black and white illustrations capture the time period, setting an ominous tone that is tinged with a wry, dark sense of humor. His characters are very lively, the action scenes intense, and all the proceedings seem meticulously and historically accurate. I would not say that this is his most riveting or engaging book, because it somehow feels a bit less substantial or personally involved as some of his other narratives. But, despite this misgiving, I still say that it is a rewarding reading experience.

Almost all of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Publishers Weekly praised it and commented that "Geary comes up with his own twist on the mystery and manages to capture the spirit of a booming and boisterous New York City in the 1840s." Kirkus Reviews summed up, "Distinguished by a keen sense of period detail and sharp pacing: Geary serves his subject with dignity and grace." A counter opinion came from a reviewer at Metapsychology who felt that this book was too clean and antiseptic, writing, "This is a story told on the surface, a show and tell, leaving it mysterious not only whodunnit, but also why anyone does anything."

The Mystery of Mary Rogers was published by NBM, who has a preview available here (scroll down, it's there).

The Saga of the Bloody Benders

Based on shocking true events, The Saga of the Bloody Benders tells of a family that settled in Kansas as a result of the Homestead Act of 1862, calling themselves the Benders. The beautiful young daughter Kate was beguiling to many men, and she also worked as a healer and a medium, displaying a disturbing connection with the spirit world. The family opened a small grocery store and an inn on a main travel route, and many of the people who came through the area with money in their pockets to stake their own claims stayed a night there. Many of them were never seen again. Months later, when investigators finally zeroed in on the goings-on of the Bender family, they disappeared and were never found.

The horrible evidence of their deeds was all that was left, as no one could even determine the family's identity. The murder weapons and grisly corpses contributed to a gruesome, sensational tale that spread across the US. The story of the "Bloody Benders" fascinated many, and legends have arisen about their identities and their final fates. The mystery of the Bloody Benders still continues to intrigue people to this day. Currently, director Guillermo Del Toro is working on a motion picture version of the story.

Rick Geary is an acclaimed and accomplished comics creator whose attention to craft is evident. As with many of the volumes in Treasury of Victorian Murder series, this book is meticulously researched and detailed. I particularly liked his many maps and house diagrams in this book, as well as the many scenarios he presents about the possible circumstances and identities of this "family." Coupling this verisimilitude with expert pacing and storytelling, Geary did an excellent job of creating an ominous, foreboding tone while maintaining a journalistic style.

The Saga of the Bloody Benders has been an well regarded book, with a section excerpted in Best American Comics (2008) and it also being named a YALSA Great Graphic Novel. Accordingly, it has been reviewed well. Andrew Wheeler praised it for Geary's "lively art – particularly the very expressive faces of his characters – and his amazingly useful diagrams and maps makes his work unique and compelling." Publishers Weekly called the art "exquisite" and the writing "riveting." Andy Shaw was a bit more lukewarm about the book, enjoying the art but criticizing the writing's "dry but authoritative tone, which leaves it feeling like a decent dissemination of the known information on this mysterious, murdering family."

Here is a preview from the book's publisher NBM.

The Black Diamond Detective Agency

The Black Diamond Detective Agency follows the exploits of John Hardin. This unfortunate soul is present at a huge, devastating train explosion and is framed for the bombing and subsequent robbery. He spends much of the rest of the book figuring out who framed him and also trying to find his wife, who has mysteriously gone into hiding. As he discovers a convoluted plot and encounters people with all kinds of agendas he is pursued by the eponymous detective agency and the US Secret Service.

This book is the product of artist Eddie Campbell and author C. Gaby Mitchell. I have been a huge Campbell fan for years. He has been making comics for decades now, from his Bacchus stories based in Greek mythology to his autobiographical Alec tales. He has long been interested in comics history and doing many period pieces. He is best known for his collaboration with Alan Moore on the Jack the Ripper epic From Hell. Mitchell is best known for his screenplays for the movies Blood Diamond and Get Low. In fact, this book was based on one of his unproduced screenplays.

I enjoyed reading this book and found the action and mystery aspects compelling. There were parts where I was confused by the sequence of events or who characters were, but I was drawn in by the expertly painted art. I enjoyed the twists and also thought some of the situations seemed pretty typical of movie cliches, for example the obligatory tease of a love interest, the hero rescuing a woman from a ledge, and the official agency embracing the outlaw loose cannon.

Reviews I have seen for this book have been mixed. Kirkus Reviews called the book "a visually stunning graphic narrative with all sorts of complicated plot twists." Andrew Wheeler was slightly disappointed by the book, and he wrote that "Campbell’s loose line did sometimes make it difficult for me to keep track of characters, though, especially with a lot of men in somber suits and facial hair. Other than that, the art is dynamic and carries the action well, with panels varying in size and position from tight grids to loose frameworks, depending on the scene." The reviewer at First Panel was not impressed with the book despite it being a period piece and concluded, "The story was alright, the visuals were alright, but I wouldn’t put it on a must-read list." Douglas Wolk gave the book a B-.

This book was published by First Second. They have a video preview posted here.

The Black Diamond Detective Agency does contain some brief nudity, a sex scene, and some scenes of blood and violence, so it is more suitable for more mature readers.

The Case of Madeleine Smith

Nowadays, if someone wants to break up and not get married, she might just tell the guy in person, on the phone, by email, or, most impersonally, via text message. She probably would not resort to poisoning. In 1857 Scotland, prospects were not very good for an upperclass woman who wanted to be married respectably when she had an affair with a lowerclass gentleman, and so Madeleine Smith allegedly did treat her amour to some arsenic laced cocoa. Apparently Emile L'Angelier had an inkling about what was happening, and he began keeping a journal about his life and health. He also kept every letter she ever wrote him, more than 190 in all. Those letters, his journal, along with the sensational newspaper accounts of the events offer up much fodder for this adaptation.

As with many of Rick Geary's works, this volume in his Treasury of Victorian Murder series is meticulously researched and detailed. It offers a fascinating look at the courtship practices and legal procedures of the day. It also offers a compelling murder mystery narrative and also balances the tale out with journalistic and encyclopedic accounts. Geary's ability to simultaneously entertain and inform is on full display here.

The Case of Madeleine Smith has received many positive reviews. Andi Shechter praised Geary, writing that "in a relatively short work, he tells a richly layered story in a new way." Jason Sacks admits this is not his favorite book in the series, but he does still conclude that "in its depiction of class and morals and interesting people, this is an interesting and entertaining volume." Nicola Mansfield offered a more positive opinion, briefly summing up that this "book in Rick Geary's fabulous series is no less supreme than the others."

The book's publisher, NBM, offers a brief preview here.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

This adaptation of Oscar Wilde's only novel conveys a streamlined version of the original work. Dorian Gray, a handsome and narcissistic man, commissions artist Basil Hallward to paint a portrait of him. Taken with himself and his desires, Dorian sells his soul so that the portrait will age and change while he himself remains youthful and attractive. Given to hedonistic tendencies, Dorian lives according to his appetites, regardless of the consequences for others. Over time, his sinful lifestyle is reflected in the painting, which becomes hideous and marked with age. After eighteen years, however, his actions start to catch up to him.

This graphic novel is the work of Ian Edginton and I. N. J. Culbard, who were the creators behind a series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Their work has a modern feel that evokes emotion through stylized faces, pointed phrases, and a muted, frosted aspect of the artwork. I feel the art is wonderfully expressive. Culbard blogs more about his work here.

Reviews of this book have been mostly positive but with some reservations. The Comics Journal's Kristian Williams examines several graphic adaptations of Wilde's novel and opines about this version that too much of the original wording "has been pruned from the dialogue, and so Lord Henry Wotton’s philosophy is reduced to a series of clever inversions and bold affronts to common sense. Likewise, the art, while very good, cannot but clash with the Victorian setting." This short review from the Do Even I Dare to Speak? blog states that "the graphics are fairly simplistic and the writing is just average." More reviews can be found at Goodreads.

This book was published in the US by Sterling Children's Books. A preview is available from Self Made Hero.

The Professor's Daughter

Imhotep IV, the mummy reanimated in this book is unlike many of his undead brethren. He is not an unthinking zombie, nor does he yearn for flesh or blood. He just wants to fit into 18th century British society and resume his regal lifestyle. He is abetted in this task by Lillian, the mischievous daughter of the professor who discovered him and brought him to England to display. He is enamored with this woman because she resembles his dead wife, a point of contention between the two. Among the exciting and zany things that happen to this unlikely couple: Imhotep III is also remarkably alive and up to seeming no good; Scotland Yard is after him for murder and rounding up all the mummies in town as suspects, and the pair must contend with her father's attempts to reclaim his prime display artifact. Also in the course of the story, Queen Victoria gets kidnapped in the hopes of her providing a pardon. Talk about a star-crossed romance...

This fantastical graphic novel was produced by two of France's premier comics creators, Emmanuel Guibert and Joann Sfar. Guibert is an artist capable of many styles who has been involved in writing the Sardine in Outer Space series as well as drawing Didier Lefèvre's The Photographer. The prolific Sfar has written and drawn hundreds of comics and graphic novels, including the acclaimed The Rabbi's Cat and The Little Vampire series.

As might be expected when two high caliber talents collaborate, the critics I have read largely celebrate this book. Susan L. Carr draws attention to the many whimsical details the story exposes about Victorian England. Heidi Dolamore from the School Library Journal praised Guibert's art as the best part of this "enjoyable melodrama." Gina Ruiz highly recommends this "bizarre, well told and completely wonderful" tale. Perosnally, I found the book funny, surreal, and slightly dark at times.

A preview is available here from the book's publisher First Second.