#68 Madame Xanadu, Vol 2: Exodus Noir by Matt Wagner and Illustrated by Michael W. Kaluta
At the end of the first volume of Madame Xanandu, Disenchanted, our heroine opened up a shop, allowing her to read tarot cards 
and help people who required her supernatural expertise. In Exodus Noir, she find herself following a series of mysterious deaths. These events in 1940s New York City cause her to reflect upon her own past during the Spanish Inquisition. The further she digs into the case the more she realizes that the connection between the present and the past is stronger than she first believed.
I couldn't help but fall in love with the first volume of Madame Xanadu. I loved the fantasy storyline, the trip through time, and most of all, the quality of Amy Reeder Hadley's artwork. This is somewhat of a surprise for me, as someone that tends to value story over art. When I learned that the second volume of the series featured a new artist, Michael W. Kaluta, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Still, while Kaluta's art style rarely enchanted me as Reeder Hadley's did, there's no denying that the art is still very good, although dramatically different. He has a knack for capturing different time periods, something I felt was especially strong during the New York City scenes.
The story in Exodus Noir has a very different feel than Disenchanted. Instead of watching two characters clash through several events in history, Exodus Noir focuses on a single storyline, with flashbacks to a previous era. The juggling of the two timelines works really well, and I enjoyed figuring out how they were ultimately connected. The Spanish Inquisition scenes features Madame Xanadu in a lesbian relationship, which I was pleased to see was dealt with respectfully. Under a lesser writer and artist, I suspect that the scenes could have felt very exploitative. In the New York storyline, Madame Xanadu's supernatural adventures are aided by a couple guest stars from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, which only drive home the fact that I really need to read that comic book series as well.
Exodus Noir is a satisfactory follow up to Disenchanted. Although I was sad at first to see Amy Reeder Hadley step out at artist, Michael W. Kaluta does a very good job of capturing the two time periods. The more cohesive storyline is a great read with a couple surprises that I didn't see coming. I look forward to reading the next two volumes of the series, which continue to take our heroine though history.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 128 pages
Source: Readfield Community Library
Other books I've read by this author: Disenchanted
Next I will be reviewing Among Others by Jo Walton and Batwoman, Vol 1: Hydrology by JH Williams and Hayden Blackman
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads
and help people who required her supernatural expertise. In Exodus Noir, she find herself following a series of mysterious deaths. These events in 1940s New York City cause her to reflect upon her own past during the Spanish Inquisition. The further she digs into the case the more she realizes that the connection between the present and the past is stronger than she first believed.
I couldn't help but fall in love with the first volume of Madame Xanadu. I loved the fantasy storyline, the trip through time, and most of all, the quality of Amy Reeder Hadley's artwork. This is somewhat of a surprise for me, as someone that tends to value story over art. When I learned that the second volume of the series featured a new artist, Michael W. Kaluta, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Still, while Kaluta's art style rarely enchanted me as Reeder Hadley's did, there's no denying that the art is still very good, although dramatically different. He has a knack for capturing different time periods, something I felt was especially strong during the New York City scenes.
The story in Exodus Noir has a very different feel than Disenchanted. Instead of watching two characters clash through several events in history, Exodus Noir focuses on a single storyline, with flashbacks to a previous era. The juggling of the two timelines works really well, and I enjoyed figuring out how they were ultimately connected. The Spanish Inquisition scenes features Madame Xanadu in a lesbian relationship, which I was pleased to see was dealt with respectfully. Under a lesser writer and artist, I suspect that the scenes could have felt very exploitative. In the New York storyline, Madame Xanadu's supernatural adventures are aided by a couple guest stars from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, which only drive home the fact that I really need to read that comic book series as well.
Exodus Noir is a satisfactory follow up to Disenchanted. Although I was sad at first to see Amy Reeder Hadley step out at artist, Michael W. Kaluta does a very good job of capturing the two time periods. The more cohesive storyline is a great read with a couple surprises that I didn't see coming. I look forward to reading the next two volumes of the series, which continue to take our heroine though history.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 128 pages
Source: Readfield Community Library
Other books I've read by this author: Disenchanted
Next I will be reviewing Among Others by Jo Walton and Batwoman, Vol 1: Hydrology by JH Williams and Hayden Blackman
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads