Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Booknote: Lady Mechanika: La Dama de la Muerte

Joe Benitez, Marcia Chen, et.al., Lady Mechanika: La Dama de la Muerte. Encino, CA: Benitez Productions, 2017. ISBN: 9780996603065.
 
Genre: comics and graphic novels
Subgenre: steampunk, Victoriana, adventure
Format: e-book galley
Source: NetGalley

 


Lady Mechanika is a young woman and gunfighter who has no memory of her past and has mechanical limbs as a result of a mad scientist's experiments on her. This particular volume is part of a larger series, and while it may help if you've read previous volumes, the story here can stand on its own. 

Lady Mechanika is grieving a tragic loss, finds herself in a remote Mexican village as the Day of the Dead festivities are about to start. When the Jinetes del Infierno, the infernal riders, rob and bully the town, she decides to stand up and fight them. This story is the often common Western genre trope of the lone gunfighter against a gang threatening a small town. 

The story is uplifted by the excellent art. This comic looks great. The Day of the Dead element is handled well and with respect and with great art and color. In addition, the variant covers look great; they could make great wall prints. 

As I mention, the story's trope is not really new, but the story is still interesting and well paced. Lady Mechanika is a reluctant hero that perseveres to see justice is done. This is a quick read with excellent art that makes it a pleasure to read. Based on that, I am willing to seek out other volumes in this series. 

If you are looking for something different, this blend of Victoriana and steampunk can be a good addition for libraries with graphic novel collections. This is one I would order for our library. In the end, I really liked it and recommend it. 

4 out of 5 stars. 

This book qualifies for the following 2020 Reading Challenges: 


#ArcApocalypse


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