Madame Xanadu #6

Written by Matt Wagner
Art by Amy Reeder Hadley and Richard Friend

I wasn't that impressed with the first issue of this series, but, like many people, I thought I'd give it another chance with this issue and its appearance from Death of the Endless.

This issue was much more to my liking. Madame Xanadu is imprisoned in the Bastille or some other jail in Revolutionary France, and is aging rapidly because she is cut off from her magical supplies. She summons Death and then makes a deal to prolong her life while reading her cards.

It's a simple plot, and is carried by the strong sense Wagner has of these two characters. He nails Death's voice, and makes Xanadu an interesting character, which few writers have been able to do before.

Hadley's art is expressive, easy to follow, and has improved upon the first issue. I'll give this book the next issue to impress me before deciding if I'm going to start buying it regularly or not.