Madame Xanadu #28

Written by Matt Wagner
Art by Marian Churchland

I haven't been all that interested in this title, but when I saw that this issue was a one-off featuring art by Marian Churchland, I knew that I'd be picking it up.

Churchland is the creator of The Beast, a very interesting graphic novel, and is an equally interesting artist.  Her watercolour (I assume) approach to her art is perfect for this story of Carly, a young medical student who, in New York in 1966, decides to experiment with LSD with her boyfriend.

Their trip has consequences for Carly - afterwards, she suffers from Tony Chu-like flashes of memory caused by everything she eats.  Basically, she becomes a cibopath, and finds that she can't eat or drink anything at all (I guess she didn't try beets).  That the story is so remarkably similar to the premise of Chew, the indie darling comic series, doesn't really detract from things here; the two stories are very different.

For a comic that is supposed to be about Madame Xanadu, she plays only a very peripheral role here, but the story is intriguing and quite beautiful.  Had the series started out like this (the next issue will be the last), I would have bought its entire run.

Madame Xanadu #24 & 25

Written by Matt Wagner
Art by Marley Zarcone and Laurenn McCubbin

I gave Madame Xanadu a couple of chances, and the book never really held my attention, which surprised me because I usually enjoy Wagner's work (admittedly moreso when he also draws it), and regular artist Amy Reeder Hadley is amazing.

Anyway, I'd heard some good things about this new Extra-Sensory arc, and since the books were half-price, I thought it would be worth checking them out.  This new arc is made up of a series of done-in-ones set in 1963 (which may or may not all be connected), each issue focusing on a different channel of perception.

The first story, with art by the terrific Marley Zarcone, tells the story of a young girl in Harlem who, while being one of the few 'coloureds' working in a downtown department store, starts to see people walking around with hideous injuries.  Basically, she's seeing how they will look when they die.  This knowledge doesn't sit well with her, and she seeks out Madame Xanadu for help.  It's a pretty straight-forward plot, but it's nicely written and very well-drawn.

The second story is about an 'ad man' in New York (I haven't seen Mad Men, but I feel like it has inspired this issue) who starts to hear the people around him saying the most vile things.  This time around, Madame X has to seek him out.  The writing in this one is less compelling, but McCubbin's art is interesting.  She has made heavy use of sixties-style patterns, and this issue quickly became all about the wallpaper to me.  Her figures feel stiff, and the art has the effect in places of looking like cut out paper dolls.

In all, there's still not enough going on in this book to make me want to buy it on a regular basis (plus, it's getting canceled anyway), but I think I'll be back for issue 28, which will have art by Marian Churchland.

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.