Disclaimer: Recieved copy via NetgalleyWhat is it about Maine that invites horror stories? Scratch that. There is something about those cold places – Maine, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia and so forth – that leads to dark tales, be it horror or personal demons. Maybe it’s the long nights. But at least you know why it has the title it does. This graphic novel is very, very good. The only question is whether the art work or the story is better. The answer is that the art and story are tied. The story concerns Salamandra, a young girl whose parents have gone missing, maybe. Salamandra is a tough girl, though she isn’t a Goth. She acts like a loner, but it seems that this trait is more learned than bred. And she isn’t a witch, though she isn’t quite human either. She has a teddy bear and a crow. In some ways, Salamandra might be the offspring of those tough loner chicks that you see in all the urban fantasy novels right now. Yet she’s not. She is far more human. She loves her teddy bear. The book is good in so many ways. From the double meaning of the title – there is more than one demon here – to the stunning artwork, a cross between Rackham and Anime. The story works because it can be read on more than one level and while Salamandra might not win our sympathy, the reader likes her because she is believable, because she grows and changes. More importantly, unlike some other heroines I can think of she knows when to ask for help. Salamandra is not a darker version of Harry Potter. She is more like a mutant from the Marvel Universe, albeit one without the triple D bra size. Yet even that comparison is flawed. The stories are far more adult, though it seems this graphic novel is marketed for young adults. It’s great that smaller publishers are coming out with more female oriented comic books, and make the heroines real instead of fashion models with powers.
Chris' Fish Place
Thoughts on things, mostly books.
Disclaimer: Recieved copy via NetgalleyWhat is it about Maine that invites horror stories? Scratch that. There is something about those cold places – Maine, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia and so forth – that leads to dark tales, be it horror or personal demons. Maybe it’s the long nights. But at least you know why it has the title it does. This graphic novel is very, very good. The only question is whether the art work or the story is better. The answer is that the art and story are tied. The story concerns Salamandra, a young girl whose parents have gone missing, maybe. Salamandra is a tough girl, though she isn’t a Goth. She acts like a loner, but it seems that this trait is more learned than bred. And she isn’t a witch, though she isn’t quite human either. She has a teddy bear and a crow. In some ways, Salamandra might be the offspring of those tough loner chicks that you see in all the urban fantasy novels right now. Yet she’s not. She is far more human. She loves her teddy bear. The book is good in so many ways. From the double meaning of the title – there is more than one demon here – to the stunning artwork, a cross between Rackham and Anime. The story works because it can be read on more than one level and while Salamandra might not win our sympathy, the reader likes her because she is believable, because she grows and changes. More importantly, unlike some other heroines I can think of she knows when to ask for help. Salamandra is not a darker version of Harry Potter. She is more like a mutant from the Marvel Universe, albeit one without the triple D bra size. Yet even that comparison is flawed. The stories are far more adult, though it seems this graphic novel is marketed for young adults. It’s great that smaller publishers are coming out with more female oriented comic books, and make the heroines real instead of fashion models with powers.
