World Famous Comics: Madame Xanadu Vol. 1: Disenchanted
Madame Xanadu Vol. 1: Disenchanted
By: Matt Wagner Publisher: Vertigo Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 240 Publication Date: July 21, 2009 Release Date: July 21, 2009 Studio: Vertigo
Product Description: Legendary creator Matt Wagner (MAGE, GRENDEL, SUPERMAN/BATMAN/WONDER WOMAN: TRINITY) and rising star artist Amy Reeder Hadley, present Vertigo's newest ongoing fantasy epic MADAM XANADU.
Centuries long and around the far reaches of the globe, her tale winds before the ageless fortuneteller, whose powers of sight can change the course of human events.
As the mysterious past of Madam Xanadu is slowly unraveled, Wagner takes us on a journey throughout her history, from a medieval kingdom beset by foul sorcery to the court of Kublai Khan. Eventually Madam Xanadu returns to Europe as mystic advisor to Marie Antoinette, and as political tensions begin to boil, the Phantom Stranger makes his return. This time he seeks to kick-start the revolution and ensures that Paris's streets run red - a blood sacrifice that will keep certain demonic forces at bay.
Readers will also be happy to discover that the fan-favorite character Death from THE SANDMAN makes a special appearanceas Madam Xanadu wagers her immortality in a game of chance against.
Wagner does it again ^ This book was made for geeks like me. Appropriate to the subject matter of magic the stories are esoteric making complete sense only to comic book geeks that have been reading funny books as long as I have.
Without a knowledge of DC history (isn't this a Vertigo book?) the full impact these stories will be lost. However, Xanadu can probably be enjoyed by anyone who loves alternate history or magic.
I'll be picking up the second volume for sure.
Worth it for the amazing artwork alone - Spoilers in review ^ After reading the Tarot Cafe series (which I didn't really enjoy all that much) I wasn't holding high hopes for the Madame Xanadu series. I bought it because of the characters association to Tarot and Magic (like a lot of things that interest me) and actually ended up enjoying it a lot.
Madame has been around for a while with DC Comics since 1978 to be exact but this is the first time I have encountered her character so I can only go by what was in the Disenchanted volume, I assume that like most comic book characters there is a lot of cross overs etc with other DC Heroes.
The reader is introduced to Madame Xanadu as Nimue of Celtic mythology in the time of Arthur of Camelot. Merlin, Morgana and Mordred all make an appearance. Her story continues through out humanities History in times of great change or around people of great power. Marco Polo, Jack the Ripper and Marie Antoinette all cross her path through history. This is a very cool idea and it works well.
In the comic volume Madame Xanadu creates the Tarot cards as a way of accessing her psychic abilities which were taken away when Merlin curses her. The interpretations of the Tarot are well woven into the story and are correct (by popular definition) in their application which makes the comic richer. The mythology also aids in this area.
The only thing that kinda annoyed me is her massive drama over 'The Stranger' but I guess there has to be a bit of drama, was just a little OTT for me. Beautiful to look at and easy and enjoyable to read I have already bought the second volume.
A Wonderful Read! ^ I was totally unfamiliar with the character Madame Xanadu when I decided to get this book. Why did I even try this book out? Two things brought me in: the Vertigo moniker and writer Matt Wagner. Vertigo has a long-standing tradition of publishing some of the more innovative comic books over the last fifteen years. The stories always have ample doses of fantasy, science fiction, mysticism, drama, and/or horror. Matt Wagner is familiar with all of those themes. I am a huge fan of his Grendel series, and like Grendel, I had heard that Madame Xanadu was a title that wasn't afraid to do things a bit differently.
What I found with this book was a wonderfully fresh reading experience. Being a Marvel Comics fan, I am a hack at best when it comes to understanding characters from the DC universe. However, this book doesn't require having an encyclopedic knowledge of DC's mystical characters. The book was very straightforward and does not try to bury the reader with inane continuity or trying to add real world reason to explain the magic. Wagner and Hadley just ask for you to come along for the ride, and it's a good one. The five stories here represent one large arc which details the love/hate relationship between Madame Xanadu and the Phantom Stranger. The story is great, but the art is splendid as well. Amy Reeder Hadley is a welcome newcomer to the medium. Her art is anime and manga influenced, but don't let that scare you away. Hadley offers a mature, yet varied pallet for this comic series. Oftentimes, Vertigo books can be too dark or sketchy where art is concerned. Hadley's artwork is crisp, clear, and electric.
This book is a bargain for the price and story. It really is a comic book cliche to say that this reminds me of Sandman, but it's the only book of reference that fits. If you are someone who enjoys books like John Constantine, Promethea, or Sandman, this is a great buy for you. And as good as this first arc was, the second arc is much, much better. I haven't been so taken with a new comic in ages. Enjoy!
Good start...great art ^ I try out each of Vertigo's new titles, and this one has alot to offer. Matt Wagner has created an interesting character whose origin and situation are both tantalizing and open-ended. But it is the art, by Amy Reeder Hadley (and inked by Richard Friend) that makes this a stand out. Good stuff.
...well, if this get better, the series will be amazing, if it doesn't, oh well. ^ The is an example of a comic with good art and willing to try for its own style that comes close to succeeding everywhere, but succeeds nowhere. It's reminiscent of the first volume of Sandman (Preludes and Nocturnes) in that it has a lot of problems, but it's easy to see its effort at trying to grow beyond mainstream conventions. Would have been more significant a decade ago, but if the writer is willing to work at it and improve the cohesiveness and drop some of the cliches and plot problems, it will be a very good series.
People say, oh not much violence/sex/etc for a Vertigo, but they're forgetting that Vertigo was meant not as an imprint for adult content, but stories with completion and merit and more serious themes overall. Let's hope the creators remember this.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
