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Madame Xanadu is an immortal witch, or gypsy-like person, who wanders the world helping solve supernatural problems for people, using Tarot cards to discover things. She's sort of a miscellaneous background character in DC comics, linking stories together, popping up to help solve problems, and generally being mysterious. She was created in 1978 for the Doorway to Nightmare stories, and this volume is part of the Vertigo series, "Madame Xanadu", which was published in 2008-2010.
Marisol is a lovely, spirited redhead from Spain, who Madame Xanadu falls for and lives happily with in a little cottage, under the name of Novia. We see excerpts from their happy domestic life, including Novia's magical nature (even sharing the potions that grant her immortality), and it doesn't shy away from the sexual side of their relationship either. Unfortunately, they attract the attentions of the local priests and Marisol dies at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition, crying "yo te amo, Novia" (I love you, Novia).
Lesbian sexy times! |
Madame Xanadu, or Novia, or Nimue, is consistently portrayed as a strong and powerful woman, independently pursing and solving the crimes and disregarding the opinions of Spanish society.
The art is not perfect, but it's pretty good, retaining the style, colouring and slightly confusing busy compositions of older comics, but with somewhat better art. The manga influence of the line artist shows, but works well to bring a bit of clarity to the characters. There are a few cases of giant heads and slightly odd anatomy, but overall, it's perfectly readable.
If you're collecting explicit lesbian relationships in mainstream graphic novels, or are already a fan of Madame Xanadu and/or Vertigo comics, then definitely check this book out. If not, then it's not so terribly exciting that you can't skip it.
Details:
- Writer Matt Wagner
- Artist Mike Kaluta (original creator of Madame Xanadu)
- Linework by "Amy Reeder Hadley
About the series




This is the second book in the series, collecting issues 11-15. The other books follow the same pattern of modernish crime noir (1930s, 40s and 50s as the series progresses) and flashbacks to her past. There's usually a cameo from some other Vertigo character as well.
- Madame Xanadu Vol. 1: Disenchanted
- Madame Xanadu Vol. 2: Exodus Noir
- Madame Xanadu Vol. 3: Broken House of Cards
- Madame Xanadu Vol. 4: Extra Sensory

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Great review! I don't really read mainstream comics, so I think I'll skip this one, though. I did want to point out that "gypsy" is a racial slur against Romani people, and you probably don't want to casually use it. (First sentence of second paragraph: "Madame Xanadu is an immortal witch, or gypsy-like person...")
ReplyDeleteActually, yes, that was a point I meant to address, but wasn't sure how to and forgot about - that's why I went with 'gypsy*like*. It's a fundamental part of her character description. She was originally described as a Gypsy, of the Taro cards and shawls, constantly on the move and mysterious fortune telling stereotype, although they're moving away from just going "oh, she's a gypsy", as part of the whole depth and backstory thing, in the more recent books (she was invented quite a while ago).
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