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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Going into this, I didn't realize that Black Orchid was an established hero or an integrated part of the DC Universe. And in the hands of Gaiman and McKean, what we get is not a traditional superhero tale, but a dream-like fantasy reimagining of the DC world through the lens of two master storytellers. This is a quiet story--a reflection on violence, life, and choice as these things play out against the backdrop of a crime drama and a saga of discovery. The art is surreal, and the story moves like a dream--sometimes disconcerting, never quite going where the reader expects. It's a unique reading experience, and one that is difficult to describe. Moving within a known superhero world, these creators show us a new way of seeing, and the end result is a memorable experience all its own.
Beautiful art and an interesting story that I think Gaiman meant to lead into bigger things, but it works wonderfully encapsulated on its own.
Black Orchid is visually stunning but too frequently difficult to follow. I've seen McKean's dreamy art style on the cover pages of Sandman so I'm glad to see that they collaborated on a whole series.
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The story was a little thin but dear Lord, the artwork!! The art was stunning.
5 stars is for the art. Dave McKean is always the best no matter what.
The artwork in this is beyond beautiful. The story jumps right into the thick of it and there are quite a bit of background left unexplored. It was fun to see a superhero I had not really experienced much of before and some cameos from hero’s I’m a bit more familiar with. Even though a lot of the story is unhappy, as most origin stories tend to be, there is a level of warmth and even humor underneath it all.
medium-paced