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A review by labunnywtf
Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman
4.0
Read for Book Roast's Magical Readathon: NEWTs Exams. Subject: Muggle Studies, A Level. (Favorite Author)
It kind of boggles me that there are still so many Gaiman books I've never read. ESPECIALLY comic books. ESPECIALLY comic books illustrated by Dave McKean, a god among illustrators. I mean, I should turn in my Gaiman fan card right now.
I'd never heard of the character of Black Orchid before starting this, which should surprise exactly no one. Apparently, she's a crime-fighting plant. Her creator was part of a group of scientists who mostly went mad, including Poison fucking Ivy and Swamp Thing.
All of this makes me SUPER ASHAMED that I've a) never heard of her, and b) never read this. Seriously, self.
The art style is, predictably, FLAWLESS. Ugh, seriously, I want McKean to illustrate my life. And the story line is amazing. We start off with a familiar scene, a bunch of bad guys sitting around discussing being bad guys.
The bad guy starts off asking her questions about how she infiltrated them, then says, "Wait, I read comics, too," and effing kills her right on the spot. Hi, yes, you have my attention.
A LOT happens in this relatively small volume, but I don't feel like it's too much. Maybe if I didn't love the writing, but the illustrations. Or I loved the illustrations, but the writing is missing something. You really can't screw it up when it comes to these two, and that's what makes this comic so great.
It kind of boggles me that there are still so many Gaiman books I've never read. ESPECIALLY comic books. ESPECIALLY comic books illustrated by Dave McKean, a god among illustrators. I mean, I should turn in my Gaiman fan card right now.
I'd never heard of the character of Black Orchid before starting this, which should surprise exactly no one. Apparently, she's a crime-fighting plant. Her creator was part of a group of scientists who mostly went mad, including Poison fucking Ivy and Swamp Thing.
All of this makes me SUPER ASHAMED that I've a) never heard of her, and b) never read this. Seriously, self.
The art style is, predictably, FLAWLESS. Ugh, seriously, I want McKean to illustrate my life. And the story line is amazing. We start off with a familiar scene, a bunch of bad guys sitting around discussing being bad guys.
Spoiler
BO herself is in the same room, tied up and trying to figure out how she'll escape.The bad guy starts off asking her questions about how she infiltrated them, then says, "Wait, I read comics, too," and effing kills her right on the spot. Hi, yes, you have my attention.
A LOT happens in this relatively small volume, but I don't feel like it's too much. Maybe if I didn't love the writing, but the illustrations. Or I loved the illustrations, but the writing is missing something. You really can't screw it up when it comes to these two, and that's what makes this comic so great.