Monday, March 24, 2008

Black Orchid - Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean

I decided to add this to my list of extra graphic novels read for this challenge as it was so good and I wanted to share it here!

Black Orchid is a plant woman created by Doctor Phil Sylvian who fights crime in Gotham City. On the night she is killed one of the other plant women Sylvian is growing reaches maturity and wakes up not understanding who she is and what she is. She has the tangled memories of Susan Linden who Phil grew up with and was in love with. It is her DNA and RNA that makes up the plant women, but as she is no longer around Black Orchid is still no closer to knowing about herself and her origins.

As more and more people she is close to are killed, she goes on a journey which takes her to Arkham Asylum and Louisiana meeting comic book heros and villians in her quest. All the time is is running from Susan's ex-husband who has just been released from jail who is trying to kill her for Susan leaving him, as well as Lex Luthor who wants to own her and dissect her.

It is beautifully drawn and is possibly the best looking comic book I have ever read. This series of three comics dispels the comic book sterotypes and turns superhero battles upside down. It is so much more than others in it's genre, much more than a superhero comic and is more about a voyage of self discovery. Highly recommended to all comic, superhero and fantasy fans.

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