Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughterby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 10 Mary Shelley, named after her great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, the famed author of Frankenstein, is 16 and struggling under the pressure of the family legacy to become a famous writer. She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, but she's sure writing isn't it. One day she awakes to a mysterious healing power and meets her first monsters. Now she must discover the truth of this family secret for herself and those who need her the most.I love Mary, and I love this story. I can easily say I enjoyed every bit of this and eagerly look forward to more. This comic has an ingenious use of portraits. They introduce the story, they introduce the main characters, and they even become an enemy that must be battled! My favorite part is how the people in the portraits react during introductory narration. It's really funny, and it visually highlights how Mary is literally the black sheep (with her goth aesthetic) of the family. Most importantly, we get a good feel for Mary's family -- what kind of writers her mom, aunt, and grandmother are. Her mom, Tawny, stands out humorously as she's literally written herself into a hit mystery series (and often poses in the same way as the "Tawny" character on the cover of the books), and, no surprise, she's extremely focused on the writing legacy and pushy when it comes to Mary's future. These pressures are exacerbated by the public heights of Tawny's success. Mary's father being a doctor rounds out many aspects of story and character development, even if it's a little too perfect; I like his personality and how it starkly contrasts Tawny's. The opening sequence transitions perfectly from the OG Mary Shelley to the current Mary in biology class, trying to sleep through frog dissection while her BFF Rhonda does the work. I'm instantly in love with Mary's goth aesthetic and personality / vibe. I love her outfits, too! And the dissection lesson is a humorous way to immediately nod to the story of Frankenstein, especially when Mary unexpectedly sparks the frog! The follow-up scene is creepy and hilariously on-point. Adam (the original "Frankenstein's monster"?) makes an interesting first impression. There's physical humor (why Adam needs healing) followed by situational humor (seriously, her dad walks in on her while Adam is in just boxers), all while Mary has her first moment of acceptance and use of her new power. I love the creepy-cuteness of the proof Adam presents to Mary of her power. Mary finding Adam cute fits; the sexual tension breaks into the end of scenes somewhat randomly, though I like that it's coming from both of them and not just Mary swooning. I'm enjoying this ship and am curious about it long-term. Having the monsters, good and bad, immediately interrupting Mary's life really sets things in motion, and is what you'd expect to happen after she helped Adam. The harpy, Polly, is a great main character because she's gruff (and with such a funny name!); she's meant to rub things the wrong way, making Mary push back. The egg that Polly's guarding turns into quite the adventure when it hatches, including a brush with death! Shirley, a ghost who possesses a stuffed bunny, adds some dry humor to many scenes. It's interesting that this story felt the need to add the cute animal sidekick (it's very Kon from Bleach), but I like it. There's an info-dump of reveals on Mary near the end. It seems like mostly good information, but the timing is not the best for some of it. The reveal from one character in particular surprised me and bothers me because it makes witches "monsters" and not "human" in this world, but I do like how it means this person will be able to be an important character moving forward. The battle scene at the end is awesome! The form of the enemy makes it funny, but no less dangerous. And I love how Mary's family comes to her aid! The art makes this story that much better. The character designs are interesting and memorable. Expressions and mannerisms, as well as mechanics and overall pacing and layout, give each panel life. The coloring is realistic. I like the muted shades of blues and purples for the nighttime and home scenes, and the background colors for all of the settings work marvelously to set the scene and tone of the place. I would definitely read more stories illustrated by Yishan Li. Legacies, monsters, humor, romance, teen angst -- this is a well-balanced story, and one that will appeal to those of us who love the spookier, goth-ier things. Thanks to a review copy, I've already read it more than once, and I look forward to reading it many more times over the Halloween season! (For the rest of you, it's an October 6th release -- still in time for Halloween in 2020! How perfect!) Written: September 20, 2020
|
|
|
Home | Features | Columns | Culture Vultures | Report Card Tart Store | Indicia | Contact | Archives © Sequential Tart, 1998 – 2020 |
