A Monster Lass/Transmediatale 2021
Written by Gianluca Balla
Illustrated by Antonella Capolupo
Lampreys of London
Abby Preston aka 'queenpreston2019' is the best ghosthunter in London. She is looking for a medium to investigate a series of bloodlettings afflicting the capital.
Sometimes I forget how good a book is when it’s done by a small press or self-published as it doesn’t come out as regularly or I’m simply not aware of it’s release date. Thankfully Gianluca asked me to review issue two as well so I was thrilled to know it was out and ready for review. Just looking at the cover I remembered the story incredibly well as it left a great lasting impression on me and I’m happy to say that this one is a bit better than the first issue and if the trend continues, like it should, then by the time the arc is over this is going to need to be nominated for Harvey and Eisner awards. Yes I do believe this is that good of a story already and the trajectory is such that it’s only going to keep getting better and better.
I am such a big fan of the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter. Of course adding in the way they speak to one another and we get some crystal clear personalities coming to life before our eyes. Side note: if my mother ever talked to me that way I’d bat her round the earhole. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, introducing new characters and a new partnership we are enthralled by what we see.
I appreciate the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge, grow and strengthen. It is within these layers where we see the characterisation, plot twists and more all of which adds this great depth, dimension and complexity to the story. I like the setup and execution of this new arc we’re seeing emerge. How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved extremely well.
I really rather like the interior artwork that we’re seeing here. Now I would like to see more backgrounds being utilised to really enhance and expand the moments. Around the dinner table is a great chance to show the room, the house and how small a space they may be in for example. The linework is clean, crisp and sharp and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level of detail we see in the work is really rather extraordinary. Sue’s hair is a great example as are the faces of the dead we see when she talks about them. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. I love that there are aspects to the work that remind me of Manga without going all the way there, just that we see certain elements and with the black & white style it really is beautifully done.
What we are seeing with this issue is that there is so much potential in this series. Now that Sue has a different purpose and a new friend or co-worker depending on the point of view and having that chance to really allow herself to embrace her abilities is pretty much exactly what I think she needed. With some excellent writing and biting characterisation that’s wrapped around by these utterly delightful interiors this is one Urban Sorceress that you’ll love to follow.