Dark Horse Comics/Berger Books 2018
Written by Emma Beeby
Illustrated by Ariela Kristantina
Coloured by Pat Masioni
Lettered by Sal Cipriano
In the late 19th century, a woman was defined by the men in her life. From her bankrupt father to a lecherous headmaster, Margaretha Zelle was never destined to enter high society. This notorious woman who found fame and fortune as an exotic dancer is now imprisoned as a spy, being questioned by a French military interrogator, a man determined to get her confession. But battling the wills of the men who would try to control her is nothing new to the woman who became Mata Hari . . .
I am enthralled and enchanted by this book and how it’s taking the life of the most famous female spy in history and bringing it to life. Emma’s structure of the book is divine and seeing the past and present interchangeably is fascinating as what we see applies to how the story flows. Also as interesting as seeing her life unfold for us in these pages the approach of expanding the story to include Captain Bouchardon and what he has to go through for his conviction well it’s fantastic and starts to explain his actions when Margaretha was taken to be executed.
Ladoux is another interesting character added to the mix and his familiarity with Bouchardon is unsettling to the man. Also the conversation the two have in his office well that is something else altogether. I am in love with Emma’s ability to weave the different threads all together to create this one cohesive story so seamlessly. Forget anyone else really it’s the parallel lives of Mata Hari and Captain Bouchardon that are making this as captivating as possible. With the characterisation and the time the two will spend together and this confession takes us through the entirety of her life well I look forward to seeing how things change.
I don’t think there’s another artist currently working that could bring this life as well as Ariela. Her knowledge and execution of the female form so as to make it s beautiful and sexy as we see things without going the whole over exaggerated route but to show it honestly without embellishment is superbly done. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angels and perspective in the panels shows off a beautiful eye for storytelling. The backgrounds in play here expand the moments in time and give us a wonderful look into what we need to see to enhance the story. The delicate linework to the bold strokes here are so well done and with the attention to detail we are transported to the past completely and fully.
Life back then was so much different than it is today and there is no way you can rightfully impose today’s standards and morals into the past. To do so makes one small minded and incapable of true empathy for a woman who’s options were limited and defined by her status there is little one can do without being a proper lady. So that takes matters into her own hands and finds herself a husband through the most unlikely of circumstances is in my opinion admirable. Though we know that will end well and her fate still looms what we see of her even at a young age is setting the groundwork for the woman she’ll become.
The simple grace and beauty that we see on these pages makes for some stunning reading. The attention to detail in not only the artwork but the writing through both subtlety and boldness is so well balanced that not a tight rope walker could navigate it is why this is already among the greatest stories ever told. Should the remaining three issues be of this calibre of course.