Lady Mechanika Volume 1: Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse

by Joe Benitez

Joe Benitez (Artist) and Peter Steigerwald (Artist)

In a Victorian world filled with flying dirigibles,
clockwork automatons, and elegantly fashionable attire, a young woman with
mechanical limbs and no memory of how she got them searches desperately for the
secrets to her past. Collects Lady Mechanika #1-5 and also includes the prelude
story, The Demon of Satan's Alley, first published in Lady Mechanika
#0.

• ISBN10: 099660300X
• ISBN13: 9780996603003
• Publish Date: 1 December 2015
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 19 September 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Benitez Productions
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 160
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

First things first, I would like everyone to take a moment and appreciate the cover art. It is stunning. The rest of the volume’s art holds up to this standard, I am very pleased to say. This will come as no surprise, after seeing the cover, but Lady Mechanika is a steampunk graphic novel set in a Victorian world full of fascinating devices and technology. In this world, people that are a blend of machine and organic aren’t called cyborgs; they’re called mechanika (Thus the main character’s name).



I really liked the concept for Lady Mechanika, but I’ll admit it took me a while to get fully invested in the plot (which is partly why it didn’t get a higher rating). The art style is beautiful, the design elements in the machines are stunning, and the plot is interesting. Despite all this I do find myself wishing for a bit more character development on the whole. Not just for Lady Mechanika, but for all the cast. I think this series truly has a lot of potential, and look forward to reading more of it.
It’s probably worth nothing that this graphic novel has a lot more writing in it than is standard; at least twice as much, if not more. So if you’re picking this up and expecting a nice quick read, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re looking for a series that’s more verbose and takes it’s time with world building, this is the series for you.
While I like the main character, I actually felt that the series truly shined with many of its supporting characters. The Romani Circus and her engineer were my particular favorites. Their personality was sprinkled throughout, and appeared to bring out a more human element from Lady Mechanika. As for the antagonists, I’m really curious to see more about them and see where everything leads us. I’ll have to pick up volume two shortly.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks