Steampunk: Catechism

Snap Judgment: Promising

So, I decided to take a break from Spider-man, went digging through my long boxes and came cross this issue.  It's a special kind of book that might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it.

The book opens with a series of mysterious quotes with dates that don't add up.  From these, we're told our tale is set in the 1830's, but this ain't not your great-great-great-great-great-granddad's Victorian England.  Mechanical bugs fly through the air, people are augmented w/ animal parts, and steam powers the entire land.

We're introduced to Sköm and Randy, two unlucky grave robbers, who are digging for "spare parts".  Their hole collapses with a startling boom and they find themselves in a weird cavern with a clock coffin counting down to who knows what.

The action cuts to the current leader of England - one Lord Absinthe - who is upset about the noise.  He's malformed and speaks with a modern tongue.  He's...well...he's creepy.

Cut back to our grave robbers and the coffin, which opens up to show a bearded man with a mechanical arm and a furnace in his chest.  Awesome!

Then it's over - what a tease.

The story sets a mysterious stage - a time in our past where things aren't quite right.  And it's done in a fantastic way.  There are quotes from Kant and Franklin mixed in with quotes from our Lord Absinthe.  This book poses more questions than it answers and pulls the reader in.  The art is a real treat - meticulous and at times overwhelming.  It takes a lot of work just to look at one panel.  All told, it's a great read and a nice beginning.

Well, since I own the rest of this series - I'll see you back here next time for issue 1 of Steampunk.  Until then - happy reading!

Credits

Joe Kelly - Writer
Chris Bachalo - Art