Broken Frontier

DC’s Mistress of the Cards debuts in her own series, shedding light on this mystery woman’s past during the fall of Camelot.

The age of King Arthur’s idyllic Britain is coming to its end. Morgana le Fay schemes from her dark castle and the king’s bastard son, Mordred, terrorizes the countryside with his murderous band. Thrust into the middle of it all is a (seemingly) young woman named Nimue Inwudu. A powerful enchantress, Nimue serves as a guardian of the woods and has bewitched even the wizard Merlin with her beauty and wisdom. But an enigmatic Stranger has come into Nimue’s life, hinting at a destiny that lies beyond her sacred grove.

Madame Xanadu has rarely been more than a bit player in the DC/Vertigo Universe. A beautiful and mysterious soothsayer, she has often provided motivation for stories but has hardly ever taken an active part. Matt Wagner is seeking to change that in his new series and indeed, it seems that there is fertile ground to be mined in the character’s centuries-long life.

This opening issue builds off what little we know of Madame X to create a thoroughly enjoyable medieval fantasy. There is richness to the language of Wagner’s script and a captivating sense of mystery that instantly intrigues. While a few secrets are revealed, others are introduced, allowing the heroine to maintain her cryptic mystique. Firmly entrenching her in the Arthur myth (as past writers have done), Wagner expands upon Nimue’s role and motives in a very satisfying opening.

Clever touches like elaborate rune-based rituals, a monosyllabic troop of attending faeries, and appearances by other DC magic characters (a phantom-like Stranger and hints of a certain yellow-skinned demon) make this issue a treat for fans of fantasy. Be warned that if poetic, archaic speech and mystical hoodoo are not your thing, this may not be the book for you. If, like me, this is your preferred genre, rest easy that Wagner’s command of it is quite assured (the Arthurian purist in me is trying to work out whether Morgana is both Nimue’s and Arthur’s sister but I suppose that is a minor quibble).

The art for Madame X’s origins is provided by Amy Reeder Hadley. Her style meshes a manga influence with American comic sensibilities, achieving a far more successful hybrid than many artists who attempt such a combination. There is a slight Japanese flair to the character’s faces and the childlike beauty of the female cast members. This is, however, integrated organically with the western elements, producing something that is its own animal. With Guy Major’s colors practically popping off the page, I am anxious to see more from this team.

A character with such a long history yet so little development affords Wagner and Hadley a lot of story potential. If this first issue is an indication, Madame Xanadu will prove to be a fascinating read.