Madame Xanadu Vol. 2: Exodus Noir

DC/Vertigo

Written by Matt Wagner; art by Michael Wm. Kaluta

Mar 05, 2010 Web Exclusive By Jeremy Nisen

Madame Xanadu: Exodus Noir collects issues 11-15 of the DC/Vertigo series. I mentioned when reviewing the House of Mystery: Halloween Annual No. 1 last October that the art of Amy Reeder Hadley in the Madame Xanadu chapter was a standout. Accordingly, I was excited to review a chapter of Madame Xanadu, and somewhat disappointed when I discovered that Hadley was not the artist in this trade.

But that disappointment didn't last long. In fact, the art by Michael Wm. Kaluta is lush, beautiful, amazing, and haunting. The book's forward revealed that Mr. Kaluta was in fact the original creator of Madame Xanadu's visuals back in 1978. So, in a sense, she's come full circle.

The story succeeds on every level. Matt Wagner established his pulp bona fides when writing Vertigo's Sandman Mystery Theater back in the '90s. This tale of Madame Xanadu in the 1940s features a guest starring role by the gas mask-wearing Sandman and his right-hand woman/lady friend Diane Belmont. The otherworldy mystery is juxtaposed with flashes of the near-immortal Xanadu's experiences in Inquisition-era Spain—flashbacks that eventually tie into the main tale in a seamless, intriguing way. Wagner's storytelling is approachable enough that it's not necessary to know anything about the character before coming in.

With a cringe-worthy, creepy threat, an ominous mystery, deft characterization, and perfectly matched art, Madame Xanadu: Exodus Noir receives the highest recommendation. (www.dccomics.com/vertigo)