I haven't had the pleasure of reading these creators' well-received work on Sword of Dracula yet, but this new series and its female protagonist appealed to me. I even pre-ordered a copy (unaware Image was going to put a review copy in hands). I enjoyed the grounded characters and the everyday setting into which the unusual protagonist has been injected. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the artwork. I had expected to enjoy it, given Greg Scott's dark and moody work on DC's Gotham Central. But a brighter tone and pastel colors work against the artist's style.
Sylvia Faust is a witch, or sorceress... whatever you want to call her, she's a tremedously powerful mystic. But she's got a weakness: low profiles are not her forte. She and her mentor have travelled to New York City so Sylvia can live among mortals, but she's having a hard time blending in and fitting in. Her mentor and chaperone insists she land a job. Enter Tim Klass, owner and manager of the Apocalypse Drafthouse, a combination watering hole/movie house. He's in desperate of someone to rescue his business from a public relations catastrophe, and Sylvia has the power to make his wish come true.
The problem with Greg Scott's art here is clear: it lacks depth. The figures and settings look flat. There's a crudeness to the line art that works against the more down-to-earth, realistic quality of the script. I suspect the problems lies in the fact that this is a brighter, lighter kind of story, something Scott's not accustomed to illustrating. His other efforts bring depth and texture to the visuals through darkness and shading. That's not to be found here. Another weakness is that several characters -- the washed-up movie star and Klass's stoner staff -- look far too much alike. Part of the blame lies at Henderson's feet, though; there are just a few too many characters here, and too many of them have little to do with the story. The colors here are oddly gaudy, and they work against the more grounded aspects. Mind you, they do reinforce the innocence of the title character, which is a key element here. I did enjoy Scott's design for Stephy, the cookie-hungry little imp that guards Sylvia's home. She really stands out as unique, a small piece of wonder in the real world that the title character is trying to contend with.
My favorite part of this book was Tim Klass. He's a well-realized character, and his problems are the kind that the reader can relate to. A bar/movie theatre is a wonderfully cool idea, and it's a pleasure for those of us living outside the world's larger urban centres to catch a glimpse of such novel cultural/entrepreneurial endeavors.
I like Sylvia's character as well, but I'm at a loss as to what she's trying to accomplish in the non-magical world. Henderson seems to be trying to foster an atmosphere of mystery by keeping those answers to himself for the time being, but introducing the core premise in the first issue is really what's called for.
