Dominique Laveau, Voodoo Child Vol. 1: Requiem
In the devastated aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is clawing itself out of a dark place. The turmoil of the floods also masks the upheaval within the shadowy underworld of the Voodoo Court, which finds itself without a Queen. Thus, young Tulane University student Dominique Laveau—secret heir of the powerful voodoo queen Marie Laveau—finds herself running hell-bent through Louis Armstrong Park with werewolves on her tail and her destiny rising up to meet her. Bouncing between flashbacks and the present, the story moves with a sense of jarring action and a fast, almost breathless pace. While at times the story is a bit heavy-handed with N’awlins clichés, for the most part the voodoo aspects are handled in an unusually engaging fashion. The striking art has a more stylized line than most mainstream comics and fits the story very well. Bonus covers and pinups sprinkled throughout the book are also beautiful. --Tina Coleman