Jonas reviewed Lady Mechanika, Volume 2 by Joe Benitez (Lady Mechanika, #02)
More pseudoarchaeology, less clockwork steampunk
2 stars
Content warning review reveals plot elements
The stylish and, I think, somewhat fetishizing artwork continues, but as another writer takes the helm, Lady Mechanika is partnered with new supporting characters. The plot and motivation of the first collected volume are dropped, and Mechanika is set in a different track, to rescue a child and her grandfather. You get secret societies, Babylonian high technology and alchemy, ancient superweapons, lizardmen, and some exotism thrown in. A good part of the story takes place in "Africa", blissfully unspecific. This felt a bit like a Tomb Raider story, although the ancient ruins are not explored by Lady Mechanika, but by the supporting characters. Neither Mechanika's artifical body parts nor her mysterious history were of particular importance.
