I find myself wanting to review this mostly because of how annoyed I got reading people hating on Nimue/Madame Xanadu. One person says that she is petty (and therefore unrelateable) one says she is a goody two-shoes and depicted as morally perfect (and therefore unrelateable). People say they think she is unrealistic because she isn't mature and interested in the big picture. Then someone else says that she is ineffectual... (Everyone agrees the art is gorgeous).I really liked this collection because I felt for Nimue. She IS petty and immature, and it felt actually quite realistic to me that a 1000s year old being would be... if she wanted to maintain much sanity or any actual connection to other living creatures (not to mention that she's a nymph/fair folk who are known in many mythologies for being hmmm "earthy"?, not super serious anyway). She's also someone who consistently wants to help. Which makes me like her. (I don't know where *anyone* who read this would think she was depicted as too "perfect"). And yes, she is often thwarted (and thus ineffectual), either by the Stranger or by the fact that she ISN'T a god-level power, she's just a forest nymph who has some REALLY SHITTY LUCK.Mostly I think I'd be really fucking pissed at the Stranger too. He has some bizarre fatalistic or nihilistic or SOMETHING-istic view towards the world. And his consciousness is vast. But it's so vast he can't fucking tell her what the point is until she's fucked something up? He can't interfere but he "advises" but his advice is straight up NOT HELPFUL. Look. The reason you are ok with [historical bloodbath] happening is because [mumble mumble] needs to happen (or not happen), then just frickin' TELL ME what the [mumble mumble] is and we could, I don't know, work out a way for it to happen (or not happen) without the goddamn bloodbath, yo! Does he do this? No. No he does not. Because he is a douche.But again. As pissed as I am at the Stranger, I like the collection because his total asshole-y behavior seems PRETTY realistic to me. High handed asshole guys who think they know more than everyone else and are so mysterious and alone and wise? Yeah...So I like it. I like it because I LIKED Nimue's imperfection, and because I DISLIKED the Stranger's stupid "wiser than thou" schtick. I've been trying to read more mainstream comics lately since I've gotten really into Fables recently and it made me interested in reading more of the other lady superhero comics that I really haven't read much since I was a teenager. Madame Xanadu was kind of just ok for me. I like the art style of the book and the Art Nouveau-y touches of the overall design of the book, but I didn't feel much connection with the Madame Xanadu character or the quasi nemesis/love interest central conflict. Just meh for me.
What do You think about Madame Xanadú #1 (2009)?
A nice start to the new series, with a great romp through DC history. Also, beautiful art.
—Aliya
Discussion to come on fantasticfangirls.org
—maryvirginiaguice
