Madame Xanadu #26 – Review

by Matt Wagner (writer), Chrissie Zullo (art & colors), and Jared K. Fletcher & John J. Hill (letters)

The Story: A boy dogged by a wretched odor is lost in the city without his memories, but in his dreams, he’s a space adventurer pursued by a mysterious witch.

What’s Good: Chrissie Zullo’s work completely and utterly carries this book.  She has crafted what, for me, is the best looking book of the month.  Her work is truly unique and completely distinctive.  It reminds me quite a bit of the early work of Hayao Miyazaki or, really, the more youth-oriented products of 1970s-80s anime in general.  Yet, there’s also a European edge to all of it as well, most particularly expressed in Zullo’s moody, dusty colors.

The book has a very young, energetic feel to it, but one that’s also laden with emotion.  Through her work, Zullo doesn’t just tell a story or convey emotion though.  Rather, she oozes that emotion, as it permeates her work, which is as much about mood as it is narrative.  Furthermore, Zullo doesn’t just translate Wagner’s script; her distinctive style allows her to create a unique, and very special, world that feels all her own.  The result is a book that feels like Chrissie Zullo’s Madame Xanadu, more than it does “Matt Wagner’s Madame Xanadu, drawn by Chrissie Zullo.”

Her work is also varied as well.  The life of main character Sammy is rendered in those dusty colors, everything draped with a sense of sadness.  However, when Zullo draws Sammy’s space-adventurer dreams, the book suddenly becomes a child’s storybook, full of vibrant, simple colors and softer, easier artwork.

Wagner’s script compliments Zullo’s work for the most part, which is an interesting reversal of the writer/artist relationship we usually see in comics.  Wagner’s mood is all about mood and atmosphere; it sets a tone of sadness, disorientation, and loss.  Wagner does a good job of portraying Sammy as childhood innocence lost and adrift in a world that has no place for it.  The result is a truly tragic book and a really somber feel that contrasts with the childish aura of Zullo’s work well.