Joe Benitez

The Graphics/Artwork

I love the illustrations for Lady Mechanika Benitez did an amazing job of giving the characters life and color. Since the story takes place in 1800s in a steampunkish society Benitez allows his imagination to roar to life with inventions and gadgets that impressive and functional. His details are amazing yet they don't distract from the story which I like. Using the artwork can be a bit of a hit or miss for me, but Lady Mechanika was a total hit for me. While I am not show more sure how historically accurate the dressing is I can say I love them, Especially Lady Mechanika's wardrobe. They give her respectability while also making her look cool, and yes while they are tight clothing and there is even one image that draws attention to her boobs (they were talking about her necklace) they did not overly sexualize the character in my opinion. In fact I found a lot of her outfits pretty badass. Lady Mechanika is beautiful I will say and I can hardly fault Benitez in that sense. I have yet to see him throw her in a non-sensible outfit.

The Story

This is the beginning of comic series and we can see a boom in mechanics taking off yet, Lady Mechanika is already well know, she is a great fighter (and shooter) and her gadgets are to die for, while Benitez could have gone the origin route he didn't, this is because our Heroine is searching for her origins, we are learning with her why she was picked to become half Mechanics and half women. She is currently searching for who made her and why. While throughout the story we are fed bits and pieces of her life pre-series, I enjoy this as it doesn't take away from what's going on in 'present day', I'm not trying to process what happened to her while learning more information, Benitez poses the story like a puzzle a mystery we are tying to solve with the heroine to feel more connected to her. This makes you want to keep reading but like Lady Mechanika you start to feel a need to know what happened to her. Of course that's not the only thing going on especially with our heroine discovering other mechanical people like herself, oh ucky….

Our Heroine (Lady Mechanika)

Lady Mechanika is pretty badass, she has amazing gadgets, she's beautiful with Red eyes, Long dark black hair and creamy white skin with a complexion to die for. There is a overwhelming huge cloud of loneliness that I can see in her. She doesn't know why she was made, or who made her and since she is not quite human it's hard to bond with others because she will always be different. There's also a line which gives a clue to the fact that she may not be able to reproduce which gives a huge sadness as she will never have a family (I'm not saying that’s what makes a woman of anything like that, it's just with no siblings or parents around and not being able to have children it's just sad…) of her own. There's also a great compassion that she seems to keep hidden with her tough exterior, while Benitez allows us glimpses of, this tells us that or Heroine is a good person. Yes she does kill, and while I won't debate the merits of this, I can tell you in my opinion it's not she does off hand.

Overall

I really enjoyed Volume 1 of Lady Mechanika so much so that I immediately moved on to Volume 2, I know I will have to continue buying the comics as I know how more space (must buy all the books!). Lady Mechanika is a kickass female with a great story and gorgeous artwork, if that is something you are interested in you really need to read this. show less

Lady Mechanika Volume 6 by Joe Benítez continues the series, which happens to be among the only ones I follow in the area of graphic novels.

Like any series there will be stronger and weaker volumes. I thought this one wasn't so much less strong but seemed to take a slightly different tack, or at least leaned more into one started previously. That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

You don't need to have read all of the previous volumes to read this one. Much of her backstory from the show more earliest volumes is re-presented here along with some more details that suit this storyline. I would say that if you're coming here for the first time for something more steampunk you might want to start earlier in the series.

I would recommend this to those who like good stories and characterization in their graphic novels. The artwork is still quite good but less pop than I remember from earlier work, but the palette does fit the stories very well.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss. show less

*I received an ARC of this book through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

Lady Mechanika arrives into Santa Catrina, a small village, during the Día de los Muertos festival after suffering a loss. The Jinetes, horseback-riders from the world of the dead, come to the village to collect their offerings. Lady Mechanika then decides to act to save the villagers.

By [a:Joe Benítez|54938|Joe Benítez|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1486040773p2/54938.jpg]

What struck me first was how show more gorgeous all the artworks are! In fact, they are jaw-dropping with the flamboyant colours and numerous details in their clothes, build, bodies, and objects. I really enjoyed how all the acts' titles (even the main title) are in Spanish—now that speaks of culture and experience! Because, if you don’t know, the Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico, where the people speak Spanish. Did I say acts? Yes, I did. Instead of chapters, acts divide the whole book, just like a play, a movie, or most stories for that matter (depending on the technique used, there can be from 3 to 6 or 7 of them in a novel).

Moreover, the characters’ clothes and makeup are sensational. Wow! They even serve the story which is doubly amazing. The panels are dynamic (sometimes we even get a glimpse from Lady Mechanika’s point of view under her big hat). Fun times, I’m telling you! Last note about the graphic aspect of Lady Mechanika is how the panels’ borders are made of pipes and gears which really make for a steampunk feel to it! The background has got scratches like used paper, which feels old too… A subtle but great touch!

Now, what about the story? The beginning is intriguing and jumps right into the subject. It doesn’t wait around. Instead, it sets the tone for the rest of the story and is creepy enough while being stunning. It also sets up the setting and the events quite early on and this comic does it quite nicely. You’d have to be blind to miss the information! The story itself is exciting and starts drastically, mixing folk tales with the Lady Mechanika’s invented story. The use of children as important characters in the story impressed me—it is rare but exquisite and fun when it happens! As for the other characters, they are all different and lovely in their own ways. But most noticeable, they all have their own agendas, stories, thoughts, and everything else that makes them unique. It is enjoyable to see them all mix and react to each other!

It’s hard to feel for Lady Mechanika, the main character, at the beginning, but the more I read the more lovable she became. After all, she’s courageous, a trait I respect. Moreover, we get to see a bit of her backstory, which helps us understand more about where she comes from and why she’s so different. Mostly for people who don’t read Lady Mechanika (like me) and thus don’t know her well over several comics.

On top of that, I found it to be culturally respectful of Mexico and El Día de los Muertos. The author and artist really made La dama de la muerte a pleasure to dive into. I felt like I was there, sucked into these magnificent pages and trying to do good alongside Lady Mechanika. It was insightful, that’s for sure. The emotions are well-portrayed. We can identify them without any problem. The action is thrilling and nice in terms of visual. I’m not one who likes fight scenes much in comics, but I can say those are entertaining.

The story is intriguing and sometimes misleading (a real treat!) as the plot unfolds. I admit it emotionally destroyed me (I cried, yes), but it was SO good! The ending… Awww, what can I say about the ending? I loved it! It’s such a surprise even I couldn’t see coming (and I usually detect all the major twists in a story).

There is only one negative point and I think it’s somewhat big. Let’s say the villagers’ reaction to the tragedy befalling them is… strange to say the least. I didn’t find it realistic, but it was cute and soothing—if not comforting.

I give this comic a rating of 5 out of 5 despite the negative point because I had such a wonderful time reading it. Seriously, it is well-done and impressive. I have fond memories of this book and I am certain I’ll keep them for a long, long time… Why? Because I will buy and read Lady Mechanika’s other comics! I am a fan now. show less

While I have admired the aesthetics of the steam punk genre, I haven't actually read or watched any truly authentic steam punk materials, a fact I have been wanting to rectify. Enter Lady Mechanika, a gorgeous graphic novel that explores an elaborate steam punk world with a fun main character and lush illustrations. Lady Mechanika is a mechanical, a person with various body parts replaced by machinery, but nonetheless quite lovely. She knows of no other creature like her, and has no memory show more of her past or how she was transformed into her mechanical self. Having become a very successful vigilante, who is nevertheless an elegant and sophisticated lady of some class in her off hours, she holds a reputation in the city of a woman to be admired and feared. When Mechanika learns of another mechanical girl, similar to her but with clawed hands and blue eyes, she determines to unravel the mystery of this girl's origins, to see if it will lead her to her mysterious maker. Her pursuit of the girl will involve a gypsy circus, a steam invention convention, and the inevitable confrontation with her old enemy, Lord Blackpool. I was instantly immersed in the world created by Benitez, and drawn to Mechanika's character. The plot of this first graphic novel collection is exciting and so very steampunk that I felt fully satisfied in finally reading a steampunk story. Each new plot twist was fun. Many of the side characters were delightful treats, such as the skeptical little girl who doubts Mechanika's veracity and the drunken Mr. Lewis who plays inventor sidekick to Mechanika's vigilante persona. At this point, there is only one more graphic book of the series available, but I hope more are to follow, as this is an addictively good read with a great lead and an engrossing world. show less