Madame Xanadu Vol. 1: Disenchanted

I'll be honest - I picked this up because I saw that Death from the Sandman series was featured in an issue. But this story was awesome on its own. The artwork is beautiful and now I'm a fan of Amy Reeder Hadley - it reminds me a bit of the artwork for Runaways (early on). Anyways, I was not familiar with Madame Xanadu or the Phantom Stranger before picking this collection up. Now I'm all set to continue following the series.

This was such a great graphic novel. Madame Xanadu is really Nimue the woman that put Merlin into sleep for thousands of years. It goes from time period to time period, hitting some of the most famous incidences in history. You also get an Etrigan/Jason Blood origin story, and a visit with Death from the Eternals. Madame Xanadu's frustration in dealing with the Stranger that keep reappearing is practically tangible in the illustrations.

A book picked up slightly on a whim due to a review I’d heard, but also on the strength of the art. I havent found many comic series which deal with mythology, nature and magic as subjects so I was delighted to read this. This book covers the first ten issues of what is essentially an origin story. It’s superbly written and well paced. The story flows well together. Madame Xanadu is a intriguing character and it was interesting reading and watching her progression through the book; watching the character move through different periods in history was fascinating (it’s always good see Camelot and Merlin in any comic series!) I’ll admit to not recognising some of the characters introduced from the DC universe but wikipedia helped show more out with my ignorance. As good as the story is, the artwork by Amy Reeder Hadley, is outstanding, with some truly beautiful pages of art. Without doubt this contributed to the book as much as the story. I adored this series and I’m looking forward to volume two. show less

The first ten issues of the hit series from writer Matt Wagner and rising star artist Amy Reeder Hadley are collected in this new trade paperback.
Although a Dc/Vertigo fan, I would never claim to have any kind of encyclopaedic knowledge about signature characters and their origin stories. Madame Xanadu was a present chosen for me - chosen (I suspect) on the strength of the artwork - and it was a good pick.

Volume 1 of this four volume series deals with how Madame Xanadu (previously a woodnymph called Nimue) lost her deity status, and managed to be involved in several pivotal moments in world history via divination and the interventions of a Mysterious Stranger. A stranger whose fate seems intertwined with her Madame Xanadu's.

Spanning show more historical touch-points that start with Arthurian England and end in 1920's New York, the story of Madame Xanadu is lushly illustrated, entertainingly scripted and most engrossing. Containing a full narrative (not always the case for long running serials that have been collected into trade paperbacks), Madame Xanadu: Disenchanted is only let down by what is missing. Additional material only consists of single page shots of each cover, and a Foreword by James Robinson (most known for his work on STARMAN). Some additional art / sketches / discussion of character or story development would have earned this graphic novel a full five stars. show less

Nimue tries in vain to prevent her sister from using Mordred to destroy Camelot. Then she tries in vain to help her friend in Kublai Khan's court (though she succeeds in making Marco Polo look like a hero). Then she tries in vain to help her friend Marie Antoinette. And then, she tries in vain to help her friends the whores stay safe from Jack the Ripper. Nimue, aka Madame Xanadu, just happens to be bff with every easily-recognizable historical figure ever. She is unfailingly morally perfect. She is an incredibly annoying character.

The dialog is stilted and artificial, the plots ludicrous and over-used. The only thing this book has going for it is its art, which is very pretty.

Beautifully rendered art (and I'm not just saying that because we met the artist!) and a cool story. The ending was a bit confusing; otherwise, a fantastic graphic novel.

A well-drawn comic about a sorceress who lives through much of human history, Madame Xanadu owes quite a debt to Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' series. Two of the Endless from that series appear as fairly major characters in this book; also the subplot from Sandman of people who live greatly extended (if not immortal) lives. Of course it is no shame to be associated with the famous Sandman series, and this comic is quite enjoyable in its own right.