Graphic Novel Review – La Belle Dame Sans Merci (Lady Mechanika, Vol 5) by M. M. Chen, Joe Benitez, Martin Montiel, Beth Sotelo (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Graphic Novel/Steampunk
Length: 104 pages
Publisher: Benitez Productions
Release Date: May 14, 2019
ISBN-13 : 978-1949328011
Stand Alone or Series: 5th volume in the Lady Mechanika series
Source: Christmas Gift
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Lady Mechanika’s investigation into her forgotten past is overshadowed by concern for her associate Mr. Lewis when he becomes enamored of a beautiful and enigmatic young widow, whose own past seems disturbingly linked to the untimely deaths of several creative geniuses. Will Mr. Lewis be next?”

Series Info/Source: This is the fifth volume in the Lady Mechanika series. There are six books in this series right now with more to come. I got a copy of this book for Christmas.

Story (5/5): Lady Mechanika finds another intriguing clue into her mysterious past. As she tries to track down answers, she is forced to detour when Mr. Lewis becomes entranced by a young widow who is linked to the untimely death of many other geniuses. It was a very well done story and really kept my interest. Although the story doesn’t make much progress, it was still action packed and engaging.

Characters (5/5): I continue to really love Lady Mechanika and enjoyed watching her try to manage Mr. Lewis and his depression. The inclusion of a fae-like character was also well done.

Setting (5/5): I love the London setting and the backgrounds and settings are absolutely beautifully drawn with stunning detail.

Writing/Drawing Style (5/5): While this series can be a bit text-heavy at times, the story flows well and keeps me interested. I do wish we could make a bit more progress each book about Lady Mechanika discovering her history. However, every volume does have a nice contained mystery in it and the main mystery does make a tiny bit of progress as well. The drawing here is spectacular and I just love to sit and look at the beautiful illustration. The illustrations are done in deep, rich tones and have a ton of amazing detail to them. The whole thing is very well put together.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I enjoyed this a lot more than the fourth volume in the series and am glad I picked it up to read. I loved revisiting these characters and this world. I especially enjoyed the intricate story and absolutely stunning drawing. If you are a steampunk fan you absolutely have to give the Lady Mechanika graphic novel series a try. If you enjoy action packed graphic novels with a Victorian setting you will also probably enjoy this series.