SPECTACLE

Webcomic artist Gedris (YU+ME: dream Omnibus Book Two, 2014, etc.) delivers a compelling tale of supernatural mystery set in the Old West.

Brown-skinned, curly-haired identical twins Anna and Kat are inseparable members of the Samson Brothers traveling circus. Anna is a pragmatic inventor working as the carnival fortuneteller, while Kat is an impulsive and performative knife-thrower. But when Anna wakes to discover Kat has been murdered—literally stabbed in the back—she is unsettled to find that Kat’s soul hasn’t moved on. Represented as a translucent, green, floating version of herself, Kat takes up residence in her sister’s body, finding safety and security there while she teams up with Anna to solve her own murder. Gedris’ expressive lines and bold colors bring to life the Old West setting, and the characters have varied skin tones, gender presentations, and body shapes. The marginalized identities of troupe members are hinted at but rarely explored, with the exception of a Chinese immigrant’s experience working on the railroad. The cliffhanger ending satisfies, opening up just the right number of questions.

Humorous and heartfelt, creepy and captivating; readers will eagerly hope for another volume.