Alexandra Forever is inspired by the mythological Roman goddess, but in this graphic novel she’s been transported into the far future. The character’s origins aren’t explored so we don’t know to what extent she’s supposed to be extrapolated from the myth. Instead, from the first few pages, we’re pulled straight into the action. What we do find out is that she’s smart, sassy, quick-witted, backed up by a telepathic ‘coven’ of female intelligence operatives, and several thousand years old (though she doesn’t look a day over twenty-five).
What makes the book stand out, however, is its smart, snappy dialogue. Alexandra’s cocky bravado is countered by the self-deprecating charm of her enemies. Her behind-the-scenes team have a resigned patience with her, not helped by the fact that her boss, Terra, manifests as a five-year-old girl, deeply reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s archetypal Delirium from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comics.
It’s not just the dialogue that makes this book worth reading. Behind the witty conversations there’s a vast plot unravelling, and beyond that, some serious sci-fi universe-building (with loose ties into mythology for a little extra fun).
The illustration isn’t as hard working as the writing, though. It’s full of style and character but occasionally falls down on technicalities: an overly contorted face or slight oddness to a character’s figure. Also, by the end of the book, we’ve broken off into a more standard action finalé, which is a tad disappointing. However, the journey is well worthwhile and we’ll definitely line up in the queue for more.
Buy from: www.alexandraforever.com