Where the Good Guy is Pretty Bad

The Scorpion, Volume 1: The Devil's Mark by Stephen Desberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An entertaining and visually appealing graphic novel.

This first in the series has an Alexandre Dumas adventure novel feel, with sword fights, villainous churchmen, poisoners, dungeons, and the like. The main character is likable, in a way, though he's not good, as he's convinced he's either damned or has no soul at all--something like that. He feels like an equally wronged but less honorable Edmond Dantès (from Count of Monte Cristo) and his sidekick (I didn't catch his name and can't find it now) is just like the disreputable but loyal Luigi Vampa. They live as thieves until the Scorpion encounters a cardinal who wants to kill him but also knows something about his mother and his past.

There is no real conclusion, which is a shame; the story just continues in the next book. I would rather have a little closure in a book, even if there is a larger arc that carries on. The other thing I didn't care for was the rapid switching between scenes and characters, occurring at any point on the page or in the action. It was not just jarring but confusing, often making me back up to catch the thread once more. I don't like the constant "Who are these people and what are they doing?"

Still, getting past those things, the story is fun and fast-paced and if it weren't so expensive I'd buy the next ones to keep on.

Recommended for readers of adventure novels and graphic novels.

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