First time reading something from the "Lady Mechanika" series. I can definitely say I enjoyed it and it wasn't that hard to follow despite knowing nothing about the series. The art was great and the story was entertaining. I'll definitely be reading more.

Hauntingly beautiful art with a radically different story.

Set in a small town near Mexico City in 1869, Lady Mechanika: La Dama de la Muerte has a steampunk style that also incorporates the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration in an innovative manner. It is exceptionally gorgeous using both customary steampunk hues (black, gray, bronzes) with pops of bright color evoking Mexican culture. The plot contains several twists and red herrings.

This a standalone graphic novel. It appears to be a prequel to the regular Lady Mechanika series, which is set in the 1870s London.

I would recommend Lady Mechanika: La Dama del la Muerte to readers looking for something different in a comic, fabulous artwork or those that like a steampunk plot with a twist. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Benitez Productions, and netgalley for an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Published on September 26, 2017.

Just like the rest of the Lady Mechanika series, this graphic novel includes gorgeous artwork, a compelling storyline, and one of the most badass heroines I've seen in a long time. This set of comics takes the titular character on a journey to a small Mexican community where she learns about the Day of the Dead celebrations. While there she is forced to deal with some of the pain from her past while also working to save the people of this community from an evil far greater than she's faced before.

"Wow the illustrations are amazing" was literally the first thing a said when I saw this comic. Lady Mechanika starts off with a bit about the Goddess of Death, The Lady of the Dead, Queen of the Underworld, for every prayer or wish people ask of her there is a price to pay, their eternal soul. Dun dun duuuuunn!!!

Its 1869, Mechanika had just taken a train heading anywhere and ended up in a small town in Mexico during the Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). There she meets a family and learns a bit about what Dia de Los Muertos is, how they celebrate and paint their faces, sing, dance and go to the cemetery and take the dead some food.

While celebrating she learns about the Jinetes aka The Demon Riders. They sold their soul to the Santa Muerte (Lady of the Dead), and go around collecting Tithes, food, gold, money, they always send a sign before they show up, its always in a gruesome way. Everyone in town and around fears them. Mechanika wants to stop this, she doesn't want people to suffer anymore. So she confronts them herself. Mechanika is brave for doing this, but she isn't scared of anything. There was violence and death, and a bit of magic or what I would call, witchcraft. 
Its been a while since I've read a comic book, I really enjoyed this one, especially because I'm Mexican American and I get to read a little about my culture. Not often do I get a chance to read about Mexicans or anything to do with my culture, so I thought it was cool, and everything was beautifully made. I know to people Dia de Los Muertos might be scary because of all the skulls and skeletons but it’s to celebrate those who have died, to remember them and all the good times.

Growing up Mexican American, I did hear about La Santa Muerte and how some people pray to her or worship her. It depends on the person they could be doing it for good or with evil intent. Me, personally I don’t mess with that, that is scary to me. I've always seen it as brujeria (witchcraft) and Mexicans know not to mess with that. That’s no joke. I've heard too many stories.

Overall I was really impressed with all the illustrations, they were gorgeous. I haven't read any Lady Mechanika comics before so I didn’t know it was a series. Once I finished it I wanted to check out more. I wanted to see what Mechanika was up to. I would recommend this to any comic book lover and anyone who wants to learn a little bit about Dia de los Muertos but remember La Dama de la Muerte is always watching.

I have become a fan of this series even though steampunk is not a favorite genre of mine (nor is it among my least favorite, so...) and this volume is probably, in many ways, the least steampunkish (yeah, I know, not a word, but you know what I'm saying). That said, it is probably the most beautiful artistically. The artwork in the series has always been very good and quite stunning but this volume surpassed, for me, the previous volumes.

If you aren't familiar with the series, I would suggest starting with the first volume. If, however, you aren't a big fan of steampunk but enjoy graphic novels, this would likely be fine as a standalone, there is enough backstory given to keep you from being lost and that backstory is less vital to this storyline than to others.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

This is my second read in the Lady Mechanika series, and just as stunning! While I didn't like this story quite as well, it was a fun read, and I"m excited to see more of her and her friends!

I haven't read the rest of the series, but these galleys were beautiful and they make me want to read them! Her story is so deeply personal even if she may be withdrawn. This feels like a beautifully illustrated and touching series... I can't wait to go back and read all of them.

Actual rating: 4,5 stars

Amazing addition to the Lady Mechanika universe. I absolutely adore the art. The combination of steampunk and Dia de los Muertos is brilliant!
You could definitely read this volume as a stand alone, but I want to bet you'll be interested in the rest of the books too :)
Dislaimer: This is however the most violent book out of the series (nothing sexual, just gory) and although it is definitely logical in the story and it reveals more about the character of Lady Mechanika, I just want you to be aware in case violence doesn't sit well with you.

Having said all that: I definitely recommend this series & this edition :)

This book tells the story of Lady Mechanika and her trip to Mexico.

This book's art is extremely beautiful, the colours absolutely mesmerizing.

The story is really interesting and teaches us how latin americans mourn their dead.

The characters are amazing, I fell in love with Mechanika in the first couple of pages. She's strong and very mysterious, which is always a great combination.

Lady Mechanika had fled to Mexico due to the death of a friend. While there, she tragically intervened when her host village was being brutalized by a bandits who appeared in supernatural garb. With the aid of La Dame de la Muerte, Lady Mechanika tracked the bandits down and brought them to a brutal judgement. An interesting read, not sure where this fits in the Lady Mechanika timeline, but it provides plenty of action and interesting settings and artwork.

Five Stars!

This is my first Lady Mechanika novel and it didn't disappoint. The artwork in this book was beyond anything I seen before and the story was pretty good. Even tho I haven't read the other LM books, I understood what was going on with the Lady M and how she become to be. So all over  it was pretty good and wouldn't mind reading some more novels dealing with her..

This book is about Lady Mechanika after suffering a tragic loss she just wants to be alone so she heads off to a small Mexican village. Turns out she's arriving just in time for their celebration of the dead. I knew a wanted to give this a read once I found out that it's a.) is set in a fictionalized steampunk Victorian England b.) it's a graphic novel based around Día de los Muertos celebration. I'm glad I did read it. This book is different than graphics I've been reading lately. I enjoyed the story where she had to solve the case and fulfill promises; even -maybe- starts to find herself.

As for characters there a few we get to know a little. But Lady Mechanika is our lead and feel that -seeing as she has no memory of her captivity or her former life - her personality fits that. We don't know her favorite color or food. We don't know anything but that she has a troubled, she now fighting for whats right and she can kick butt.

The art in the book is an amazing blend of Mexican and Steampunk. It mashes this two very different styles to make one new style that pulls this whole book together. I will be keeping my eyes out for more stories in this series.

Seeing as I've missed a volume of Lady Mechanika somewhere along the line, I was a bit confused at the beginning of the series, but that ended up not mattering at all in the long run for this volume. With my admittedly limited knowledge of Hispanic culture, the depiction of Dia de los Muertos here seems to be accurate. The art is, as always, completely breathtakingly beautiful!! This was a fun steampunk romp and I'm certainly excited to see more Lady Mechanika after this mini-series.

The artwork in this comic is amazing. The amount of detail on the cover is what drew my attention, and the inside is even better. Every scene could be featured as wall art. This is the first comic I've read featuring Lady Mechanika. I didn't feel lost, but there was a touch of mention from a previous installment. It made me want to read the others out of interest, not because I was confused with this storyline. The female lead is a sort of vigilante hero after a group of villains torturing citizens. It has a bit of a dark vibe and less of a superhero feel than some comics. I liked it and plan to check out more of the series.

I received an advanced copy of Lady Mechanika La Dama de la Muerte TP from Net Galley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lady Mechanika La Dama de la Muerte is a side story following the events in volume three. I would have rated this a three and a half star, but honestly the artwork is just so stunning that I had to bump it up at least half a star for that. Seriously, I think I might have to see if I can buy a print or two from this volume. Even though it is a side story, it does contain some pretty massive spoilers for the other volumes, so I strongly urge that you read those first (though if you don’t mind spoilers it isn’t a requirement).

Spoiler Warning

As the title (and artwork) suggests the theme is heavily focused on the Dios de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The merging of artwork and style here is truly breathtaking, and by far the highlight of the volume (please take the time to look at all of the alternate covers in the back, you won’t regret it!). I seriously can’t seem to move past how beautiful all the art is, hence why I’m gushing about it so much. I think it’s safe to say that while the artwork for Lady Mechanika has always been exceptional, this volume takes the cake, so to speak.
I think was my favorite so far of the Lady Mechanika series – it is very approachable with beautiful art (I sound like a broken record, don’t I?), an interesting albeit slightly heart breaking plot, and well-rounded characters. While I don’t want to give everything away, I will say that you should be prepared to be hit in the gut during this story; as the story fits the theme very well.
There is less of the steampunk element in this volume, but honestly I’m ok with that trade-off. The cultural theme of the story more than made up for it in this particular case. While I’m no expert on Dios de Los Muertos, I do believe that it was beautifully interpreted here.

I received an advance e-copy of this graphic novel via NetGalley and the author. The gift in of this book in no way influenced my review or opinions. Why? Because oh. my. gorgeous! The story was a good one, centering around the Dia de los Muertos legend / festivities. It is the first in the steampunk series that I have read but I thoroughly enjoyed it. What set it over the top, however, was the art. Oh my! The drawings were done in such incredible detail! The story was perfectly captured in the artwork. I loved it all! And I will definitely be purchasing the rest of the series :)

This installment of Lady Mechanika is a weird one - it kind or sits outside of the volumes but you should have read volume 1 for a little bit of backstory. In this book, Lady Mechanika goes off on her own and ends up in Mexico. She finds out that there are some evil men running around scaring towns into providing tithing. She takes it upon herself to seek them out and teach them a lesson for their wrongdoings.

This was a pretty violent installment, there was a lot of shooting and blood, but there was also a lesson about Dia de los Muertos and what festivities take place to celebrate and show that death is not to be feared. There is a little bit of Mechanika's flashbacks but not much still, I am still waiting to learn more about her origins so I will continue to read these.

Review will be live on blog on Sept 22

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After the last couple volume in this series, this book felt like sort of a let down. I really enjoy the idea behind it, and felt that the creators did a nice job explaining the premise of the Day of the Dead. The art that accompanies it is gorgeous. That is definitely one the strongest element of the series.

Mechanika has traveled to Mexico, but there wasn't anything to bridge this back to the previous book. That should make it friendlier to a new reader. I found it frustrating that it leaves a big gap between the two stories. She recently lost a good friend, which helps tie her story into the plot, but I can't honestly remember who the missing person is if he was even present in the previous stories. Those are probably my biggest gripes about this book and they made it feel less complete.

The whole integration of the Day of the Dead celebrations was well done. Of course, there has to be some sort of conflict and that part of the story is good. It shows what Mechanika is capable of if she really lets loose. Even though this book doesn't bring the reader any closer to finding out more about Mechanika's history, it is a fun diversion.

Slated for September 26, 17 release, get your preorders in!

Lady Mechanika, part human and part machine, is haunted. As a detective in early 20th century England, she has done things she regrets and caused people she cares for to die. The Lady, running from her past and pain, heads across the ocean.

In Mexico, she arrives and is welcomed by the citizens of a small town. Lady arrives November 1869, on the Day of the Dead and celebrates life and loss with them. Her red eyes are explained away and beautifully melded with face makeup in the classic sugar skull.

Santa Muerta, the Devil's mistress, Lady of the Underworld. She has a penchant for forcing people's hand. While Mechanika may have a need to heal, Santa Muerta prefers people sweat it out a bit.

During the celebration, a messenger arrives and the villagers prepare for midnight when the demon rider Jinetes will come for their payments from the living. Lady Mechanika, decides to put her faith in science and logic, and hunt down the Jinetes to free the people.

La Dama de la Muerte is the collected trilogy volume from 2016.

Like other great series, Mechanika has had a minimal number of published issues. It focuses on stunning artwork and story. Set in a Steam Punk world, those who do not care for this genre will still be able to enjoy this collection. The extent of technology in this series begins with the fact that Lady herself is part machine (generally unnoticeable), and ends with the fact that she arrives in Mexico on a train (not unusual for 1869). It neatly sidesteps the need for deep genre familiarity and allows you to wallow in vibrant colors and beautiful design details.

This clean presentation is as graceful as the Lady Mechanika herself. It brings gorgeous cover to cover artwork, lots of full page alternate covers, but unfortunately not a lot of back story or additional editorial content. If you are unfamiliar with the series, this can stand alone, but will absolutely leave a couple questions unanswered for the un-indoctrinated.

Minor spoiler** There is one specific scene reminding me of a particularly brutal Wolverine/Logan attack. Lady can work a knife.. End spoil.

The presentation had one flaw which irked, the collection is penned in English, and calls out anything being spoken in Spanish <*translated to English> by sandwiching inside of <alligator brackets>. This drove me a little crazy as the majority of text uses these. They are after all in Mexico and just about every word is Spanish translated. Why not put the things spoken in English in brackets.. This gripe does not take away from the work; it is just a personal annoyance that would cause me to burst if I failed to mention. I might have to find a Spanish language version of this just to see what it looks like translated and if I am just moronic for being annoyed. Does it present better?

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Disclosure-

This work was provided to me by the publisher for review purposes. I considered writing this review in Spanish until I realized I do not understand Spanish. As an old friend of mine used to say frequently, 'Por favor lavar mi langosta.' <Please wash my lobster.>

The illustrations are beautifully and wonderfully rendered, I can re-read this over and over and still pick up subtle little details in the pages.

The story works well as a stand alone as you get any backstory you need through the story. Please pick it up, please read it and stare at the illustrations.

Huge, huge thumbs up!!