My thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for an advanced sampler of this forthcoming graphic novel that looks at two characters who took the art world of Paris by storm in the late 1920's and early 1930's, pretending to be people they were not and in turn taking making of those attracted to them for fools.

I knew a young woman once who worked in a bookstore that seemed just a little too good to be true. Katrina, I will call her, was like that Velvet Underground song I'll Be Your Mirror. Everyone seemed to project on to Katrina want they wanted from her. Good worker, smart, funny, some thought she was cute, some thought she was more than that. During an overnight getting Thanksgiving I think ready I got to talking with her, and for some reason she started telling me about her life. God it was miserable, and I knew I was in rare company for I could see Katrina wasn't a person who shared. Pretended yes, reflected yes, and a bit of a user, yes. I could see that Katrina had just gotten used to not showing anything, letting others take the lead, and getting what she could from them. Survival I think was her first instinct. She quit the Friday before Christmas, leaving us a bit in the lurch, but I knew she had her reasons. Probably wanted a discount for Christmas gifts, as the one thing true about her was that she was a reader. Reading this graphic novel I thought a lot of Katrina, and could see why a person would become someone new. And look so different even to artists trained to see what lies beneath the surface. The woman in this graphic novel was also a mirror. The Woman With Fifty Faces: Maria Lani & The Greatest Art Heist That Never Was written by Jon Lackman with art by Zachary James Pinson is the story about a woman, the art scene, an art scam, and what happened after.

Maria Lani was born in Poland at the turn of the 20th century in an area that talked about being tolerant about the presence of Jews in the country, but was not. The area was known for pogroms, or riots for an any given reason, which cause the Lani family to move a few times, but always with the fear that things could get worse. Lani also had problems with her family, and grew up with a lot of feelings of inadequacy and fear. Lani met her husband as she allowed him to enter a play written by Jean Cocteau, the famous playwright, poet and author., After an odd courtship Lani left for Paris with her new husband. Lani claimed to be a silent film star in Germany, which she had tried, but was too old for, so she changed her birthday to be younger. Setting up in Paris the couple met with Cocteau and became enmeshed in his circle. There was talk of a movie. Great artists wanted to paint her portrait, to try and put on paper what was so elusive in the real world. Over fifty artists gave it a chance, creating different works featuring Maria Lani. Than things got weird.

I had never heard the story of Maria Lani, probably because so many people were taken in by her. The story is sad, as is the ending, but really quite fascinating and interesting. One can see the poor woman just wanted to feel safe somewhere, not just physically but financially, where thugs and gangs wouldn't burn her out, or destroy her life for her religion. There is alot that might trigger some people in the writing, especially since most people are not used to the casual anti-semitism that was so prevalent in Europe. While the writing is good, the art really makes this story, carrying it along in woodblock looking prints, that tell so much about what is going on, while making readers stop to take in everything in the picture.

A real lesson in what graphic novels can do. Telling a story from the past, a story few know anything about and making it fresh and new. A real wonder, and one that I quite enjoyed.

Couldn’t get into it/creepy illustrations/jilted storytelling/too short.
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Incredibly sad graphic novel, intense but beautiful artwork. Perfect for any history buffs and lovers of non-fiction!

The Woman with Fifty Faces tells the story of Maria Lani, a woman who conned her way into immortality. She persuaded 50 well known artists to paint her portrait. Maria falsely portrayed herself as a famous German actress commissioning the portraits for a film project. That was not the case. She was a Polish Jew struggling to survive in prewar Europe.

The illustrations are eerily haunting throughout the book.
-NetGallery

I enjoyed this small snippet of The Woman With Fifty Faces. I think the art, while grotesque and detailed, fits the story well. I like that it is all done in what seems like pencil, it makes it feel more time. This made me look up Maria Lani and want to know more about her. I am unused to the vulgarness that is used to describe the people in the book, whether they are german or Jewish, that took adjusting.

I was looking forward to learning about such an enigmatic person, but I feel rather disappointed now.

The art style was not a good match for me. I'm sorry, but "stunningly beautiful" is definitely an overstatement. The images are unique and leave a deep impression, yes, but I can only agree with the latter part of the official description: farcically grotesque. The events adapted should by no means look pretty, as they stem from the ugliest pits of human nature, but the reader needs to be told to expect that. Some of the images were also difficult to parse, I wasn't sure if I *should* be looking for something in them or if they were just there to keep the dark an mysterious atmosphere up.

As the galley only included 1/3 of the book, I can't give my opinion on the story arc. I found the pages ending at 99 quite abrupt, especially since the blurb was mainly talking about events that happen *after* these pages.

Disappointed it was not the whole book. I will be interested in reading it when it becomes available.

The Woman with Fifty Faces is a visually stunning graphic novel that immerses you in Maria Lani’s enigmatic life. The dark, black-and-white artwork is truly exceptional, capturing incredible detail and enhancing the mysterious atmosphere. As someone unfamiliar with Maria Lani, I found her story fascinating and appreciated the glimpse into her world. However, the narrative felt rushed at times, skipping over key parts of her life or lacking the depth I hoped for. While it leaves you intrigued, it also leaves you wanting more. Still, it’s a captivating read for anyone interested in art history.

Tough to review, as I assume this is just the first chunk of the book. This preview doesn't get as far as the promised premise of Maria meeting the portrait artists. This first chunk is very dark and depressing, with war-torn landscapes and family deaths. The first real storyline - a romance - is quite confusing. The art is a love/hate situation - and unfortunately it wasn't for me. Since the authors are revealing a story about a beautiful and alluring woman, it's hard for me to intellectually match this with the grotesque artwork. I feel unsure giving it just a 2 without reading the whole book. But this section makes it hard for me to imagine it selling well in the bookstore, as the art style is so niche, and the content is so dark.

While it's hard to get a true grasp from just the 100 pages preview, this was a very interesting glance at Maria Lani (who I'd never heard of before.) The story is immersive and the art is uniquely dark and off-putting, adding to the mystery of its main subject.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC preview in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t help feeling unsatisfied with this book. It feels told at a remove. The art is grotesque, which will either work for you or not.