It was good. I don't know that I really liked it, but it was good.

did anything even happen?

I liked the art, but I had a very hard time getting into the story.

Being mostly ignorant in regards to comic books and their characters, I had no idea who or what to expect when starting this graphic novel. I picked it up from the library merely on the "star power" of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean.

It was what I expected - interesting storyline, unexpected ending, beautiful artwork.

Un 10 en el apartado artístico, pero narrativamente me ha sabido a poco. Entiendo que la idea fue precisamente hacer algo al margen de los cánones típicos del cómic, con un final abierto y tal, pero el repaso de malos de Arkham y el viaje al Amazonas me han parecido que pueden estar mejor contados. Es que los malos llegan a la selva y encuentran a las orquídeas preguntando, no me jodas…

Šķiet, ka šis ir pirmais Geimena darbs, kas mani tā īsti neuzrunāja. Ļoti savāda sajūta.

Neil Gaiman is a weird guy and this is what he does. Flowery, no pun intended, prose and trippy visuals. Here he pens a tale of lost love, obsession, and revenge. Its strange and Dave McKean's art makes it hard to tell what's going on in ever panel. He does have some beautiful panels though. Overall, it appeals to a very certain type of person and its not me.

I vaguely remember this when it first came out but I was twenty-one at the time, and I think I was busy being twenty-one and prepping for med school. I had nearly forgotten Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean had done anything in the traditional DC Comic book universe. This one had hints of Batman in it but as a mere vehicle to the main storyline. (ditto the Swamp Thing and a few Arkham Asylum residents). Lex Luthor plays a more pivotal role.

Black Orchid has made a miscalculation that will cost her her life but she isn’t all she seems. In fact, she isn’t even human. At her death another of her sisters awakens, having more to do with the title orchid than she does with humanity. She only has partial memories and her creator tries to help her but the woman she was based on has a bad past and it comes back with sheer destructive force.

Left without answers she needs and with a child version of herself attached to her for guidance, Orchid goes on a quest for answers.

Overall I’d put the art at 5 stars. McKean’s dream-like art and its muted palette won’t be to everyone’s taste but I remember when this style dropped into the oft-times garish world of superheroes. It was revolutionary. It takes me back to when I was young and bright eyed. I will always have a soft spot for it. The story is more of a 3 star for me. I found it a bit slow, a bit fragmentary and too heavy on Lex Luthor and his ugliness. It’s still a graphic novel worth the reading.