After reading the Tarot Cafe series (which I didn’t really enjoy all that much) I wasn’t holding high hopes for the Madame Xanadu series. I bought it because of the characters association to Tarot and Magic (like a lot of things that interest me) and actually ended up enjoying it a lot.
Madame has been around for a while with DC Comics since 1978 to be exact but this is the first time I have encountered her character so I can only go by what was in the Disenchanted volume, I assume that like most comic book characters there is a lot of cross overs etc with other DC Heroes.
The reader is introduced to Madame Xanadu as Nimue of Celtic mythology in the time of Arthur of Camelot. Merlin, Morgana and Mordred all make an appearance. Her story continues through out humanities History in times of great change or around people of great power. Marco Polo, Jack the Ripper and Marie Antoinette all cross her path through history.
In the comic volume Madame Xanadu creates the Tarot cards as a way of accessing her psychic abilities which were taken away when Merlin curses her. The interpretations of the Tarot are well woven into the story and are correct (by popular definition) in their application which makes the comic richer. The mythology also aids in this area.
The only thing that kinda annoyed me is her massive drama over ‘The Stranger’ but I guess there has to be a bit of drama, was just a little OTT for me. Beautiful to look at and easy and enjoyable to read I have already bought the second volume.
