The first issue of Porcelain wastes no time getting started, throwing our protagonist straight into peril with dazzling artwork. If you appreciate the aesthetic of dolls, roses, and girlish fantasy with a side of darkness, grab your tea, settle in, and ready yourself to fawn over each frame.
Dilapidated structures are drawn with just as much detail, setting each scene in an immersive way. Strange currency and wide open desert scenes let you know her world is different from our own, making the reader curious to find out how and why. Even road signs show age and wear from weather, lending a grounding credibility to the locations.
Our protagonist, Beryl, has such a cute style that combines endearing with edgy. Hair bows, glossy lips, layering, and stockings complete her multiple looks. Her cat, Raubritter, even has a matching bow on his tail. With all panels in color, there is a depth and strength to the comic’s aesthetic that truly shines. I would love to check out more from the artist, Maria Llovet.
The synopsis reads, “Stuck inside an ever-changing mystery house that hunts children and turns them into dolls, Beryl goes on a psychedelic journey where she must face the notion of her own limitations and move past them… before she becomes the building’s newest prey. Porcelain is a labyrinth of a psychologically thrilling experience told in a way that only acclaimed creator Maria Llovet (Faithless, Heartbeat, Loud, Eros/Psyche) can tell it.”
Beryl hears a strange melody when an unsettling, mechanical cart arrives. Doll parts and skeletons adorn the wind up vehicle, labeled simply “Dollhouse”. Beryl is mesmerized by the melody until she is snatched up and pulled into the macabre world inside the cart.
At only 32 pages, issue one serves to introduce its world and characters, whetting your appetite for the true story to come. It ends with Beryl encountering several eclectic, creative, stunning characters. What are their goals, motivations, desires? I was left wanting to know more, see more of this new world inside the dollhouse. We don’t have much backstory yet, but that suits the mysterious tone of the first issue, begging for the questions to find answers in later volumes.
The pacing of Porcelain satisfies; never dull, but not cramming in extraneous points. Right away there is action, focusing on showing us rather than telling us. Dialogue is appropriately limited for this point in the story, relying on the gorgeous artwork and animated expressions to communicate with readers.
I am looking forward to finding out what our newly revealed villain has in store for Beryl. Do the dolls accompany her out of trust, family, or fear? What are their backstories? How deep does the dollhouse go? When Beryl talks to her aunt early on, I got the feeling that her aunt has been through something deep, and wants Beryl to have an easier, more comfortable life. Were my instincts about that right, and will we get to learn more about her family’s pasts as well?
With the stunning artwork, compelling themes, and steady pacing, I am looking forward to future volumes of Porcelain. Vol. 1 is out August 4th, from Ablaze Publishing and can be found wherever good comics are sold. Do you dare to journey inside the dollhouse?
More Comic Book Reviews:
Alberto Breccia’s Dracula (2021) Comic Review: The Twilight Years Suck
The first comic, titled The Last Night of Carnival, of this five-part series shows Dracula chasing down a smiling buxom maiden only to be confronted by… a Superman knock-off. Dracula…
Halloween Girl Vol. 2: Dead Reckoning (2023) Comic Review – Grounded, Cathartic Spookems
Here at the Grimoire of Horror, we were excited to take a look at the second volume of Halloween Girl, entitled Dead Reckoning. You can see our thoughts on the…
Eat My Flesh, Drink My Blood (2022) Graphic Novel Review | Give and Take
As they get older, many people decide to cut parents and other relatives out of their lives. No matter how justified their decision, they will inevitably encounter those who cite…
HP Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu and Dagon Illustrated by Dave Shephard – Graphic Novel Review
The name of Howard Phillips Lovecraft invokes various emotions among people today; adoration, disgust, interest, offense, suspense, and horror, to name a few. In my opinion, any talented author should…
Vitiators (2022) Comic Review: One Hell of a Manga
Trigger warnings for virtually everything, from child ab*se to r*pe, torture, animal ab*se, mutilation, and repeated mentions of c*ck vore. Yes, c*ck vore. And probably whatever you’re thinking, that too….
Red Room: The Antisocial Network Volume One Review – Requiem for a Stream
For as long as it has been a viable means for sharing media, the internet has been a fascination of the morbidly curious. Forums and sites set up on both…
Hello, I’m Quinn. Saying I’m deeply into fashion and Japanese culture is an understatement. We’ve renovated entire rooms of our house to dedicate to my collections of lolita and other Japanese fashions. I enjoy balancing the cute with the macabre, and the more disturbing it is, the more I’ll enjoy it. Thus, my love for Asian horror and manga was born. Thank you for taking the time to read my writings. I look forward to discussing films and aesthethics with you!