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“Monstro Mechanica” #1

By | December 15th, 2017
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

If there were any historical figures I could go back in time and meet, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci would be among the top five choices. He was a painter, sculptor, anatomist, cartographer, engineer, and theoretical aviator. Among his lesser known designs was for a humanoid automaton: a robot, operated by pulleys and cables, clad in medieval armor  which has inspired this thoughtful and intriguing new ongoing from AfterShock Comics. Be aware this review might have minor spoilers.

'Cover by Chris Evenhuis

Written by Paul Allor
Art by Chris Evenhuis
Colored by Sjan Weijers
Lettered by Paul Allor

At the height of the Renaissance, warring factions vie for control of Leonardo da Vinci’s destructive arsenal. The only thing standing in their way is Leonardo’s young apprentice and her nine-foot tall mechanical bodyguard. Together, they navigate a world of wicked men and war machines, determined to save Leonardo from the world — and the world from Leonardo.

When thinking of Leonardo da Vinci in modern science fiction, fans will mostly remember his warm and affectionate portrayal in the video games Assassin’s Creed II and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. Writer Paul Allor and artist Chris Evenhuis play on that by introducing Leonardo, his apprentice Isabel and their robot in an opening that feels familiar at first, with the inventor finding himself kidnapped by hooded, dagger-wielding agents of the Pope. However, it’s not the suave Ezio Auditore da Firenze that comes dashing over rooftops to his rescue, but a great big clunky wooden robot that resembles the manikins which artists use for posture reference.

If there’s one problem, it’s that Leonardo would’ve been far too young in 1472 to have his own workshop and apprentice, or be drawn as mature as he is here. Perhaps Allor and Evenhuis were too enamored with Florence to consider that a comic depicting Leonardo in his prime would have been set in Milan, with Ludovico Sforza as his patron instead of Lorenzo de’ Medici. Ultimately as this is popular historical sci-fi, it is forgivable as an attempt to make Assassin’s Creed fans feel at home, but still a missed opportunity to make the era feel fresh.

What does make the book a unique take on the Renaissance is its artwork. So often in historical comics, there’s a sense that they must evoke familiar imagery of the era: so many historical adventure comics, particularly Franco-Belgian titles like “Game of Masks” or “Le Scorpion,” resemble watercolor paintings to make the characters look less stylized, and to emphasize the era’s shadows and candlelight. Evenhuis and colorist Sjan Weijers eschew that with bold black outlines, and by limiting the color palette of every scene to a few distinct tones. They also avoid giving each character too many lines on their faces and clothes, and resist the temptation of the robot having an overly gnarled texture, giving the comic a modern sheen, as if this alternate history could be taking place right now.

Another way it feels contemporary is the writing’s emphasis on how Isabel is considered a crossdresser for wearing pants. It’s startling to realize how much more restrictive the conservative view on the gender divide was: Lorenzo de’ Medici, the ruler of Florence and one of the issue’s historical guest stars, considers her a girl pretending to be a man, and implies the other gentry believe that may be why the homosexual Leonardo has taken her under his wing. Elsewhere, she is called a boy for her choice of clothes, leading her to hilariously quip to someone mocking her that his betrothed didn’t mind.

The comic is also ethnically diverse, with Lorenzo de’ Medici introducing his Moorish nephew Alessandro, while Leonardo allies himself with the Ethiopian Father Minias. Their presence should be educational for many readers used to the whitewashed image of pre-20th century Europe in most historical dramas, and further enhances the slick modern feel of the story.

Gender comes into play with the robot, whom Leonardo and Isabel spar over its pronouns. She considers it a “he” for she considers it big and strong, like a man, unaware she is playing into the restrictive thinking which has moulded the self-loathing of Leonardo, a gay vegetarian born into the macho world of Renaissance Italy.

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Despite his resemblance to his video game counterpart, complete with a red cap, this version of Leonardo da Vinci is a markedly darker and colder figure, willing to kill, and repeatedly scolding his apprentice for her handling of their machine. “Monstro Mechanica” is a clock or woodpunk story, yet it feels very historically accurate by not portraying Leonardo as being immune to the occasional bout of misogyny. Therefore, it also feels very topical, as patriarchy’s harmful effects on masculinity and femininity gradually emerge as the theme of this story.

Ultimately “Monstro Mechanica” is a stylish and socially topical spin on a familiar figure, reminding us Leonardo da Vinci had many of the same neuroses that afflict modern artists. It will hopefully mark the start of a strong story that will have readers pondering how a man like Leonardo, who appreciated the beauty in everything, could also design such terrible weapons of war, and the extent to which we — like Leonardo, Isabel and the robot — are shaped by expectations of gender and race.

Final verdict: 8.9 – A promising start bound to excite both readers fascinated by Leonardo da Vinci, and those looking for a suspenseful adventure yarn with a genderfluid protagonist. It remains to be seen how the suspense is maintained over an ongoing series given we know Leonardo’s historical fate, but for now this is an intelligent slice of historical fantasy.


Christopher Chiu-Tabet

Chris is the news manager of Multiversity Comics. A writer from London on the autistic spectrum, he enjoys tweeting and blogging on Medium about his favourite films, TV shows, books, music, and games, plus history and religion. He is Lebanese/Chinese, although he can't speak Cantonese or Arabic.

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