The year is 1899. A secret war is being fought for the control of the 20th Century. At the center of the conflict is Aldous Spark, covert operative of the Black Moth Society, an underground collective of anarchists, saboteurs, and other deadly eccentrics. Together with his apprentice, Isaiah, Aldous wages a silent battle against the forces of power in an attempt to reshape the industrial age for the good of all.

When an email arrives in my inbox entitled Anarchist Magician, then it’ll get my attention.  Published by Grenade Fight, Inc, Aldous Spark: Meddler In History And Other Unsavory Affairs #1 has just under fifty pages of story content in it’s first volume (judging by the pdf version I read, at any rate), which makes this debut issue a very ambitious project especially since  the physical copies come in an oversized hardcover printing.

It’s a good thing, then, that Aldous Spark is a bloody good read.

The advantage to the extended format is that you get a really good sampling of what this series will offer, and the first issue is also a very complete story in and of itself that could very easily serve as a standalone story were it not for the very natural build toward the next chapter in the story.

Once I finished the book, I asked myself how best to describe the comic is to step slightly outside the world of comics in that it feels reminiscent of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movie with a liberal dash of Dan Brown’s The Davinci Code all mixed up in a cauldron and finished with a striking art job.

Aldous Spark is a well written and wonderfully illustrated comic graphic novel that takes you on a breakneck story across the rooftops and through the back alleys of England and France at the turn of the last century. It’s a time period that’s always interested me, although I don’t tend to enjoy many comics set during this time – thankfully, this graphic novel is more than able to be the exception to that. This is a fantastic read from cover to cover, bonus features included, and I enjoyed every page. Although not strictly a comedy, there are moments that had me laughing during the frenetic pace of the action sequences.

If you’re interested in purchasing the book then you can head over to the Facebook page an drop the team a message – the physical books should be arriving sometime in April and will set you back $20. If digital is more your thing then the book will be $3.99 on comiXology, and should be released the first Thursday in May. If $20 for a print copy is to steep for you, then there’s no reason for you not to look into the digital version. $4 is an incredibly good price the book, and  honestly, I highly recommend you look into Aldous Spark: Meddler In History And Other Unsavory Affairs #1.  The result of a successful Kickstarter campaign, this graphic novel is exactly the kind of thing you should be backing on that platform.

Story: Andrew Maxwell and Peter Mirani
Art: Maurico Alvarez Colours: Derek Dow Letters: Bernardo Brice
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Graphic Policy was provided with a FREE copy for review