New York City. 1907. Malcolm Irina is the greatest inventor the world’s never heard of, and his lover, John Wolf, is the toughest bare-knuckle boxer in the city. Irina’s crowning invention, the Chronocorridor, is nearly complete. He dreams of whisking himself and Wolf away to a time when they can live and love freely. But when crazed Detective Felt raids Irina’s lab, the couple dive into the freshly powered up portal to escape capture. Sainted Love #1 is an interesting start to an intriguing time travel adventure.

Written by Steve Orlando, Sainted Love #1 takes us to the early 1900s and the bigotry oozing. We get two very interesting characters in a bare-knuckle boxer and an inventor, a duo that seems to work but my catty self can’t see together. John is a talented boxer with a female manager/trainer who is underestimated while Irina’s inventions feel more like show to bilk money from the rich. The two are forced to go on the run after a raid that sends them through time, launching them ahead to the 1950s.

Orlando sets things up well and makes it all intriguing. Some of the story is a little thin, like the motivation of Detective Felt, but the time travel adventure is more the focus, getting the along the way. Orlando’s use of that is fun, especially what Irina does with his time and in a new time.

What was unexpected was the sex. There’s nothing wrong with it, and it feels like Orlando taps classic underground LGBTQ comics of the 90s and early 00s, but not expecting it, it caught be off guard. I’ve read a lot of Steve Orlando’s work and this is pretty open, not something I remember his previously doing (much has been hinted but not shown previously).

The art by Giopota is where the comic for me is a bit of a downer. It’s not bad but it’s not a style I particularly like. It doesn’t quite hook me. Some works, and works really well in particular panels but others, not for me. It’s a personal taste thing and what one enjoys for comic art.

Sainted Love #1 is a pretty good start. It’s cool to see a mix of a classic time travel story with an LGBTQ mix. It stands out on the shelves and if you are looking for queer stories or a new spin on a classic story, it’s well worth checking out.

Story: Steve Orlando Art: Giopota Letterer: Simon Bowland, Andworld Design
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 7.85 Recommendation: Read

Vault Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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