I'm enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I would. I knew Matt Wagner was an incredible talent, so the stories would pull me in. But, I never expected the talent of Amy Reeder Hadley to be such a draw. I really like her style a lot. It's simple yet very detailed. I think the art, combined with the colors, create a fantastic mood for the book. Nimue, or as the Phantom Stranger calls her . . Madame Xanadu . . for the last 10 to 15 years, has been living in the summer palace, Xanadu, of Kublai Khan. She serves as his favored sooth-sayer. Then one day the Khan is visited by the Polo brothers, on an expedition from Europe. Khan saw them as an opportunity to form a line of communication and peace between himself and their leader of their Christian faith . . the pope. Now, several years later, the Polo brothers are once again returning, but this time the Phantom Stranger is riding along as a companion. Nimue doesn't know why, but she warns the Khan to be wary of the rider wearing the large gold medallion. All of this is happening as there is some treachery and treason beginning to bear it's head in Kahn's court. The perpetrators see it as a chance to blame it on the Western explorers. I think it's neat that Nimue is popping up during these important times in history. The first story arc takes place in the time of Camelot, and now she's bearing witness to the great opulence of Khan's rein. I assume, that until she arrives in the present time, she'll probably be present at a few more important points in history. She seems to be an agent of change, or at least a catalyst. She's going to have an awful lot of knowledge, and experience, by the time she reaches the present. Right now though, I'm enjoying her tale.
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