Black Orchid, Only Murders in the Building and More!

Black Orchid

Daniel: In June 2021, while perusing the shelves of Big Adventure Comics, I found the 2019 edition of Black Orchid, a graphic novel written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean that was originally released as a three-issue miniseries in 1988–1989. Being a longtime reader of Gaiman’s graphic novels (as well as his other collaborations with McKean, such as Violent Cases and Mr. Punch) I had seen references to Black Orchid, but I never knew anything about its story. However, I trust Gaiman and McKean so much that I didn’t even open the book before I buying it. It sat on my shelf until a few nights ago, when I read it in a single sitting.

I soon discovered that Black Orchid is not only a person but also superheroine. I also learned that she is brutally murdered in the first pages of this story. But don’t let that deter you—this event initiates the story, and her death echoes throughout the rest of the book. Her murder also forces you to consider the place of violence in comic books (Mikal Gilmore’s introduction to this edition, which I also recommend reading, discusses this issue in detail). Like Gaiman’s Sandman, Black Orchid sometimes resembles the shape of a mythic journey, but at its core, this story is about a woman struggling to understand herself and find her place in a chaotic, dangerous world.

The spiraling mystery of Black Orchid is accompanied by the luminous illustrations of Dave McKean. His artwork is soft, warm, and ethereal, as well as sharp, frigid, and jagged. There are black and white pencil drawings of hitmen wandering through a neon-green jungle; the soullessness of their skin is radically contrasted by the aliveness of nature. Animals, plants, and the sky appear more vibrant and energetic than most of the human characters in this story. And of course, there is the leading lady, whose evanescent lavender-fuchsia skin never ceases to captivate the eye.

In order to write this article, I had to flip through Black Orchid again. To my surprise, I found myself lingering on many panels, rereading dialogue, and contemplating the sequence of events in the story. I almost reread the entire book. So, even though I just read Black Orchid a few days ago, I am nowhere near finished with it.