by Marquelon Sigler
Edits by Paul White-Davis
Let me be clear, I’m not a fantasy head. Fantasy is probably my least favorite genre of fiction, so that means that I could easily go the rest of my life without ever reading Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter or Game of Thrones, or any number of fantasy titles that have grown increasingly popular over the years. With that being said, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Boom Comics Sirens of the City issue #1 by Joanne Starer and Khary Rudolph. I’m not familiar with writer Joanne Starer, but Khary Randolph is one of the preeminent Black comic book artists today. I have loved his artwork in everything from Spider-Man at Marvel to Excellence from Image Comics.
What initially caught my attention about this comic book was the Jenny Frison cover pictured at the top of this review.
Whenever I see a black woman on the cover of a new comic book that immediately prompts me to pick it up off the shelf. As I began to flip through the pages, I knew I had to add this comic to my collection. The story is set in 1987 and begins at an abortion clinic, where our protagonist, Layla, is introduced. As you can see from this panel, you get the immediate inkling that she has abilities of some sort.
Now exactly what Layla’s abilities are, the extent of those abilities, and her origins, are part of the mystery that the reader must unravel. As the issue continues, we are introduced to various characters that all seem to have an interest in meeting Layla and trying to determine whether she is a “siren”. The issue ends with Layla wandering off with a character named Davi who says he will take here someplace safe, but I’m fascinated enough from what I have read up to this point to continue following this title to see how exactly sirens, vampires, and incubi all connect and interact in this world which is set against the backdrop of various sections of 1980s New York City.
This series is currently available for pre-order.