Luminae: Vol. 1

In this beautiful but underwritten fantasy epic from French artist Bengal (Naja), a half-dozen warrior women are sworn to defend the Luminae, a mysterious being of pure energy and goodness, from the ravenous forces of evil. The setting is vaguely medieval, with a lord in his castle and some dog-like humanoids caught up in the titanic struggles between light and dark. Bengal, who normally only works as an illustrator, shows less interest in the story than in the artwork, which is nothing short of spectacular throughout. The colors pop and the action snaps with cinematic angles and slashing movement. Bengal's style is both moody and vibrant. He lavishes attention on his signature gamines, combat-princesses with a lean look that recalls Isvan Banyai (Zoom) and a predilection for wearing thong underwear into battle. Bengal uses anime-inflected faces and exclamation-heavy dialogue to goose the story, which is thin to the point of disappearance at times. The last pages give hints of more to come, but most will just look at the amazing pictures. (Nov.)