The Fool (Minor Arcana #1)

Eisner winner Lemire (Sweet Tooth) concocts another off-kilter urban fantasy in which trauma is transformed by the weird and wonderful. Theresa, a recovering alcoholic with a chip on her shoulder, reluctantly returns to her hometown, Limberlost, to help her equally spiky mother through cancer recovery. While tending the family’s fortune-telling shop, Theresa discovers that even if her mother’s psychic powers are phony, she herself has a real supernatural ability: tarot cards transport her to a colorless “weird ghost hotel” where each room leads to someone’s inner life. With the aid of Kelly, a perky waitress (and potential love interest), Theresa uses the cards to help needy locals, uncover the town’s secret history, and connect to her grandfather, who may have had psychic sensitivity of his own. “Maybe Limberlost has plans for me,” she muses. Lemire’s rough lines and splotchy watercolors externalize Theresa’s anger, and his detailed views of lonely streets and empty storefronts suggest a half-abandoned town full of unfinished business. The plot moves slowly, and the first volume ends with plenty of questions and no answers. Fantasy fans who enjoy a trip off the beaten path will be happy to venture onward. (Mar.)