LADY BALTIMORE: THE WITCH QUEENS Is Not as Newbie Friendly As I Hoped
Dark Horse comics recently released Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens #1. The comic is written by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola with art by Bridgit Connell and colors by Michelle Madsen. Dark Horse was kind enough to supply me with a copy of the issue to talk about, but you can grab a physical copy from your local comic shop or digital copies from comiXology (affiliate link) and other locations.
Once she was Sofia Valk, living in a village overrun by evil. In time she became Lord Baltimore's most trusted ally. Now, more than a decade after his death, Europe has erupted with the early battles of World War 2 and dark forces are rising again. With witches, vampires, and Nazis on the march, Sofia must embrace the title of Lady Baltimore! But can she fight monsters without becoming a monster herself?
If you’re familiar with the Baltimore comic series (affiliate link), this should feel like a great return to that world. If you’re new, it will probably feel like a slightly confusing visit to a new world that will create interest. I fall into the latter category. I figured with a new series, I could jump right in. This is true for the most part, but it’s not as newbie friendly as I had hoped. There’s some lore that I do not know like the different kinds of witches or who some factions are. That said, it does look like important lore will be explained as we go on. Clearly, the best thing to do is to read the Baltimore comics.
We’re introduced to some interesting characters, namely Sofia, Imogen, and Rigo. The first two are working together to capture an evil witch, but Rigo is a priest that there’s a history with that is sure to be explored eventually. It’s still only the first issue, so the characters aren’t super compelling in my opinion. I hope we see some growth.
The art for Lady Baltimore is okay. I’m not the biggest fan, but I don’t think it’s terrible. There is definitely some charm to it. However, Madsen does a really good job with the colors of the comic.
Overall, if you’re willing to either be a little lost/not know everything about the lore or do some work to look up some basic lore, Lady Baltimore has some promise. If you’re just looking for a fun new comic series to read, I don’t know that I’d recommend it.
