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Lady Mechanika Volumes #1
Lady Mechanika Volume 1: Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse
Discover a beautifully illustrated steampunk world of airships, monsters, and one courageous but haunted heroine...
The tabloids dubbed her "Lady Mechanika," the sole survivor of a mad scientist's horrific experiments which left her with mechanical limbs. Having no memory of her captivity or her former life, Lady Mechanika eventually built a new life for herself as an adventurer and private investigator, using her unique abilities to solve cases the proper authorities couldn't or wouldn't handle. But she never stopped searching for the answers to her own past.
Set in a fictionalized steampunk Victorian England, a time when magic and superstition clashed with new scientific discoveries and inventions, Lady Mechanika chronicles a young woman's obsessive search for her identity as she investigates other mysteries involving science and the supernatural.
This volume collects the entire first Lady Mechanika mini-series The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse, including its prequel chapter The Demon of Satan's Alley, plus a complete cover art gallery.
The tabloids dubbed her "Lady Mechanika," the sole survivor of a mad scientist's horrific experiments which left her with mechanical limbs. Having no memory of her captivity or her former life, Lady Mechanika eventually built a new life for herself as an adventurer and private investigator, using her unique abilities to solve cases the proper authorities couldn't or wouldn't handle. But she never stopped searching for the answers to her own past.
Set in a fictionalized steampunk Victorian England, a time when magic and superstition clashed with new scientific discoveries and inventions, Lady Mechanika chronicles a young woman's obsessive search for her identity as she investigates other mysteries involving science and the supernatural.
This volume collects the entire first Lady Mechanika mini-series The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse, including its prequel chapter The Demon of Satan's Alley, plus a complete cover art gallery.
160 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2015
121 people are currently reading
2417 people want to read
About the author
Joe Benítez
292 books180 followersJoe Benítez is an American comic book artist who has worked on such titles as "JLA", "Superman/Batman", "Detective Comics", "Supergirl", and "Titans" for DC Comics and "The Darkness" for Image Comics. He also co-created and penciled the sci-fi series "Weapon Zero" and the dark fantasy mini-series "Magdalena: Blood Divine" for Image. In 2005, Joe published his first creator-owned mini-series "Wraithborn" through Wildstorm. In 2009, he stepped in to finish up Michael Turner's run on "Soulfire". Joe is currently working on his steampunk adventure series, "Lady Mechanika".
http://www.joebenitez.com
http://www.joebenitez.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 465 reviews
August 3, 2017
I freaking loved this graphic novel. The art work is amaze balls! I loved the story line. Lady Mechanika is trying to find out what happened to make her what she is today. She's also fights the good fight for any evil out there. This is steampunk awesomeness =)
I will leave a few pictures so you can see what I'm talking about. Two of them I took myself from my book and you can tell. Lol, enjoy!
Fin
I will leave a few pictures so you can see what I'm talking about. Two of them I took myself from my book and you can tell. Lol, enjoy!
Fin
September 25, 2025
Super Cool Comics!!!!
Never read steampunk before and never thought I would like it. When I saw the cover of this comic on NetGalley I said to myself why not give it a try as the cover looks promising. The artist who could draw so good must have an interesting story to tell. And I wasn't disappointed a bit.
Oh my God the artwork!
I can look at the artwork for hours and hours. The illustration, the detailing, the colors are all just so so amazing.
And the story! Too good!
The story is full of action - a lot of action. There is element of suspense, thrill and mystery. A lot of twists and turns kept me on the edge.
Lady Mechanika - A lady who has mechanical limbs but no memory of her past. She is smart, fearless and determined to find out who did this to her. She thought she was the only one like that - part machine, part human being. To her surprise she found out she wasn't anymore. There was a mechanical corpse of a young girl. While investigating for the death of the poor girl, she unraveled mystery of some unique people and uncovered horrendous experiments of a science maniac.
Although I have read this volume but I still want to add this beautiful comic to my collection so I can read and admire the artwork anytime.
I can't wait to read the next volume.
An ARC of this book was provided by Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Never read steampunk before and never thought I would like it. When I saw the cover of this comic on NetGalley I said to myself why not give it a try as the cover looks promising. The artist who could draw so good must have an interesting story to tell. And I wasn't disappointed a bit.
Oh my God the artwork!
I can look at the artwork for hours and hours. The illustration, the detailing, the colors are all just so so amazing.
And the story! Too good!
The story is full of action - a lot of action. There is element of suspense, thrill and mystery. A lot of twists and turns kept me on the edge.
Lady Mechanika - A lady who has mechanical limbs but no memory of her past. She is smart, fearless and determined to find out who did this to her. She thought she was the only one like that - part machine, part human being. To her surprise she found out she wasn't anymore. There was a mechanical corpse of a young girl. While investigating for the death of the poor girl, she unraveled mystery of some unique people and uncovered horrendous experiments of a science maniac.
Although I have read this volume but I still want to add this beautiful comic to my collection so I can read and admire the artwork anytime.
I can't wait to read the next volume.
An ARC of this book was provided by Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 23, 2018
So Alucard and Sherlock Holmes had a baby in a Fullmetal Alchemist world and their baby's name is Lady Mechanika.
+
=
The setting: We are living in a mechanical world and I am a mechanical girl
"When your legs, your arms and god knows what else have been forcibly replaced by mechanical contraptions...at what point does the human cease? And what soulless thing is left behind?"
The entire takes place in a steampunk city called "Mechanika" that was built by the greatest minds of this Victorian-rooted world.
Lady Mechanika is our titular character who is an ass-kicking, name-taking kind of gal. She's on the lookout for another mechanical lady who reportedly ripped through a dozen soldiers before collapsing in a train station. Lady M investigates the doctor who helped her.
And boy do we get steamrolled by this quirky, gorgeously stylised comic and its simultaneously slow-burning but gunfire-pace story. And Lady Mechanika. I just love her. But I'll get into why a little later.
The Characters and the Banter: A Study in Mechanic
Lady Mechanika is one of the most complex heroines I've read of late. She's extremely empathetic:
Sarcastic and knows how to handle bratty kids:
Deadly:
And with a deep, deeply troubling past and tics that go with it (she hates being touched):
Then we have Lewis
I love Lewis. He's the Watson to Mechanika's Sherlock,except much more useful than Watson.
"Is alrigh' doctor. No offense taken. I was forunate enough I didn' have a father wot disapproved of m' tinkerin', or anything else for tha' mat'er. Never actually knew the bloke. I just love their banter!!!
He's an alcoholic sidekick who's a good-for-nothing jack-of-all-trades. Bit of an oxymoron but hey, you'd understand if you read (and you should) this comic.
And Lewis gets really worried about Lady Mechanika in such a brotherly way.
It's very sweet. But he's lost some important people in his life.
Character exposition
You're never told outright about the characters' past, but given little hints. We only know what Lady Mechanika knows - everything else is for us to snoop out. All the characters' pasts underlie the narrative and run beneath the surface of the very busy plot.
I can't begin to describe the complexities of this comic and all of its themes. This comic is a fantastic example of show and not tell.
What I also loved:
"I may not be superstitious, but I've found there's usually a kernel of truth in every story, even the rubbish printed in the tabloids."
Mechanika is one fine lady, but she's still smart and she never uses her looks for seduction. She's a serious kind of woman. I hate that people seem to have a problem with stereotypically beautiful women portrayed in comics. She has so much more depth, sass and emotion seeping from all the corners of her lovely dresses.
There's a certified Romani cirque du freak, and they're just awesome (With some real lessons on family bonds)
And finally, the bad guys:
"But unless we can find the strength to confront those painful memories and accept them..."
Both Commander Winter and Blackpool have a very complex, gritted past they share with either Lewis or Lady M.
Blackpool has quite the strapping jawlineteeehee
"Our minds have mechanisms designed to protect us from those unberable realistic that life may at times lay upon us."
Conclusion
I've given this five stars but I feel there is something small missing that could make the story totter off the edge of caution and fall into a pool of greatness. BUT THIS STYLE IS SO DAMN GORGEOUS MY EYES ARE BURNING.
I truly love how show-and-not-tell is used here. I love that Lady Mechanika breaks stereotypes and isn't a typicalCourt of Thorn and Roses bad-ass who can do absolutely anything and must be worshipped for her prowess. Nope. She's a flawed human with a bit of junk in the trunk.
Edit: Spelling and grammar
+
=
The setting: We are living in a mechanical world and I am a mechanical girl
"When your legs, your arms and god knows what else have been forcibly replaced by mechanical contraptions...at what point does the human cease? And what soulless thing is left behind?"
The entire takes place in a steampunk city called "Mechanika" that was built by the greatest minds of this Victorian-rooted world.
Lady Mechanika is our titular character who is an ass-kicking, name-taking kind of gal. She's on the lookout for another mechanical lady who reportedly ripped through a dozen soldiers before collapsing in a train station. Lady M investigates the doctor who helped her.
And boy do we get steamrolled by this quirky, gorgeously stylised comic and its simultaneously slow-burning but gunfire-pace story. And Lady Mechanika. I just love her. But I'll get into why a little later.
The Characters and the Banter: A Study in Mechanic
Lady Mechanika is one of the most complex heroines I've read of late. She's extremely empathetic:
Sarcastic and knows how to handle bratty kids:
Deadly:
And with a deep, deeply troubling past and tics that go with it (she hates being touched):
Then we have Lewis
I love Lewis. He's the Watson to Mechanika's Sherlock,
"Is alrigh' doctor. No offense taken. I was forunate enough I didn' have a father wot disapproved of m' tinkerin', or anything else for tha' mat'er. Never actually knew the bloke. I just love their banter!!!
He's an alcoholic sidekick who's a good-for-nothing jack-of-all-trades. Bit of an oxymoron but hey, you'd understand if you read (and you should) this comic.
And Lewis gets really worried about Lady Mechanika in such a brotherly way.
It's very sweet. But he's lost some important people in his life.
Character exposition
You're never told outright about the characters' past, but given little hints. We only know what Lady Mechanika knows - everything else is for us to snoop out. All the characters' pasts underlie the narrative and run beneath the surface of the very busy plot.
I can't begin to describe the complexities of this comic and all of its themes. This comic is a fantastic example of show and not tell.
What I also loved:
"I may not be superstitious, but I've found there's usually a kernel of truth in every story, even the rubbish printed in the tabloids."
Mechanika is one fine lady, but she's still smart and she never uses her looks for seduction. She's a serious kind of woman. I hate that people seem to have a problem with stereotypically beautiful women portrayed in comics. She has so much more depth, sass and emotion seeping from all the corners of her lovely dresses.
There's a certified Romani cirque du freak, and they're just awesome (With some real lessons on family bonds)
And finally, the bad guys:
"But unless we can find the strength to confront those painful memories and accept them..."
Both Commander Winter and Blackpool have a very complex, gritted past they share with either Lewis or Lady M.
Blackpool has quite the strapping jawline
"Our minds have mechanisms designed to protect us from those unberable realistic that life may at times lay upon us."
Conclusion
I've given this five stars but I feel there is something small missing that could make the story totter off the edge of caution and fall into a pool of greatness. BUT THIS STYLE IS SO DAMN GORGEOUS MY EYES ARE BURNING.
I truly love how show-and-not-tell is used here. I love that Lady Mechanika breaks stereotypes and isn't a typical
Edit: Spelling and grammar
November 25, 2018
This was beyond boring. Very little action. Mostly just people talking in steampunk outfits. So. Much. dialogue. I actually nodded off a few times. I liked the character designs. Benitez is a talented artist. However, he needs to study real female anatomy some more. I'm guessing Lady Mechanika became a cyborg to help hold those comicly large breasts up.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2022
I can't tell you how awesome it is to finally read a full Lady Mechanika series!! Started in 2010 this series never got a fair publishing shot as it was infrequent and never completed. Kudos to Joe Benitez for never letting this series and character fall into oblivion.
To read this review and more please visit my blog at Epic Reading
For those who are not big comic fans let me assure you while these are comics there is a lot of story here. This set of 6 comics probably has more writing than a full 50 comic run of any other superhero comic you can think of. The art is rich and beautiful, the mystery is intricate and who doesn't love steampunk!!
If you love The Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, book 1) then I believe you will love this story (and hey sometimes pretty pictures are a great break from dense reading).
For those who already love comics, Lady Mechanika deserves to stand next to other leading ladies series like Dawn, Vampirella, Witchblade and more!
I highly recommend this series if you love fantasy, science fiction or steampunk , even if it's your first foray into comics, it's a solid choice.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review. actually own the individual comics in this series as they are gorgeous and a variant features one of my fave artists Franchesco!
To read this review and more please visit my blog at Epic Reading
For those who are not big comic fans let me assure you while these are comics there is a lot of story here. This set of 6 comics probably has more writing than a full 50 comic run of any other superhero comic you can think of. The art is rich and beautiful, the mystery is intricate and who doesn't love steampunk!!
If you love The Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, book 1) then I believe you will love this story (and hey sometimes pretty pictures are a great break from dense reading).
For those who already love comics, Lady Mechanika deserves to stand next to other leading ladies series like Dawn, Vampirella, Witchblade and more!
I highly recommend this series if you love fantasy, science fiction or steampunk , even if it's your first foray into comics, it's a solid choice.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review. actually own the individual comics in this series as they are gorgeous and a variant features one of my fave artists Franchesco!
July 3, 2020
2.75/5
I couldn’t believe how poorly written this is. Those boring words on such beautiful illustrations, such a pity. For the record, I read all of the 4 volumes only because the art is stunning.
I couldn’t believe how poorly written this is. Those boring words on such beautiful illustrations, such a pity. For the record, I read all of the 4 volumes only because the art is stunning.
March 16, 2019
Lady Mechanika was for the most part, a dollop of lighthearted fun. I think if I'd read this say, fifteen years ago, I might have enjoyed it more. This wasn't terrible, but I feel like I've read better.
The artwork is pretty, and I'm a huge fan of steampunk. I liked the fact that this is about a lady cyborg that strives to fight crime, leaving a trail of badassery behind her. Lady Mechanika herself, has some amazing outfits, some I'd love to wear myself, and, at the end of this comic, we get a showcase of all of Lady Mechanika's outfits. What a treat!
One of the main issues that I had with this, is the huge, blow up cartoon boobs that Lady Mechanika has. I'm no prude, and large boobs do not offend me in the slightest, but, this was ridiculous. I think maybe society should move on from the farcical boobs, the size zero waist thus leaving absolutely no room to store internal organs, and realise that Ladies fighting crime, saving the world and running about, are put at an impractical disadvantage here. Obviously, I can definitely sniff out the sexism here from a mile off.
Apart from that, the writing was fairly average, nothing that made me sit up in my seat to attention, but it was enjoyable, and I mainly liked it for the steampunk theme.
The artwork is pretty, and I'm a huge fan of steampunk. I liked the fact that this is about a lady cyborg that strives to fight crime, leaving a trail of badassery behind her. Lady Mechanika herself, has some amazing outfits, some I'd love to wear myself, and, at the end of this comic, we get a showcase of all of Lady Mechanika's outfits. What a treat!
One of the main issues that I had with this, is the huge, blow up cartoon boobs that Lady Mechanika has. I'm no prude, and large boobs do not offend me in the slightest, but, this was ridiculous. I think maybe society should move on from the farcical boobs, the size zero waist thus leaving absolutely no room to store internal organs, and realise that Ladies fighting crime, saving the world and running about, are put at an impractical disadvantage here. Obviously, I can definitely sniff out the sexism here from a mile off.
Apart from that, the writing was fairly average, nothing that made me sit up in my seat to attention, but it was enjoyable, and I mainly liked it for the steampunk theme.
June 24, 2018
2.5 stars.
Breathtaking artwork marred by a plodding story. This book is further hindered by long infodumps and monologues that only serve to slow the story down even more.
Breathtaking artwork marred by a plodding story. This book is further hindered by long infodumps and monologues that only serve to slow the story down even more.
June 17, 2017
This comic has so much stuff that I love in it: steampunk machines, awesome Victorian outfits, a freaking circus!
The Lady Mechanika is a famous huntress, who was once the subject of a gruesome experiment that resulted in her arms and legs being replaced by mechanical limbs and that changed her eyes to creepy black and red peepers. In this story, she investigates the death of a young girl with similar mechanical apparatus for arms, in the hopes of also figuring out who grafted her artificial limbs on and what her life was before this transformation, as she has no memory of who she was before.
The story is fun and action packed and the artwork is absolutely stunning, with all the awesome steampunk hallmarks like goggles, automatons and weird air-crafts gorgeously drawn up. That being said, the emphasis on the main character's boobs ended up annoying me. Seriously, I know this is a graphic novel, but it was a bit much. The point of strong female character is that they kick ass without an exploitation of their sexual features... or maybe that's just my personal hopes and dreams...
Anyhoo, besides that grating aspect, the graphic novel was very enjoyable! I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
The Lady Mechanika is a famous huntress, who was once the subject of a gruesome experiment that resulted in her arms and legs being replaced by mechanical limbs and that changed her eyes to creepy black and red peepers. In this story, she investigates the death of a young girl with similar mechanical apparatus for arms, in the hopes of also figuring out who grafted her artificial limbs on and what her life was before this transformation, as she has no memory of who she was before.
The story is fun and action packed and the artwork is absolutely stunning, with all the awesome steampunk hallmarks like goggles, automatons and weird air-crafts gorgeously drawn up. That being said, the emphasis on the main character's boobs ended up annoying me. Seriously, I know this is a graphic novel, but it was a bit much. The point of strong female character is that they kick ass without an exploitation of their sexual features... or maybe that's just my personal hopes and dreams...
Anyhoo, besides that grating aspect, the graphic novel was very enjoyable! I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
March 1, 2017
Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
If I were about 15, I think I'd have enjoyed Lady Mechanika a lot more. It's pretty, and steampunk, and has a badass lady cyborg whole fights crime. But I've read too many amazing graphic novels (just in the past year alone!) to be able to overlook its underwhelmingness.
Don't get me wrong, it's not terrible! It's kind of fun, if slight. But.
* can we move past Badass ladies with cartoonishly swollen balloon tits? I refuse to use the words breasts, they're not breasts. They're clearly tits, in the "you ridiculous tit" sense. These boobs are idiotic. LADY FIGHTERS WOULD STRAP THAT SHIT DOWN OR HAVE A REDUCTION. large boobs HURT when you run or jump or bounce and get punched in them. They are IMPRACTICAL. And LM is corseted to within an inch of her life - she has great outfits, except for those TITS which are just HANGING OUT THERE in lacy, unsupportive bits of fabric. My back ached just looking at that.
*see also LM's porn lips. Don't think they had lip injections in those days gentlemen.
* There's a certain kind of writer that can't tell the difference between "adorable, precocious child" and "rampaging, never-disclipined brat that would be punched in the snoot if they said these things as an adult" (you see this a lot in TV dramas where the teenage son decides that the apocalyse / invasion / other crisis is a good time to start lashing out at mommy / daddy because I dunno youth is harrrrrd). Lady Mechanika contains such a child. I really hope in a future storyline she gets kidnapped by bird monsters and dropped into the sea. She's awful.
* fake "cockernee" written by Americans, and "Victorian" English peppered with anachronistic phrases. Argh Argh Argh.
* lady-badass fights nemesis-lady-badass and their antagonism is fuelled by a long-ago falling out over... A MAN. Kill me.
The story was okay if slight, and I'll read volume 2 because I have it.
If I were about 15, I think I'd have enjoyed Lady Mechanika a lot more. It's pretty, and steampunk, and has a badass lady cyborg whole fights crime. But I've read too many amazing graphic novels (just in the past year alone!) to be able to overlook its underwhelmingness.
Don't get me wrong, it's not terrible! It's kind of fun, if slight. But.
* can we move past Badass ladies with cartoonishly swollen balloon tits? I refuse to use the words breasts, they're not breasts. They're clearly tits, in the "you ridiculous tit" sense. These boobs are idiotic. LADY FIGHTERS WOULD STRAP THAT SHIT DOWN OR HAVE A REDUCTION. large boobs HURT when you run or jump or bounce and get punched in them. They are IMPRACTICAL. And LM is corseted to within an inch of her life - she has great outfits, except for those TITS which are just HANGING OUT THERE in lacy, unsupportive bits of fabric. My back ached just looking at that.
*see also LM's porn lips. Don't think they had lip injections in those days gentlemen.
* There's a certain kind of writer that can't tell the difference between "adorable, precocious child" and "rampaging, never-disclipined brat that would be punched in the snoot if they said these things as an adult" (you see this a lot in TV dramas where the teenage son decides that the apocalyse / invasion / other crisis is a good time to start lashing out at mommy / daddy because I dunno youth is harrrrrd). Lady Mechanika contains such a child. I really hope in a future storyline she gets kidnapped by bird monsters and dropped into the sea. She's awful.
* fake "cockernee" written by Americans, and "Victorian" English peppered with anachronistic phrases. Argh Argh Argh.
* lady-badass fights nemesis-lady-badass and their antagonism is fuelled by a long-ago falling out over... A MAN. Kill me.
The story was okay if slight, and I'll read volume 2 because I have it.
February 15, 2017
Lady Mechanika The Complete Volume 1: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse created, written and drawn by Joe Benitez is super creative! The story is amazing, the plot is great, characters are well developed, and the graphics are stunning! This is a graphic novel and it goes above and beyond most graphic novels. The graphics are large and gorgeous! Wonderful colors, clear, and fonts match the steampunk theme. Text is easy to read also. This is a novel in every sense of the word- long, great plot, twists and turns, great characters, and suspense/action/adventure. For this author to write and draw all this is really awesome, that is real talent! Thanks NetGalley for a chance to read this amazing book!
April 6, 2024
Beautifully illustrated! Intriguing concept! Interesting characters! Mysterious events! Lady Mechanika has it all!
I love steampunk - everyone knows this about me. I attended a panel at the Comic-con 2019 about how to draw steampunk characters. The artist, Joe Benitez, showed off his skills and talked about his Lady Mechanika series. We followed him down to his booth afterwards and I had to buy the whole first series, volumes 1-6.
The first volume sets up the world and characters. We find out who Lady Mechanika is, including who her friends and enemies are. We discover that her past is a bit of a mystery to her. She was once human (we assume), but someone has experimented on her and given her mechanical parts. She has amnesia, so she can’t trust herself to dig into her own memories. She works as an investigator and adventurer as she tries to solve the mystery of her past. While investigating her own issues, she finds another mechanical woman, one with a more monstrous form than her own. The girl is found beaten and shot as she dies at a train station. Mechanika wonders if this poor young woman was tortured by the same person who gave Mechanika her upgrades. Will she solve this girl’s mystery and her own? Will she be able to face the demons of her past?
The art is fantastic! You could spend quite some time just living in the panels. The steampunk elements are fun and believable within Benitez’s world. He clearly took some time to create a fantastical but logical world. The characters are well-developed through both dialogue, internal monologue and artistry. The mystery weaves all of these elements together seamlessly. Mechanika’s mysterious background connects with the unfortunate Serafina and the shrouded Mr. Cain. The Romani circus, the evil Lord Blackpool and devilish Katherine are fantastic villains! I really have a soft spot for the friendly inventor Lewis. I can’t wait to see where the mysteries lead and how they all intersect. Altogether, it’s a fun read! I’ll definitely read the next volumes in quick succession!
Update: I’ve read this multiple times since my first read and I see more, experience more and love it even more every time.
I love steampunk - everyone knows this about me. I attended a panel at the Comic-con 2019 about how to draw steampunk characters. The artist, Joe Benitez, showed off his skills and talked about his Lady Mechanika series. We followed him down to his booth afterwards and I had to buy the whole first series, volumes 1-6.
The first volume sets up the world and characters. We find out who Lady Mechanika is, including who her friends and enemies are. We discover that her past is a bit of a mystery to her. She was once human (we assume), but someone has experimented on her and given her mechanical parts. She has amnesia, so she can’t trust herself to dig into her own memories. She works as an investigator and adventurer as she tries to solve the mystery of her past. While investigating her own issues, she finds another mechanical woman, one with a more monstrous form than her own. The girl is found beaten and shot as she dies at a train station. Mechanika wonders if this poor young woman was tortured by the same person who gave Mechanika her upgrades. Will she solve this girl’s mystery and her own? Will she be able to face the demons of her past?
The art is fantastic! You could spend quite some time just living in the panels. The steampunk elements are fun and believable within Benitez’s world. He clearly took some time to create a fantastical but logical world. The characters are well-developed through both dialogue, internal monologue and artistry. The mystery weaves all of these elements together seamlessly. Mechanika’s mysterious background connects with the unfortunate Serafina and the shrouded Mr. Cain. The Romani circus, the evil Lord Blackpool and devilish Katherine are fantastic villains! I really have a soft spot for the friendly inventor Lewis. I can’t wait to see where the mysteries lead and how they all intersect. Altogether, it’s a fun read! I’ll definitely read the next volumes in quick succession!
Update: I’ve read this multiple times since my first read and I see more, experience more and love it even more every time.
February 5, 2017
In the first pages we learn of lady Mechanika, a half human half mechanical woman who remembers nothing of how she came to be this amalgamation of human and machine. She is unique on the world, but soon "replicas" begin to appear, but they don't seem to last very long. She begans to follow their trail, but it runs cold as the last girl appears to be dead from gunshots injuries, and recovering her body only leads to encounters with people from Mechanika's past.
Her travels following more information on the mechanical girl puts her on contact with the Circus Romani, made up of a bunch of people who are distrusted because they are different (but who share the same distrust towards others), but who are gonna end to be crucial in helping her in her forthcoming adventures, as she ends up striking some kind of friendship with Sr. Gitano, who turns out to be the father of the deceased mechanical girl, called Seraphina.
I love the steampunk flare of this graphic novel, the little girl who wears pants and openly defies Lady Mechanika thinking she is an "imposter", the consistency of all the characters, how bad the bad characters are (even if some of them are come forward quite as "nazies"), and I think overall this is a very entertaining lecture.
Her travels following more information on the mechanical girl puts her on contact with the Circus Romani, made up of a bunch of people who are distrusted because they are different (but who share the same distrust towards others), but who are gonna end to be crucial in helping her in her forthcoming adventures, as she ends up striking some kind of friendship with Sr. Gitano, who turns out to be the father of the deceased mechanical girl, called Seraphina.
I love the steampunk flare of this graphic novel, the little girl who wears pants and openly defies Lady Mechanika thinking she is an "imposter", the consistency of all the characters, how bad the bad characters are (even if some of them are come forward quite as "nazies"), and I think overall this is a very entertaining lecture.
July 2, 2020
Adventure in a steampunk world! What's not to like? Unfortunately, this kind of story just isn't my thing anymore. The outfits on the main character are cool, but they're all basically leotards painted onto a woman whose figure and poses are close enough to pin-up level to create a "not for me" undercurrent through the whole thing.
Worth a look, I suppose, if only to confirm that I am happier sticking with shoujo manga!
Worth a look, I suppose, if only to confirm that I am happier sticking with shoujo manga!
February 7, 2017
Excellent graphic works. Witty dialogue. Fast-paced plot. "Lady Mechanica vol. 1" belongs on the top shelf of steampunk graphic novels. I'm looking forward to reading volume 2.
February 13, 2017
Steampunk, people with mechanical parts, airships... Set in the British Empire, presumably in the Victorian Era.
Plot:
I found the plot pretty confusing at first. Also it felt as if I was missing part of the story from an epilogue or previous volume. I did not find the dialogues interesting and lost interest in the story fairly quickly. But that's on me, it wasn't really my thing.
Nice little cliffhanger at the end.
Artwork:
Nice page-sized panels at the beginning of every chapter. The colour scheme is pretty dark, to the point that I sometimes could not make out enough details for my liking. But generally nice.
The larger tableaus were a little fuzzy.
I liked the costumes of the female characters. Proportions / anatomy was well done, despite some oversized boobs. Especially the cover art reminded me of pinups.
Bottomline, it was ok, but did not grab me. Nice artwork. 3 mechanized stars.
I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
Plot:
I found the plot pretty confusing at first. Also it felt as if I was missing part of the story from an epilogue or previous volume. I did not find the dialogues interesting and lost interest in the story fairly quickly. But that's on me, it wasn't really my thing.
Nice little cliffhanger at the end.
Artwork:
Nice page-sized panels at the beginning of every chapter. The colour scheme is pretty dark, to the point that I sometimes could not make out enough details for my liking. But generally nice.
The larger tableaus were a little fuzzy.
I liked the costumes of the female characters. Proportions / anatomy was well done, despite some oversized boobs. Especially the cover art reminded me of pinups.
Bottomline, it was ok, but did not grab me. Nice artwork. 3 mechanized stars.
I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
February 20, 2017
The art work was absolutely beautiful in this graphic novel. I enjoyed the mystery elements and the steampunk world this story was set in. Am definitely interested in seeing where this story takes us in volume 2. I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2025
Visualmente es una maravilla, la estética Steampunk de los lugares, vestuarios, armas, vehículos me fascino.
La historia de este volumen esta interesante, un poco de misterio, de conspiración, mucha acción
Lady Mechanika es un buen personaje, fácil de empatizar con ella.
Pero el que más me gusto es la niña que la acusa de ser una imitadora d Lady Mechanika
4star
La historia de este volumen esta interesante, un poco de misterio, de conspiración, mucha acción
Lady Mechanika es un buen personaje, fácil de empatizar con ella.
Pero el que más me gusto es la niña que la acusa de ser una imitadora d Lady Mechanika
4star
April 4, 2017
Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.
*** 3.5, but not enough for 4 ***
I enjoyed Lady Mechanika a lot more than I did Wraithborn. Considering my immense disappointment with the latter, I was almost scared to start Lady Mechanika.
But as I received both of these, and the 2nd volume of Lady Mechanika, from NetGalley, I had to finish it. I am glad I had this incentive, because ultimately, Lady Mechanika is by far better than Wraithborn.
Lady Mechanika is the epitome of steampunk. Everything about it is highly detailed and intricate. If you look at the illustrations, you would notice that there are layers upon layers of art and attention to detail and I can't not admit how impressive that is.
The art, in general, was much better here than in Wraithborn. If you remember my review, I was aghast at the depiction of women. They are still very sexual in Lady Mechanika, but it's done a lot more tastefully, to a point where I can agree that this is the wet dream of a classy high school boy.
I also found the story more intriguing. I enjoyed the main story arc about the mechanical people a lot. The part that didn't impress me as much were the sub-plots and hints at other relations between the character that just add fluff to a story that could go without. Almost all characters are related in pairs and have common past. These two are siblings, those two worked together, the two men know each other, etc. etc. As far as the story about the Frankenstein-esque doctor who creates the mechanical people goes, there's already enough suspense that everything else is just micromanagement of pages that need to be filled.
And speaking of, my major issue with Lady Mechanika: the writing. Literally. The author really wanted to write a book, didn't have enough material for that, but he obviously had too much for a comic book. There is just SO MUCH DIALOGUE. It doesn't go harmoniously with graphic novels. A book rat such as myself can tell you as much: when you are reading a book, you can take as many pages of text as there are; but if you are reading a comic book, you are not prepared for the insane amount of dialogue that is just out of place and both disjoints the story, and distracts the reader.
Looking at this, I remember what I thought when I was initially reading it: This is honestly outrageous.
*** 3.5, but not enough for 4 ***
I enjoyed Lady Mechanika a lot more than I did Wraithborn. Considering my immense disappointment with the latter, I was almost scared to start Lady Mechanika.
But as I received both of these, and the 2nd volume of Lady Mechanika, from NetGalley, I had to finish it. I am glad I had this incentive, because ultimately, Lady Mechanika is by far better than Wraithborn.
Lady Mechanika is the epitome of steampunk. Everything about it is highly detailed and intricate. If you look at the illustrations, you would notice that there are layers upon layers of art and attention to detail and I can't not admit how impressive that is.
The art, in general, was much better here than in Wraithborn. If you remember my review, I was aghast at the depiction of women. They are still very sexual in Lady Mechanika, but it's done a lot more tastefully, to a point where I can agree that this is the wet dream of a classy high school boy.
I also found the story more intriguing. I enjoyed the main story arc about the mechanical people a lot. The part that didn't impress me as much were the sub-plots and hints at other relations between the character that just add fluff to a story that could go without. Almost all characters are related in pairs and have common past. These two are siblings, those two worked together, the two men know each other, etc. etc. As far as the story about the Frankenstein-esque doctor who creates the mechanical people goes, there's already enough suspense that everything else is just micromanagement of pages that need to be filled.
And speaking of, my major issue with Lady Mechanika: the writing. Literally. The author really wanted to write a book, didn't have enough material for that, but he obviously had too much for a comic book. There is just SO MUCH DIALOGUE. It doesn't go harmoniously with graphic novels. A book rat such as myself can tell you as much: when you are reading a book, you can take as many pages of text as there are; but if you are reading a comic book, you are not prepared for the insane amount of dialogue that is just out of place and both disjoints the story, and distracts the reader.
Looking at this, I remember what I thought when I was initially reading it: This is honestly outrageous.
November 15, 2021
Sjajan neopterećujući a sasvim inteligentan strip, originalne postavke (koliko je to moguće za stimpank priču), kakav baš nedostaje savremenoj ponudi. Strip s jakom protanostkinjom, prepoznatljivog vizuelnog identiteta, bez preteranih umetničkih pretenzija (Monstress, I'm looking at you!) dopašće se i fanovima superherojskih stripova i onima koji to nisu. Vrlo bih voleo da se ovako nešto pojavi na domaćem tržištu, ali za to bi bila potrebna smelost i volja da se podnese privremeni gubitak.
Još jednom, vrlo sladak strip i uživanje za čitanje, naročito u kombinaciji s nekim drugim stimpank sadržajem, kao što je Netfliksova "Arkejn" ili možda romani Kejt Lok.
Još jednom, vrlo sladak strip i uživanje za čitanje, naročito u kombinaciji s nekim drugim stimpank sadržajem, kao što je Netfliksova "Arkejn" ili možda romani Kejt Lok.
June 19, 2018
Lady Mechanika, The Complete Volume 1: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse is like a Steampunk wet dream. Our heroine Lady Mechanika, a complex and kick-ass character with a troubled and mysterious past, is pure eye candy in both looks and outfits as she poses her attributes all over the page. Of course she is unrealistically blessed in the boob and leg department but that’s part of the appeal. Joe Benítez did an amazing job. The artwork is simply stunning and gorgeously detailed. The storyline has plenty of action, humor and suspence with a nice dollop of dark foreboding to keep this series interesting.
Themes: Victorian Steampunk on steroids, awesome artwork, bad girl Lady Katharine de Winter (or The Commander) looks like Ilsa She Wolf of the SS in her jodhpurs, some of these characters have hella crazy mechanical enhancements, there are dirigibles and there’s a circus too, I would hate to have to go to the bathroom wearing one of those outfits though… all those buckles!
5 stars
Themes: Victorian Steampunk on steroids, awesome artwork, bad girl Lady Katharine de Winter (or The Commander) looks like Ilsa She Wolf of the SS in her jodhpurs, some of these characters have hella crazy mechanical enhancements, there are dirigibles and there’s a circus too, I would hate to have to go to the bathroom wearing one of those outfits though… all those buckles!
5 stars
July 7, 2021
One star: The dialogue (clunky)
Two stars: The plot (vague)
Three stars: Lady Mechanika, Vol 1 (a good start)
Four stars: The art (gorgeous)
Five stars: Steampunk outfits of gloriousness (WANT)
Lady Mechanika lives in the city of Mechanika, conveniently enough. Riding her notoriety as an adventuress (and don't forget, cyborg), she is a feminist icon in a male dominated world, trying to track down her origins and regain her missing memory, all while kicking much ass. The art can be a bit too dark to decipher what's happening, but it's still pretty striking. I'll read on. I also started using mods in XCom 2 solely because I could upload her character and all her steampunk clothes into the game. Don't judge!
Two stars: The plot (vague)
Three stars: Lady Mechanika, Vol 1 (a good start)
Four stars: The art (gorgeous)
Five stars: Steampunk outfits of gloriousness (WANT)
Lady Mechanika lives in the city of Mechanika, conveniently enough. Riding her notoriety as an adventuress (and don't forget, cyborg), she is a feminist icon in a male dominated world, trying to track down her origins and regain her missing memory, all while kicking much ass. The art can be a bit too dark to decipher what's happening, but it's still pretty striking. I'll read on. I also started using mods in XCom 2 solely because I could upload her character and all her steampunk clothes into the game. Don't judge!
June 29, 2018
Uz na prvni pohled vas dostane zpracovani knihy. Velky format, latkou potazeny hrbet, parcialni lak na deskach. Cela Mechanika je nadherne ilustrovana, doslova si uzivate ztvarneni steampunku na strankach. Detaily! No ale je tu dost tuctovy pribeh, ktery docela klouze po povrchu, ne nepodobny nedavno prectene Netvore. Jako rozjezd dobre. Kocham se. Uvidime, co druhy dil :)
July 10, 2016
BREATHTAKING!!! The artwork! The characters! The mood! The humor! This one came out of nowhere and propelled itself into my top 5 graphic novel series of all-time. It's right up there with Skullkickers, Bone, and Atomic Robo in terms of how much I loved it. Sign me up for round two!
November 19, 2018
oh my...the vol. 0 is a 5 star rating, I loved it so much, but the rest of it...just didn't get me. The artwork is the strongest point, there are so many details and they are all so gorgeous.
March 27, 2017
Lady Mechanika, Vol. 1: the Mystery of Mechanical Corpse by Joe Benitez brings back the unique and incredibly well written tale of everyone's favorite Victorian England Steampunk hero. Beautifully illustrated, this collection is sure to create another generation of fans to join the cult following Lady Mechanika already enjoys.
She is Lady Mechanika, the lone survivor of a mad scientist's experiments, which left her with mechanical limbs. She has no memory of her former life and finds that she must rebuild a new one for herself. She becomes an adventurer and private investigator, using her strange and new abilities to solve crimes the police are not able to.
When the corpse of a young woman with mechanical limbs is found in the very city where she was found, Lady Mechanika may finally have a lead to her very own origin and moves all she can to investigate. Set in an alternative Steampunk Victorian England where magic and inventions clash for their hold on reality. Where beautiful women with mechanical appendages and corsets and steam powered dirigibles fill the skies. this new Lady Mechanika tale tells the story of a young woman's search for her past.
Joe Benitez continues the story of Lady Mechanika and with terrific artwork backing up some of the best storytelling going around he has created an independent comic line not to be missed. This one is far superior to so many of the comic books on the market that it would be criminal to miss this one.
Lady Mechanika is a book that will be hard to find in its current print run so be one of the few in the know and get your copies now!
She is Lady Mechanika, the lone survivor of a mad scientist's experiments, which left her with mechanical limbs. She has no memory of her former life and finds that she must rebuild a new one for herself. She becomes an adventurer and private investigator, using her strange and new abilities to solve crimes the police are not able to.
When the corpse of a young woman with mechanical limbs is found in the very city where she was found, Lady Mechanika may finally have a lead to her very own origin and moves all she can to investigate. Set in an alternative Steampunk Victorian England where magic and inventions clash for their hold on reality. Where beautiful women with mechanical appendages and corsets and steam powered dirigibles fill the skies. this new Lady Mechanika tale tells the story of a young woman's search for her past.
Joe Benitez continues the story of Lady Mechanika and with terrific artwork backing up some of the best storytelling going around he has created an independent comic line not to be missed. This one is far superior to so many of the comic books on the market that it would be criminal to miss this one.
Lady Mechanika is a book that will be hard to find in its current print run so be one of the few in the know and get your copies now!
July 18, 2025
3.5*
This series was a very pleasant surprise. I was expecting a bit of cheap steampunk. What I got is a series with a totally classic plot and no surprises, but extremely well done and a real pleasure to follow, thanks in particular to an art direction perfectly in tune with the Steampunk tone, very good storytelling and (a lot of) pleasant dialogue that plays on excessive British politeness.
Lady M. and her sidekick end up being endearing, the villains are as vile as they should be and there's the inevitable mysterious character who could be the key to the mystery. All classic as I said, but seriously done.
As for the graphics, there's a good choice of colours but the inking is seriously lacking.
This series was a very pleasant surprise. I was expecting a bit of cheap steampunk. What I got is a series with a totally classic plot and no surprises, but extremely well done and a real pleasure to follow, thanks in particular to an art direction perfectly in tune with the Steampunk tone, very good storytelling and (a lot of) pleasant dialogue that plays on excessive British politeness.
Lady M. and her sidekick end up being endearing, the villains are as vile as they should be and there's the inevitable mysterious character who could be the key to the mystery. All classic as I said, but seriously done.
As for the graphics, there's a good choice of colours but the inking is seriously lacking.
February 28, 2021
4.3/5 stars
May 28, 2023
Not bad (though not Saga level, and the artist can't draw believable breasts). Will check the next volume cause I am curious of the story.
May 4, 2021
The world was quite interesting, wot with the whole steampunk thing. The art was good and the story was intriguing. My one gripe is that it sometimes was a bit too much text. Like, on some pages it was just ridiculous how much there was.
3.5/5 stars
3.5/5 stars
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