Trance

by Joey Capuana, Pablo M. Collar (Illustrator), Julio Rojas (Colorist)

Along the Savannah River is a queer nightclub called TRANCE where drinks are strong, the dancefloor’s bumping, and drag shows blow your mind. What Trance’s patrons don’t know, however, is that the effervescent hotspot is run entirely by witches. In between partying, a coven of novice spellcasters discreetly study magic to enhance their lives and enliven local nightlife. But suddenly their world has turned deadly serious. A homophobic serial killer is targeting victims using a gay hookup app and the witches are worried--none more so than drag diva Altar, whose longtime lover has inexplicably vanished. Armed with tomes and tenacity, Altar and his chosen family investigate, defying police and witch law alike, and uncover an evil more powerful and personal than they could have imagined. What emerges is a gripping mystery, a story of love and friendship, and the ultimate showdown between the darkness of “the closet” and the power of unabashed queerness.

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, Graphic Novels, Comics, Adult

56 pages, Paperback

First published May 23, 2023

Reviews

[Gabriele | QueerBookdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Representation: gay Black protagonist, gay white protagonist, lesbian white secondary character, queer secondary characters, queer Asian tertiary character, Black tertiary character.

Content Warning: blood, gore, death, violence, homophobia, HP reference, mind control, hate crime.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful illustrations and intriguing story. That HP reference really put me off though.

[Francesca]

Read this ages ago but obviously forgot to add it! Really liked this but it ended on a cliffhanger and I don't think they're publishing a second one (at least not any time soon) 😭

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

At about 60 pages, the story was just starting to set up when it abruptly ended. As such, this felt like the first two chapters of a novel and therefore rather hard to see where the story will go. But it is beautifully illustrated with bright colors: the cover is indicative of what you will find inside.

Story: Altar is going through a hard breakup after his boyfriend slept with another man. But something more sinister is happening around him and his chosen family: someone is hooking up with and then killing gay men. Altar, his friend Eden, and their small coven of witches will need to use all their wits and skills when Altar finds his ex missing - is he a victim or the killer?

The setting is a nightclub called Trance and features a great assortment of LGBTQ characters. So far, we see that several of the witches have a special ability: persuasion, calming, etc. Because this first volume mostly sets up the murder plot, the focus is on Altar and his ex and how they are embroiled in the murder mystery as we see two men killed. But it also features side character Eden - a young man who is best friends to drag queen Altar and has his own issues he deals with. The other witches are only seen briefly so far.

In a way, this is a more serious Scooby Gang type of set up. The group will do silly and often illegal activities in order to investigate beyond what the police will tell them, using their magic to make it happen. The book does feature graphic male nudity and a rather serious plot - making this perhaps more suitable for adult audiences. I actually appreciated that the author/artist did not tone down the LGBTQ aspects and the book reads true as a result.

In all, it is too short to see if this will fulfil the promise of the first book. But so far, looks very intriguing, even if the plot is something we've seen far too often. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[C C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art! Gorgeous illustrations in this debut comic book series. It’s awesome to see queer representation on full display with magic and witchcraft and mystery. It’s clearly the beginning of a series and a lot of set up but the mystery is really intriguing and the fast pacing is a lot of fun. Altar is everything!!! Read this book, especially if you like queer characters and fantasy and amazing art.

[Amanda K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot gets up and running quickly, intrigued by where it's going, but need the rest of the story to see how things progress and are resolved. Also need more than the brief introductions to see how characters and relationships develop. Pretty art, wild colors, very LGBTQ+ friendly, want more.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the DRC, all opinions are my own.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder, mystery, magic, and lots of lgbtq+ rep. Definitely want to read the rest of the story when it comes out.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Peter S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the start of a new series and it really sets up a cool world and great characters. The art is incredible and the story is fun and funny and spooky all at once. I’m really interested to see where this story goes. I love the twins! And the dog Lily!!!

[Kayla B · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read! Interesting LGBT characters, a drag queen, witches, romance, murder mystery— what more do you want? It is the beginning of an exciting series and the art and colors are gorgeous

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This super LGBTQIA+ inclusive comic is off to an exciting start full of magic, murder, and mystery. Best suited for a mature audience.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

😍😍😍 I loved it!!

[Linda Gundersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great graphic novel with interesting characters and engaging story. I just loved it and I can’t wait for the next chapter to see how the mystery unfolds.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting, but I was expecting a full story and not this “issue 1” stuff. 🥲 Doesn’t really go anywhere—I have to assume there’s more…? Somewhere……?

[Paula - · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great start to a series. I need the rest now!!!

[Raven Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

MATURE Audience
I need the completed story to know how I feel. Interesting, but it has a feeling of plot points missing. With that said, this was one crazy ride and had fascinating elements to it. The artwork is fantastic, glossy and what you expect from a "comic graphic novel."

[Skye Kilaen]

(1) It would have been great for the cover or spine to indicate this was an issue 1, so I wouldn't have spent the second half wondering how they were going to wrap up the story in the pages they had left. (2) How in the world does a queer comic get published in 2023 with a positive Harry Potter reference?