Sparrowhawk is an intense, violent, historical fantasy comic that I found to be both horrifying (in a good way) and amazing. Readers should know that there is harm to cute fey creatures, there is racism, and there is a cliffhanger ending, and the protaganist is tough as nails but too stupid to live.

Our story begins in Victorian England. Artemesia is raised as an upper-class proper Victorian woman as the illegitimate daughter of a Naval Captain. Her dark skin makes her an outsider. Her father married a white Englishwoman and had another daughter named Caroline. Caroline’s mother despises Artemesia, who feels bitter and unloved. However, Caroline and Artemisia adore each other. They had an older sister named Elizabeth. At the start of the story, both Dad and Elizabeth are dead.

Elizabeth was about to marry a Duke, but of course that wedding is off what with the bride being Tragically Deceased, so Mom says that Artemesia better marry rich, fast. However, Artemesia finds herself pulled through a mirror into Faery, while the Faery Queen takes her place in England.

When Artemesia gets to the land of the Fey she is promptly meets a creature named Crispin who offers to be her guide in exchange for her single fondest memory. Artemesia makes the first of many bad decisions when she agrees to this deal. Alas, in giving up the memory (which is of Caroline, of course), she gives up her only memory of being loved, and the more compassionate side of herself.

Crispin explains the condition of Faerie to Artemesia, who accepts what he says as gospel truth because apparently no one ever sat her down and explained certain things to her, like “Don’t make deals with the Fey” and “Don’t eat the food in Faery land.” Crispin says that in order to survive Faerie, she must kill. Every kill changes her physically – she develops wings, she acquires weapons, etc. Every kill also changes her emotionally. At first she refuses to kill anything that isn’t an immediate threat to her, but as Crispin eggs her on and tells her other creatures are threats even though there is evidence that they are not, killing becomes easier for her.

The story is complicated by the arrival of Warren, the pacifist son of the Faerie Queen. Warren is sexy as hell and he tries to talk some sense into Artemisia, but their romance is doomed (horribly doomed, no HEA) by her best and worst qualities. She has a single-minded determination to escape from Faerie and save her own world, which I admired deeply. However. She believes the first person she meets who tells her she has to focus on just one thing, thus warping her determination, a positive quality, into an absolute inability to think critically or see a bigger picture. This single-mindedness becomes her worst quality and threatens to destroy all aspects of her humanity.

Sometimes the act of writing a review changes my perception of what I’m reviewing. On a first read, I was enthralled by the art, especially with regard to Artemisia’s changing appearance. I was thrilled by the sight of a Black Victorian teenage girl fighting for her life and winning on all fronts. I was suitably horrified by how Crispin manipulates her into becoming a ruthless killer instead of a determined survivor. I found the book to be a fascinating character study as we watch someone who is initially angry but empathetic become increasingly ruthless and lacking in empathy.

On a re-read I was so aggravated by Artemisia’s stupidity and her chain of bad decisions that I wanted to scream. It’s not suggested pre-Fairyland that she’s incapable of analyzing people’s motives or behaviors. Even given that she is terrified and isolated, why did she give in to Crispin so quickly, especially after Warren shows up to offer less violent assistance?

Another problem is that the story ends on a huge cliffhanger with no suggestion that a sequel is coming. If I knew that Issue #6 was headed along eventually, I’d be fine with the ending, but the volume is marketed as a complete story (a “limited issue series), and it isn’t complete. Too much is left hanging. What will England look like now? Can Artemisia ever revert to a more human form? What will happen to her little sister, who has a very different personality from Artemisia? Perhaps all this is meant to suggest that Artemisia’s tragedy will be now be repeated in both worlds. However, too much is left hanging to give it a sense of cyclical tragedy. It’s just done.

I’m all over the place in terms of how to grade this, but I recommend it for fans of Holly Black, Emma Bull, and Charles DeLint – readers who don’t think of Faery as cute and who don’t mind violence in a story. The art is incredible, especially in the way it depicts Artemisia’s gradual transformation from vulnerable human to pure weapon. It’s NOT a romance (sorry Warren – I’ll always love you). Is it empowering or just tragic? I leave that to the reader decide. In the meantime, don’t eat the food in fairyland and for crying out loud, don’t make deals with the Fey and when they talk to you, weight their words very, very carefully. As Warren points out, a creature who can’t lie can still hide the truth.