Lavender Jack is a victorian, quasi-steampunk, mystery/thriller comic by Dan Schkade. It’s set in the city of Gallery, which is more or less a nicer version of pre-industrial-revolution London, and centers around two dual protagonists: the titular Lavender Jack, a purple-clad, demon-masked, very well dressed vigilante who has set out to expose corrupt members of the city’s upper class; and Theresa Ferrier, a world famous detective past her prime, though as sharp as ever. Theresa has been hired by the mayor to track down and arrest the wanted criminal Lavender Jack. Its told in a fantastic episodic format, and is masterfully written. Those of you who know my writing know that I usually like to point out flaws in the things I review, but I can think of almost nothing negative to say about Lavender Jack.

The story is riveting, and almost never gets slow. It starts out by presenting a simple plot point: Lavender Jack revealing the secrets of high society members, and while the reader is focused on this, it introduces a B-plot about Theresa Ferrier trying to figure out Jack’s motivations. Once the A-plot has died down, the B-plot becomes the A-plot, and a new B-plot is introduced about a secret society. In this fashion, Lavender Jack keeps the reader wondering and asking questions, which keeps the story feeling fresh, and the plot engaging to the reader, making the release of each weekly episode is something to look forward to. Each episode reveals just enough of the ongoing mystery to send the fans into a frenzy of speculation, and sets up later episodes quite well.

Each of the characters is wonderfully written, with good motivations that are both emotionally complex, but easy to understand. Lavender Jack himself has a bit of a playboy millionaire thing going on, but unlike Batman, who he could be easily compared to, his isn’t hunting criminals out of some childhood trauma, but actually has a set goal in mind: a group of powerful individuals manipulated him into abandoning one of his friends, who then killed himself, in order to get their hands on an invention that the pair designed in college. He wasn’t some passive observer in the death of his friend; Jack’s neglect of their friendship was a contributing factor in the man’s suicide. He has a clear and personal vendetta against people who have hurt him, rather than the more obscure “truth and justice” approach of similar characters.

Madame Ferrier, on the other hand, is motivated to act for the good of all, which is part of the reason she abandons the search for Lavender Jack, the man she was hired to catch, and begins to investigate those who hired her. She is, however, also motivated by caring for her ailing wife, who has developed some form of dementia and needs constant care. This effectively cripples Ferrier, since much of her time is taken up in caring for her wife. Despite her old age, and caring for her wife, Ferrier remains in incredible detective, and easily the smartest character in the book. Ferrier is the brains of the operation once she and Lavender Jack inevitably join forces, whereas the titular character is more of a brawler.

Even our antagonists, whose names and motivations won’t be mentioned here, due to how integral those plot points are, seem sympathetic, and even as we learn about them, an air of mystery continues to surround them.

The art of Lavender Jack is pretty good. It isn’t a home run, but it works well, and I find it charming. It’s a bit of a mix of the cartoony watercolors found often in standalone graphic novels, the shiny, detailed inkings found in superhero comics, and something you would find in a sketchbook. It isn’t the most detailed, and sometimes small details have unnecessary lines or an errant bit of color, but it works with the comic, the aesthetic of the city, and the almost caricaturish features of its denizens.

There’s really not much that I can critique about the story, It’s so well written. The only thing that occurs to me is that the writing is clearly set up to be read in an episodic format, and may not work as well if read all at once. A lot of the story’s suspense is predicated on the anxiety that builds within the reader while waiting for the next episode, and without that wait, the reader will be less anxious and the story may be less impactful.This is completely unsubstantiated; it’s just a feeling I have, but if my hunch turns out to be correct, a binge-reading of the series could result in the stakes feeling lowered. You’ll still have fun with the series, though, it just may not be as engaging as if you read it in real time.

Lavender Jack will certainly appeal to fans of such stories as those of “Batman,” “Sherlock Holmes,” and “Dishonored,” as well as those who enjoy a fun mystery. Lavender Jack is available for free in the “Line Webtoon” app, and with its first season coming to a close, it’s well worth picking up before it goes on break.