Story/Script Andrew Maxwell
Pencil/Inks/Colors Goran Gligovic
Letters Bernardo Brice
Variant Cover/Pinup Jim Rugg
Edits/Design/Prepress Adam Pruett
I’m not ashamed to admit it. I had to google Bawdy. I know, I know, it’s not very smooth for a writer to have to google a word but it’s the truth. Indecent, risque, racy, rude, spicy, sexy, suggestive, titillating, naughty, and improper. Bawdy’s definition is in itself a wonderful example of all the adjectives that define Lazlo Cale. Lazlo is much more than all these things though, Maxwell can write a compelling character with ease; attractive, fascinating, intriguing, exhilarating, posh, classy, fashionable, and swanky. Lazlo is a compelling character to say the least. It’s not just Lazlo as a character, the story is also alluring in the way Maxwell lays out the world of Lazlo Cale. from all the adjectives I’ve stated I would say intriguing is the best way to describe the story and plot. The world of Lazlo is filled with characters that are extra in everything they do and the way they interact; from the equally sexy inspector Malveaux, or Edgar Allen Poe, to the clones of Jim Bowie, this world is brimming with a unique character base and strong personalities. Maxwell has a talent for building intricate world’s that seem so much more complex than they are when reading. As with Maxwell’s other titles Rum Row and Aldous Sparks, Lazlo Cale’s world seems so outrageous and crazy but really just a quick little exposition exert and the development of Edgar Allen Poe and Jim Bowie clones as main characters seems perfectly normal. Maxwell is a true storyteller who utilizes his imagination to create worlds like Lazlo’s where a group of terrorists detonated an interdimensional time bomb that created a melting pot of time periods that included past and future. This premise gives Maxwell plenty of space to add characters like Poe and the distant future descendants of homosapiens. As I said a quick bit of exposition like this and Maxwell has perfectly explained this considerably large worlds dynamics so the reader is completely filled in.
With a world and a character as bawdy as Lazlo’s the art has to be rich but a little light, maybe shiny and glowing as well, just to match the world that comes off as so extra. Gligovic has a lofty mission doing all the pencils, inks, and colors, but he not only pulls it off he makes this comic book pop with character designs. Lazlo is a fun character but to be honest I don’t think Lazlo is the best character design in the book. I really enjoy Lazlo’s side kick Nico and all of the secondary characters like Poe from the past timeline. Gligovic gives all of these characters the flare of their time period, or in the case of Poe stays true to his iconic look, but they all stand out in an exceptional and fantastic way. Gligovic brings a style that is light and playful, it fits the world of Lazlo Cale perfectly and I believe this about the design as well as the color choices. The colors in my opinion are a perfect choice for this world, there are parts that are dark and parts that are light but it’s all on a pallet that is bright and on the lighter side of the spectrum, matching with what flow of the writing and being the color representation of the mood of the book.
If The Bawdy Tale of Lazlo Cale sounds interesting to you check it out here, I was ensured that even though it’s a pre-order campaign you can still order Lazlo Cale along with other great books from Andrew Maxwell!
