I’m not feeling a great deal of love for many of my usual superhero titles right now and in my quest for something different then my usual fare I picked up the first few issues of ALABASTER based solely on the the few pages previewed in Dark Horse’s Free Comic Book Day offerings. Magic swords and dwarves and fairies really only work for me when the Mignola name is attached but there’s something about this book… It’s got a definite Vertigo vibe with some visually striking line work and a story that has a resonance and heft to it as if the creators know where this book came from and where the character is going after this story ends. The character, Dansy Flammarion, is a nice reluctant hero mixed up in demons, angels, and a new slice of Southern American supernatural hoodoo. She’s a new twist on the reluctant chosen hero with baggage of her own and an air of mystery that while familiar is by no means cliche. I was not surprised to learn that Dansy has appeared in previous novels by the author, and while not in my wheelhouse, the quality of the premiere issue and the satisfying continuation in this issue makes me look forward to the rest of this mini but also intrigued enough to seek out Dansy’s prose adventures.