Two Graves: Wish You Were Here is a lushly colored and decadently illustrated road trip between a woman named Emilia and Death. Two Graves weaves a dark re-telling of Persephone through a modern perspective. It’s not all fun and games for Emilia and Death. Emilia can’t remember things she desperately wants to, and she’s developing strange new powers. Death has secrets he’s not telling her. Worst of all, this isn’t a quiet road trip. They’re being hunted.

Title: Two Graves Volume 1:

Wish You Were Here

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Genevieve Valentine

Artists: Ming Doyle and

Annie Wu

Genres: Fantasy/Myth

Re-telling

Release Date: 10/24/2023

Page Count: 208

Amazon / Goodreads

Image Comics

Blurb:

A dark, contemporary interpretation of the Persephone myth for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue and The Sandman.

Death stole Emilia – the first time in his very long life that he hasn’t carried over the soul he was assigned to carry over. It would be romantic, except that they’re being hunted. And as Emilia and the man with the veil of smoke set out for the ocean in a stolen truck, there is a bloody handprint on his neck and she’s beginning to worry it’s hers.

Illustrated in competing points of view, narration comes from both Death and Amelia, giving the story conflicting, yet unique perspectives.

Two Graves is the first volume of a new series from writer Genevieve Valentine and illustrated by Annie Wu and Ming Doyle.

This edition features bonus backmatter content, including essays by bestselling Broken Earth trilogy author N.K. Jemisin, Sarah McCarry (Lambda, Norton, and Tiptree nominee), Veronica Schanoes (Shirley Jackson Award winner, Nebula, and World Fantasy nominee), and Stephanie Lai (Best New Talent Ditmar Award, 2018).

Review: I enjoyed being back-seat to Emilia and Death’s trip across the country. The interspersed prose and postcards added to the reading experience and made me feel a part of their journey. The prose “articles” and essays were an unexpected surprise. I somehow missed the fact that N.K. Jemisin’s essay was included in this volume, so it was a lovely discovery.

The real cleverness in this story is in its juxtaposition. The richness of the art is contrasted with their old truck and cheap hotel room. The depth of emotion between Emilia and Depth is compared with their lack of physical touch. The solidness of Emilia when opposed to Death’s unfocused face.

The publisher has said that Two Graves is for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue and The Sandman, and I would agree. This personification of Death just felt similar to Dream, without exactly being Dream, if that makes sense. I would go so far as to say this is a good read for fans of Neil Gaiman in general.

My issue with this collection isn’t with the plot but with its pacing. The story often felt meandering or directionless. While this wouldn’t usually bother me, I did want Death and Emilia to just get on with their trip. Death insisted Emilia needed her sleep, but her sleep came with frustrating time jumps that made me feel like I missed something important. These time jumps confused both me and Emilia.

Art: I adored the art in this volume. The coloring, the lettering, the illustrations – everything was just perfect. The art for the postcards and the prose articles felt nearly tangible. Do you want rich colors, clear illustrations, and emotional expressions? This is it. The art kept me reading.

Final Thoughts: I enjoyed this title, particularly the art. Even though this was not a five-star read for me, I know this would be perfect for YA fantasy readers and those aging out of the YA genre. If you enjoy myths, retellings, or the personification of death, this one is for you.

Rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to Image Comics for a review copy of this title. All the above thoughts are my own. All the above art belongs to Image Comics.