Karmen by Guillem March review

Catalina has been friends with Xisco for years. As is often the case with friends, there may be deeper feelings. But life is complicated, relationships even more so, and Catalina’s depression and social anxiety have clouded her judgement and led her to do something irreversible.

Karmen may not be breaking new ground with its afterlife storyline, but the story gets interesting when it delves into metaphysical musings about relationships, karma, and sins. Although the story is quite dialogue-heavy and contains many flashbacks, the pacing is solid throughout.

March’s artwork is a true standout, with each page revealing a new layer of beauty through the use of color, page layouts, and character designs. The attention to detail is impeccable, from the strange and surreal aspects of the afterlife to the way architectural lines curve around the action. This attention to detail creates an immersive experience, setting a unique mood.

I guess at this stage it’s worth noting it comes with content warnings (suicide, violence, nudity), so if any of those make you upset, just read something else. Catalina spends most of the story naked, and it seems it's an issue for some readers (even though she's not sexualized in any way; she's a spirit between two planes of existence).

I definitely enjoyed it. It may have less substance than it promises, but the combination of excellent art and Cata’s emotional storyline worked out pretty well for me. Also, Karmen. She's awesome.