Review: The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A.
Silver Sprocket, October 2023. 312 p. ill. ISBN 979-8-88620-032-4 (p/b), $29.99.
Reviewed August 2023
by Liza Hazelwood, Lead Collections Care Technician, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, hazelwoodlm@vcu.edu
The Chromatic Fantasy is a visually stunning story of two trans men who fall in love over the gripping background of a deal with the devil, complete reinvention, highway robbery, and extreme sacrifice. Jules first appears negotiating his freedom from a nunnery through a deal with the God of Unearthly Fire. Casper joins Jules later in the story, starting a new life and dabbling in cursed item collection. As the story progresses, Jules grapples with himself and the devil to come to terms with his own transness and his love for Casper and himself.
The author lays out his story through a marriage of pencil-laid linework and digital color, which adds an organic sketch-like quality to his drawings. Some spreads are abstract in their order, as some drawings are laid on top of each other, letting the reader choose their focus. There is a freedom of movement to his characters, with hands and swords leaping out beyond the outlines of their panels to grasp and clash at each other. Equally interesting is the mesh of a fantasy setting with modern items such as cell phones and energy drinks.
While queer stories are often strewn with tragedy and misfortune, The Chromatic Fantasy weaves fun in between harder moments for both of its characters. This graphic novel reckons with classic themes of true love, sacrifice, and self-forgiveness, entirely through a queer lens. Jules and Casper are vibrantly trans and queer, and it is beautiful to watch their love grow within the settings of both adventure and the everyday.
As this book contains nudity, sex, drugs, suicidal thoughts or actions, and violence, it is for adult audiences. As a result, it is best suited for an academic library or public library collections with a graphic novel section for adults.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.