I’m all about unapologetically queer books, and The Chromatic Fantasy definitely fits that brief. This book isn’t a tour-de-force on the trans experience, but it’s an extremely fun romp a book with great art that didn’t disappoint in the slightest. I need to wait a week or two to see if this has the emotional staying power to crack my top 10 of the year, but I think it’s got a pretty good shot.
Read if Looking For: tricksters and thieves, anachronism and whimsy, more color than a chameleon at a rave
Avoid if Looking For: fully coherent plots, historical accuracy (or even consistency in the intensity of historical inaccuracies), memorable villains, books without nudity
Elevator Pitch
Jules hates being a nun, in no small part because he’s not a woman. To escape, he makes a deal with the Devil, gaining immortality and becoming a thief, swordsman, and general troublemaker. When he meets his match a fellow scoundrel, the two figure out what a life together might look like. Turns out, this life mostly looks very, very chaotic. Looming over Jules’ new life though, is the Devil constantly pushing Jules into isolation, depression, and doubt.
What Worked for Me
I came for trans nuns making deals with the Devil, but I stayed for the art. H.A. used almost (perhaps no) shading, instead relying on blocks of color that were densely packed starbursts of energy. It gave the story an Alice in Wonderland feel, and complimented the whimsical storyline quite nicely. H.A. also made great use of interesting layouts, especially during montages or when The Devil started acting up. Honestly, the whole opening sequence where Jules approaches the Devil to negotiate their freedom (or imprisonment depending on how you look at it) was entrancing. One of the strongest openings to a comic I’ve seen. The only real complaint I have in the art department is that the swordfights felt a little stilted and poorly choreographed, but that’s easy to forgive.
This book spends a good amount of time on mental health (content warning for suicidal ideation in particular), and I liked how Jules doesn’t ever find a magic fix for any of his problems. Even when he’s on joyful adventures picking pockets and stabbing rich folks, he’s constantly worrying about whether he is enough to be worth sticking around. It’s a little unclear how much of this was a literal Devil hanging around his neck, but it gave a more serious subplot to balance out the chaotic energy of the art and main storyline.
Overall though, this book was just fun. If you’re looking for a comic with joy, energy, a unique art style, and a trans storyline that isn’t stuck in the same coming of age trends as most of the fantasy publishing world, this is a really great option.
What Didn’t Work For Me
The Chromatic Fantasy is mostly the adventures of Jules as they find love, search for meaning, and cause chaos. However, at times this book veers sharply into what feels like allegorical memoir via Jules. The setting is very faux-medieval in the style of a Court Jester, but occasionally Starbucks anti-union behavior gets mentioned, discussions of IBS happen, or suddenly characters have a car for part of a montage. I can’t say I actively disliked this choice – it fit into the whimsical nature of the storytelling – but I also don’t think it was a positive for me either. Definitely pulled me out of the story. However, I found these moments also tended to have the strongest exploration of Trans identities, which lent a layer of depth and meaning to what could have been random episodes of a zany TV show.
Conclusion: this is what queer art should look like (at least, what some queer art should look like)
- Characters: 4
- Setting: 3 (writing) 5 (art)
- Craft: 4
- Themes: 3
- Enjoyment: 5
Marked for Plot 
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