Everyone has that one artist or an author who produces such impressive work that they'd walk across flaming legos to procure their next piece. For me, one of those authors is Grant Morrison. Morrison is among the most inventive and essential creators in the history of the comics medium. People love to ascribe that aforementioned list of superlatives to Morrison's rival Alan Moore, but I'd argue that both are equally responsible for reinventing how modern comics are written. One could even draw parallels between their creative output with every decade of their professional careers.
With the announcement of LUDA, fans will be able to compare Morrison and Moore's output in the world of books as well. The story follows a drag artist named Luci, who becomes embroiled in Glasgow's occult world.
Luci LaBang is a star: for decades this flamboyant drag artist has cast a spell over screen and stage. Now she's the leading lady in a smash hit musical. But as time takes its toll, Luci fears her star is beginning to dim.
When Luci's co-star meets with a mysterious accident, a new ingenue shimmers onto the scene: Luda, whose fantastical beauty and sinister charm infatuate Luci immediately… and who bears a striking resemblance to herself at a much younger age.
Luda begs Luci to share the secrets of her stardom, and reveal the hidden tricks of her trade. For Luci LaBang is a mistress of the The Glamour, a mysterious discipline that draws on sex, drugs, and the occult for its trancelike transformative effects.
But as Luci tutors her young protegee in the art, their fellow actors and crew members begin meeting with untimely ends. Now Luci wonders if Luda has mastered The Glamour all too well… and exploited it to achieve her dark ambitions.
What follows is an intoxicating descent into the demimonde of Gasglow, a fantastical city of dreams, and into the nightmarish heart of Luda herself: a femme fatale, a phenomenon, a monster, and perhaps, the brightest star of them all.
The book is currently available for pre-order with a release date of September 6, 2022.