A slightly different take than in the first arc (which I read last month): this time, the story follows Mechanika from London to mysterious ruins on the African continent, following the trail of an old researcher who’s being forced to decrypt strange tablets under the threat of seeing his granddaughter killed. It’s not exactly the same kind of theme, and although some aspects were a bit cliché (of course the bad guys had to be German), I still appreciate it because… hey, let’s be honest, I do like myself a good old Victorian/early 20th century adventure with archaeologist-like people, secret societies, and, yes, in small quantities, even German bad guys. ;)

On the other hand, this volume didn’t bring anything to the bigger story hinted at in the first instalments (Mechanika’s origins, the history she shares with Commander Winter, the Engineer…), and I admit I would’ve liked to get a few more hints. It also keeps playing on the evil bad guy/female enforcer tropes, which, well, why not, but I hope this kind of dynamics will change later.

The drawing style remains detailed, with vivid colours that get more muted as they adapt to the various atmospheres of day and night. There’s still a lot of eye-candy, however this time I felt it took slightly less precedence depending on the scenes and panels (seriously, huge boobs and perceived sexy poses aren’t necessarily as exciting as they sound when it comes to depicting heroo-types characters… or, well, any character at all). And perhaps there were a few less walls of text, too? I read it in public transportation so I didn’t pay as much attention to that aspect I had noted in the first volume, to be honest.

Conclusion: The storyline remained entertaining, though definitely on the cliché side, and I can only hope this won’t last; nevertheless, large boobs over corsets notwithstanding, I liked the artwork.

I was thoroughly engrossed in this volume of the series! The art is just gorgeous and lush, but still easy to follow, which I often find to not be the case when the art is as fantastic as it is here. If your patrons like steampunk and/or comics, this is a definite purchase!

This volume collects the story of The Tablet of Destinies. As the title alludes, we are getting ready to set forth on an Indiana Jones style adventure. Secret societies, cryptology, imperial territory, dirigibles; all the perfect tropes for Lady Mechanika to go on a Victorian adventure to, the dark continent ... Africa!

Mr. Lewis returns as Lady Mechanika's steadfast, if inebriated, mechanic, inventor, mad genius extraordinaire. The good doctor has vaguely vanished and been replaced with an archaeology professor on a quest for whatever secrets archaeologists are hoping to uncover.

Of course, they end up finding it and it ends up being cataclysmically horrific. Then enter the secret societies and cryptology and you have another smashing adventure with Lady Mechanika.

While everything is an overdone stereotype in this series, I like it's over the top nature and honestly found a compelling revelation at the ending. These comics have some substance underneath all the pomp and steampunk. I also really enjoy the art and typeface.

In the next exciting installment of Lady Mechanika, reader's are given a glimpse of her mysterious past through the young woman in a similar situation to her own. Whether she survives as Lady Mechanika survived is up to the reader to find out.

I found volume 2 to be much more enjoyable than volume one! The plot picked up significantly and there were some major character developments which I absolutely loved!

I'm glad I took a chance on this book. I wasn't impressed with first volume because it felt like it dragged on and on. The story is set in an alternate Victorian England with science fiction elements mixed in. Volume two picks up on a thread from the end of the first volume, but goes off in another direction.

The story reminds me of The Mummy. Much of it is set in Egypt and it involves a search for an ancient artifact. Lady Mechanika's relationships with the various characters worked well. There are some tropes used throughout the volume, but the creators execute them wonderfully. It is a fun adventure story that roams across the heart of Africa. And the art is great again. It shows off a range of skill from the creators. This book made me interested in continuing the series.

I thought it was impossible to like the second volume more than I did the first one, but apparently it is possible! Terrific art combined with a great adventure story and a lot of old fashioned codes and riddles. Absolutely perfect!

Lady Mechanika’s journey starts when a stranger knocks at her door. A daring adventure: to find an old weapon in the heart of Africa while trying to be one step ahead of the secret societies that would love to get their hands on the artefact. But things never run smoothly for the Lady and when she is confronted with a life threatening choice, what will she choose?

First of all, the artwork is breathtaking. Even though the story takes place outside the city designed in the first volume, Steampunk is still very much present and still as beautiful as before. Furthermore, the supernatural is also still present and for me it was even more detailed than in the first volume

The storyline was very nice to read even though I was a bit disappointed not to see a direct connection to the first graphic novel. I would have enjoyed seeing the development of Lady Mechanika’s search for her maker. Even so, I loved every minute of this reading and I was addicted to it until the very end.

I can’t wait to see what surprises the next volume will bring!

What a great continuation!! These stories are so original, or maybe i don't meet enought abiout them, that just make me smile.

This second volume was even better than the first! The artwork, as I'd come to expect after the first volume, was still great. It is amazing and really one of the best things about this comic. I liked this story better than the first, even though it is not that original (typical ancient treasure kind of thing). Still it was a pleasure to read. There is still a lot of text on some pages, but I had the feeling it was slightly less this time. Lady Mechanika makes a really nice lead in this steampunk comic.

Looking forward to more!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

In the continuing adventures of Lady Mechanika, this volume travels to Africa where a man is searching for a lost city and the secret to alchemy. Once again, the art is fantastic and this time around some of it has an exotic flair because of the location. This remains a must-read for fans of steampunk and adventure comics.

In the second volume of the Lady Mechanika series, the mechanically modified heroine is joined by a spunky young genius named Winifred, as well as a band of female warriors from the Congo. These comics are extremely girl-power oriented, and I am 100% here for it. The story line in this volume was just as interesting as the first volume, and the artwork continues to be stunning.

Lady Mechanika is contacted by Winifred, a young friend whose grandfather has gone missing in Africa, after she was almost kidnapped by a German speaking man. Her search led her to the Rosicrucian Club in London, then to Germany and finally to Africa. Along the way, Winifred is kidnapped, reclaimed, and kidnapped again. There are airship battles, desert treks, strange serpent men, and ancient weapons before the explosive ending. A very satisfying steam-punk adventure!

Lady Mechanika Volume 2: Tablet of Destinies continues the beautiful drawings from Volume 1 but gives us a better story to accompany the graphics. Yes, it clearly has some of the characteristics of Indiana Jones but there are some unique changes and subversion of the expected cliches. The playing with the trope was subtle and would, to many eyes, go unnoticed and make this look like simply a rehash of a previous tried and true story.

Chen's writing makes all the difference in the world. Enough exposition to make this truly a graphic novel as compared to just a comic book but with enough wonderfully rendered action to give a good representation of how the graphics can enhance a novel. Like others have mentioned, this is not really a sequel to Volume 1 and as such is a little disappointing. If the reason is that Chen didn't think continuing a weak story was worthwhile, I understand, perhaps they can do a short piece to wrap up some of Volume 1's loose ends?

I would recommend this to fans of both steampunk and graphic novels in general. The story is paced very well and the artwork is, as I've said, exquisite.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

Volume Two collects the six issues of the second comic arc, the Tablet of Destinies. According to Sumerian legend, anyone who possesses the tablet can rule the world. The action starts right away, as Winifred, Professor Thomsen's granddaughter is kidnapped and Lady Mechanika can't quite catch up to the men that did it. As a result, Mechanika goes hunting for Winifred and in the process has to save the world instead of finding out more about her origins. There are wonderful clockwork creations in this volume, just as there was in the first. There are also clockwork touches around the panels of some pages, a fun touch in keeping with the steampunk Victoriana. It's a very fun and action packed story in this arc, chasing down the team that kidnapped Winifred and trying to find Professor Thomsen. It's a new antagonist from the first volume, and the group is concerned with ultimate power. The story plays out very much like Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones. If you enjoy that kind of plot line, this is a much easier way to get into this world and story than the first. We see a little more warmth in Mechanika in this volume, especially with how kind she is to Winifred and the stories she tells about meeting Professor Thomsen.

This was enjoyable enough. The action/adventure bits are pretty fun still and I liked the change of scenery as Mechanika set out to save Winifred. The artwork is still a bit too Escher Girls at times (though a couple of times they had her more covered up and somewhat less buxom so that was nice), but there was a bit of character development and some fun moments between Mechanika and Fred (Fred was cute and spunky and fun). I did kinda laugh at the villain reveal though it does fit well enough with the Victorian/steampunk feel of the comics (but also kinda came out of nowhere. I would've liked more foreshadowing that it would go that way, like maybe something in the lore that the Professor and Strassman were studying that would suggest it). The hidden village of women warriors was fun (though the dialect did seem a bit iffy) and I'm glad Akina got to join in all the fun (and that the Queen's comments set up some possibly connection to Mechanika's mysterious backstory). I'll probably give a look to Vol. 3 and see what other antics Mechanika gets in to.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Mechanika Vol 2: The Tablet of Destinies by Joe Benitez is another tour de force of strong storytelling and beautiful artwork that is sure to bring even more fans to this steampunk, adventurous and mystery solving title.

When an unexpected visitor shows up on her door, Lady Mechanika embarks on an adventure that spans the globe. Secret societies and mad scientists stand in her path and soon Lady Mechanika must decide between the life of her young friend and saving the world.

This second volume which collects The Tablet of Destinies run, books #1 - #6 continues the adventures of Lady Mechanika and this may very well be one of the most beautifully drawn and inked books in the comic book world right now. The intricate detailing from the artists shows a definite respect for the genre. But this book does not rely on artwork alone and tells a well crafted tale as well. I enjoyed the more adventurous aspects of the story this time around where Mechanika almost took on a Tomb Raider persona. But don't mislead ourselves, the time period and setting are well in hand here as Mechanika works her way through the supernatural as well as dangers of powerful societies searching for absolute power.

Another terrific book by Benitez!

Let’s talk Artwork

What drew me first to these graphic novels was the steampunk styled art. I glanced at some of the covers from the various chapters on GoodReads and was instantly wanting to read more. Sometimes when I have a lot of anticipation with something it’s easy to get disappointed but that wasn’t the case at all here.

Both of these volumes were done entirely in rich and vibrant color.
Each character had a very defined look which helped them feel more real.
The amount of detail in the scenes was a perfect balance. It never felt too busy or too simplistic. This was especially true for the airships which were stunning.
Let’s talk Plot and Character

One of my biggest issues with a lot of graphic novels surrounds the plot. All too often they just don’t feel as immersive or deep as a regular novel. This series shocked me with the level plot and multiple storylines that are constantly taking place, without being confusing.

Lady Mechanica is the star of the show and for good reason. She’s a magnificent strong female lead that can seriously kick ass.
Support characters are equally strong and interesting. I really liked Mr. Lewis in the first volume.
It’s easy to root for the good guys but I was equally interested in the other side. Cain from the first volume was mysterious and I am wondering if he will show up again in the future.
Not many graphic novels have kept me on the edge of my seat with suspense, but this one did. I was completely immersed into the story and felt like I was on an adventure while reading.
What I Thought Overall

I absolutely adored these graphic novels. My favorite part was the artwork – I loved the style and color. I’m still trying to decide if I disliked the idealistic character portrayals. Especially with the women, it seemed like they were very sexualized and while I loved the look of it artistically it left me feeling a little off. Lady Mechanica is built pretty perfectly being tall and slender but somehow with ample curves that seem very natural. It’s not too big of a problem but I would like to see more body types in future chapters. In summary, I’m really glad I went for these graphic novels and I highly recommend them to anyone who is a fan of steampunk or action. Artists will also be sure to enjoy this series.

I picked it up several times but was never drawn to the story or its illustrations. I fear it is too steampunky for me.

Much better than the previous volume. The addition of Maria Chen to the writing team really helped tone down the amount of exposition and pepped up the dialogue. I didn't notice the American version of "cockneyed" talk nearly as much as the first volume. The story was also much more straight forward and moved ahead at a faster pace.