I had a hard time putting this graphic novel down. We meet a small boy whose life changes forever once he makes the acquaintance of a mysterious neighbor. It seems old rivalries are far from over between two world renowned scientists. To stop one of them from completing a sinister plot this boy is going to have to make some tough decisions. As this graphic novel comes to a close life for this boy is never going to be the same.

Interesting, but fumbled, this almost steampunk alternative history has a very different World War Two, where Japan has automated combatants, Tesla is hiding up in a lowly shack of a hotel where our main young character turns up to live, and Edison is – well, Edison is still diametrically opposed to Tesla. Nicely evoking a dark, begrimed, wartime city through the fish-eye lens of a hotel room peephole and lots of nocturnal shenanigans, it stumbles with the "Conjuration of Venerable Humans", which is both a sign the translation isn't great (FYI phenomena is not the singular) and that it's trying its damnedest not to be an LXG rip-off, which can only be a good thing.

If anything it feels like a rip-off of BPRD, in colouring, mood and approach. A busy narrative does what it can to reinspire the fear caused by the Nazis, and one of the better aspects of it all is the reminder that Henry Ford was a classic anti-Semite, and IBM were behind some of the admin machines used for the Final Solution. Let's face it, America needs reminding how fascistic it has been and still might be. But this isn't the perfectly coherent, logical or plausible story that could best do that. Still at least in the Titan Comics edition we get the whole trilogy, and not the three parts in separate volumes as per the original French BD. I think it very rare and highly unusual for the author to be the colourist, and not his artist collaborator, but I do think his concentration might have been diverted away from making the plot as good as it needed to be. A Wellsian journalist and his fit wife and a gang of Conan Doyle-styled whipper-snappers only add to the confusing amount of layers.

This graphic novel reimagines the history of Tesla and the time period surrounding his life with sci-fi elements. It focus on a boy who moves to an apartment with his mom after the passing of his father. His mother is working in a factory so he is left to his own devices where he gets mixed up in a plot beyond his imagination.

I always enjoy reading a reimagining of history with a sci-fi or fantastical twist. This particular book was very imaginative with the plot and technology that was introduced. But unfortunately, the characters took a backseat because of it. I didn’t connect with any of them and that is essential to my enjoyment of a book.. Plot and world-building driven readers will love this though!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Titan Books for an advanced copy of this steampunk influenced graphic novel involving weird electronic creatures, evil men, brave boys and World War II.

There are few men that remain so enigmatic as the inventor Nikola Tesla. Unlike the so-called geniuses of today whose proclamations and grand pronouncements diminish their reputation with every Tweet and reTweet, Tesla was a genius who never bragged, his work was the reward. Tesla's inability to hobnob led to a lack of funding that hindered him most of his life, leaving many of his greatest inventions just thoughts in his head. Tesla could see the future in a way though, great machines and unfettered power destroying humans and their civilization. A lot of these ideas have been richly minded by many writers for stories, comics, movies and even songs. The Three Ghosts of Tesla is volume 1 of a new series from French comic writer Richard Marazano and illustrated by Guilhem, is a science fiction graphic novel that takes place in a different New York City during the Second World War, with strange creatures haunting the night, a boy missing a father, and a mysterious old man that connects them.

1942. Travis and his mother have moved to the City that Never Sleeps to make a new start after the disappearance and presumed death of Travis's father in the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Travis's mother has found a factory job, which needs everyone it can to produce arms and equipment to fight the war. Travis is living in a furnished apartment, across the hall from an old man who seems to want to be left alone. Travis meets other boys, who offer him a challenge, deliver a message to the old man in his building, and he could be a part of their gang. Travis attempts to but the old man ignores him, leading Travis out into the night where strange things are happening. German U-Boats are filling the harbors, strange creatures are moving about at night, and even worse powerful secret weapons are decimating American troops in the Pacific. The FBI has seized the factories of Thomas Edison, for unknown reasons, and bodies are starting to appear. Travis suddenly finds himself in a very deep conspiracy that might put everyone he knows in danger.

This is volume 1 of a 3 part series, and is a European graphic novel, so it does read a little bit differently than American comics. The book starts slow setting up the world with news clippings a mysterious murder or two, and moves from there. Also being European, there is a lot that is unexplained mainly a difference in our educations, so what would be obvious to some, might be lost to a lot of American readers. That being said the story is interesting, a mix of steampunk and what could have been, with World War II and life on the home front. The story is pretty straight forward, and careful reading will reveal the surprise bad person in the background running things, but is still a really good adventure story. The art is impressive, I liked the mix again of steampunk looking robots, to the real looks of buildings and the scenery of New York. The characters are all distinctive, and the backgrounds are very well rendered and really nice to look at. A very stylish unique look.

For fans who like science fiction especially with a steampunk or alternative spin. Also for readers who enjoy stories about Tesla. I enjoyed this, and look forward to more.