I was drawn to this graphic novel because of the beautiful art style, but once I started reading the story I realized that the matter discussed rivaled the aesthetics of it in beauty.
The plot deals with heavy and sensitive topics but it does so both with the tenderness required to help the protagonist love herself and the sterness to make her realize the weight of her actions.
I also found the idea of a social-worker death extremely compelling, it added a sense of expanse to the story making it possible to explore the life of the protagonist in a very interesting way, making us reflect (and Cata too) on our own religious, social and worldview opinions.
Having dealth with mental health issues myself, I appreciated how true and terrifying Cata's feeling were portrayed to be. It is not often that such serious issues are dealt with both kindness and firmness.
The art syle is also truly fantastic, the colours helped the narrative being delivered and I found myself looking at all the backgroud details over and over.
Both art and writing gave the other their nuance to create a solid end product that felt satisfying to read from beginning to end. The characters are enjoyable both in the bad and good actions.
I truly loved my experience with this work.

‧₊˚✧3.75 ✧˚₊‧

This story starts with Catalina, who takes her own life and gets visited by Karmen who she thinks is Death. In her time as a being on another plane, Catalina learns about herself and others around her, but how much time does she have left?

Going into this, I had no idea what to expect, but this lovely story about death and new beginnings was not what I had in mind for it. This comic sweeps the stereotype that comics are for children right out the door with its heavy and mature themes.

When we meet Karmen in the beginning of the story, she really likes to play jokes on Catalina, she becomes serious to then reveal she was just joking around. Which was a fun way to discover more about her personality as a whole.

The atmosphere of Palma is beautifully depicted as we follow Catalina on her journey through the city. Sometimes the comic ventures close to absurdity, but it stays enjoyable overall.

At last I want to thank Netgalley, Image Comics and Guillem March for the eARC of this comic. I definitely think this author has made an interesting piece of art!

Karmen is charged with shepherding souls to the afterlife
when she takes a heartbroken, suicidal woman named catalina under her wings to show her the surprises of life and the metaphysical moments surrounding us, the council of death (my name for them) becomes unhappy with her techniques
catalina struggles with her own reasons for ending her life and wanting to live
beautifully drawn, yet a dark and twisted take that shows the beaty and ugliness of the human kind, tackling the dark topics we hide from everyday

Karmen is such a beautiful story about death and the strange journey that comes with it. The story is about a woman who died and meets Karmen, an angel of death who guides her through this surreal, in-between world. I enjoyed the story and how it explores regret, acceptance, and healing. The illustrations are absolutely stunning and vibrant! Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I understand it may be a dark topic and at times disturbing but I hope people give it a chance. I loved the ending and *spoiler* glad Catalina had a second chance at life.

Cata is at the end of her life. Literally.

A woman with pink hair, dressed in a skeleton costume, appears in Cata’s apartment. Karmen is part of some ethereal organization of Karma Grim Reapers. Karma is real. Reincarnation is real. Can Cata change her karma before moving on?

#ThxNetGalley #GuillemMarch #Karmen

I have a fondness for stories of the afterlife, they are weirdly comforting. Karmen spins a unique sci-fi twist on karma and personal growth. The story does a great job at navigating the ugly, selfish side of suicide. The artwork is amazing, oddly cheerful for the story that’s being told. I am looking forward to future projects from this author in the same universe.