Megan Rose Gedris

Fan-favorite webcomic creator Megan Rose Gedris (Yu+Me Dream) crafts a compelling tale of magic, deception, and wonder in this stunningly illustrated graphic novel about the bond between sisters. Pragmatic engineer Anna works as a psychic in the Samson Brothers Circus, but she doesn't believe in anything supernatural—until her twin sister Kat is murdered and comes back as a very demanding ghost. Sharing a room with her sister was hard, but now they're sharing a body while trying to identify the killer. With few leads, a troupe full of secretive folk, and strange paranormal occurrences popping up around the circus, solving the case seems near impossible. But the murderer in their midst may be the least of their problems... "Humorous and heartfelt, creepy and captivating; readers will eagerly hope for another volume." - Kirkus

Spectacle

Nessa Luna

Omg I need the second volume ASAP! What was that ending wth?!?!?!?

I loved the artwork so much, and the setting is great too! Kind of reminded me of the Freak show season of American Horror Story. If you loved that season, I highly recommend this graphic novel!

Dee B. 

Issa cliffhanger y'all!

This story takes us inside a traveling circus, 'freaks' and all, where we discover that someone in the outfit is a MURDERER! But it doesn't stop there. The pretend psychic discovers that she may actually be able to see the dead after all? It's a lot. A lot is happening here.

Anna, our main character and tarot card reader turned sleuth/ghost whisperer, is devastated at the loss of her twin sister and determined to find justice. I wish we got to spend more time on the actual mystery, as an unfortunate event sidetracks Anna from her mission.

If you don't mind a short graphic novel, with beautiful art, and a story that is left unfinished, then pick this one up. I'd recommend getting Volume 2 at the same time though (to avoid the frustration).

Lauren Sullivan

This is a murder mystery graphic novel set in a circus traveling through the mid-west. Anna is the circus fortune teller, and, somewhat hilariously, also analytical and scientific to the core. She’s so convinced in the power of science over anything supposedly supernatural that she’s built a future-predicting Babbage machine – and then her sister is murdered, and she starts seeing her ghost. This volume revolves around Anna trying to come to terms with Kat’s death (and subsequent reappearance as a ghost) and find the murderer. Of course, it’s not just that simple – the murderer has to be someone at the circus, someone they’ve known and interacted with. Plus, there’s a fire, a power-happy sheriff, and signs that Kat’s ghost is not the only paranormal thing happening at the circus.



It’s a bit slow-going, at first, until Anna finds her twin sister Kat murdered in their train car. The pacing is pretty uneven, as there’s lots of backstory and side plots. The other circus performers are certainly characters, to make a silly pun, and I liked learning about their backstories. The art’s different than what I’m used to, but it grew on me, and I think it suits the story very well. It seems like all of the issues end on cliffhangers, even if they’re small ones, and the cliffhanger at the end of the book is a doozy. It was so abrupt, honestly, that I went and checked to make sure the file wasn’t corrupted.



Overall, I think this comic shows a lot of promise, and I’ll definitely be picking up the second issue!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Zoe Smolen

This was an enjoyable read. I always love a murder mystery and a circus story. The art is gorgeous, and it definitely breaks the boundaries of comics/graphic novels. The lack of resolution at the ending was not my cup of tea - it felt like it ended in the middle of an issue. I'm all for cliff hangers, but I thought this was a little too abrupt. Would be interested in Vol 2 when it comes out. I would like to solve the mystery! 

Thanks to Oni and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Stefie 

Okay, I started reading this book did not expect much because somehow books with circus or carnaval theme never really made me in love. Same with this book, I did not love it, I enjoyed this graphic novel, but whyyyy it ended there?
I feel like it would be much better if they actually did not leave me hanging like that :(

Overall, 3 stars.

*The digital copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you :)

Nora 

Maggie Gordon

Sisters Anna and Kat return for the second book of Megan Rose Gedris's paranormal circus murder mystery, Spectacle! A murder is tough thing to solve, even without temperamental performers, supernatural occurrences, and the ghost of the victim giving commentary. But as Kat's only link to the living world, it's up to scientifically-minded Anna to figure out who killed her sister—before any more murders rock the small traveling community. Yet as she gets closer to finding a lead, even more unbelievable events obscure the truth: roustabouts start sprouting horns, performers grow forked tongues, and a demon visits Anna's sleep at night. Does Kat know more than she's letting on? And can Anna keep the circus—let alone herself—safe?

Cassidy

Emily Walker

The third and final installment in the Spectacle trilogy by Megan Rose Gedris! From fake psychic to true believer, circus performer Anna finds herself dealing with the supernatural more and more, and is determined to use her growing powers to confront her sister's murderer. Has she finally figured out whodunit, and can she prove it before a demon does her in?

Spectacle

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