THE GLASS SCIENTISTS

Dr. Jekyll must confront Mr. Hyde’s waking nightmares—and his own heart—in order to save the Society for Arcane Science in this second series entry.

Dr. Jekyll and the society have two weeks to raise enough funding to keep their sanctuary for rogue scientists from going bankrupt. There’s just one problem: Hyde. Locked away in Jekyll’s mind without parole, Hyde unleashes a gaggle of nightmarish hallucinations that plague Jekyll everywhere he goes. The frights prove enough to give Hyde a moment of control over their body, and he sets himself free. But when Hyde leads the cops right to his beloved Blackfog Bazaar, he puts the society’s Grand Exhibition at risk once again. The only way for Jekyll to regain his autonomy is to discover the truth of Hyde’s origins, face their unhappiness, and come to terms with their lost love, Dr. Robert Lanyon. The emphasis on a smaller cast of characters gives this volume structure, depth of character, and a dynamic plot. The work features gorgeous illustrations and well-handled issues surrounding LGBTQ+ friendships and romance, classism, and subversion of the patriarchy. There’s a mismatch, however, between the cartoonlike style of the art, which cues a younger audience, and the content, which follows adult characters. Jekyll and Hyde are queer and read white; secondary characters are diverse in ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.

A visually enticing work that effectively explores complex themes.