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The World of Whimzies was once a park that enchanted guests with fully automated creations, from normal animals to mythological creatures. They interacted with guest, put on a show, and some were even trained to protect the two men who created and ran the park. Now, the park is a dilapidated palace of broken and rusted automations, with one bitter old man presiding over it. 

Lady Mechanika is on the case to find out who abducted Master Jiang, a toy and automation maker who was one half of the team that created the World of Whimzies. Her investigation has taken her into contact with the dangerous and ambitious Lord Blackpool who purchased Jiang's designs and may know something about his kidnapping. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Lewis has taken a job at The World of Whimzies to fix the automations. As he works under the careful and critical eye of the park's other creator, Mr. Whim, his girls enjoy the park's imaginative creations. The fun took a turn in the second issue when Mr. Lewis found the kidnapped Master Jiang, and now the two creators of the park are face to face once again. If that confrontation wasn't tense enough, Lady Mechanika seeks an audience with Lord Blackpool, and even if he tries to avoid her, the dogged hero will find him.  

This latest Lady Mechanika comic lives up to the great storytelling and unique look of previous tales. First of all, the steampunk theme gives this book a different look than most other comics. It combines a Victorian esthetic with an advanced version of the industrial revolution to create a retro-futuristic world.  

Lady Mechanika creator Joe Benitez is handling the art in this issue with Martin Montiel, while Sabine Rich and Mike Garcia are on the colors. They deliver a fairytale-like world that can be pretty or fantastical or menacing, depending on the situation. The automations can similarly evoke different emotions from the cute and cuddly kind to the intimidating harpy.  

The story is written by Madeleine Holly-Rosing (creator of the Boston Metaphysical Society), who clearly understands the character and the world that Benitez created. The dialogue reads like a 19th century story, and Holly-Rosing does not skimp on the conversations. It's a layered comic with characters who have complicated histories and dangers on more than one avenue.  

–Amanda Sheriff