“86 Voltz: The Dead Girl”
Written by Michael Avon Oeming and Brian J.L. Glass
Art and cover by Michael Avon Oeming
2005
A very good although ignored graphic novel that would have made for a good on-going series. It tells the story of a girl reanimated by only 86 Volts of electricity. Thus her name: 86 Volts. She awakens from death with no memories and no voice. She realizes that she is endowed with the ability to generate and manipulate vast amounts of electricity. She will need them, and help from a mysterious spirit guide, to defeat an evil supernatural menace.
The character is literally a blank slate and must find her way through the world of the living. Her origin and powers make her sort of a combination of Frank from Mike Allred’s “Madman” and the Superman villain Livewire (who like her Batman counterpart Harley Quinn crossed over from the animated TV show to the comics and the regular DC comics continuity.).
I hope that Image comics and the creative team revisit this idea and this character. It would make a great companion comic to the likes of “Hellboy”, “Madman” and “The Astounding Wolf-Man” with its mix of super hero tropes and gothic horror elements.
