I first became aware of Marian Churchland thanks to her work on one of my favorite comics currently being published, Elephantmen. Her incredible sense of softness and beauty conveys a love for the characters that she is depicting on the page be it Hippopotamus/Human hybrid, beautiful woman, strange old crone, ruthless mercenary, or creature of shadow and smoke. She also has a great capacity for story-telling with both her art and her words. This is her first Original Graphic Novel and it most assuredly deserves all of those words. It is an original story that takes a few cues and concepts from the classic story The Beauty and The Beast. It is graphically stunning and when you find out how few tools she used to create the art on the page you'll find yourself even more flabbergasted. And while it might be a relatively quick read it is certainly and heartfelt and enjoyable story. 

Churchland's story centers around Collette, a young artist who has recently broken off a relationship with a boyfriend and who gets little work in her preferred medium, which is sculpture. Her father often gives her work that he can't fit into his schedule or whenever he hears about an opportunity to do some sculpture. The story starts with Collette meeting her father to go meet her new client, a gig that he has set up for her. She is going to be doing a portrait in marble, one of the greatest tasks a sculptor could ask for, but also a time intensive project that can make or break a career. 

Collette finds herself having to spend an awful lot of time in the home of her client with only really the matron of the home who doesn't seem to be much of a maid or a cook (so what brings her to the home?), and the household's dog to spend her time with. The story is one of deep self introspection and substandard Earl Grey Tea. A story of desire to create and confusion about the future of one's life. A story of new acquaintances and betrayals by old friends. A story of lost love, procrastination, passion, ancient memories, family drama, poor plumbing, smoke and shadows, and one piece of rather old and rather incredible Italian Marble.

This book is the kind of book that people who like Fables, Black Hole, God Save The Queen, Therefore Repent, and other stories that combine personal story telling styles and some sort of otherworldly concepts as well as the work of artists and creators like J.M. DeMattias, Salgood Sam, Terry Moore, Moritat, Joe Kelly, John J. Muth, and Kent Williams. 

And if you wind up checking out The Beast and liking it then I would also definitely check out the work she's done on Elephantmen which is collected in the trade paperback entitled "Damaged Goods" and if you like that then also check out the rest of Elephantmen, it's still one of my favorite books and it keeps introducing me to creators who are going to be making a whole lot of noise in the very near future ... next, I imagine, will be Chris Burnham.