rachelmanija | Cathedral Child, written and illustrated by Lea Hernandez

In a steampunk version of 1897 Texas, singing “tutors” for a giant computer called Cathedral (because it’s housed in one) try teach it self-awareness. The computer was built by Europeans on land belonging to the Latino/a “natives;” many years later, Latina tutor Glory and Sumner, the white son of one of the inventors, fall in love. Their romance becomes even more complicated than it would be anyway when Cathedral finally breaks through to sentience… and wants to incarnate in a human body. And then wishes become reality and it all gets very complicated.

The best elements of this comic are the atmosphere – Texas steampunk with people of color! – and the art, which is stylized, expressive, and often quite beautiful. The characters are more sketches than fully-realized personalities, and the story, particularly toward the end, devolves into a lot of confusing rushing around back and forth from the real world to virtual reality.

If my description sounds appealing to you, you should enjoy this. I did, despite its flaws.

Though Cathedral Child stands on its own, there is a sequel of sorts, though it sounds more like a loosely related story set in the same world: Clockwork Angels