When the rich and powerful are corrupt, you need a vigilante to expose them for who they truly are. Set in the fictional city of Gallery during the Victorian period, Lavender Jack follows the debonair, highly skilled titular character as he takes down the upper class, all while looking fantastic in his purple costume.
Created by Dan Schkade (Will Eisner’s The Spirit, Battlestar Galactica: Gods and Monsters, San Hannibal, The Fowl), the 2019 Ringo and Eisner-nominated web series offers an exciting mystery as Jack smoothly evades the world-famous detective Theresa Ferrier at every turn. Ferrier, who has been hired by the mayor of Gallery, is well past her prime, but her skills are still better than most. Even so, Lavender Jack deftly keeps her on her toes as he reveals more corruption in the city.
Each episode of the steampunk-style story is paced well, with excitement at every turn as more of the mystery unfolds. Even though Lavender Jack’s mission is pretty clear—take down the problematic upper class—there is obviously more to what is motivating him. The reader gets more to consider with each story entry, eventually learning what pushed him to do what he’s doing. The story never seems to slow, even when you think you have it all figured out.
One of the biggest draws is how layered it all is. Both Lavender Jack and Ferrier are complicated and fully fleshed out characters, which makes you more invested in the story from the beginning. The lines of good and bad are blurred as Ferrier begins to see more deeply into what is going on in Gallery. Each character also has a personal story that is intriguing and helps you understand their motivations even more.
Lavender Jack is currently in Season 2 on Webtoons, with new installments going up on Tuesdays. To begin reading the series for free, click here.
