Meet Layla, a runaway surviving the gritty streets of 1980s New York. As her powers and unborn child grow, the danger escalates. Experience the gripping tale of Sirens of the City #1 by BOOM! Studios!

SIRENS OF THE CITY #1

Writer: Joanne Starer
Artist: Khary Randolph
Colorist: Khary Randolph
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Editor: Dafna Pleban
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: July 12th, 2023 

Previously in Sirens of the City: This gritty urban fantasy, co-created by Joanne Starer (The Gimmick) and Excellence’s Khary Randolph, illuminates the importance of bodily autonomy in a patriarchal world.

Sirens of the City #1 starts with a dramatic scene where we meet Layla going into an abortion clinic in 1987 during an anti-abortion protest. As she is harassed, a man approaches her to “pray for her,” and she tells him to jump in front of a bus, which, to her surprise, he does. Two weeks later, Layla is begging on the streets of New York City, where we learn that she is looking for Diane Gold, who may have some information on who she is after she was kicked out of her foster family home.

Jerome, who knocked her up, interrupts her search, and he seems infatuated with her. Layla, though, wants nothing to do with it and tries to escape him. She finds herself invited to a party by Davi, a stranger who has taken an interest in her. Everyone is interested in her at this party because they realize she is a Siren. Layla then finds herself unknowingly in the middle of a confrontation between many supernatural forces who want to help or use her. But as she leaves the party, she is surrounded by demons and gargoyles as Davi follows her to keep her safe.

When I read the opening pages of Sirens of the City #1, I was hooked on the promise of the themes explored. But I found myself overwhelmed by the introduction of so many characters, so much so that I decided not to include them in the bulk of the review. The introduction of all these characters shows us how dangerous the world is for Layla, but in the process, it overwhelms the reader because I don’t have a grasp on who to trust. I don’t even know if the main character is someone I want to root for. I think this is by design by the creative team. By default, I want to root for Layla, but her introduction as a teenager getting an abortion and accidentally killing a man is tough to swallow as the dramatic hero. I’m interested to see her come into whatever role the creative team designs for her, though, and at the very least, this grabbed my attention enough to want to read the next issue.

The art here is also visually striking. I am impressed with the detail in the characters. The art is black and white and is accented with small splashes of color. The art is captivating and immediately caught my attention. Great work here.

I really like the ideas of Sirens of the City #1, and I think it has a ton of great ideas that could make for a unique approach to these tropes. Considering everything, this comic is a solid 4 out of 5. While it has its faults, I believe there are some fascinating themes to look at that could be engaging.

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Sirens of the City #1

80%

80%

Unique Ideas

Sirens of the City #1 delves into complex themes, which can sometimes overwhelm the reader with too many characters and ideas.

• Writing

  7
• Art

  9
• Coloring

  8
• User Ratings (1 Votes)
  8