Review by Karl Verhoven

It should be stated from the start that if you’ve not read previous instalments of Casanova, Acedia is going to make little sense. Even those who’ve read all three previous volumes aren’t going to have much of an idea, although they will recognise people.

The events of Avarita seemed to have drawn a line under Casanova Quinn’s exploits, and perhaps they did, but when there are infinite worlds can anything ever be finite? Here we have Quentin Cassidy, a seemingly very talented young man who certainly resembles the Casanova of old as drawn by Fábio Moon, yet who has no memory. However, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…

Quentin works for the immensely rich Amiel Boutique, a man also lacking a past before his thirties, who decides it’s now time that past is investigated. Also, if some occultists are to be believed, the world will end in nine days. While there’s strangeness, this isn’t the place of super science, the familiar faces are seen in new roles, and readers of the earlier series may draw some comfort that in this reality a lot of things are working out.

The art certainly is, again joyously created. It’s Moon back on the lead strip, although such is the frenetic similarity of both his art and that of Gabriel Bá that you’ll have to study the pages to know the difference.

Fraction also invites author Michael Chabon into his world for a back-up strip ‘The Metanauts’, and Chabon supplies a fine line in imitation, even down to incomprehensible dialogue like “If your J.I.M.M.Y. does fail and you step on one it could push us into stage 5 chronoclasm”. However, back-up strip it may be, and superbly drawn by Bá, but it shares the theme of people wanting to kill Casanova Quinn.

The final chapter here provides the answers Quentin has been researching, a timeline spread out before readers displaying how a man is made. It’s brutal, it’s painful and it’s tragic, no matter what followed in Boutique’s life.

Volume Two is the conclusion, and as with all Casanova, there’s no point in speculating as to what’s going on because Fraction is a long-term professional at this writing gig and smarter than you. Go with the flow and enjoy the wild creativity.

Unlike the previous three Casanova stories there is no hardcover collection of Acedia.