After the critically acclaimed The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, the team of Ram V and Filipe Andrade is back at BOOM! Studios with Rare Flavours #1. But how does this new title hold up against the high mark of the previous series?
We reviewed the book on this week’s Stack podcast. But in the interest of highlighting more about the title, here’s a summary of the conversation with our thoughts. And if you prefer the longer audio version, that’s below as well!
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Rare Flavours #1 Review:
Before even getting into the plot, the Comic Book Club team lauded Andrade’s art. Pete LePage calling it “breathtaking,” “absolutely beautiful” and “magnificent.” In particular, he called out the almost watercolor-esque pastels Andrade uses throughout the book.
As for the plot, all three hosts agree that it was slowly played out in the first issue, as the demonic Rubin Baksh recruits a documentary filmmaker to follow him on an Anthony Bourdain-style tour of India. Justin Tyler felt that the book was “next door” to Laila Starr, and even while the plot took its time, “the story pulled me in… There’s a lot of characters swirling [around] this idea, and a lovely little recipe in the middle.”
Alex Zalben also agreed, noting that the pacing — and the inclusion of the recipe — almost felt manga-esque, more like the beginning of a volume than a full story. That said, he (and the other hosts) are looking forward to the second issue, given the “fascinating” beginning.
Rare Flavours #1 Official Synopsis:
Meet Rubin Baksh, a demonic Rakshasa with a down-to-earth dream of becoming the next Anthony Bourdain. To make his dream come true, Rubin enlists Mo, a down-on-his-luck filmmaker, to document the world-renowned cuisine of India and the people behind the glorious, flavourful food. But little does Mo know that there’s more to Rubin than meets the eye, and the mortals play a darker role in the show than they were prepared for…
