Lure

By Lane Milburn. Published by Fantagraphics.

Hardcover, 192 pages, Colour, 2021.

In this SF graphic novel, a group of idealistic young artists from Earth are commissioned to collaborate on a corporate art project for a planet that has been colonized for luxury living.

The world's elite use the ocean planet of Lure as a luxury vacation hub for a decade. But when climate change threatens Earth's long-term habitability, many of those who can afford it move to Lure for good. When the opportunity to work there for a year is offered to visual artist Jo Sparta, as part of a group of artists collaborating on a large-scale installation of public art, it seems like the chance of a lifetime. But then, Jo stumbles across a nefarious plot by her corporate benefactors and feels compelled to go public. Lure showcases Milburn's rich visual imagination, with the planet Lure itself an ever-seductive, otherworldly paradise against which he spotlights themes of climate change, the disparity of wealth, and the value of art — all in the service of a grippingly moral thriller.

"This finely drawn tale offers a critical but still hopeful look at a not-too-distant future." — Publishers Weekly

"A touching and brilliant look at how capitalist forces co-opt artistic creativity." — The AV Club

"Lure explores ideas of wealth, art and colonialism. ... A vital graphic novel for our times." — Screen Rant

"With stunning color contrasts, imaginative ideas for this speculative world, and soft lines that evoke Tillie Walden, Lure definitely, well, lured me into wanting a copy for myself." — Panel Patter

"A quiet document of ecological anxiety and post-graduate ennui." — AIPT