The Periodic Adventures of Señor 105 - Volume 2
by Stuart Douglas, Selina Lock, and Jay Eales
Ebook collection available now
Paperback/ebook available October 31
The Periodic Adventures of Señor 105 - Volume 1 (reviewed here) served as a jumping-off point for readers new to the Doctor Who-adjacent Lucha Libre series. Those first three novellas introduced 105, his allies Sheila and Rodrigo (with a hat tip to Iris Wildthyme), and the various themes one was likely to see in his adventures. With those stories firmly under our belts, it's time to get wacky. Or, perhaps, wackier.
This second volume collects three more installments: "Señor 105 and the Secret Santa" by Stuart Douglas, "Green Eyed and Grim" by Selina Lock, and "The Five Faces of Fear" by Jay Eales." These are three names that should be very familiar to regular Obverse readers (and not just because one of them runs the publisher): all three have contributed iconic stories to different corners of Obverse's various franchises, and these are no exception. Across the board, all three stories are more fantastical and more action-packed, with lots more fighting (both in and out of the ring) for 105.
"Señor 105 and the Secret Santa" brings to mind René Cardona's 1959 Santa Claus (appropriate, as Cardona directed one of the El Santo films), with 105 crossing paths with both St. Nick and the Devil. However, this story presents a much more enticing backstory for these epitomes of good and evil, interlaced with more larger-than-life figures. It's a bold story to take on, and yet it ends up extremely satisfying by the end.
"Green Eyed and Grim" throws 105 in the ring for a charity match, but the hero soon finds himself toe-to-toe with literal Grim Reapers. As with the preceding novella, this one does excellent work grounding a familiar figure in (what for many readers will be) unfamiliar lore. The guest cast in particular shines here, as brother and sister reapers Callum and Arella face down the more existential aspect of their job.
Last and most certainly not least is "The Five Faces of Fear," which introduces amnesiac fighter El Futuro. There's plenty of fun to be had meeting old friends of 105 (including a cheeky nod to that one Five Doctors photoshoot). The real joy, though, is in the propulsion forward of a certain secondary character's subplot. The narrative skips around in time, hinting at multiple futures for 105 and his friends... or, potentially, foes.
Where Volume 1 was a friendly on-boarding, Volume 2 is outright cinematic. I'm a big fan of well-written action scenes, and there's plenty of those in this second collection. If the first collection got you on board, the second will keep you around for the long haul.
TEA PAIRING: Candy Cane Forest
Not solely because of the Santa story (okay, kinda because of the Santa story), this limited-edition tea will be a good fit for a read-along. It's a sweet, strong peppermint candy black tea. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters!
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