[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Actually, I received the first 6 parts, now gathered in this volu[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Actually, I received the first 6 parts, now gathered in this volume, so I thought I might as well review everything at once.
The 6 books are a blend between "traditional" comics and manga, especially in the themes and graphic style.
I found the art gorgeous—the cover got me interested even before I read what the book was about—with its seinen-style style softened in parts with rougher lines, and the way it pictures a civilisation both refined and savage, through the auction and the Cumaea, on a backdrop of war with "monsters" (the arcanics). The Cumaea reminded me of a kind of medieval-flavoured order of "nuns" who hunt and capture monsters to perform cruel scientific experiments on them. Also, characters reminiscent of eastern folklore, like the kitsune-type child, coexist with more "western" characters (the little cyclops or angel-winged kid). Said art remains impressive throughout the whole volume, able to convey both harshness and a certain softness: gorgeous landscapes, expressive characters, and creepy features when it comes to the more monstrous parts. (It seemed slightly darker in issue 5, and I'm not sure if it's on purpose or a matter of different inks, but I find it's quite fitting, reflecting the way the story is evolving (towards darker revelations and purposes).)
The first part follows Maika, a fierce young woman who looks but isn't human, as she's "bought" by a Cumaea nun and brought into their compound. Gifted with a strange power she cannot fully control, Maika is looking for answers, and isn't shy about dirtying her hands to get them. The reader is also introduced here to a few other characters, some who will likely appear in other issues, and others who probably won't... but I suspect their shadow won't vanish as easily, and we'll still hear about them.
In the second part, we get to discover the world outside, and not through a couple of flashbacks only. While Maika and the little kitsune manage to find a friendly woman to help them travel, the Cumaea's badass and ruthless leadership is unveiled some more... and the world itself is not the least ruthless of all, what's with the war still looming over its inhabitants. Not to mention the various uses of lilium.
Part 3 highlights the gruesome truths of the world (that "mountain" on the last two pages...), among which what's hiding within Maika. Literally, may I add. The monster is revealing itself, and it is scary. Yet at the same time, beauty remains in that world, too: in its landscapes, in the costumes (Maika in her simple dress tends to make one forget the Cumaea's clothes), in the wonders it may also contain. Kippa the cute fox-kid also plays more of a role, discarding an opportunity for running away to behave bravely instead. It may not seem much, but... but that kid is cute, and a little cuteness is not unwelcome in that world.
Part 4 and 5 also introduce more players, like the Warlord and the Queen, and the plot thickens (hints about what happened in Constantine). And in part 5 and 6, we get to see more of the mysterious Dusk Court, who have their own sources of information and their own plans for Maika, and even sent a bodyguard sent to escort her to their lands. Meanwhile, the Cumaea make their moves as well, and some of them are also in a long game, more than meet the eye for sure. Also, what is being done to these poor kids downstairs, and are the cats their guardians, or here to suppress their powers, or?...
As for part 6, this collection of first issues ends with a cliffhanger that doesn't bode so well for Maika. Cosmic irony much? I am sad that I won't get to find all the answers now, yet I'm also glad that the plot isn't too simplistic noro "drowned" in pretty panels.
Notes:
- I find it particularly interesting that most important characters are females (men are mostly seen in passing), but in a way that doesn't get pointed at: they aren't strong or important "in spite of" being female (the way you unfortunately see in too many works of fiction), they just ARE, which is great. And speaking of the Warlord... haven't we seen that face?
- I'm not sure if the "Awakening" volume also containes the "cat lessons" that were at the end of each individual issue. I found them interesting, and I didn't mind the infoo-dump since it wasn't imposed within the story itself, so all's good for me in that regard.
Conclusion: Definitely a graphic novel I want to keep reading, for its wonderful art (both soft and harsh, a little weird, creepy in places, and with beautiful landscapes and buildings) as well as for the direction the story seems to be taking: Maika's stay at the compound is only the beginning. So many questions, and hopefully many answers to come... in the next collection of issues.
Merged review:
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Actually, I received the first 6 parts, now gathered in this volume, so I thought I might as well review everything at once.
The 6 books are a blend between "traditional" comics and manga, especially in the themes and graphic style.
I found the art gorgeous—the cover got me interested even before I read what the book was about—with its seinen-style style softened in parts with rougher lines, and the way it pictures a civilisation both refined and savage, through the auction and the Cumaea, on a backdrop of war with "monsters" (the arcanics). The Cumaea reminded me of a kind of medieval-flavoured order of "nuns" who hunt and capture monsters to perform cruel scientific experiments on them. Also, characters reminiscent of eastern folklore, like the kitsune-type child, coexist with more "western" characters (the little cyclops or angel-winged kid). Said art remains impressive throughout the whole volume, able to convey both harshness and a certain softness: gorgeous landscapes, expressive characters, and creepy features when it comes to the more monstrous parts. (It seemed slightly darker in issue 5, and I'm not sure if it's on purpose or a matter of different inks, but I find it's quite fitting, reflecting the way the story is evolving (towards darker revelations and purposes).)
The first part follows Maika, a fierce young woman who looks but isn't human, as she's "bought" by a Cumaea nun and brought into their compound. Gifted with a strange power she cannot fully control, Maika is looking for answers, and isn't shy about dirtying her hands to get them. The reader is also introduced here to a few other characters, some who will likely appear in other issues, and others who probably won't... but I suspect their shadow won't vanish as easily, and we'll still hear about them.
In the second part, we get to discover the world outside, and not through a couple of flashbacks only. While Maika and the little kitsune manage to find a friendly woman to help them travel, the Cumaea's badass and ruthless leadership is unveiled some more... and the world itself is not the least ruthless of all, what's with the war still looming over its inhabitants. Not to mention the various uses of lilium.
Part 3 highlights the gruesome truths of the world (that "mountain" on the last two pages...), among which what's hiding within Maika. Literally, may I add. The monster is revealing itself, and it is scary. Yet at the same time, beauty remains in that world, too: in its landscapes, in the costumes (Maika in her simple dress tends to make one forget the Cumaea's clothes), in the wonders it may also contain. Kippa the cute fox-kid also plays more of a role, discarding an opportunity for running away to behave bravely instead. It may not seem much, but... but that kid is cute, and a little cuteness is not unwelcome in that world.
Part 4 and 5 also introduce more players, like the Warlord and the Queen, and the plot thickens (hints about what happened in Constantine). And in part 5 and 6, we get to see more of the mysterious Dusk Court, who have their own sources of information and their own plans for Maika, and even sent a bodyguard sent to escort her to their lands. Meanwhile, the Cumaea make their moves as well, and some of them are also in a long game, more than meet the eye for sure. Also, what is being done to these poor kids downstairs, and are the cats their guardians, or here to suppress their powers, or?...
As for part 6, this collection of first issues ends with a cliffhanger that doesn't bode so well for Maika. Cosmic irony much? I am sad that I won't get to find all the answers now, yet I'm also glad that the plot isn't too simplistic noro "drowned" in pretty panels.
Notes:
- I find it particularly interesting that most important characters are females (men are mostly seen in passing), but in a way that doesn't get pointed at: they aren't strong or important "in spite of" being female (the way you unfortunately see in too many works of fiction), they just ARE, which is great. And speaking of the Warlord... haven't we seen that face?
- I'm not sure if the "Awakening" volume also containes the "cat lessons" that were at the end of each individual issue. I found them interesting, and I didn't mind the infoo-dump since it wasn't imposed within the story itself, so all's good for me in that regard.
Conclusion: Definitely a graphic novel I want to keep reading, for its wonderful art (both soft and harsh, a little weird, creepy in places, and with beautiful landscapes and buildings) as well as for the direction the story seems to be taking: Maika's stay at the compound is only the beginning. So many questions, and hopefully many answers to come... in the next collection of issues....more
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I was a little less satisfied with this one than with volume one. It’s still a[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I was a little less satisfied with this one than with volume one. It’s still a pleasant read, and I definitely like the artwork as much as I did originally, but after the cliffhanger on which volume 1 ends, I was expecting a little more in this one. Instead, what Lya finds leads to more questions (not necessarily a bad thing in itself), yet in the end, the additional answers she gets aren’t so interesting. At least for me, the latter probably stems from the fact we do get a name at last, but it doesn’t have much impact. (I’m trying hard not to spoil anything here, so let’s say that it’s akin to someone being super known/loved in certain circles, but if you’re not part of these circles/not interested in that person, you don’t feel emotionally involved in their lives.)
Merged review:
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I was a little less satisfied with this one than with volume one. It’s still a pleasant read, and I definitely like the artwork as much as I did originally, but after the cliffhanger on which volume 1 ends, I was expecting a little more in this one. Instead, what Lya finds leads to more questions (not necessarily a bad thing in itself), yet in the end, the additional answers she gets aren’t so interesting. At least for me, the latter probably stems from the fact we do get a name at last, but it doesn’t have much impact. (I’m trying hard not to spoil anything here, so let’s say that it’s akin to someone being super known/loved in certain circles, but if you’re not part of these circles/not interested in that person, you don’t feel emotionally involved in their lives.)...more
Thoroughly enjoyable story, featuring witches, a teenage werewolf trying to kill a demon, protagonists w[I got a copy of this book through Edelweiss.]
Thoroughly enjoyable story, featuring witches, a teenage werewolf trying to kill a demon, protagonists who're in general not the average white protagonist, and LGBTQ relationships....more
[I received a copy of this book through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.]
This comic reads quickly: the story flows from page to page, and [I received a copy of this book through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.]
This comic reads quickly: the story flows from page to page, and there's no lagging behind. After the first few pages of Cleo’s life at school and with her father, with a short insight of what’s been happening behind the scenes, Invasion Day is here, and they both have to run for their lives. All the while, they to maintain a semblance of normalcy, such as when they find shelter at abandoned houses, living in the remnants of another family now gone or dead, or meet other survivors and have to make a quick choice between driving them away or being simply human and welcoming them.
The relationship between Cleo and Alex was a touching one. Very early on, it is obvious that her father won’t be who we met in the first chapter, and Cleo has to fight her distrust while not really having many other choices than either going with him or being all alone. Gradually, she learns to accept this new balance in her life, learn to follow at first, then fight a little, then fight more. And while she is obviously sad and has her small breaking points, she also keeps her smile and courage up, and doesn’t give up.
The downside of this fast pace is that it goes a little too quickly at times—especially when there are several panels without dialogues—and as a result, there isn’t that much room for character development. The latter is partly left to the reader to imagine, by filling in the blanks, but this is a somewhat uneventful process, and leaves a slight feeling of blankness at times.
Nevertheless, I did like this first volume, as well as its ending (both positive and at the same time highlighting the protagonists’ fight as “one against the world”, so to speak). 3 to 3.5 stars....more
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A fairly good story about Lya, a young woman who’s been left a pa[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A fairly good story about Lya, a young woman who’s been left a paraplegic after a hit-and-run when she was 17. Four years have passed, and she’s as decided as ever to find out what really happened: the person who hit her left her for dead and never alerted anyone, which meant she was discovered only hours later… a few hours that made all the difference between her getting her ability to walk back and remaining in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. So, her investigation and her motives are definitely understandable, and something that made me root for her.
I found the drawing style really beautiful, all in softness and subtlety (the black/dark line-art that’s very typical of comics is absent here), while also deftly making use of different colour palettes depending on the atmosphere it depicts, especially reds and blues.
The characters, in general, are engaging, even though they’re not necessarily very deep: Lya is brave and determined (not only to discover the truth, but also simply to live her life without letting her disability get in the way). Her best friend, Antoine, supports her all the way in both these endeavours, and helps her as best as he can. Adèle, the receptionist, is a bubbly young woman who immediately helps Lya get her marks at the practice. De Villegan, the lawyer, is antipathic and yells at his own intern, and looks like the perfect villain. There is room for more surprises in that regard, but their roles are quickly and easily defined, with the clichés this implies.
The investigation itself is not complex, as mostly what Lya needs it to read a file kept at the practice, but the story doesn’t shy away from limitations that an able-bodied person wouldn’t mean: the archives are only accessible by stairs, and so Lya has to be creative as to how she’s going to access them—getting discouraged and giving up is never an option for her. The downside for me was that while she encountered setbacks, I thought they were (too) easily circumvented, so there wasn’t so much tension to speak of here.
This first volume ends on a strong cliffhanger, and I guess this will be a make-it-or-break-it-deal for more than one person. This said, I did find it quite appropriate: if you’re going to have a cliffhanger, might as well have this one (and not one based on something else in the story).
Conclusion: 3 stars because all in all, I liked the story and the art, and want to read volume 2, but the pacing and tension could’ve been handled better....more
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.]
This is a very short book in the shape of a graphic novel/comics, so there’s no excuse not to read [I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.]
This is a very short book in the shape of a graphic novel/comics, so there’s no excuse not to read it. ;)
While I’m not particularly vocal about it when I write book reviews, and while the name I use is ‘feminine’, I don’t identify as a woman—my sex is female, but my gender is non-binary (more specifically, agender). So, it’s always mildly annoying at best when people keep referring to me as ‘she’. Sometimes they just don’t know, and of course, if I don’t tell them, they won’t know… therefore I tell them. Sometimes, too, other people just don’t care, or it forces them to reevaluate their paradigm, and, well, things don’t go so well in such cases.
Therefore I truly appreciate such books as this one—short and to the point, again: no excuse—that explain what it’s all about, and why it matters. Because being called ‘she’ is as much incomfortable for me as it is for a man who identifies as a man to be called ‘she’, for instance. (Also, for the grammar purists who say that ‘there’s only he and she pronouns, and they as a singular isn’t right’: singular they has been in use since the 14th century or so. Just saying.)
To be honest, I’m not entirely fan of the graphic style here; however, it is cute, with fun moments, and the art IMHO isn’t what matters the most in this book.
Except for a couple of things I wasn’t too sure about, mostly the two characters (Archie and Tristan) run you through a quick explanation of non-binary vs. cisgender (‘quick’, because the whole thing detailed would take a book of its own), situations about how to use they/them pronouns, and examples of misgendering and how to react to it tastefully, whether you’re the one being misgendered or an ally. Among such situations, when loved ones misgender you, but you know they’re supportive in plenty of other ways, ranting is not useful. But sometimes, too, when people deliberately refuse to acknowledge you (binary or non-binary, this is part of your identity, after all), and make fun of you and/or are deliberately hurtful, it’s also good to be reminded that it’s OK to let go of what is, all in all, abusive. It’s not easy to accept… but it’s true.
This book is a good introduction to the matter, easy to follow and understand, and one that you can also apply to other pronouns like ze/hir (yes, there are more than just the few mentioned here). Even though it’s not exhaustive, it paves the way for further reading for anyone who’s interested....more
[I received a copy of this book through Netgalley.]
Not sure where chronologically this volume is set, among the other ‘Lady Mechanika’ ones. In this s[I received a copy of this book through Netgalley.]
Not sure where chronologically this volume is set, among the other ‘Lady Mechanika’ ones. In this story, Mechanika travels to Mexico without a goal, grieving for her friend Dallas, and finds herself taking a room in a village whose inhabitants are about to celebrate the dead.
The characters she meets throughout the pages were in general endearing and friendly, passing along their traditions and encouraging Mechanika to have fun for the sake of fun itself, and teaching her of a different way to celebrate her departed ones. To be fair, I don’t know that much about this specific tradition, but from what I know, the comics seemed to respect it and try to delve into it deeper than just ‘oh hey let’s paint skull faces’—a welcome addition.
Less steampunk-oriented than the previous volumes, the story follows some typical western codes: a village terrorised by bandits, and a lone vigilante stepping up to defend them. Not an unwelcome change, although in terms of scenario and plot twists, it was easy to guess where this was going, and that made the story unexceptional in that regard.
The art and style remain very good in this volume, too, mixing Victorian and steampunkish aesthetics with more traditional ‘Día de Muertos’ ones, including costumes and face paint. The latter somehow contributed to keeping the ‘outlandish costuming’ toned down, in that apart from one short corset, Mechanika appears in clothing that looks more tribal, but also easier to move in (much as I like the style, the ‘tiny corset + narrow sleeves’ combo is an awful one for fighting, so I’m all for graphically striking options that are also convenient). If just for the art, this series is definitely worth reading....more
[I received a copy of this book through Netgalley.]
I put up reading that one, thinking it’d spoil me too much about some of the Dreaden Files books I [I received a copy of this book through Netgalley.]
I put up reading that one, thinking it’d spoil me too much about some of the Dreaden Files books I haven’t read yet, but, uhm, turned out it didn’t. Or maybe I’ve ‘forgotten’ just enough details from the books that whatever may have been a spoiler, I just didn’t realise it? Oh well. Good thing in any case.
Globally an entertaining story, with high stakes of the kind you’d find in one of the novels, and a plan coming from a devious enemy who’s clearly understood how to pit people against each other. Because, as silly as it may sound, sometimes the people in charge do act in what appears to be the non-smart way just not to lose face—as much as I find it non-rational, previous plots in the Dresden Files have seen the tension mount enough for this to be believable. This was helped by pretty dynamic fight/action scenes. Also, bonus point for little Karrin and her dad.
On the downside: - As usual with a lot of comics, I could do without the sexualised-woman-poses, many of which looked definitely weird (you know, those ‘let’s strike a sexy pose while wielding heavy weapons, it’s not as if I need my balance for that’ poses). Just like that scene in the hospital, where a character’s wounds are listed, but when you see said character in bed, well… That didn’t look like such a beaten up and bruised body to me. - That ending. WTF? In a way, it made sense, but it was so totally anti-climatic that I kept looking to see if I hadn’t missed a few more pages in the book.
So, yes… Something like 2.5 stars, because mostly it kept me entertained, right until that odd ending?...more
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