Reviews

It’s an entertaining read, as are many similar contributions to the cosmic horror genre. Unfortunately, it doesn’t provide anything really new or exciting. Its main merit lies in its stark illustrations and well-realized early portrayal of helplessness.

daisyheadmaesie's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 black stars out of 5

"What little the world allows us to know only comes to be known after it's been experienced.

By then, it's always too late."

This is one of the toughest reviews I've had to make. I both loved it and hated it.

Black Stars Above is a refreshing take on Lovecraftian sci-fi horror. The art is incredibly unsettling from beginning to end, and rarely have I spent multiple days sifting through a single graphic novel, wanting to absorb as much as possible. I found Eulalie Dubois to be a fascinating main character, perseverant while remaining introspective.

But here are the drawbacks: The text attempted to be so poetic it became cryptic, at times clunky. While I appreciated the parallels they were trying to make to colonialism, "half breedism", and the isolation caused by Eulalie's inability to fit into either of her cultural backgrounds, the execution of it all was too muddy for me.

Maybe it should've been longer? Would've given more time to explore certain branches of the storyline that were incredibly interesting but sped through. It certainly could've made aspects of the plot clearer.

This isn't a book I'll be quick to forget, however, so I suppose the story was still a success.