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49 reviews for:
A Once Crowded Sky
Tom Fowler, Tom King, Ruth Lee-Mui, David Ter-Avanesyan, Steve Bryant
3.15 AVERAGE
49 reviews for:
A Once Crowded Sky
Tom Fowler, Tom King, Ruth Lee-Mui, David Ter-Avanesyan, Steve Bryant
3.15 AVERAGE
I'm sure there is a fan base our there for this book, but I only made it about halfway through before giving up. The idea of superheroes robbed of their powers has been done in actual comics more than a few times, but it makes for good dramatic tension. Here, since you don't know any of the characters, it's hard to care much about their hopes, dreams, and struggles.
It felt kinda sexist at times so deffo not a 5 star - but I really enjoyed it! An excellent superhero comic book story lovingly written. A critical look at the comic fandom and why superhero stories are so important to us while simultaneously being a solid superhero story in its own right.
Okaaaaaay. Maybe a little too meta, jumbled... I think a second reading would help but I honestly have so many other books I want to read I probably won't for a very long time. Cool concept but didn't quite sweep me away, unfortunately.
An entertaining super-hero mystery. Imagine being the one hero who didn't make the sacrifice to save the world when everyone else did. Now you are the only one with powers left in a world that doesn't need them. All they are now are a constant reminder to others that you didn't stand with the real heroes.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Tom King as an author but wasn't a huge fan of this book.
The book absolutely drags. While the central mystery is interesting enough, there's so much time spent worldbuilding and developing characters who seem to have minor roles in the story. It helps the world feel lived in and the characters feel real at the expense of anything actually happening.
By the end I was pretty engaged until some decisions made me lack all interest in the outcome of the story. I'd recommend reading his comics - his editors there help to make him shine in a way that I don't feel this did.
This book isn't bad, it's just fine.
The book absolutely drags. While the central mystery is interesting enough, there's so much time spent worldbuilding and developing characters who seem to have minor roles in the story. It helps the world feel lived in and the characters feel real at the expense of anything actually happening.
By the end I was pretty engaged until some decisions made me lack all interest in the outcome of the story. I'd recommend reading his comics - his editors there help to make him shine in a way that I don't feel this did.
This book isn't bad, it's just fine.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Woah
I think the easy comparison here is Watchmen, in that it is a story of superheroes engulfed by a feeling of powerlessness. But King uses the iconography of superhero comics to create a story of existential longing that sets itself apart by not being nihilistic and being as spirited as the old comic books, before many felt a need to be "dark" to feign adulthood. This was a really great read that I enjoyed thoroughly.
I think the easy comparison here is Watchmen, in that it is a story of superheroes engulfed by a feeling of powerlessness. But King uses the iconography of superhero comics to create a story of existential longing that sets itself apart by not being nihilistic and being as spirited as the old comic books, before many felt a need to be "dark" to feign adulthood. This was a really great read that I enjoyed thoroughly.
The rating should probably be a little higher but I can’t help comparing it to what it could have been. The cover and title are beautiful. I want a poster of this cover. The title A Once Crowded Sky will live in my head for a long time. And the story itself had the potential to be incredible. But two things prevented me from getting there. One was the writing style. I struggle with the sparse style that almost reads more as a script than a book. It was choppy and stoic and made it hard to fall into the story. The bigger problem I had with it was the cynicism which is admittedly an even bigger personal preference thing than the writing style critique. The impulse to make a superhero story more “mature” or “real” by framing it through a cynical lens is missing the mark for me on what makes these stories worth telling. The idea of a better tomorrow and that goodness can make a difference has been the calling card of superhero stories for 85 years and gritty reimaginings of the genre feel incredibly hollow to me.
It had the makings to be an all-time favorite for me and more than anything else I’m just bummed at the route it took away from that promise.
It had the makings to be an all-time favorite for me and more than anything else I’m just bummed at the route it took away from that promise.