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sarabz's review
4.0
Great characters and you can tell that Ahmed knows Detroit well - the city feels very well imagined and three dimensional. I thought the mystery part could have been developed with a little more depth though.
midnightreads1803's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Hate crime, Body horror, Violence, Racism, Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
ketallpot's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ogreart's review
4.0
Interesting blend of genres. I enjoyed the story. Silly thing that bothers me about the book: I am not comfortable with all the smoking in the book, but it was the early seventies. I sort of remember everyone smoking back then.
tomesproject's review
4.0
closer to a 3.5-3.75/5, but I'm bumping it up to 4 because of how much I liked the overall story. The writing felt a little clunky at the beginning, but then I fell into the way Ahmed wrote the characters and the story. So, the main thing I didn't really appreciate about this was (I don't know if it has an actual name, but I call it "queerleading"), re: Abbot's sexuality. I assume this is something that came from the writer because BOOM! publishes a lot of queer, f/f stories that are more central to the story. So, ostensibly, Abbot is maybe bi or pan? She is mentioned and we often see her with her ex-husband, she had another great love that was a man, but halfway through the book, we're introduced to another woman. Abbot has history with this woman, and it's kind of coded in a way that's queer. Then she essentially disappears until the end of the book where they kiss on like the last page.
There's nothing wrong with that, I guess? Romance just wasn't at the forefront of the story. However, we spend a lot of time with Abbott and her ex-husband and Abbott and this young boy with a crush on her, and in those scenes, or directly following those scenes, there's a lot of *wink wink* maybe they'll get back together. So, if you're looking for a f/f romance or a queer relationship, don't come here for that, it's more of a sprinkle on top. Come here for a wild story about a black, female investigative journalist, who starts to discover something supernatural in 1970s Detroit.
There's nothing wrong with that, I guess? Romance just wasn't at the forefront of the story. However, we spend a lot of time with Abbott and her ex-husband and Abbott and this young boy with a crush on her, and in those scenes, or directly following those scenes, there's a lot of *wink wink* maybe they'll get back together. So, if you're looking for a f/f romance or a queer relationship, don't come here for that, it's more of a sprinkle on top. Come here for a wild story about a black, female investigative journalist, who starts to discover something supernatural in 1970s Detroit.
perilous1's review
2.0
2.5 Stars
A 70's era urban fantasy with a noir flavor, seasoned with a touch of horror. There's some likely appeal here for fans of Lovecraft and/or World of Darkness.
In this chosen-one narrative trope, Elena Abbott is the "Lightbringer"--who wields, you guessed it, light, to immediate and dramatic effect against the ghoulish mythical Frankenstein-like creations that have been sent to kill her. Why is she so special? That's not something that's mentioned or hinted at in these first five installments. (The supernatural side to the worldbuilding is a bit sparse, so I'm not sure how long one would need to progress before finding a satisfying answer to that.)
The story is a bit slow to get going but does establish the setting with great depth. The above-par illustrations do justice to the sense for Detroit 50+ years ago, with a vivid conveyance of culture and aesthetics. Racism and misogyny feature front and center as the confronting themes throughout.
The first time we see one of the creatures that solidify this as a supernatural tale, it's legitimately unsettling. I have to give kudos on that.
It's also immediately obvious (if one considers the gory slayings Abbot has been reporting on) what has happened--at least in part. But strangely, it takes the intrepid Abbott herself a while longer to figure this out. I would chalk it up to a hesitancy to believe in the paranormal... but she's regularly haunted by the memory of a beloved boyfriend who was murdered by a clearly supernatural source. Likewise, Abbott isn't quick to pick up on the one and only thing that can do more than just momentarily inconvenience the occult abominations she encounters. Which, her new moniker sheds plenty of...light...on. >.> (Okay, I'm sorry.)
This reader's mixed feelings are furthered in regards to the MC. While it was nice to see Abbott flip a few stereotypes on their heads, the hardboiled hard-drinking, chain-smoking reporter bit still came off as cliche. I had a hard time connecting with her on any real emotional level. Perhaps because the only time she wasn't pulling off stoic cynicism (Occultic spidey-sense aside) was in her flashbacks to the lovey-dovey relationship with her murdered boyfriend.
The villain had an intriguing premise... but his motives seemed thin, and his characterization was one-dimensional. If you're a fan of compelling bad guys, this may prove a spot of disappointment.
A 70's era urban fantasy with a noir flavor, seasoned with a touch of horror. There's some likely appeal here for fans of Lovecraft and/or World of Darkness.
In this chosen-one narrative trope, Elena Abbott is the "Lightbringer"--who wields, you guessed it, light, to immediate and dramatic effect against the ghoulish mythical Frankenstein-like creations that have been sent to kill her. Why is she so special? That's not something that's mentioned or hinted at in these first five installments. (The supernatural side to the worldbuilding is a bit sparse, so I'm not sure how long one would need to progress before finding a satisfying answer to that.)
The story is a bit slow to get going but does establish the setting with great depth. The above-par illustrations do justice to the sense for Detroit 50+ years ago, with a vivid conveyance of culture and aesthetics. Racism and misogyny feature front and center as the confronting themes throughout.
The first time we see one of the creatures that solidify this as a supernatural tale, it's legitimately unsettling. I have to give kudos on that.
It's also immediately obvious (if one considers the gory slayings Abbot has been reporting on) what has happened--at least in part. But strangely, it takes the intrepid Abbott herself a while longer to figure this out. I would chalk it up to a hesitancy to believe in the paranormal... but she's regularly haunted by the memory of a beloved boyfriend who was murdered by a clearly supernatural source. Likewise, Abbott isn't quick to pick up on the one and only thing that can do more than just momentarily inconvenience the occult abominations she encounters. Which, her new moniker sheds plenty of...light...on. >.> (Okay, I'm sorry.)
This reader's mixed feelings are furthered in regards to the MC. While it was nice to see Abbott flip a few stereotypes on their heads, the hardboiled hard-drinking, chain-smoking reporter bit still came off as cliche. I had a hard time connecting with her on any real emotional level. Perhaps because the only time she wasn't pulling off stoic cynicism (Occultic spidey-sense aside) was in her flashbacks to the lovey-dovey relationship with her murdered boyfriend.
The villain had an intriguing premise... but his motives seemed thin, and his characterization was one-dimensional. If you're a fan of compelling bad guys, this may prove a spot of disappointment.
drecords's review
2.0
I was really hoping for something more with this. I absolutely loved Ahmed’s Miles Morales run and also loved Brubaker/Phillips hard-boiled + Lovecraft comics that this series seemed to vibe. Instead, it was an overly-simplified story with dialogue serving only as exposition which isn’t great for the medium. Maybe I just wanted Fatale.
balletbookworm's review
5.0
From my first round of Pigeon/TBR recs from Book Riot.
An immersive, one-two punch from Saladin Ahmed on story and Sami Kivelä on art that explores the racial politics of 1970s Detroit while also giving us a supernatural-horror plot. Elena Abbot as tough investigative journalist is a smashing lead character.
An immersive, one-two punch from Saladin Ahmed on story and Sami Kivelä on art that explores the racial politics of 1970s Detroit while also giving us a supernatural-horror plot. Elena Abbot as tough investigative journalist is a smashing lead character.
ppetropoulakis's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot. Part detective story, part mythical struggle with a mid 20th century aesthetic and morals. All themes are mixed together into a beautiful story with fully fleshed characters.
jackieh346's review
5.0
I was so immersed in this graphic novel—by the setting in Detroit in 1972 and how it revolves around fighting for justice. The character of Abbott was so likable- strong, tells it like it is, and smokes like fiend.