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penofpossibilities's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Transphobia
Moderate: Blood and Grief
Minor: Death
toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Beautiful artwork and really interesting world, with a relatable cast of characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Transphobia
Moderate: Vomit, Confinement, Bullying, Death of parent, and Death
gagne's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, and Cursing
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Transphobia and Grief
moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so beautiful and complex. It’s the one of the first fantasy graphic novels I have read and it really I felt like I was being introduced to a new medium - not just a new niche within a genre. On top of that, the number of LGBT+ characters that there were and the way that it was done so well in a way that I have rarely seen. Despite the fact that it was over 500 pages, I still wanted more.
It’s a futuristic scifi graphic novel with fantasy elements. It is about a girl, Mia, who joins a team that restores old places throughout space. In the book, you get bits from her present and her past until they come together. While the focus is on Mia, the rest of the team also has complex and engaging back stories that you see come together throughout. The main plot is technically a love story, but it is about so much more. I fell in love with basically every character in the book.
The LGBT+ representation was wonderful. I'm usually wary of books that just decide that gay people are "normal" or not stigmatized, but it made sense in this book - since there are no men. There was also a nonbinary character and I thought they handled that really well - there was a good balance in terms of people's reactions to them and, as a nonbinary person, it was really wonderful to read.
It’s a futuristic scifi graphic novel with fantasy elements. It is about a girl, Mia, who joins a team that restores old places throughout space. In the book, you get bits from her present and her past until they come together. While the focus is on Mia, the rest of the team also has complex and engaging back stories that you see come together throughout. The main plot is technically a love story, but it is about so much more. I fell in love with basically every character in the book.
The LGBT+ representation was wonderful. I'm usually wary of books that just decide that gay people are "normal" or not stigmatized, but it made sense in this book - since there are no men. There was also a nonbinary character and I thought they handled that really well - there was a good balance in terms of people's reactions to them and, as a nonbinary person, it was really wonderful to read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Transphobia
Minor: Death of parent
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"You're just as much a part of this family as Jules is. As any of us are."
"I really love you guys."
"I don't think we'd be doing this if we didn't love you just as much."
With fantastic writing and art alike, On A Sunbeam has been one of my favorite comics of all time since the first time I read it a year or two ago, and that's held true through my reread. Though the comic is of course visually stunning, with sprawling illustrations of space and a limited color palette that makes the mood of each scene almost palpable, art can't stand on its own in this sort of media -- but luckily, it doesn't here. On A Sunbeam is largely character-driven, with the bulk of its focus on the dynamics between its main cast (probably in part due to Tillie Walden describing herself as knowing nothing about science fiction), but the main characters are so charming and lively that that's a positive in my book. Even beyond the two main romantic relationships, the found family dynamic that develops between the main cast is so sweet and so wonderfully written.
Still, it's not lacking in plot or worldbuilding, and each new detail about the world is revealed with care and intrigue. The art of telling versus showing is certainly on display, with few exposition dumps and information more so trickled in over time, which is suited well by the nonlinear style in which On A Sunbeam is told. This does lead to confusion at times, with some scenes feeling spliced together, but personally, I really enjoy the fluid transitions and feel that the nonlinearity fits the narrative well.
Overall, I can't say anything more but that I wholeheartedly recommend On A Sunbeam for its wonderful character work, gorgeous visuals, powerful themes, and lively world. For some extra motivation, it's available to read online in its entirety for free (onasunbeam.com)!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, and Violence
Minor: Ableism, Death, and Transphobia
Transphobia tag is for brief misgendering of a nonbinary character from a minor character, which is quickly shut down by all other characters. There are also brief threats of knife violence, a couple vehicular crashes/near-crashes, and mentions of colonization.
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