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cadeunderbooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
Overall, I absolutely loved the premise & execution of this collection. See below the *~* line for my somewhat spoiler-y thoughts for each piece. My absolute favorites were: Soft Physics, M.S.P.I.P.S.P., Space to Grow, Story of a Rescue, The Senior Project, and The Wayhome. But I think there is something in here for everyone, especially those that dream of escape & of finding your place in the vastness of space.
Average rating was 3.4 stars, but I bumped it up to 3.75. It's really a fab anthology.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Soft Physics by blue delliquanti // Ooph, that ending. A lot to unpack in such a short amount of pages. I loved all the "big" ideas presented, though, ideas that resonate in both our own time, as well as the FTL future that explodes across this story. Queer folks exploring the outer reaches of humanity, obsession with online (or hand-delivered data packet) personalities, being drawn to the edge because it's beautiful, even if it will most likely destroy you. The image of Phoney jumping through the soft physics spot, her skeleton visible before fractalizing in the next panel -- that image will stay with me for a long time. 4/5
p.5-18
Cabbage Island by Cindy Powers & Mulele Jarvis // Unfortunately, this one felt pretty underdeveloped for me. I didn't feel like I saw enough to think Hondo & Yu truly cared about each other? It just felt like he was ready to let her go & she was super ready to hit a button & zip away fromthe horrific state of the world her partner being apprehended, & possibly shot, by police. Like, ouch. & then I did not think the ending had the desired pay off. It's one of those short stories where the ending is telegraphed as going to be "bad" for our MC, & then you still read it, & it ends poorly, & you might have lingering questions, but you're going to forget about the story later. 2/5
p.19-40
M.S.P.I.P.S.P by Kay Rossbach // This was so adorable & relatable & very sweet; the story of a mother & daughter trying to get through Space TSA to reunite with Mama on Mars. The facial expressions are *chef's kiss* & expressively funny. 5/5
p.41-60
Lia by Alexxander Dovelin // I loved the art style & the future use of VR presented & that ending!! Short & sweet. 4/5
p.61-71
Passing Through by Sunny & Jamie Kaye // Hard to rate this one. Very short in terms of pages, dialogue, plot/poignancy. The art was nice. It felt like the title was too literal -- the reader is passing through a conversation between two characters who clearly have history, but there's just not enough there (for me) to feel much for this vignette. 2.5/5
p.72-81
Ignition by Iris Jay & Skolli Rubedo // Huh, I loved the character design, the breeziness of the pacing, the nicely established camaraderie with the crew of the Obstreperous. I loved how it was clearly our earth many decades from now, but also how the narrative didn't hold your hand with who the characters are (modified humans or different species altogether). I both liked the art (it felt, in a good way, like a coloring book & I just wanted to go at it), & didn't like the art (some of it, especially in wider shots, seemed unclear, like the "flora" or vines on The Discovery, I wouldn't have read them as vines.) The robot was KEYute. The ending kind of made me chuckle, placing the crew in a very anti-hero status. I wish there was more. 4/5
p.82-97
Average rating was 3.4 stars, but I bumped it up to 3.75. It's really a fab anthology.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Soft Physics by blue delliquanti // Ooph, that ending. A lot to unpack in such a short amount of pages. I loved all the "big" ideas presented, though, ideas that resonate in both our own time, as well as the FTL future that explodes across this story. Queer folks exploring the outer reaches of humanity, obsession with online (or hand-delivered data packet) personalities, being drawn to the edge because it's beautiful, even if it will most likely destroy you. The image of Phoney jumping through the soft physics spot, her skeleton visible before fractalizing in the next panel -- that image will stay with me for a long time. 4/5
p.5-18
Cabbage Island by Cindy Powers & Mulele Jarvis // Unfortunately, this one felt pretty underdeveloped for me. I didn't feel like I saw enough to think Hondo & Yu truly cared about each other? It just felt like he was ready to let her go & she was super ready to hit a button & zip away from
p.19-40
M.S.P.I.P.S.P by Kay Rossbach // This was so adorable & relatable & very sweet; the story of a mother & daughter trying to get through Space TSA to reunite with Mama on Mars. The facial expressions are *chef's kiss* & expressively funny. 5/5
p.41-60
Lia by Alexxander Dovelin // I loved the art style & the future use of VR presented & that ending!! Short & sweet. 4/5
p.61-71
Passing Through by Sunny & Jamie Kaye // Hard to rate this one. Very short in terms of pages, dialogue, plot/poignancy. The art was nice. It felt like the title was too literal -- the reader is passing through a conversation between two characters who clearly have history, but there's just not enough there (for me) to feel much for this vignette. 2.5/5
p.72-81
Ignition by Iris Jay & Skolli Rubedo // Huh, I loved the character design, the breeziness of the pacing, the nicely established camaraderie with the crew of the Obstreperous. I loved how it was clearly our earth many decades from now, but also how the narrative didn't hold your hand with who the characters are (modified humans or different species altogether). I both liked the art (it felt, in a good way, like a coloring book & I just wanted to go at it), & didn't like the art (some of it, especially in wider shots, seemed unclear, like the "flora" or vines on The Discovery, I wouldn't have read them as vines.) The robot was KEYute. The ending kind of made me chuckle, placing the crew in a very anti-hero status. I wish there was more. 4/5
p.82-97
Brilliant & Handsome by C.B. Webb // I... didn't like this one. Not the art or the characters (one was especially annoying); the title drop at the end didn't work for me... Eh. 2/5
p.98-108
Space to Grow by N.N. Chan // I LOVED THIS ONE. It's a simple, quiet story, but it was like diving into a pool of clear, calming water. Even as our MC had to deal with online trolls & potential loneliness, I was thoroughly enamored with the atmosphere of this piece. I loved the art style, very dreamy & curved, bubbly lines everywhere. The design of the ship was beautiful!! 5/5
p.109-126
Failsafe by Rachel Ordway // ... This really affected me. It's a short scene, it gave me emotional whiplash, & I kept flipping back to it. 4/5
p.127-137
Finders Keepers by ahueonao // Well... I didn't like this one. I felt the panels & story were overloaded with dialogue bubbles. The characters fell over into too self-aware & aggressively quippy for me. I liked some of the expressions & chuckled at the inclusion of For the Love of God, a diamond encrusted skull, whose story & monetary value is divisive in the art world & which an episode of the Vampire Weekend-spawned animated series Neo Yokio depicted (& that's where I first learned about it, & could even get the reference). But yeah, I felt bored throughout this & struggled to stay in it, even with as short as it is. 2/5
p.137-144
p.98-108
Space to Grow by N.N. Chan // I LOVED THIS ONE. It's a simple, quiet story, but it was like diving into a pool of clear, calming water. Even as our MC had to deal with online trolls & potential loneliness, I was thoroughly enamored with the atmosphere of this piece. I loved the art style, very dreamy & curved, bubbly lines everywhere. The design of the ship was beautiful!! 5/5
p.109-126
Failsafe by Rachel Ordway // ... This really affected me. It's a short scene, it gave me emotional whiplash, & I kept flipping back to it. 4/5
p.127-137
Finders Keepers by ahueonao // Well... I didn't like this one. I felt the panels & story were overloaded with dialogue bubbles. The characters fell over into too self-aware & aggressively quippy for me. I liked some of the expressions & chuckled at the inclusion of For the Love of God, a diamond encrusted skull, whose story & monetary value is divisive in the art world & which an episode of the Vampire Weekend-spawned animated series Neo Yokio depicted (& that's where I first learned about it, & could even get the reference). But yeah, I felt bored throughout this & struggled to stay in it, even with as short as it is. 2/5
p.137-144
Microwave by Jay Eaton // This story is a very short scene -- a warp pod accident involving a young girl & her uncles -- & so it barely feels like enough to pass critique on. There's very little context or characterization to care about. I just... have no reaction to it, other than *shrug*. 2/5
p.144-161
Prodigal Sunset by James F. Wright & Little Corvus // Mmmm, this one definitely feels like the first chapter to a really moving longer story. I loved the character designs, but didn't feel much for any of the characters. 2.5/5
p.162-172
Story of a Rescue by Nathaniel Wilson // Hahaha, oh my goodness, I ended up loving this one. It's quite exposition/alt history lesson heavy, but the payoff! That payoff *chef's kiss* I loved the art style & the ship design & all the little details. If only life on & off this earth could go a little this way. Very cathartic. 4/5
p.173-192
Words From the Dead by Jonathon Dalton // This one had me flipping back & forth, to better understand the title, to zero in on the final panel's poignancy. A solid entry. 3/5
p.193-210
Solitary by David Andry & Paul Schultz // A Twilight Zone style vignette. Sad, poignant, short. 3/5
p.211-218
Granddads Second Wife by Cheez Hayama & Earl T. Rosie // What a madcap dash of a weird story. I didn't really like it, it felt very abrupt & random & yelly, but I appreciate it as a prologue to Sergio & his very confused Grandad's adventures. 2.5/5
p.211-245
The Senior Project by Maia Kobabe // I loved this one, how it let moments breathe, how the relationship between Willow & Kai developed. I loved the message about maybe we shouldn't just be running away from Earth (our problems), but help the people down here, our home, first. (This was the first piece I read from Kobabe, & it made me more excited than ever to read eir often challenged/banned memoir entitled Gender Queer.) 4.5/5
p.246-265
My Stars and Garters by Ainsley Seago // Such a hopeful & sweetly funny love letter to nerds, queer folk, those that don't "fit in" or who stand out to cishet folks as something odd, something to prod & exclaim at. This felt like a nice, other-side-of-the-coin, answer to people using FTL to run away from earth's problems -- maybe it would allow us to run to safe, expressive, colorful places in the stars. 4/5
p.266-273
Wayhome by Evan Dahm // The atmosphere of this piece is hauntingly dark & beautiful. I loved the feelings it left me with, like squeezing a stubborn thorn out from under your thumbnail, or hearing your parents bicker, but not the precise words, as you burrow further under blankets. It's a story that's both bleak & hopeful, so, just my cup of tea. 5/5
p.274-296
11.24.22
queenstheif's review
3.0
Lots of variety in story, which can make it feel uneven, but I liked it and would recommend to fans of science fiction, graphic novels, or even plain anthologies of short stories.
blooker's review
5.0
So much fun! Such varied takes on stories from a time and a place where almost anyone can travel faster than light. And now, so many creators to track down and devour their other works.
duckofdoom42's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
robinks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
So many stories packed into one collection! I appreciate the variety of art styles and stories, however, some of them were difficult to follow.
cammiixy's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
akmargie's review against another edition
4.0
Just like with all short story collections, I really loved some of these comics and others were fine. I felt the length for each comic was a little on the short side but maybe that was just me wanted to read more from certain stories.
Overall I loved the connecting conceit through the comics, a $200 warp engine that disrupts life as we know it. The comics offered a unique mix of hard sci-fi, dystopian, and a touch of fantasy.
Super enjoyed this volume for one of my favorite comic publishers, Iron Circus. Highly recommend.
Overall I loved the connecting conceit through the comics, a $200 warp engine that disrupts life as we know it. The comics offered a unique mix of hard sci-fi, dystopian, and a touch of fantasy.
Super enjoyed this volume for one of my favorite comic publishers, Iron Circus. Highly recommend.
jmanchester0's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating, fascinating! I‰ЫЄm so glad I got in on this Kickstarter! Great stories - stories that really make you think about life. Think about life in this world. Where are we? Where are we going? It reminds you how terrible people are. And how wonderful people are. Or maybe how terrible we can be as a people. And how wonderful we can be as people.
This may seem odd, but this book impacts all the senses! The cover is visually amazing - I love the art, and the luminescent design.
But the cover - and the pages - feel wonderful. This is what reading is all about! The fantastic joy of reading a book - even holding it! It smells like happiness!
(Well, I have to say, that I did not taste it.)
I liked every one of these stories. But a few stand out. Story of a Rescue was amazing on so many different levels. Or maybe I should say layers.
Finders Keepers made me laugh.
Space to Grow had so much truth.
Lia blew me away.
I loved The Senior Project. It gave me chills.
If these are the kinds of books Iron Circus Comics puts out, I‰ЫЄm getting more!
This may seem odd, but this book impacts all the senses! The cover is visually amazing - I love the art, and the luminescent design.
But the cover - and the pages - feel wonderful. This is what reading is all about! The fantastic joy of reading a book - even holding it! It smells like happiness!
(Well, I have to say, that I did not taste it.)
I liked every one of these stories. But a few stand out. Story of a Rescue was amazing on so many different levels. Or maybe I should say layers.
Finders Keepers made me laugh.
Space to Grow had so much truth.
Lia blew me away.
I loved The Senior Project. It gave me chills.
If these are the kinds of books Iron Circus Comics puts out, I‰ЫЄm getting more!
peyjturner's review against another edition
4.0
Like with any anthology, the art, narratives and quality of each story varies from chapter to chapter, but goddamn, that's a lot of impressive takes on the main idea of the $200 FTL engine. Highly recommended for those who love speculative fiction and comics.
catcherinthepi's review
3.0
3.5 stars -- as with lots of anthologies, with some stories it's hit and miss. I gotta say, I loved the art for pretty much all of them, so regardless of the story content at least the art was amazing. Also, HUGE win for representation here! So even if my rating seems kinda low, you should read this for undersung takes on democratized space travel, or the consequences thereof.
However, some stories simply felt unfinished or rushed. Others weren't the best constructed. And some I simply didn't agree with the premise/conclusion. Again, that's what you get with an anthology, but I was hoping for more of the stories to feel better-formed.
All that said, my favorites were "Granddad's second wife", "The senior project", "Prodigal sunset", "My stars and garters", "Soft physics", and "Words from the dead".
However, some stories simply felt unfinished or rushed. Others weren't the best constructed. And some I simply didn't agree with the premise/conclusion. Again, that's what you get with an anthology, but I was hoping for more of the stories to feel better-formed.
All that said, my favorites were "Granddad's second wife", "The senior project", "Prodigal sunset", "My stars and garters", "Soft physics", and "Words from the dead".