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divineblkpearl's review
4.0
FTL, Y’ALL Is The Sci-Fi Trip In Comic Form That We All Need To Take
The premise of this collection is:
Six months from now, detailed schematics anonymously uploaded to the Internet will describe, with absolute precision, how to build a faster-than-light engine for $200 in easily-available parts. Space travel will be instantly—and chaotically—democratized. The entire cosmos is suddenly within reach of all humankind, without organization, authority or limitation.
FTL, Y’ALL is a immerse trip into the imaginations and hearts of all the folks who contributed to this volume of comics. With the premise of technology and science, defining and redefining what home is and exploration that isn’t just in space–this comics anthology does deep and it is better for it.
With over 20 stories and over 300 pages of comics, FTL, Y’all! is one of Iron Circus Comics’ biggest and most intriguing anthologies ever.
And if you’re a ICC fan like myself, I think it might be in your top three after you finish reading thorough the tome–it’s a strong contender to the Smut Peddler books for me. While the anthology boasts a big variety of different art styles there are a few stories that have art that is a bit hard to follow and may come across as distracting.
Thankfully its not enough to ruin the experience for me and even those stories do, at heart follow the theme of the adult sci-fi anthology even if the unique art styles flex in their own way. I was really impressed by the wide range of personal struggle and out this world drama bombs that were dropped making nearly every story I read a treasure to read and ruminate on.
There seemed to be a story for everything under the sun from having unwavering moral responsibility to keep access to evolving technology for the people and keep government out (Alexander’s Dovelin’s “LIA”) to having to grow up fast in a new and changing world when adults fail you (Rachel Ordway’s “Fail safe”, Nathaniel Wilson’s “Story of A Rescue”).
There were stories that gave a spotlight on not being welcomed due to being apart of colonizing efforts (Jonathan Dalton’s “Words From The Dead” to being seen as “other” when being human isn’t the majority (Evan Dahm’s “Way Home”) This collection captures some of the best storytellers and artists with some veteran talents and newer emerging faces that I look forward to following and seeing in this newer wave of folks working in the comics industry giving us that work.
Read the rest of my review here: http://blacknerdproblems.com/ftl-yall-is-the-sci-fi-trip-in-comic-form-that-we-all-need-to-take/?preview=true
The premise of this collection is:
Six months from now, detailed schematics anonymously uploaded to the Internet will describe, with absolute precision, how to build a faster-than-light engine for $200 in easily-available parts. Space travel will be instantly—and chaotically—democratized. The entire cosmos is suddenly within reach of all humankind, without organization, authority or limitation.
FTL, Y’ALL is a immerse trip into the imaginations and hearts of all the folks who contributed to this volume of comics. With the premise of technology and science, defining and redefining what home is and exploration that isn’t just in space–this comics anthology does deep and it is better for it.
With over 20 stories and over 300 pages of comics, FTL, Y’all! is one of Iron Circus Comics’ biggest and most intriguing anthologies ever.
And if you’re a ICC fan like myself, I think it might be in your top three after you finish reading thorough the tome–it’s a strong contender to the Smut Peddler books for me. While the anthology boasts a big variety of different art styles there are a few stories that have art that is a bit hard to follow and may come across as distracting.
Thankfully its not enough to ruin the experience for me and even those stories do, at heart follow the theme of the adult sci-fi anthology even if the unique art styles flex in their own way. I was really impressed by the wide range of personal struggle and out this world drama bombs that were dropped making nearly every story I read a treasure to read and ruminate on.
There seemed to be a story for everything under the sun from having unwavering moral responsibility to keep access to evolving technology for the people and keep government out (Alexander’s Dovelin’s “LIA”) to having to grow up fast in a new and changing world when adults fail you (Rachel Ordway’s “Fail safe”, Nathaniel Wilson’s “Story of A Rescue”).
There were stories that gave a spotlight on not being welcomed due to being apart of colonizing efforts (Jonathan Dalton’s “Words From The Dead” to being seen as “other” when being human isn’t the majority (Evan Dahm’s “Way Home”) This collection captures some of the best storytellers and artists with some veteran talents and newer emerging faces that I look forward to following and seeing in this newer wave of folks working in the comics industry giving us that work.
Read the rest of my review here: http://blacknerdproblems.com/ftl-yall-is-the-sci-fi-trip-in-comic-form-that-we-all-need-to-take/?preview=true
otterno11's review
4.0
An anthology of short comics from an international group of up and coming cartoonists, FTL, Y’all! was an appealingly diverse collection, both in terms of the participating artists and of the different styles they used to explore the collection’s thought provoking theme. Focused around the idea that, in six months, simple and effective designs will be released online, offering instructions on making a faster than light drive out of common household items worth a mere $200. How would humanity react to suddenly being free to explore the universe?
While some of the comics were stronger than others (perhaps affected by length constraints in conveying their messages or storylines), I really enjoyed the different directions each artist or writer took the idea, whether utilizing drama or humor, realism or the bizarre. I also appreciated the thoughtful exploration of ideas that permeate much of the work, from considering colonialism and alien life to AI, and especially fears of climate change and environmental destruction on Earth. In particular, a strong focus on social justice was an element that connected many of the comics in FTL, Y’all!, making the work feel as a whole well realized and inspiring.
While some of the comics were stronger than others (perhaps affected by length constraints in conveying their messages or storylines), I really enjoyed the different directions each artist or writer took the idea, whether utilizing drama or humor, realism or the bizarre. I also appreciated the thoughtful exploration of ideas that permeate much of the work, from considering colonialism and alien life to AI, and especially fears of climate change and environmental destruction on Earth. In particular, a strong focus on social justice was an element that connected many of the comics in FTL, Y’all!, making the work feel as a whole well realized and inspiring.
eulalie's review
4.0
FTL, Y'all! (FTL standing for "faster-than-light") is an anthology of comics that explore what comes after detailed and simple plans for a $200 faster-than-light engine is anonymously uploaded, becoming "instantly - and chaotically - democratized". Each story took a completely different approach to the idea of "what comes after": some dealing with life on Earth directly after these plans would become available, some skipping years to a future in which FTL travel is a part of life in space. Each story was creative and beautifully illustrated and emotional, and each had a little nugget of the meaning behind humanity in this alternate future.
Stories that deal with the premise of "what comes after" are already my favorite thing ever (see: 17776 and Station Eleven) and the fact that this is a comics anthology is basically the icing on the cake. Some of these stories were humorous, dealing with Space TSA and interstellar travel, and some dealt with the conundrums of mortality after escaping Earth. Sprinkled throughout each and every story, however, were reminders of Earth, ranging again from livestreams and social media to global warming and police states. This is honestly one of my favorite things about anthologies- they can make you feel so much and can cover such a broad range of topics! And these folks did it in drawings!
Favorite stories:
"M.S.P.I.P.S.P" by Kay Rossbach: a very cute little story about a mom and daughter and their amusing predicament of events as they try to navigate the Minneapolis/St. Paul Interplanetary Spaceport (remember Space TSA?).
"Ignition" by Iris Jay and Skolli Rubedo: aliens! Surprisingly few of these stories had aliens as main characters. But this one had aliens and sentient spacecrafts!
"Space to Grow" by N.N. Chan: BLOGGING IN SPACE. Both a fun, space-commentary on online culture, engaging with trolls, and taking care of yourself online, along with just a very cute art style to watch an exploration of different planets.
"The Senior Project" by Maia Hobabe: A very sweet story of friendship, family, and senior projects. Also, botany. I think The Martian proved that botany in space is incredibly fascinating.
Stories that deal with the premise of "what comes after" are already my favorite thing ever (see: 17776 and Station Eleven) and the fact that this is a comics anthology is basically the icing on the cake. Some of these stories were humorous, dealing with Space TSA and interstellar travel, and some dealt with the conundrums of mortality after escaping Earth. Sprinkled throughout each and every story, however, were reminders of Earth, ranging again from livestreams and social media to global warming and police states. This is honestly one of my favorite things about anthologies- they can make you feel so much and can cover such a broad range of topics! And these folks did it in drawings!
Favorite stories:
"M.S.P.I.P.S.P" by Kay Rossbach: a very cute little story about a mom and daughter and their amusing predicament of events as they try to navigate the Minneapolis/St. Paul Interplanetary Spaceport (remember Space TSA?).
"Ignition" by Iris Jay and Skolli Rubedo: aliens! Surprisingly few of these stories had aliens as main characters. But this one had aliens and sentient spacecrafts!
"Space to Grow" by N.N. Chan: BLOGGING IN SPACE. Both a fun, space-commentary on online culture, engaging with trolls, and taking care of yourself online, along with just a very cute art style to watch an exploration of different planets.
"The Senior Project" by Maia Hobabe: A very sweet story of friendship, family, and senior projects. Also, botany. I think The Martian proved that botany in space is incredibly fascinating.
qui's review
I don’t know how to rate this one. I liked...some of it, and not other parts of it, but it’s hard to know with anthologies going in. I will say that I liked less of it than I’d hoped to like, but the parts I liked I liked a lot.
And thing that I liked least is not really the fault of the anthology, but most of the stories were depressing. Either in tone, plot, or resolution, almost every story was really depressing. And not like, “hey, you need a sad thing for plot!” But “all people suck, and that’s why we can’t have nice things” fashion. Anyway, I think it’s just an overall issue with the length and format and zeitgeist, rather than a real flaw of this anthology. Except for the fact that I apparently prefer highly optimistic stories.
And thing that I liked least is not really the fault of the anthology, but most of the stories were depressing. Either in tone, plot, or resolution, almost every story was really depressing. And not like, “hey, you need a sad thing for plot!” But “all people suck, and that’s why we can’t have nice things” fashion. Anyway, I think it’s just an overall issue with the length and format and zeitgeist, rather than a real flaw of this anthology. Except for the fact that I apparently prefer highly optimistic stories.
zetarays's review
5.0
I've never met an Iron Circus anthology I didn't like, but FTL, Y'all! is a cut above. I loved every story and wish several of them were ongoing comics.
emeraldreverie's review against another edition
3.0
Liked it a lot! Great concept and most were enjoyable with a few outstanding! Quality comics anthology with a good follow through.
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