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starcrossedstacks's review against another edition
4.0
I think this book was a lot of the author working out his feelings on religion, but I found it interesting to go on that journey with him. It gets wrapped up in itself sometimes. I highly rate it because I do enjoy the characters, and I am a sucker for theological themes.
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Strange Girl Omnibus' collects all 18 issues of the series created by Rick Remender. At over 450 pages, it's definitely quite a collection, but it's also a labor of love by the author.
The story takes place on an Earth where the Rapture has happened. Little Bethany lives with her family until that day, but when they are taken and she is left behind. Ten years later, the world has been taken over by demons and Bethany finds herself enslaved by one. Along the way, she's found out she can read the spell book the demon owns and she decides to escape and take a page with her. Along the way she is aided by a cast of characters both good and evil, including her best friend A blue crass-mouthed demon named Bloato, a pious soldier named Mouse, her ex-neighbor Tim and others.
The in your face humor reminds me a bit of Hellboy and Tank Girl. The character takes a real journey along the way, and while I don't agree with the author's conclusion, I can appreciate his arguments. The book begins with an introduction by the author that possibly explains why he chose to tell this story. Over 18 issues, there are a variety of artists and artistic styles. I liked them all. As flawed and fallible as the characters were, I really liked them and felt an emotional attachment.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
The story takes place on an Earth where the Rapture has happened. Little Bethany lives with her family until that day, but when they are taken and she is left behind. Ten years later, the world has been taken over by demons and Bethany finds herself enslaved by one. Along the way, she's found out she can read the spell book the demon owns and she decides to escape and take a page with her. Along the way she is aided by a cast of characters both good and evil, including her best friend A blue crass-mouthed demon named Bloato, a pious soldier named Mouse, her ex-neighbor Tim and others.
The in your face humor reminds me a bit of Hellboy and Tank Girl. The character takes a real journey along the way, and while I don't agree with the author's conclusion, I can appreciate his arguments. The book begins with an introduction by the author that possibly explains why he chose to tell this story. Over 18 issues, there are a variety of artists and artistic styles. I liked them all. As flawed and fallible as the characters were, I really liked them and felt an emotional attachment.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
let_the_wookie_read's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
deshende's review against another edition
3.0
Decent read. Was pretty much the author working out his own feelings on religion through a hot girl and a snarky demon.
jmanchester0's review against another edition
4.0
This comic is such a fascinating idea. Coupled with interesting characters, great art, and an intriguing story. The rapture, Angels and Demons, Lucifer.
Bethany is the best protagonist I've read in a long time. But Bloato? Bloato is amazing.
Not only is it a great fantasy comic, but there's a great underlining (and sometimes overt) discussion of God's motivations.
So it's fantastic as a fantasy, but also as a discussion of theology. The introduction is interesting, talking about Rick Remender's struggles and what went into this book.
Bethany is the best protagonist I've read in a long time. But Bloato? Bloato is amazing.
Not only is it a great fantasy comic, but there's a great underlining (and sometimes overt) discussion of God's motivations.
So it's fantastic as a fantasy, but also as a discussion of theology. The introduction is interesting, talking about Rick Remender's struggles and what went into this book.
Life without struggle is joyless and without reward.
Powerful stuff. Especially because of who says it. But I won't spoil it for you.
I was a bit daunted by the length of this tome, but once I got into (in the very first chapter) it really started to fly by.
And the art is amazing. Even though it changed from time to time. The depictions of the denizens of hell is always interesting when done well.
Several times I laughed. I might have felt a little guilty but I laughed. This was probably Bloato 99% of the time.
And that mind-blowing ending?? Insane!
It's been a rough decade.
Same, Beth. Same.
Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for a copy in return for an honest review.
cetian's review against another edition
4.0
Rick Remender's work is just as personal as Craig Thompson's Blankets The two authors produced great art with different aproaches, comming from the same place. They had a religious upbringing and somewhow comics became a way to express their inner conflicts. They wrote about different things and at some point it became about religion.
What Rick Remender did was unexpected. He created a dystopian religious extravaganza, starting from a quite legitimate premise, in sci-fi terms: "so what if the rapture did come true?".
The rapture, its appeal, comes from the fact that it is a menace (for the believers, a promise) in the future. Like profecies, its appeal comes from a trick: it's not that they "will" come true, but that they "haven't" came true yet. And when something with the magnitude of the end of the world is put upon humanity it's the biggest gimmick of all. Set in a near future (allways about to happen, some have predicted it over and over again, failling over and over again) it creates momentum, and dares people to have faith.
So... Rick set out to test people faith in another way. A lot more exciting. And with a lot more intelectual honesty than religious charlatans, that play with human emotions, fears and expectations. Sci-fi mode: by allowing people to use their imagination and put themselves elsewhere, creating some distance so that, once there, they can look back at reality.
He created the world described by those that want others to believe in the Rapture. And because those say that the wretched will pay and suffer, the anti-heoine is a non-believer, that stays on a demon ruled earth, separated by God from her fundamentalist parents.
A strange girl indeed.
This is a work of genius. Of talent and wit. Of courage and intelect. Of hummour. And a deep personal voyage into humanism and teology. That allows us all to question ourselves better, taking from the experiences of the author. Instead of making, like Craig Thompson, a biographical journey, Rick Remender did this. A dystopian rapture anti-hero narrative. Something that no one has ever did.
.
What Rick Remender did was unexpected. He created a dystopian religious extravaganza, starting from a quite legitimate premise, in sci-fi terms: "so what if the rapture did come true?".
The rapture, its appeal, comes from the fact that it is a menace (for the believers, a promise) in the future. Like profecies, its appeal comes from a trick: it's not that they "will" come true, but that they "haven't" came true yet. And when something with the magnitude of the end of the world is put upon humanity it's the biggest gimmick of all. Set in a near future (allways about to happen, some have predicted it over and over again, failling over and over again) it creates momentum, and dares people to have faith.
So... Rick set out to test people faith in another way. A lot more exciting. And with a lot more intelectual honesty than religious charlatans, that play with human emotions, fears and expectations. Sci-fi mode: by allowing people to use their imagination and put themselves elsewhere, creating some distance so that, once there, they can look back at reality.
He created the world described by those that want others to believe in the Rapture. And because those say that the wretched will pay and suffer, the anti-heoine is a non-believer, that stays on a demon ruled earth, separated by God from her fundamentalist parents.
A strange girl indeed.
This is a work of genius. Of talent and wit. Of courage and intelect. Of hummour. And a deep personal voyage into humanism and teology. That allows us all to question ourselves better, taking from the experiences of the author. Instead of making, like Craig Thompson, a biographical journey, Rick Remender did this. A dystopian rapture anti-hero narrative. Something that no one has ever did.
.
mlindner's review against another edition
4.0
http://chickwithbooks.blogspot.com/2015/01/strange-girl-by-rick-remender-review.html
esquetee's review against another edition
4.0
Read in the same week as Library of Mount Char ... interesting overlapping themes between the two.
I never actually liked any of the characters, but the reflections and debates about religion were interesting enough to keep me going. I would love to take the conversation with god as an excerpt and use as a discussion prompt with open-minded people.
I never actually liked any of the characters, but the reflections and debates about religion were interesting enough to keep me going. I would love to take the conversation with god as an excerpt and use as a discussion prompt with open-minded people.
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