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Reviews
Animosity, Vol. 1: The Wake by Marguerite Bennett, Rob Schwager, Rafael de Latorre, Juan Doe
danileighta's review
5.0
Gruesome, but a must for those who love animals or who are thinking about becoming vegetarians/vegans or who have ever wondered what the animals in their lives are thinking about. Felt like a powerful FU from the animals, but also a testament to what love looks like between humans and their animal companions. Definitely be aware of the violence, but it's not stopping me from reading the next one.
unladylike's review
5.0
What if Y: The Last Man x Planet of the Apes x Animal Farm?
That's one way my brain was summing up the general premise and tone of this comic.
I kept this series on my On Deck/Checked Out from the Library [physical] bookshelf for so long that it's actually two days overdue, which forced me to read it all tonight. I had rather low expectations for it, and generally feel like Marguerite Bennett-written books either suck or are great and "on brand." This one definitely falls into the latter, and so I am eager to take the next two volumes off my shelf.
Brief sidetrack:
One of the main things I use my smartphone's camera for is documenting comic book panels that particularly stick out to me. It always takes me a lot of adjusting and several tries before getting a clear, legible shot that's cropped to my liking and doesn't have any glares or creases from holding the book either in the warm, medium-level light of my bedroom or the sunlight on my porch. (Sadly, my new Samsung Galaxy S8 is not turning out as quality of photos as my previous phone, the One Plus 5.) Photographing excerpts of what I'm reading has become quite the enjoyable ritual for me, like the kind of diary I can work with physically in ways I can't with a pen and paper, a keyboard, or a highlighter. I don't take pictures of *every* comic I read, but in the ones that have slices worth documenting, there are often more and more throughout. Animosity is definitely exemplifying that.
If you're into anti-civ fantasies, and like the infinite possibilities that can come from a present-day world where every non-human animal suddenly gains consciousness, sentience, and clear-to-humans language skills, definitely give this book a shot. And because it's Marguerite Bennett, and a lesser-known publisher, she makes sure to include lots of diverse representation, mostly in a way that feels fitting and authentic within the world-building she's doing.
The cover art is consistently stellar, and this trade paperback includes a LOT of cover art. I can't seem to find digital versions of my favorites without the "trade dress" (the industry term that refers to the title, main creator credits, publisher logo, etc.), but really want a good copy of Issue #3 and the "Ssalefish variant cover" for #1 by Garry Brown. #3 depicts a young girl named Jesse Hernandez atop a bison in battle armor, strapped to the teeth alongside a koala dressed like an Ewok with twin six-shooters, a buck with grenades dangling from his points, etc. If you're reading this and haven't read it yet, I hope you're picturing that right now. ;) The variant covers pretty much stick to the theme of organized chaos by way of majestic "beasts" engorged on human blood or triumphing atop the crumpled remnants of human civilization. Now go look 'em up on google image search or at your Local Fine Purveyor of Digital or Physical Comics.
That's one way my brain was summing up the general premise and tone of this comic.
I kept this series on my On Deck/Checked Out from the Library [physical] bookshelf for so long that it's actually two days overdue, which forced me to read it all tonight. I had rather low expectations for it, and generally feel like Marguerite Bennett-written books either suck or are great and "on brand." This one definitely falls into the latter, and so I am eager to take the next two volumes off my shelf.
Brief sidetrack:
One of the main things I use my smartphone's camera for is documenting comic book panels that particularly stick out to me. It always takes me a lot of adjusting and several tries before getting a clear, legible shot that's cropped to my liking and doesn't have any glares or creases from holding the book either in the warm, medium-level light of my bedroom or the sunlight on my porch. (Sadly, my new Samsung Galaxy S8 is not turning out as quality of photos as my previous phone, the One Plus 5.) Photographing excerpts of what I'm reading has become quite the enjoyable ritual for me, like the kind of diary I can work with physically in ways I can't with a pen and paper, a keyboard, or a highlighter. I don't take pictures of *every* comic I read, but in the ones that have slices worth documenting, there are often more and more throughout. Animosity is definitely exemplifying that.
If you're into anti-civ fantasies, and like the infinite possibilities that can come from a present-day world where every non-human animal suddenly gains consciousness, sentience, and clear-to-humans language skills, definitely give this book a shot. And because it's Marguerite Bennett, and a lesser-known publisher, she makes sure to include lots of diverse representation, mostly in a way that feels fitting and authentic within the world-building she's doing.
The cover art is consistently stellar, and this trade paperback includes a LOT of cover art. I can't seem to find digital versions of my favorites without the "trade dress" (the industry term that refers to the title, main creator credits, publisher logo, etc.), but really want a good copy of Issue #3 and the "Ssalefish variant cover" for #1 by Garry Brown. #3 depicts a young girl named Jesse Hernandez atop a bison in battle armor, strapped to the teeth alongside a koala dressed like an Ewok with twin six-shooters, a buck with grenades dangling from his points, etc. If you're reading this and haven't read it yet, I hope you're picturing that right now. ;) The variant covers pretty much stick to the theme of organized chaos by way of majestic "beasts" engorged on human blood or triumphing atop the crumpled remnants of human civilization. Now go look 'em up on google image search or at your Local Fine Purveyor of Digital or Physical Comics.
kiarrasayshi's review
5.0
I blew through this so fast when I really should have been doing other things. Such a great concept. I'm not a vegetarian which means I might be screwed in the initial days / years of this universe. All the animals "wake" all at once and are suddenly at their human equivalent age and brain function. So even though some purebred dogs for instance tend to die under the age of 10, if that dog is 5 he's an adult. Immediately this is chaos. When I first heard of this story I thought it might be a little childish or a little, I don't know how to say it, vegan? (not that there's anything wrong with veganism course. I just don't want to be shamed for eating meat the very rare times I do.) But make no mistake, this is not a children's comic. What Bennett's created here is something akin to The Walking Dead, but if the zombies were sentient and able to fight back maybe even harder than you can. Or want to team up with you. Or just live normal lives. And yeah, it makes me feel a little bad for eating meat those rare times I do, but that's no reason to not enjoy this fascinating first volume showcasing a world of possibilities. I can't wait read more.
pokey311's review
4.0
I was definitely all there at the beginning. The idea is fantastic, but towards the end, which I guess is Chapter 4, was when I started to feel like things weren't as well organized. It felt like there were panels and dialogue that were missing. I recommend giving it a try.
christajls's review
4.0
This was a lot darker than I expected it to be. That being said I couldn't put it down and I need to know what happens in Vol. 2.
I had assumed that the story would be told from the perspective of the girl but it's actually the dog, Sandor, that frames the story. This was a great choice as it offers a unique, and much more complex perspective of what's happening around them/to them.
Warning - may be a difficult read for animal lovers. There are some scenes that contain violence towards animals (inflicted by humans and by other animals).
I had assumed that the story would be told from the perspective of the girl but it's actually the dog, Sandor, that frames the story. This was a great choice as it offers a unique, and much more complex perspective of what's happening around them/to them.
Warning - may be a difficult read for animal lovers. There are some scenes that contain violence towards animals (inflicted by humans and by other animals).
billblume's review
5.0
I finished the first volume of Animosity far too quickly. Marguerite Bennett has constructed a great apocalyptic drama where the animals gain humanlike intellect. She layers the story with mystery, conspiracy, and even humor (the nod to Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes" is great). Artist Rafael De Latorre and colorist Rob Schwager deserve lots of praise for bringing this story and its wide range of animals to life. The highest compliment I can give "Animosity" is that I won't wait for the next trade; I plan to go buy the individual issues.
misha_ali's review
4.0
Solid start. I really liked the premise and the end is promising. Definitely reading more.
lintkaurea's review
5.0
Brutal el concepto de esta serie y cómo lo desarrolla sin quedarse en una idea bonita.
nana_fy's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
justiceofkalr's review
4.0
This is everything I ever wanted. Animals become sentient/capable of speech and start fucking shit up. Humans remain mostly self righteous assholes. Guess which side I'm rooting for.