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mehsi's review
4.0
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
What was supposed to be the day of these kids lives, Comic-con, ends with danger, bombs, shooting, and finding your inner-real-superhero. Because something dangerous is happening and these kids know too much. But who is speaking the truth and who isn't? It was an exciting read for sure and I loved the varied casts of kids. All seemingly outcasts, but during this con united as one. There are lots of moments I was gasping! Gasping that people would go so far and that they would even take down kids to get something they need. Don't care about lives at all.
This was a ride! And the ending was maybe a tad underwhelming (or at least how the kids were treated after everything they went through), but the actual ending made up for it. But I am guessing maybe a second volume? Or something else?
I loved all the references, the costumes, characters who are not cosplaying but look very much like x character. At the end we even get a list of all the references, didn't read that, but I do appreciate it was added.
Love the search/find picture at the end, that was totally fun!
And the art was great~
What was supposed to be the day of these kids lives, Comic-con, ends with danger, bombs, shooting, and finding your inner-real-superhero. Because something dangerous is happening and these kids know too much. But who is speaking the truth and who isn't? It was an exciting read for sure and I loved the varied casts of kids. All seemingly outcasts, but during this con united as one. There are lots of moments I was gasping! Gasping that people would go so far and that they would even take down kids to get something they need. Don't care about lives at all.
This was a ride! And the ending was maybe a tad underwhelming (or at least how the kids were treated after everything they went through), but the actual ending made up for it. But I am guessing maybe a second volume? Or something else?
I loved all the references, the costumes, characters who are not cosplaying but look very much like x character. At the end we even get a list of all the references, didn't read that, but I do appreciate it was added.
Love the search/find picture at the end, that was totally fun!
And the art was great~
cozy_reading_times's review
2.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: violence, sexism, fat shaming, bullying, gun violence.
I have to admit, I really didn't like this comic.
While the concept sounded cool and the art style was pleasent to look at, the story lacked depth and was at times quite inconsiderate.
I am myself a big fan of comic cons and visited the one in my country already mutiple times. Now, said comic con has been cancelled for the third year in a row, due to the on-going pandemic. I picked up this comic in the hope of finding comfort and escape at least in a fictional experience.
I love the atmosphere and the passion of comic cons, being surrounded by hundreds of geeks and nerds who understand and respect each other, even when differing opinions occur. It's like a huge friend group, always nice and supportive even if you're total strangers.
Sadly, exactly that is the weakest point of the story. There is not a single likeable character in this book. Everyone is easily aggravated, insecure and constantly picking at each other. Even the supposed best friends I woundn't have known as friends, hadn't the synopsis told me so.
And while there were a few inside jokes that made me smile or even laugh out loud (like the Spartans passionately correcting Abel's brother that Cosplay is not dress-up or everyone miss-placing the agents in a different fandom), these were balanced by some strong no-gos of comic con behavior: fat shaming the Thor cosplayer thta he should rather go as Obelix, sexist comments that a woman couldn't be Logan and more. It was truly baffling.
Another component I found to be quite inconsiderate was the supposed death of one of the main characters. He gets shot during the middle part of the book and no one even checks his pulse or seemed truly sad - after a short time they just moved on... and later were oh so surprised that he did in fact never die but wore a self-made bullet-proof west underneath.
The portrayel of female characters was, oh wonder, also something I disliked.
Those were either objectified, desciminated, or displayed as trophies for the main characters, and of course all of them had the idealized slim-curvey silhuette and low neckline that comic women often have.
There were a few tries to redeem this situation at the end, but for me it was a bit too little too late.
Aside from these biggest critiques, the rest was rather mediocre. The plot wasn't that original and a big too fast-paced for my taste. The only things I enjoyed were the setting and the atmosphere created by the art style, which was very colorful and cartoonesque - and hence perfectely suited for the story told. It filled me with a good portion of nostalgia and longing for whenever the next comic con will finally take place.
But even that couldn't make up for a comic that was at best mediocre and at worst very dissapointing.
PS: since this is a translated work, I think the translator (Edward Gauvin) should be mentioned, at least on Goodreads, if not on the cover.
CW: violence, sexism, fat shaming, bullying, gun violence.
I have to admit, I really didn't like this comic.
While the concept sounded cool and the art style was pleasent to look at, the story lacked depth and was at times quite inconsiderate.
I am myself a big fan of comic cons and visited the one in my country already mutiple times. Now, said comic con has been cancelled for the third year in a row, due to the on-going pandemic. I picked up this comic in the hope of finding comfort and escape at least in a fictional experience.
I love the atmosphere and the passion of comic cons, being surrounded by hundreds of geeks and nerds who understand and respect each other, even when differing opinions occur. It's like a huge friend group, always nice and supportive even if you're total strangers.
Sadly, exactly that is the weakest point of the story. There is not a single likeable character in this book. Everyone is easily aggravated, insecure and constantly picking at each other. Even the supposed best friends I woundn't have known as friends, hadn't the synopsis told me so.
And while there were a few inside jokes that made me smile or even laugh out loud (like the Spartans passionately correcting Abel's brother that Cosplay is not dress-up or everyone miss-placing the agents in a different fandom), these were balanced by some strong no-gos of comic con behavior: fat shaming the Thor cosplayer thta he should rather go as Obelix, sexist comments that a woman couldn't be Logan and more. It was truly baffling.
Another component I found to be quite inconsiderate was the supposed death of one of the main characters. He gets shot during the middle part of the book and no one even checks his pulse or seemed truly sad - after a short time they just moved on... and later were oh so surprised that he did in fact never die but wore a self-made bullet-proof west underneath.
The portrayel of female characters was, oh wonder, also something I disliked.
Those were either objectified, desciminated, or displayed as trophies for the main characters, and of course all of them had the idealized slim-curvey silhuette and low neckline that comic women often have.
There were a few tries to redeem this situation at the end, but for me it was a bit too little too late.
Aside from these biggest critiques, the rest was rather mediocre. The plot wasn't that original and a big too fast-paced for my taste. The only things I enjoyed were the setting and the atmosphere created by the art style, which was very colorful and cartoonesque - and hence perfectely suited for the story told. It filled me with a good portion of nostalgia and longing for whenever the next comic con will finally take place.
But even that couldn't make up for a comic that was at best mediocre and at worst very dissapointing.
PS: since this is a translated work, I think the translator (Edward Gauvin) should be mentioned, at least on Goodreads, if not on the cover.
jkenna1990's review
3.0
This was a cute graphic novel. I really enjoyed the artwork and the references were fun too. I overall enjoyed this but wasn't wowed by it.
banana83854's review
3.0
**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**
Cosplay (script by Mikko, art by Maribel Conejero) was a quick, fast-paced little graphic novel. I would gear it towards an older middle grade audience for violence and some harsh language. It centers around a young boy who is hassled for his love of cosplay, but he is determined to enter the cosplay competition at Comicon Paris anyway. Under a surprising turns of events, there is an attack during the contest, and he and his friends have to band together to try and save the day.
As I stated previously, this was a real fast moving story. A little unrealistic at times maybe, but hey, it's for kids. The art was fantastic. My favorite part was picking out all the costumes and references I knew from the background. They even provide a cheat sheet at the end of the book if you want to try and quiz yourself. All in all, Cosplay is a fun story with just a few bumps along the way.
Cosplay (script by Mikko, art by Maribel Conejero) was a quick, fast-paced little graphic novel. I would gear it towards an older middle grade audience for violence and some harsh language. It centers around a young boy who is hassled for his love of cosplay, but he is determined to enter the cosplay competition at Comicon Paris anyway. Under a surprising turns of events, there is an attack during the contest, and he and his friends have to band together to try and save the day.
As I stated previously, this was a real fast moving story. A little unrealistic at times maybe, but hey, it's for kids. The art was fantastic. My favorite part was picking out all the costumes and references I knew from the background. They even provide a cheat sheet at the end of the book if you want to try and quiz yourself. All in all, Cosplay is a fun story with just a few bumps along the way.
little_red_cover's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for allowing me early access to review this eARC.
I loved the art style in this graphic novel. I thought it was really well done as it felt unique, but also borrowed classic comic book elements. It naturally features a lot of colors, but was done in a nice way that didn’t feel over saturated. Also, all the pop culture references were awesome that it borrowed from so many fandoms.
However, I thought the pacing was a bit weird at times and it was hard to gauge (at times) what exactly was going on. I don’t know if I liked the “present” vs. “past” that is only like twice and flows a bit awkwardly. I also wasn’t a fan that one of the main characters started pretty gross and misogynistic, but it went away cause a hot (and very badass) girl kicked a bad guys butt…? I mean I guess that’s character growth.
I still had a lot of fun reading it and would definitely recommend for any nerd out there.
I loved the art style in this graphic novel. I thought it was really well done as it felt unique, but also borrowed classic comic book elements. It naturally features a lot of colors, but was done in a nice way that didn’t feel over saturated. Also, all the pop culture references were awesome that it borrowed from so many fandoms.
However, I thought the pacing was a bit weird at times and it was hard to gauge (at times) what exactly was going on. I don’t know if I liked the “present” vs. “past” that is only like twice and flows a bit awkwardly. I also wasn’t a fan that one of the main characters started pretty gross and misogynistic, but it went away cause a hot (and very badass) girl kicked a bad guys butt…? I mean I guess that’s character growth.
I still had a lot of fun reading it and would definitely recommend for any nerd out there.
jkenna90's review
3.0
This was a cute graphic novel. I really enjoyed the artwork and the references were fun too. I overall enjoyed this but wasn't wowed by it.
laurabolota's review
3.0
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the book.
I became interested in the book by the theme of superheroes and the group of friends helping to solve a crime, and although I received it, it didn't met my expectations.
While reading a graphic novel I don't expect an extremely well-developed story, by the limit available to explore this, but I found this very little developed compared to the others I have read.
There were many scenes with several things happening simultaneously, and little room to delve into them, leaving the narrative weak and the rhythm inconsistent.
And, the characters were just representations of the stereotypes found in several films with the same premise.
Also, there was no balance between the funny parts and the serious parts, and maybe could have had a transition between them to make the story more concise. I was confused by the end of the book, the facts seemed disjointed, and the solution was very hasty.
Overall, it was a quick and pleasant reading, ignoring the misogynistic lines.
Cons:
There were unnecessary comments from one of the characters in which he objectified women or said that such a thing is not for girls, which made me uncomfortable.
Pros:
The references to pop culture and the game that is in the end were cool and made the story more interesting, even if I could not recognize all the references.
I became interested in the book by the theme of superheroes and the group of friends helping to solve a crime, and although I received it, it didn't met my expectations.
While reading a graphic novel I don't expect an extremely well-developed story, by the limit available to explore this, but I found this very little developed compared to the others I have read.
There were many scenes with several things happening simultaneously, and little room to delve into them, leaving the narrative weak and the rhythm inconsistent.
And, the characters were just representations of the stereotypes found in several films with the same premise.
Also, there was no balance between the funny parts and the serious parts, and maybe could have had a transition between them to make the story more concise. I was confused by the end of the book, the facts seemed disjointed, and the solution was very hasty.
Overall, it was a quick and pleasant reading, ignoring the misogynistic lines.
Cons:
There were unnecessary comments from one of the characters in which he objectified women or said that such a thing is not for girls, which made me uncomfortable.
Pros:
The references to pop culture and the game that is in the end were cool and made the story more interesting, even if I could not recognize all the references.
fallbetweenthepages's review
4.0
Thank you Netgalley & Europe Comics for the chance to review this heroic and coming of age comic, Cosplay.
The elements and focus points regarding young teens like Abel who love to embody their favorite characters reminds me of my friends and I attending out first Comic-Cons together. While true enough the activity and practice of making a cosplay, attending or buying the costume might seem off putting to those outside the community, it does take a lot of courage and confidence to step out into an unfamiliar area. This comic spoke well on the issues of accepting someone's differences, how bullying affects others, and the act of doing something brave minus the superpowers.
While the situation that Abel and his friends find themselves in while attending the Con is completely ridiculous, I did enjoy the story and the fact the each of them were willing to over come their fear and come up with a game plan to assist others in need; in essence making them true heroes.
The artwork and storytelling is rich, fast paced, and gives just enough insight into the characters' personalities, making them pop off the page.
Be sure to check this comic out on Kindle or your local bookstore.
4/5 stars!
The elements and focus points regarding young teens like Abel who love to embody their favorite characters reminds me of my friends and I attending out first Comic-Cons together. While true enough the activity and practice of making a cosplay, attending or buying the costume might seem off putting to those outside the community, it does take a lot of courage and confidence to step out into an unfamiliar area. This comic spoke well on the issues of accepting someone's differences, how bullying affects others, and the act of doing something brave minus the superpowers.
While the situation that Abel and his friends find themselves in while attending the Con is completely ridiculous, I did enjoy the story and the fact the each of them were willing to over come their fear and come up with a game plan to assist others in need; in essence making them true heroes.
The artwork and storytelling is rich, fast paced, and gives just enough insight into the characters' personalities, making them pop off the page.
Be sure to check this comic out on Kindle or your local bookstore.
4/5 stars!
justabookholic's review
1.0
The length of this comic really hindered the story. The plot felt derivative and underwhelming, whilst the characters were extremely shallow. I get 88 pages isn't a lot to work with but this was not good. This felt very much like a bad fanfic or a self insert narrative that flopped. The friend group had no banter or hint of camaraderie between them, simply a group of dudes who share one similarity and repeat movie lines to each other instead of actually talking. Despite likely being in the group that this comic was supposed to cater to (comic-obsessed, superhero-watching, pop culture consumer), I found myself mostly cringing while reading this.
Thank you Netgalley and Europe Comics for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you Netgalley and Europe Comics for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!