Reviews with content warning for Murder - Earthdivers, Vol. 1: Kill Columbus

EARTHDIVERS vol. 1 is essentially a giant middle finger to colonialism and I’m here for it 🙌🏾 Stephen Graham Jones, Davide Gianfelice and Joana Lafuente have given us a bold and exciting new comic series that sets out to rewrite history.

The concept for this comic is amazing. It’s the year 2112 and the apocalypse has happened. Most of humanity has given up hope, except for a group of Indigenous survivors who have found a way to time travel. They figure the best way to save the world is to change the past by sending someone back to when history took a turn for the worse: the “discovery” of America. They hope that stopping Columbus on his voyage will be enough to change the world for the better.

Collecting the first six issues of this series, volume 1 introduces us to several characters and three plot lines. There’s a lot going on and as a result the book feels too busy and confusing at times. However, this comic is at its best when it uses Indigenous stories and histories to tell this story, and there are several beautiful moments where this happens. This book also puts anger at the forefront (rightfully so) as we follow the main character as he tries to achieve his goal of stopping Columbus. His intense emotions are combined with vivd artwork, and this created a memorable reading experience for me.

This book is brutal but important as it confronts white supremacy and tries to imagine a better world. I admire the courage and determination of these characters—they never lose hope as they fight for a new future. I’m excited to keep reading this series and learn about the new future they create.

Content Warnings

livlamentloathe's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I struggled with this—but I’m hopeful (pretty confident) that volume 2 will be more enlightening. The way this volume picked up was mid-action, showing us over the course of six chapters how the central four got where they were at the start. That and time travel? I’m lost. Time travel always loses me though—it’s too big brain. I am just a simple small brain.

I have a lot of questions so obviously I’ll continue when more Earthdivers’ become available. I love Stephen Graham Jones. And Im curious as to where this will go. What’s next? Who is the hoodie kid? Where did Emily end up? Who are the characters to one another?

Probably a really cool read for anyone who likes and/or understands time travel!

Content Warnings

strawbrifieldsforever's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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