Let's see if I can type out one more review quickly tonight. Two down, 200 still to go. (I'm being sarcastic. But only a little.) This is the first installment in a science fantasy space opera about two people from two different... races?... at war with one another. Who somehow got together, had a child, and are on the run. The premise sounds promising. The execution was a mixed bag for me.

What Worked For Me

The Core Concept: It really is compelling. Had not some of the things I didn't like stood out so starkly, I probably would have kept reading. The plot moves quickly, the stakes are high. The worldbuilding is super unique, while also being simple enough to easily understand. And lately I've found myself very fond of science fantasy which doesn't feel the need to over-complicate or over-explain itself, but just focuses on what's relevant to the story. This definitely delivers.

The Art: I have no visual art skills, so I'm looking at this purely from a consumer's eye. But I really liked it; not too stylized, which I appreciate and generally find more aesthetically pleasing. Also, I'm not sure I have the tools to explain exactly what I mean and why, but the page layouts and framing weren't overwhelming, and were always easy to follow along with. That's been a big struggle for me with most of the graphic novels I've read in the past several years. With this one, I almost always could tell quickly what I was looking at. I was usually able to get a vague impression of the important info each frame was trying to convey after a single glance. Which feels rare for me, especially with art involving action scenes.

What Wasn't My Thing

The Misogyny: I've never had much patience for visual media which portrays women's bodies the way this comic does, and I've only gotten more exhausted and frustrated by this approach the older I get. Do we get a ton of imagery of conventionally-attractive naked female bodies (like, 17 times more than naked male bodies)? Yes. Is female nudity played with in a way that makes it both attractive and monstrous, for like the 17,894,094 time in fiction? Like someone thinks they're doing something subversive and edgy, while ultimately saying nothing at all about the commodification of female bodies? Yes. Do we sometimes get female bodies and terrible violence done upon them at the same time, displayed for ultimate shock and titillation value? Yup. And are those bodies fridged for the sake of male storylines? Also, yes. So... yeah. Gender and gender politics are not handled well here, to say the least. Oh, and don't forget the subplot involving trafficked sex workers, including small children!

All the Other Kinds of Edginess You Tend to Get in Male-Dominated Adult Specfic, Too: All done in the kind of way that is most distasteful to me personally. Just... cruel and dehumanizing, lacking any complicated understanding of revolution or oppression or the horror of violence. Trying to prove the story is Definitely For Grownups! While lacking actual mature care, context, and complexity. A lot of the greatest hits in this one: Oversimplification of bigotry dynamics, specifically war and racial/ethnic tensions; a lot of violence that can't tell if it wants to be horrifying or just look really, REALLY cool; tropey, overdone depictions of passive nonviolence. There's always the chance that this all gets better, or is subverted later in the series. But volume one doesn't inspire much in the way of confidence for me.

Who This Is For

While this is very much a generalization, I'd say on average this is going to be a lot more for men than for women, and a lot more for younger people than older people. And probably more for white people than for anyone BIPOC, but I can't speak to that authentically. Regardless of identities, this is going to be a pretty good bet for anyone looking for a graphic novel with a compelling hook. Provided you have a high tolerance for dark sci-fi/fantasy staples, like graphic nudity/sex/violence.

Content Warnings

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This comic is excellently crafted and the style of writing and storytelling is excellent. The story was pointed out and very readable.

Content Warnings

More...