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indeedithappens's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Violence and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Lesbophobia, Murder, Sexual content, Death of parent, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, Sexism, Blood, Car accident, Stalking, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Torture, and Police brutality
honeybeewitched87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Racism, Blood, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Transphobia, and Cursing
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Medical trauma, Trafficking, Death of parent, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism
library_goth's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Deadnaming, Car accident, Transphobia, Death of parent, and Homophobia
Minor: Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Racism, Infidelity, and Cancer
geno's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
La historia está situada en los 90 en Chinatown. El estilo gráfico le da cierto aire "noir" que acompaña muy bien la trama principal.
Hay un intento de mezclar la mítica de los vampiros con el folklore Chino que tiene resultados variables según el momento.
Respecto a la representación asiática, Athena y su abuelo transmiten el amor por la cultura y religión. Algunos detalles de la mitología China se integran muy bien en este mundo. Sin embargo, en su afán por ser su propia cosa, esta novela gráfica pierde todo lo interesante que podía haber tomado de Carmilla.
Hay un par de subtramas que salen de la nada
Existe una intención que la historia tenga peso social, hablando de asesinatos a chicos de la calle, pero a medida que pasan las páginas, se olvida.
En general, es una buena historia, aunque se siente un poco apresura. Contiene muchas subtramas que no llega a desarrollarse. Esperaba otra cosa por el nombre del libro, pero si uno acomoda esas expectativas, puede ser una lectura interesante.
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This graphic novel is a kind of retelling or continuation of the book of the same name.
The setting is Chinatown in the 90´s so the vibe is different but the art style makes it feels like a noir detective story.
I liked how Chinese folklore is integrated into vampire lore, and I think it adds a very interesting point of view. The relationship between Athena and her grandfather was sweet and real and one of the highlights of the book.
Unfortunately, I also felt that some plot points were just there for shock value.
There is also a subplot about social injustice that starts strong and later it's just an inconvenience that adds noise to the story. I feel the author has good intentions but not enough pages.
Overall it felt rushed. It's not a modern interpretation of "Carmilla", this could have any name and work just fine.
Of course, knowing the original story helps, but this comic is its own thing. I would have preferred to stay closer to the original and add on that. But the way it was resolved helps readers that might not know the source material.
It's an OK comic that has the potential for more.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
emily_mh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Rep: sapphic Chinese-American MC, elderly Chinese-American SC, sapphic Black SC, sapphic SC, trans Chinese-American SC
Graphic: Cursing, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident, Infidelity, Racism, Death of parent, Sexual content, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Terminal illness, Ableism, Deadnaming, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Physical abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Suicide, Blood, Cancer, Gore, Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Trafficking, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content
Moderate: loss of a loved one Minor: gentrification, the unhoused experience, one us of the homophobic f slur, one use of the lesbophobic d slurmfrisk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, Murder, Death, and Death of parent
asiantomato's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Sexual content, Violence, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Racial slurs, Cancer, Gore, Misogyny, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Transphobia, and Blood
livlamentloathe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The writing, however, wasn’t amazing. There wasn’t much emotion to the book. I didn’t feel anything from Athena. She seemed to be on rote for the whole book—moving from client to client, researching the case then Carmilla, lapping up Violet’s attention. And a lot of the plot threads were overly complicated. I liked Mai Tai and her scenes, and was disappointed in her lackluster death. It felt like the book lacked a beating heart—but maybe that was purposeful. I mean, a vampire’s heart does not beat.
I am curious about where it’s going and I’ll continue it. I hope that with the next story will come more complex emotions and a better connection to Athena. She can be more than she is, I know it.
Graphic: Police brutality and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Minor: Blood, Car accident, Alcohol, Death, Cancer, Medical content, Racism, Stalking, Drug use, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
motaki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Needed a better script to truly function and the fact that the MC Athena is quite unlikeable negatively affect the final result.
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, and Terminal illness