Reviews

House of El Book One: The Shadow Threat by Claudia Gray

izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition

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2.0

2/5

For the first book in a series I found it to be alright. I went into this one basically blind so it was somewhat hard to know how bad the stakes were. The characters were interesting but I felt like there wasn’t any time to get to know them, but I hope the next book expands on that.

shay43geek's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0


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lyoungthebookfae's review against another edition

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5.0

This was such a great look into the history of Krypton! I loved seeing all the action, and learning more about Kryptonian characters and lore! Anyone that loves Superman should pick this up, and I highly recommend it!

priorglass's review against another edition

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4.0

Vaguely reminded me of Blade Runner.

pantsreads's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5/5

Fun introduction to a new arm of Superman lore. I love how well Gray writes stories for characters "in the background" of other more popular/known ones!

Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.

lkthomas07's review against another edition

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4.0

Great first book in this series. Really interesting to see what it was like on Krypton near the end. Looking forward to the next one.

And Claudia Gray. Can’t go wrong.

jhouses's review against another edition

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2.0

Una especie de comic para jóvenes (que viene siendo, en este caso, un cómic para gente con poco criterio y experiencia) que desarrolla su argumento entre los flecos de los últimos días de Kriptón y su destrucción. Circulan por allí el general Zod, Jor-el, Lara y hasta el recién nacido Kal-el. Ellos van a lo suyo y una pareja de jovenes kriptonianos random les roba protagonismo sin mucha solución de continuidad porque ya sabemos lo que va a pasar. A la pobreza argumental se le une una importante tristeza artística ya que el arte no solo no dice nada sino que le resta interés al mundo de Kriptón que otros autores han sabido llevar de vida.
Valga esta reseña para los tres números de la obra.

khobson1's review against another edition

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5.0

this was really interesting! it ended on a cliff hanger so i hope my public library has the next one available asap

saramarie08's review against another edition

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5.0

Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.

House of El is a story of Kryptonians before Superman is even born. There is an impending doom of the planet that the Tribunes refuse to admit is real, but citizens are starting to act out and investigate what's happening. A group of dissenters recruits Zohn, of the House of Re, who is part of the upper caste and destined to become one of Krypton's future leaders. Zohn knows that the earthquakes are getting worse and could be a sign that the planet is near to collapse. Elsewhere, Zohn's cousin, Lara, wife of Jor-El, is experimenting with rewriting the genetic code of Kryptonians in order to introduce missing elements left out from generations of genetic manipulation. Their chosen subject is Sera, an Ur, a lower caste, genetically engineered soldier bred to be completely loyal to Krypton. Urs are modified to live life without fear, without questioning orders, and without regard to their own lives. Lara hopes to create a better soldier with some semblance of self-preservation, believing that these omitted traits are essential for Kryptonians to fully serve their society.

The pre-collapse of Krypton is an interesting time in Superman's lore, as many people often question how an advanced civilization didn't realize their own planet was doomed. This series has started to explain what happened, and I appreciate the direction Gray is taking in her rendition of Krypton. There are some familiar characters: General Zod, who is Sera’s commanding officer, and Jor-El and wife Lara, Superman's parents. There isn't a ton of prerequisite knowledge needed to jump into this title, so this is a perfect place for new fans to get into Superman stories. There is one heck of a cliffhanger here, the frustration of which is compounded by a volume two release date of 2022.

Zawadzki's illustrations beautifully depict the futuristic society of Krypton. Most of the world is set in a light blue with decadent gold accents. The places frequented by the lower caste are anchored in browns and darker, dingy colors. Action sequences are fluid and easy to follow.

There are some action sequences with explosions, earthquakes that destroy buildings, and gunfire fighting, but no gore is seen on the page. This title would easily find a home on middle school and high school shelves.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-10

This review was made possible with a digital reader copy from the publisher.