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krys_and_books's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Shannon Kind finds herself on an unusual alien planet amongst two species, one prey and the other predator, following the loss of her son. (Not entirely sure how recent the loss is and how long after it happens she appears on this planet though.) Shannon sets herself up as a protector to the prey species, eventually taking on the name Zoja, and takes them under her wings becoming a godlike figure to them. She happens to jump through time, sometimes a couple years, sometimes hundred or thousands. During these jumps she sees the Zoja evolve, largely under her words and how they get interpreted and distorted and end up the exact opposite of what she’d intended.
This was a fantastic story that looks at grief, loss and growth.
The art was beautiful, fantastical sometimes even. Not sure it’ll be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s a wonderful story.
***
Shannon Kind finds herself on an unusual alien planet amongst two species, one prey and the other predator, following the loss of her son. (Not entirely sure how recent the loss is and how long after it happens she appears on this planet though.) Shannon sets herself up as a protector to the prey species, eventually taking on the name Zoja, and takes them under her wings becoming a godlike figure to them. She happens to jump through time, sometimes a couple years, sometimes hundred or thousands. During these jumps she sees the Zoja evolve, largely under her words and how they get interpreted and distorted and end up the exact opposite of what she’d intended.
This was a fantastic story that looks at grief, loss and growth.
The art was beautiful, fantastical sometimes even. Not sure it’ll be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s a wonderful story.
etienne02's review
2.0
Not for me in every way. I didn't like the story, the characters and the illustrations... that being said, it isn't particularly bad and could please some reader, but to far from my taste. Very personal verdict here.
thebibliophilegirl's review
1.0
Ahhhh yet another graphic novel that has completely let me down. How is it that the blurbs for graphic novels sound so interesting, and their illustrations are brilliant, but the story just isn't there? This is the second graphic novel in a row that has disappointed me so much, but oh well...
A grieving mother wakes in a brutal but fantastic landscape, where the currents of time pull her into the future, lurching forward days, years, and millennia. Her name is Shannon Kind, and her life in our world has vanished without warning. Perhaps she can find peace in her new home. Perhaps she can shape Zojaqan into a better world. But first, she must survive.
I have no idea what happened during this graphic novel. As soon as I finished it, I had to sit back for about 10 minutes and really think about what had happened and try t =o make sense of it. The central plot is about our main protagonist, Shannon who has just lost her son. Somehow (which is never explained) she is thrown into a different universe, where she meets people called Zojas. She helps the Zojas defend themselves, and after her helping them, the Zojas see Shannon as a God. Shannon sort of takes on the responsibility of a God and teaches them how to hunt and defend themselves against predators. She teaches them how to be kind to each other and rely on each other to survive. But then, she's suddenly pulled forward in time to where she sees that everything has gone a bit wrong. The Zojas are killing in her name.
And that's it. That's the story. That's pretty much all that happens. There's no real storyline, but there is definite underlying preaching involved with this graphic novel.
As for the artwork, I actually really liked it, and that's the whole reason for the one star. However, sometimes the lettering was sometimes really hard to read. At times, there would be this kind of old English font in yellow that was on a red background, and I was squinting so hard to read it.
I just can't help but think that there should have been... more...? The title states that this was the complete series, which I'm guessing means that it's the complete storyline and that there isn't going to be any more issues or anything like that. Which also means that there isn't going to be any development on the world or the characters.
I can't help but wonder what the point of this graphic novel is... What story is it trying to tell?
This graphic novel just wasn't for me...
Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
A grieving mother wakes in a brutal but fantastic landscape, where the currents of time pull her into the future, lurching forward days, years, and millennia. Her name is Shannon Kind, and her life in our world has vanished without warning. Perhaps she can find peace in her new home. Perhaps she can shape Zojaqan into a better world. But first, she must survive.
I have no idea what happened during this graphic novel. As soon as I finished it, I had to sit back for about 10 minutes and really think about what had happened and try t =o make sense of it. The central plot is about our main protagonist, Shannon who has just lost her son. Somehow (which is never explained) she is thrown into a different universe, where she meets people called Zojas. She helps the Zojas defend themselves, and after her helping them, the Zojas see Shannon as a God. Shannon sort of takes on the responsibility of a God and teaches them how to hunt and defend themselves against predators. She teaches them how to be kind to each other and rely on each other to survive. But then, she's suddenly pulled forward in time to where she sees that everything has gone a bit wrong. The Zojas are killing in her name.
And that's it. That's the story. That's pretty much all that happens. There's no real storyline, but there is definite underlying preaching involved with this graphic novel.
As for the artwork, I actually really liked it, and that's the whole reason for the one star. However, sometimes the lettering was sometimes really hard to read. At times, there would be this kind of old English font in yellow that was on a red background, and I was squinting so hard to read it.
I just can't help but think that there should have been... more...? The title states that this was the complete series, which I'm guessing means that it's the complete storyline and that there isn't going to be any more issues or anything like that. Which also means that there isn't going to be any development on the world or the characters.
I can't help but wonder what the point of this graphic novel is... What story is it trying to tell?
This graphic novel just wasn't for me...
Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
aquahogcodes's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this graphic novel for review.
Zojaqan tells a unique story. Shannon Kind finds herself in a mysterious landscape where she must survive among prey and predator. As the ages pass, and the landscape around her changes, she remains the only constant. Because of this, the Zoja worship her strength and treat her word as Law and in return she protects them. But in time, they succumb to their own weaknesses as all intelligent life does, and Shannon must find a way to undo the damage she may have inadvertently done.
This fantastical layering hides beneath it a story of grief; Shannon Kind, a working, single mother loses her only son and Zojaqan is possibly her subconscious helping her cope with this incredible change in her life. Through her actions in this foreign landscape, Shannon is able to slay her demons and come to terms with the loss that has taken over her life.
I quite admire the idea behind this story and the artwork is amazing. I loved how the artist was able to use different colors to convey the mood and setting accordingly (dark & vibrant for Zojaqan vs muted blues for Reality). The plot was a little fast-driven for me but I liked the intimate themes touched upon by the authors.
Rating: 2.75/5
Zojaqan tells a unique story. Shannon Kind finds herself in a mysterious landscape where she must survive among prey and predator. As the ages pass, and the landscape around her changes, she remains the only constant. Because of this, the Zoja worship her strength and treat her word as Law and in return she protects them. But in time, they succumb to their own weaknesses as all intelligent life does, and Shannon must find a way to undo the damage she may have inadvertently done.
This fantastical layering hides beneath it a story of grief; Shannon Kind, a working, single mother loses her only son and Zojaqan is possibly her subconscious helping her cope with this incredible change in her life. Through her actions in this foreign landscape, Shannon is able to slay her demons and come to terms with the loss that has taken over her life.
I quite admire the idea behind this story and the artwork is amazing. I loved how the artist was able to use different colors to convey the mood and setting accordingly (dark & vibrant for Zojaqan vs muted blues for Reality). The plot was a little fast-driven for me but I liked the intimate themes touched upon by the authors.
Rating: 2.75/5
christalbotheindl's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5 This introduction to Shan and Zojaqan was incredibly uncomfortable for me. The premise is that Shannon (or Shan) loses her son - in a way that is unclear - but it sounds like he was run down by a car, intentionally. Earlier, you see him with a Black Lives Matter sign, so I concluded that this happened in relation to that, but it isn't explicitly stated.
She may have committed suicide and this is her afterlife, or she may have retreated into her own psyche, or she may legitimately space/time traveled - that is also unclear, but she finds herself in a different world.
She seems well intentioned when she starts to teach the indigenous people how to protect themselves from predators, but then begins some serious colonizer BS - giving them rules to live by, becoming angry when they "misinterpret" her vague parables, and then beating them or killing them when they don't live the way she wants them to.
This was super troubling for me that a black woman - the daughter of an immigrant and the mourning mother of a son who was run down at a Black Lives Matter protest - would turn around and become a colonizer to the indigenous people. I was curious as to who had written it, looked them up, and they're both white men. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not. I think there are a lot of white folk who envision that given the same power position their ancestors had over indigenous peoples, minorities would behaved the same way. I reject that premise, and I'm disappointed in this story.
She may have committed suicide and this is her afterlife, or she may have retreated into her own psyche, or she may legitimately space/time traveled - that is also unclear, but she finds herself in a different world.
She seems well intentioned when she starts to teach the indigenous people how to protect themselves from predators, but then begins some serious colonizer BS - giving them rules to live by, becoming angry when they "misinterpret" her vague parables, and then beating them or killing them when they don't live the way she wants them to.
This was super troubling for me that a black woman - the daughter of an immigrant and the mourning mother of a son who was run down at a Black Lives Matter protest - would turn around and become a colonizer to the indigenous people. I was curious as to who had written it, looked them up, and they're both white men. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not. I think there are a lot of white folk who envision that given the same power position their ancestors had over indigenous peoples, minorities would behaved the same way. I reject that premise, and I'm disappointed in this story.
mouseg's review
2.0
I'm not entirely sure what I just read.
Shannon ends up on an alien planet (it's not a dream). We don't know how she ended up here or why she's there.
There are time jumps and flashbacks, which are quite confusing. I think the time jumps are a metaphor for how quickly a child grows up and the alien planet is a metaphor for how confusing parenthood is. And the end of the civilization is her grief. Maybe? I don't really know.
One of the fonts that was used was hard to read and started to hurt my eyes. It might be easier to read in paper format as opposed to on the computer.
Shannon ends up on an alien planet (it's not a dream). We don't know how she ended up here or why she's there.
There are time jumps and flashbacks, which are quite confusing. I think the time jumps are a metaphor for how quickly a child grows up and the alien planet is a metaphor for how confusing parenthood is. And the end of the civilization is her grief. Maybe? I don't really know.
One of the fonts that was used was hard to read and started to hurt my eyes. It might be easier to read in paper format as opposed to on the computer.
ruthsic's review
3.0
Warnings: death of child, violence, depression
Zojaqan is a unique take on the 'fell through a portal' kinds of low fantasies - in this one, Shannon arrives into another world while grieving the death of her son, and though she initially wants to give up, the world keeps her alive until she is ready to fight whatever comes in her way. Then she meets a species called the Zoja and in a state of motherly affection, starts to shape their destiny, but over and over she finds that trying to change a circumstance would sometimes would result in no change and she accepts her loss.
While the central arc of the story is Shannon coming to terms with the loss of her son, the majority of the plot is devoted to how she shapes the future of the Zojas. See, she has this ability that she can skip or slow down her time in this world, so she skips and it can be two generations when she back with them. She initially helps the Zoja fend off their predators, makes a deal with a menacing forest spirit, and tries to teach the Zoja morality. Her attempts to 'civilize' them however, are met with human-like civilizations of the Zoja that worship her and kill in her name. She essentially becomes the icon of a vengeful God for them - one who lives among them, but also who can cast them down for not following her teachings. I particularly felt that if you (the reader) have a problem with faith and religion in our world, this would particularly resonate with you - the idea that God maybe an entity who is just trying to make the future of your species better but keeps getting disappointed over how you use their name to commit atrocities.
While I liked the concept and direction of the plot, I still was not a fan of the artwork. The world is built well enough, a wonderland-like realm with strange creatures and things. But Shannon's character design was awful - the artists have her in weird and painful looking body postures ALL the time, and rely more on what they think look aesthetically pleasing than realism. Also, I hated the lettering for the narration given by the Zoja - it is in this weird old-timey font, yellow-brown color scheme and is a strain to read, even for someone who doesn't have vision problems. Also, it suggests it is an adventure fantasy, but that could only be said of the first chapter, maybe. The rest of it is just philosophical musings.
So basically, good concept, and interesting ideas, but terrible artwork and lettering.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Vault Comics, via Netgalley.
Zojaqan is a unique take on the 'fell through a portal' kinds of low fantasies - in this one, Shannon arrives into another world while grieving the death of her son, and though she initially wants to give up, the world keeps her alive until she is ready to fight whatever comes in her way. Then she meets a species called the Zoja and in a state of motherly affection, starts to shape their destiny, but over and over she finds that trying to change a circumstance would sometimes would result in no change and she accepts her loss.
While the central arc of the story is Shannon coming to terms with the loss of her son, the majority of the plot is devoted to how she shapes the future of the Zojas. See, she has this ability that she can skip or slow down her time in this world, so she skips and it can be two generations when she back with them. She initially helps the Zoja fend off their predators, makes a deal with a menacing forest spirit, and tries to teach the Zoja morality. Her attempts to 'civilize' them however, are met with human-like civilizations of the Zoja that worship her and kill in her name. She essentially becomes the icon of a vengeful God for them - one who lives among them, but also who can cast them down for not following her teachings. I particularly felt that if you (the reader) have a problem with faith and religion in our world, this would particularly resonate with you - the idea that God maybe an entity who is just trying to make the future of your species better but keeps getting disappointed over how you use their name to commit atrocities.
While I liked the concept and direction of the plot, I still was not a fan of the artwork. The world is built well enough, a wonderland-like realm with strange creatures and things. But Shannon's character design was awful - the artists have her in weird and painful looking body postures ALL the time, and rely more on what they think look aesthetically pleasing than realism. Also, I hated the lettering for the narration given by the Zoja - it is in this weird old-timey font, yellow-brown color scheme and is a strain to read, even for someone who doesn't have vision problems. Also, it suggests it is an adventure fantasy, but that could only be said of the first chapter, maybe. The rest of it is just philosophical musings.
So basically, good concept, and interesting ideas, but terrible artwork and lettering.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Vault Comics, via Netgalley.
jamesflint's review
3.0
Galley provided by publisher
Rep: black mc
I requested this one because Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly are the authors of one of my favourite comics, Joyride, so I thought that I'd give Zojaqan a go. This sounds kind of like I'm setting up to say I was disappointed; I'm not. I did like this comic. But it was incredibly strange, ultimately. It's about a mother grieving the death of her son, who ends up in a weird fantasy world and first starts a destructive and vengeful society, then later a cult.And then ends up killing everyone. As you do. Like I said before, it's probably one of the strangest comics I've read, but the writing was good and I liked the art well enough (even though I miss Marcus To).
Rep: black mc
I requested this one because Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly are the authors of one of my favourite comics, Joyride, so I thought that I'd give Zojaqan a go. This sounds kind of like I'm setting up to say I was disappointed; I'm not. I did like this comic. But it was incredibly strange, ultimately. It's about a mother grieving the death of her son, who ends up in a weird fantasy world and first starts a destructive and vengeful society, then later a cult.
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