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rakoerose's review
4.0
The bright colors of this disguise the dark, eery undertones as Vep joins the academy and begins to learn not all is as it seems.
“The future is rushing up behind you and every moment holds potential.”
Mixing tried and true science fiction elements with a bright, unique style and a story based on the effects of colonialism on indigenous peoples makes this a stunning comic. Seeing Leong’s interview at the end of the volume hammers home how this is a story they really wished they could have seen for themselves within the genre. I can’t relate to the character of Vep on my own, but I sympathize and know she will be incredibly important for others to see! Her loss of her home culture and language is one I often see in stories detailing children growing up outside their homelands.
I love how Leong has developed so many different alien races to keep the feeling of diversity and yet that overwhelming “not alone” sensation that comes with seeing just how many other types there are. It’s all only enhanced by the intensity of the colors Leong chooses and pushes to highlight their unique elements.
The mystery of the academy is one I’m enjoying watching unfold, as we figure out the “natives” attacking the academy actually were on the planet first. And the idea of who is right and wrong is becoming challenged… I sense a lot of growth incoming for Vep and I’m excited to keep reading!
As an aside, only at the end of this did I find out there’s actually a soundtrack that’s meant to go with it. I’ll have to revisit this with it sometime to get the whole experience! But even by itself, I really enjoyed this comic. It’s surreal and yet fully based in real elements that impact people today.
“The future is rushing up behind you and every moment holds potential.”
Mixing tried and true science fiction elements with a bright, unique style and a story based on the effects of colonialism on indigenous peoples makes this a stunning comic. Seeing Leong’s interview at the end of the volume hammers home how this is a story they really wished they could have seen for themselves within the genre. I can’t relate to the character of Vep on my own, but I sympathize and know she will be incredibly important for others to see! Her loss of her home culture and language is one I often see in stories detailing children growing up outside their homelands.
I love how Leong has developed so many different alien races to keep the feeling of diversity and yet that overwhelming “not alone” sensation that comes with seeing just how many other types there are. It’s all only enhanced by the intensity of the colors Leong chooses and pushes to highlight their unique elements.
The mystery of the academy is one I’m enjoying watching unfold, as we figure out the “natives” attacking the academy actually were on the planet first. And the idea of who is right and wrong is becoming challenged… I sense a lot of growth incoming for Vep and I’m excited to keep reading!
As an aside, only at the end of this did I find out there’s actually a soundtrack that’s meant to go with it. I’ll have to revisit this with it sometime to get the whole experience! But even by itself, I really enjoyed this comic. It’s surreal and yet fully based in real elements that impact people today.
lucie_b's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
eyelit's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.0
annemaries_shelves's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
2.5 stars
This wasn't the comic for me.
I appreciated the psychedelic art and the training academy/boot camp plot that the majority of the volume followed, but I wasn't engaged in the storylines. Our main character was really complex and nuanced and I think a lot of readers will see their own lived experiences reflected in her. The vast array of aliens and other humans/bipeds she interacts with were all insanely cool too. But much of broader worldbuilding/story-telling is a little confusing and you have to be willing to sit with that confusion (and that wasn't in the headspace I was in while reading, unfortunately).
However, I did really like the themes Leong was explored - my favourite part was actually the short interview in the bonus section (by Tessa Strain with Sloane Leong). Leong discusses the thematic inspirations from her own "ancestral past and present, specifically [as] a reflection on [her] Native Hawaiian and Native American ancestries" regarding colonialism, refugee status, the loss of language and culture through forced assimilation, and the use of "texture-forward" and biological-focused art and worldbuilding that are all present in her work.
I think this comic will really work for some readers, I just wasn't that person.
This wasn't the comic for me.
I appreciated the psychedelic art and the training academy/boot camp plot that the majority of the volume followed, but I wasn't engaged in the storylines. Our main character was really complex and nuanced and I think a lot of readers will see their own lived experiences reflected in her. The vast array of aliens and other humans/bipeds she interacts with were all insanely cool too. But much of broader worldbuilding/story-telling is a little confusing and you have to be willing to sit with that confusion (and that wasn't in the headspace I was in while reading, unfortunately).
However, I did really like the themes Leong was explored - my favourite part was actually the short interview in the bonus section (by Tessa Strain with Sloane Leong). Leong discusses the thematic inspirations from her own "ancestral past and present, specifically [as] a reflection on [her] Native Hawaiian and Native American ancestries" regarding colonialism, refugee status, the loss of language and culture through forced assimilation, and the use of "texture-forward" and biological-focused art and worldbuilding that are all present in her work.
I think this comic will really work for some readers, I just wasn't that person.
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