Reviews

First Knife, Vol. 1 by Daniel M. Bensen, Artyom Trakhanov, Simon Roy, James Stokoe, Jason Wordie, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

virvi's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

crookedtreehouse's review against another edition

3.0

Fans of [b:Prophet, Vol. 1: Remission|26526673|Prophet, Vol. 1 Remission|Brandon Graham|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|21477514], looking for a story that's just as complex in its worle building, but a bit more grounded in its storytelling, may really enjy this. It's a dystopian future story that's really thin on story but thick with worldbuilding. The plot never threatens to go anywhere interesting but it's coherent and easy to follow.

The art seems flat to me. The perspectives don't always work. I'm not a fan of the way Trakhanov draws anatomy, nor when he chooses to just do vague outlines when the camera zooms out for a long distance shot (which he doesn't do very often). But I do love his close-ups, and the way he composes action scenes.

While not a book I was very excited about, I think fans of Roy's other work might find it alluring, and I enjoyed it more than [b:Habitat|30896672|Habitat|Simon Roy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1467912887l/30896672._SY75_.jpg|51502943]. If you're jonesing for a post-Apocalyptic America book, and you've already read through [b:East of West, Vol. 1: The Promise|17929637|East of West, Vol. 1 The Promise|Jonathan Hickman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1368745851l/17929637._SY75_.jpg|25131343], [b:Undiscovered Country #1|52510893|Undiscovered Country #1|Scott Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570384758l/52510893._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73650500], and [b:Tank Girl|974942|Tank Girl (Tank Girl, #1)|Alan C. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388218484l/974942._SY75_.jpg|1495966], I would definitely give this book a flip-through and see if the art appeals to you.

francoisvigneault's review against another edition

4.0

This post-post-apocalyptic sci-fi graphic novel is full to bursting with deep world-building and a million fantastic ideas. In some ways the whole doesn't surpass the sum of its many parts, but the narrative is always propulsive and energetic. The artwork by [a:Artyom Trakhanov|7411619|Artyom Trakhanov|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is remarkably gorgeous and sits in a perfect sweet spot between art comix expression and genre action. Occasionally the narrative and pacing becomes very hard to follow, but the pleasures of the work transcend any failings. Looking forward to giving this a second (and third) readings down the road.

graypeape's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed this, though it has flaws. I'm not going to try too hard to describe the story; it's confusing, as I expect post-apocalyptic stories to be- after all, it's been centuries since whatever happened happened, I don't expect the current people to have a complete or accurate memory of events that took place so long ago, and this is taking place in the 33rd century. The world building is mostly built into the story, revealing little bits, but not giving too much away. There are notes included between panel pages and at the end, however, that give more information. At any rate, I enjoyed the relative mystery of the world, and being left to imagine what happened rather than being fed everything. At some point in the past, alien entities with cyborg-type bodies invaded Earth, we used cyborg soldiers to fight back, and we lost. The alien cyborg things stick around as overseers or something to that effect, and are worshiped by some tribes of humans, like the Hudsoni, as demons or Devas, while other humans, like the Yanqui, stick to a Christian-ish religion that waits for the return of Hesukristos. When a Yanqui girl finds one of Earth's cyborg soldiers and awakens it, shit goes down. The Yanqui believe the soldier to be the return of their God, the Hudsoni show up to kill him and shut that business down, and then road trip! The ending is satisfying, and I couldn't help but feel for the soldier, alone in a world he no longer knows.
I liked the art, it's rugged, a bit rough, like the world it's portraying. The battle scenes are action-filled and confusing, as I imagine battle would be. The landscapes, flora and fauna, and ruins are rendered beautifully. It can be difficult to distinguish the tribes from each other, and that makes sense to me. Overall, a good story, of a possible future, of a world that can never be restored to its former self, and must forge ahead as best it can. Were all my questions about this world answered? No. But that works here, and I'm cool with not knowing.

cloudslikethis's review against another edition

4.0

Read as single issues, needed a bit more exposition, but the art and world was fantastic.

michellehogmire's review

adventurous dark informative mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0