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hannahhbic's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely phenomenal. I loved every story. I got Beyond on sale for $5 with the proceeds donated to Trans Lifeline, but I would honestly buy it again for a much larger sum. This anthology was exactly what I needed at this point in my life, and I'll bet it will resonate with a lot of you, as well.
lezreadalot's review against another edition
4.0
What a wonderful collection! Really diverse and really fun; it was great to see all these different styles and genres come together to tell stories about different queer people. Ahhh, I already know this anthology will remain super close to my heart. My favourite story is definitely "The Graves of Wolves"; so dark and atmospheric, chilling and cosy at the same time. Really good story-telling; I came to know the characters and their background in such a short time, and the action and pace were perfect. It made my heart beat super fast at one point! And the ending was lovely.
Other faves: "Islet" (really interesting concept!), "Barricade" (heroic girlfriends in spaaaaaace), "The Monster Queen" (the art style that stuck out the most for me), "The Dragon Slayer's Son" (dear god do I love fictional mother narratives) and "O-Type Hypergiant" (and the award for best kiss goes to...). And really, there was no story in this wonderfully drawn collection that I didn't enjoy at least a little!
More queer comics please. <3
Other faves: "Islet" (really interesting concept!), "Barricade" (heroic girlfriends in spaaaaaace), "The Monster Queen" (the art style that stuck out the most for me), "The Dragon Slayer's Son" (dear god do I love fictional mother narratives) and "O-Type Hypergiant" (and the award for best kiss goes to...). And really, there was no story in this wonderfully drawn collection that I didn't enjoy at least a little!
More queer comics please. <3
lindsayb's review against another edition
3.0
I love the concept. I love that by buying a copy this past week, my money went to Trans Lifeline. I want LGBTQ+ characters and issues to have more and better representation in comics. I think this comic is a fantastic step in that direction.
But I did not love it. I found the quality of the stories themselves extremely hit-or-miss. There were a few gems, but there were enough that I just felt like I was scrolling through. I am also looking cautiously at the quasi-Native comic "Twin Souled" that seems like it's got a bit of appropriation going on. My faves were "The Monster Queen" and "The Dragon Slayer's Son."
But I did not love it. I found the quality of the stories themselves extremely hit-or-miss. There were a few gems, but there were enough that I just felt like I was scrolling through. I am also looking cautiously at the quasi-Native comic "Twin Souled" that seems like it's got a bit of appropriation going on. My faves were "The Monster Queen" and "The Dragon Slayer's Son."
mckinlay's review against another edition
3.0
i enjoyed the first half quite a bit. but the second half fell flat for me, i skimmed most of them towards the end. my favorite by far was, Of Families and Other Magical Objects by Reed Black.
golden_lily's review against another edition
4.0
My favorite of the comic anthologies I've read. The art was more consistent and I liked almost all the plots. Really hyped that I was smart enough to back the sequel.
sparklemaia's review against another edition
5.0
This was so, so, so good. I grinned my way through it. There was humor, there was heartbreak, there was sweetness and sassery and sorcery! A few of the stories were a bit shaky in terms of storytelling clarity and pacing and in a couple of cases the art was a little less polished, but anthologies are kind of by definition a bit of a mixed bag in which not every story will appeal to every reader. And other than that I loved the heck out of this anthology and I want ten more. Fifty more! A HUNDRED! It also made me really want to work on my own LGBTQ scifi/fantasy comics in the hopes that they could some day be included in a future volume of Beyond! There are several comic artists and writers included in this anthology whose other work I will absolutely be tracking down.
anacereading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
The diversity of queer and trans characters was great, but I did find many of the stories hard to follow. I sorta wish they had little explanatory blurbs from the writers. There were a couple stories that felt a bit like cultural appropriation? I dunno 🤷🏻
justiceofkalr's review against another edition
2.0
Eh, like the Womanthology collections, I really wanted to like this way more than I did. Most of the stories in this collection are kind of meh. I get that there's only so much space, but so many of the characters and stories felt horrifically underdeveloped. There were a few interesting stories in here, but not enough to really save the anthology as a whole.
legs_mcgee's review against another edition
4.0
It took ages for me to be able to track down a copy of this anthology (shout out to interlibrary loans!), but I'm glad I finally managed to get my hands on it. A solid collection of queer sci-fi and fantasy, the art styles and subgenres really range throughout the anthology, which makes it an excellent introduction to a ton of the artists within!
caedocyon's review against another edition
4.0
Some standouts, in order of appearance (now with illustrations!):
"Luminosity" (****)
It took me a reread to understand what the characters are talking about, which I don't think was intentional, but once I did I was really into it.
"A Royal Affair" (*****)
Possibly my favorite! Pirates, royalty, adventure, and outrageous flirting.
"Duty and Honor" (*****)
I didn't immediately warm to either the art or the subject, but it won me over and made me cry.
"O Type Hypergiant" (****.5)
I love the melding of classic gay erotic art styles and sci fi. The last panel gives me chills.
"The Next Day" (**)
Too distracted by wondering how anyone survives to do anything for more than a month if the sun has gone out? Eating meat is only going to take you so far. Are the rabbits cannibalistic now?
Some other favorites, which don't have a lot else to say about: "Mourning Tea", "They Simply Pass", "Barricade".
"Luminosity" (****)
It took me a reread to understand what the characters are talking about, which I don't think was intentional, but once I did I was really into it.
"A Royal Affair" (*****)
Possibly my favorite! Pirates, royalty, adventure, and outrageous flirting.
"Duty and Honor" (*****)
I didn't immediately warm to either the art or the subject, but it won me over and made me cry.
"O Type Hypergiant" (****.5)
I love the melding of classic gay erotic art styles and sci fi. The last panel gives me chills.
"The Next Day" (**)
Too distracted by wondering how anyone survives to do anything for more than a month if the sun has gone out? Eating meat is only going to take you so far. Are the rabbits cannibalistic now?
Some other favorites, which don't have a lot else to say about: "Mourning Tea", "They Simply Pass", "Barricade".