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ellelainey's review against another edition
5.0
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
These Savage Shores (These Savage Shores, 1-5)
by Ram V., Sumit Kumar
★★★★★
176 Pages
Content Warning: mild violence, vampirism
These Savage Shores is an exploration of the East India Trading Company, with a blend of vampires and demons to add a spark of historical paranormal influence. While exploring Indian culture, it also explores good v evil, following your instincts, and doing what it best for the greater good. Challenging the concept of good and evil, it asks if sometimes the best way to accomplish a bigger-picture victory is to actually do the wrong thing for the right reasons.
I loved the art. It was stunning, yet fitting perfectly into the historical/gritty storyline. It was detailed and intricate, giving a beautiful elegance to the Indian culture explored on page, and the Raaksha's who were one of the central characters.
While I started off thinking I would rate this 4* – due to the confusion of main characters, as I thought the vampire Alain would be the main character, as he got the most pages in the introduction to the story – by the time I'd finished, I actually enjoyed the overall story much more. I think the whole thing came together in the last half of the book, blending all the POV's so that it made sense why it happened the way it did, exploring multi-POV's for a while.
The story was like an old fairytale that holds life lessons, full of warnings and cautionary tales. The way vampires took the role of an evil villain, while the East India Co also held a position of oppressor, villain and (at one point) a necessary evil. The way the three aspects were combined together – vampires, Indian folklore, and East India Co – made for a really intriguing story that told the history of India/EIC's past while adding a paranormal spin on it.
I really loved how it was paced, the dialogue was never unnecessary or hard to read, and I loved the inventive and novel choices made with formatting. I'm an avid reader of all kinds of comics/manga/yaoi, so whether it was intentional or not, I noticed a few nods to those styles.
Rather than trying to explain, here are some non-spoiler panels to show it. (I put them into one image to save space)
I felt these gave a whole-picture concept that looked amazing, adding a huge visual impact to those pages. Often combining colour palette, character movements, and limited dialogue to present an entire page statement. The styles were used sparingly, and I think that gave them more impact, when they did come along. I also liked the use of letters/reports, to give a lot more information without compromising on space or making the story drag out.
Overall, it was a great read with incredible art. The story was well paced, written and styled, and I loved the sad ending and uncertainty of the future. I see it's listed as Volume 1, and episodes 1-5. I wouldn't be surprised if there was more to come. While this story ended with a complete storyline, I would read more by this artist/author pairing and more of these characters or in this world.
Copy received through Netgalley
~
These Savage Shores (These Savage Shores, 1-5)
by Ram V., Sumit Kumar
★★★★★
176 Pages
Content Warning: mild violence, vampirism
These Savage Shores is an exploration of the East India Trading Company, with a blend of vampires and demons to add a spark of historical paranormal influence. While exploring Indian culture, it also explores good v evil, following your instincts, and doing what it best for the greater good. Challenging the concept of good and evil, it asks if sometimes the best way to accomplish a bigger-picture victory is to actually do the wrong thing for the right reasons.
I loved the art. It was stunning, yet fitting perfectly into the historical/gritty storyline. It was detailed and intricate, giving a beautiful elegance to the Indian culture explored on page, and the Raaksha's who were one of the central characters.
While I started off thinking I would rate this 4* – due to the confusion of main characters, as I thought the vampire Alain would be the main character, as he got the most pages in the introduction to the story – by the time I'd finished, I actually enjoyed the overall story much more. I think the whole thing came together in the last half of the book, blending all the POV's so that it made sense why it happened the way it did, exploring multi-POV's for a while.
The story was like an old fairytale that holds life lessons, full of warnings and cautionary tales. The way vampires took the role of an evil villain, while the East India Co also held a position of oppressor, villain and (at one point) a necessary evil. The way the three aspects were combined together – vampires, Indian folklore, and East India Co – made for a really intriguing story that told the history of India/EIC's past while adding a paranormal spin on it.
I really loved how it was paced, the dialogue was never unnecessary or hard to read, and I loved the inventive and novel choices made with formatting. I'm an avid reader of all kinds of comics/manga/yaoi, so whether it was intentional or not, I noticed a few nods to those styles.
Rather than trying to explain, here are some non-spoiler panels to show it. (I put them into one image to save space)
I felt these gave a whole-picture concept that looked amazing, adding a huge visual impact to those pages. Often combining colour palette, character movements, and limited dialogue to present an entire page statement. The styles were used sparingly, and I think that gave them more impact, when they did come along. I also liked the use of letters/reports, to give a lot more information without compromising on space or making the story drag out.
Overall, it was a great read with incredible art. The story was well paced, written and styled, and I loved the sad ending and uncertainty of the future. I see it's listed as Volume 1, and episodes 1-5. I wouldn't be surprised if there was more to come. While this story ended with a complete storyline, I would read more by this artist/author pairing and more of these characters or in this world.
kajalhalwa's review against another edition
5.0
Lush art, great storytelling. I'm so in love with the glimpses of the lost world, but this work didn't let me romanticise the past. It weaved history and mythology deftly and lovingly. I will look out for more works by the author and all the artists.
jekutree's review against another edition
5.0
True comic book storytelling bliss.
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is massively influential in a way that they didn’t intend for it to be. Deconstructing superheroes was done before by Moore in Miracleman, he said nearly everything he wanted to say on their real world application in that story. Watchmen, was Gibbons and Moore’s attempt to instead change the way the story was presented. The adherence to the base panel grid is mentioned often with Watchmen. It dictates the pace effortlessly and creates a fluidity to the visuals not many other storytelling methods in the medium can match. It’s easy to follow and blends together the art and writing into one unit: the panel. It’s a technique pioneered by Steve Ditko and evolved and refined by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Throughout the 90’s after Watchmen, this 9 panel grid based storytelling approach is used by Eddie Campbell and Moore in From Hell and is modified by cartoonists like Seth, Daniel Clowes and Adrian Tomine. It’s been used recently by writer Tom King to much critical acclaim in books like The Omega Men, Sheriff of Babylon and Mister Miracle. The latter 2 with Mitch Gerads.
So why am I mentioning this? Like the 3 books mentioned by Tom King, These Savage Shores has a strong Alan Moore influence in the way he composes a page. Ram V and King are modern refinements of the way Moore and Gibbons proposed comics should be told in Watchmen. The strict adherence gives These Savage Shores a strong visual style that allows it to flow brilliantly. Ram V and Sumit Kamar also utilize focused center panels on their grids to tie a page together making it more than a flowing set of images, with focused center panels each page was its own intentional crash course in comics storytelling. This is also benefited by the colorist Vittorio Astone who’s colors allow for the visuals flow so perfectly. He is a perfect compliment to the artist and contributes more than just aesthetics.
The simplicity of the storytelling is a strong benefit to this book. These Savage Shores is a blend of European Vampiric Legends with Indian mythology. The clashing mythical ideologies clash with the political ideologies as well, the clashing cultures are a symbol of the Europeans taking over India. The plot follows a vampiric British Royale who is exiled from England after he is caught feeding and innocent people. Some stuff happens and the British full on invade India. The main story is told entirely through dialogue and visuals with exposition about the circumstances being told through letters and prose divided throughout the issues. It was never overwhelming and allowed for different characters perspectives on what happened in the story. The letters were a clever way of exposing a character’s inner thoughts without having everyone monologue.
This is a book with a great grasp on good, comic book storytelling. I think that’s the major success of this book. It’s accessible and the non-flashy layouts allow for the story to be easily translatable, the viewer isn’t distracted by whacky panel shapes or sizes. Each page is constructed with a devotion to the story it’s telling and doesn’t comprise its goal. Good, solid story telling fundamentals with an engaging story with lots of depth.
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is massively influential in a way that they didn’t intend for it to be. Deconstructing superheroes was done before by Moore in Miracleman, he said nearly everything he wanted to say on their real world application in that story. Watchmen, was Gibbons and Moore’s attempt to instead change the way the story was presented. The adherence to the base panel grid is mentioned often with Watchmen. It dictates the pace effortlessly and creates a fluidity to the visuals not many other storytelling methods in the medium can match. It’s easy to follow and blends together the art and writing into one unit: the panel. It’s a technique pioneered by Steve Ditko and evolved and refined by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Throughout the 90’s after Watchmen, this 9 panel grid based storytelling approach is used by Eddie Campbell and Moore in From Hell and is modified by cartoonists like Seth, Daniel Clowes and Adrian Tomine. It’s been used recently by writer Tom King to much critical acclaim in books like The Omega Men, Sheriff of Babylon and Mister Miracle. The latter 2 with Mitch Gerads.
So why am I mentioning this? Like the 3 books mentioned by Tom King, These Savage Shores has a strong Alan Moore influence in the way he composes a page. Ram V and King are modern refinements of the way Moore and Gibbons proposed comics should be told in Watchmen. The strict adherence gives These Savage Shores a strong visual style that allows it to flow brilliantly. Ram V and Sumit Kamar also utilize focused center panels on their grids to tie a page together making it more than a flowing set of images, with focused center panels each page was its own intentional crash course in comics storytelling. This is also benefited by the colorist Vittorio Astone who’s colors allow for the visuals flow so perfectly. He is a perfect compliment to the artist and contributes more than just aesthetics.
The simplicity of the storytelling is a strong benefit to this book. These Savage Shores is a blend of European Vampiric Legends with Indian mythology. The clashing mythical ideologies clash with the political ideologies as well, the clashing cultures are a symbol of the Europeans taking over India. The plot follows a vampiric British Royale who is exiled from England after he is caught feeding and innocent people. Some stuff happens and the British full on invade India. The main story is told entirely through dialogue and visuals with exposition about the circumstances being told through letters and prose divided throughout the issues. It was never overwhelming and allowed for different characters perspectives on what happened in the story. The letters were a clever way of exposing a character’s inner thoughts without having everyone monologue.
This is a book with a great grasp on good, comic book storytelling. I think that’s the major success of this book. It’s accessible and the non-flashy layouts allow for the story to be easily translatable, the viewer isn’t distracted by whacky panel shapes or sizes. Each page is constructed with a devotion to the story it’s telling and doesn’t comprise its goal. Good, solid story telling fundamentals with an engaging story with lots of depth.
elusivity's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 STARS
Meandering. Lots of intertwining threads, narrators, and the occasional beautiful phrases and turns of language, but each story seems to be grasping toward a unified point but never successfully melded to form that point. Western vampires meet Indian rakshasa who was a traitor god who loved humanity, and fares badly even though the rakshasa has to abandon the mask of his humanity to destroy them, even as the hands of the West start the process to carve India up to squeeze for profit. How do these pieces fit together? Not sure.
The art is quite nice though.
Meandering. Lots of intertwining threads, narrators, and the occasional beautiful phrases and turns of language, but each story seems to be grasping toward a unified point but never successfully melded to form that point. Western vampires meet Indian rakshasa who was a traitor god who loved humanity, and fares badly even though the rakshasa has to abandon the mask of his humanity to destroy them, even as the hands of the West start the process to carve India up to squeeze for profit. How do these pieces fit together? Not sure.
The art is quite nice though.
vartakhimanshu's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic art, beautiful use of color. Good, poetic writing, with a lot of profound ideas. The plot is a little by-the-numbers, yet manages to find ways to subvert expectations at key moments. It's set before the British conquest of India, so you know where that's going. However, that backdrop is used well to tell a compelling story.
My only nitpicky complaint is the somewhat westernized designs for the Indian elements. It was still an enjoyable read throughout. Definitely recommend.
My only nitpicky complaint is the somewhat westernized designs for the Indian elements. It was still an enjoyable read throughout. Definitely recommend.
eyelit's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
melissahawco's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
leelah's review against another edition
5.0
Ok, let me tell you about These Savage Shores.
I managed to grab a trade paperback copy for some ridiculous price, but I was not ready for how beautiful this comic is.
I'll give my best to describe it: comic is truly an expressive media, one of the best ways to tell a story. There is that holy trinity of art, writing and plot and if I am lucky, I fell in love with one of them.
These Savage Shores is like a perfect combo of all three.
-The writing. There is no word that is sufficient or irrelevant. I went through every piece of dialogue twice, because there was so much meaning behind the words. Plus, with a story that can be easily described as pitting one monster against another on the surface, I was in awe just how well thought and how much depth Ram V. gave to the side characters. Everyone of them was a rounded character you have a feeling he actually spent time thinking about them, not made them a filler. Of course there are important themes discussed and social issues raised under the surface story, but it was never THE most important part of it. Consequences of colonization are obvious because the story makes you think about, it puts you into shoes of colonized and colonizers and you draw your own conclusions. "Tell me again how you were made" parts were rich with mythology, meaning and emotion. I really dislike info-dumping as a way of informing reader about magic system of world-building, so this worked for me particularly well.
-Sumit Kumar made this comic beautiful. It complimented the story so well, visuals were stunning, full of colour and details. India with deep yellow and rich red palette, London with darker hue and vibe.
-The plot? Well, I found out about this comic on r/horrorlit as a rec for a story about one monster against another. This is the most basic way to describe it and if it hooks you like it did me, then great. Trust me, you will get more. It starts with a monster who was shipped to newly colonized shores of south-west India because he became an inconvenience. He arrives and thinks to himself: easy picking. He is wrong. I really liked how well the horror(-ish?) premise was made into something more than that. And it's just fun. I want to stress that: It's still a fun comic with monsters.
All in all, a perfect colab and I enjoyed it all the way through.
I managed to grab a trade paperback copy for some ridiculous price, but I was not ready for how beautiful this comic is.
I'll give my best to describe it: comic is truly an expressive media, one of the best ways to tell a story. There is that holy trinity of art, writing and plot and if I am lucky, I fell in love with one of them.
These Savage Shores is like a perfect combo of all three.
-The writing. There is no word that is sufficient or irrelevant. I went through every piece of dialogue twice, because there was so much meaning behind the words. Plus, with a story that can be easily described as pitting one monster against another on the surface, I was in awe just how well thought and how much depth Ram V. gave to the side characters. Everyone of them was a rounded character you have a feeling he actually spent time thinking about them, not made them a filler. Of course there are important themes discussed and social issues raised under the surface story, but it was never THE most important part of it. Consequences of colonization are obvious because the story makes you think about, it puts you into shoes of colonized and colonizers and you draw your own conclusions. "Tell me again how you were made" parts were rich with mythology, meaning and emotion. I really dislike info-dumping as a way of informing reader about magic system of world-building, so this worked for me particularly well.
-Sumit Kumar made this comic beautiful. It complimented the story so well, visuals were stunning, full of colour and details. India with deep yellow and rich red palette, London with darker hue and vibe.
-The plot? Well, I found out about this comic on r/horrorlit as a rec for a story about one monster against another. This is the most basic way to describe it and if it hooks you like it did me, then great. Trust me, you will get more. It starts with a monster who was shipped to newly colonized shores of south-west India because he became an inconvenience. He arrives and thinks to himself: easy picking. He is wrong. I really liked how well the horror(-ish?) premise was made into something more than that. And it's just fun. I want to stress that: It's still a fun comic with monsters.
All in all, a perfect colab and I enjoyed it all the way through.