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kchin's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
se_wigget's review
4.0
One of my favorites is "Xenesi: The Traveler"... as in time and space traveler.
"I knew I should have taken that left turn in Albuquerque."
Bugs Bunny reference!
"Well, it's not a tree. It's a fantastic spaceship that travels through space-time and space. Plus... someone already got that Blue Box model before I got there..."
Doctor Who reference!
saltylane's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
It’s hard to review a compilation of different comics, but I think the average for my reading experience is a 3/5–overall okay! I liked some stories more than others, some art styles I didn’t vibe with as much.
theangrystackrat's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
jcdreads's review
5.0
The artwork throughout was beautiful and the stories were so captivating! My favourites were The Qallupiluk: Forgiven, Vision Quest: Echo, First Hunt, and the Coyote and the Pebbles! Excited to read the rest of them.
ultimatecryptid's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
It's difficult to rate such a varied collection. As a group there is such a beautiful variety there is something for anyone. Favorites inclued The Qallupiluk: Forgiven, and Copper Heart.
becomingmari's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
thecolourblue's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Like all comics anthologies, has some stronger entries than others, but overall this is a really strong collections. It's also really well curated, and includes a few non-comic extras such as paintings or other artworks, poetry, and a gallery of sketches at the end which describes some of the process of the writers working with the artists (some of whom are also indigenous, and some of whom are not but were commisioned or paired up with the writers to bring their visions to life). Honestly, some of those work-in-progress sketches were my favourite pieces of art in the book.
Indivudal entry notes (favourites in bold):
1. Vision Quest: Echo
I had no idea David Mack was native! This is an excerpt of a longer backstory of one of Marvel’s characters, Echo a.k.a. Maya Lopez, who appears in the Daredevil and New Avenger’s comics.
Done in a really cool collage style (very Mack) with Indian Sign Language incorporated.
2. Ochek - David Robertson, il. Haiwei Hou
Tells a Cree origin story about an ochek (wolverine-like animal) biting a hole in the sky to let summer in. Drawn in a very graphic illustration way which stands out.
3. Coyote and the Pebbles - Dayton Edmonds, il. Micah Farritor
Another origin-ish story, about the trickster-spirit coyote “helping” night creatures create the stars (mostly by accident). Really nice pencil-drawn aesthetic.
4. The Qallupiluk: Forgiven - Sean & Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsely, il. menton3
Inuit story of a shape-shifting deep ocean creature drawn to youthful energy. More of an illustrated short-story format than a comic, but has a really awesome horror-ish atmosphere to it with the inhuman thoughts and rules of the Qallupiluk. Some stunning visuals when the creature is in its “true” form.
5. Ue-Pucase: Water Master - Arigon Starr, il. David Cutler
A Muscogee Creek story of ‘the young man who turned into a snake’ told within a futuristic context. Replaces the traditional snake eggs with a tin of spam in a nice reference to comtemporary native culture. Nicely inked and illustrated - fairly simple re-telling, but cool.
6. The Observing - Elizabeth LaPensée, il. Gregory Chomichuk
A Haida story of the ‘star people’, set in an Indigenous steampunk world (steam as in using water as sacred technology). Wordless, very short. More vibes than plot. Cool illustrative graphic art.
7. Strike & Bolt - Michael Sheyahshe, il. George Freeman
A futuristic telling of a Caddo story of two brothers, Thunder and Lightening. The world-building is a little vague here, and the dialouge clunky at time. Makes for a fairly standard comics one-shot. Seems to also take some inspiration from H.G. Wells Time Machine, but maybe I'm just reading into it too much there.
8. Siku - Tony Romito, il. Jeremy D. Mohler
A story of an Inuit hunter encountering animal spirits. Also contains slightly horror vibes towards the end. Well illustrated and intriguing. Would definitely read more of these creators’ work.
9. Home - Ian Ross & Lovern Kindzierski, il. Adam Gorham, Peter Dawes
The story of Anishnabe artefacts in a museum, and the (somewhat frantic) recovery of stolen bones. Pacing is a bit rapid, feels like it needs more set-up, but a cool fuck-you to immoral collectors everywhere.
10. Tlicho Nàowo - Richard Van Camp, Rosa Mantla, il. Nicholas Burns
Tells the story of the Tlicho ritual, Night the Spirits Return, which occurs at caribou migration time. More straightforwardly educational than others, would be good for kids wanting to learn.
11. Ayanisach - Todd Houseman, il. Ben Shannon
Post-apocalyptic story of an oral storyteller (an ‘ayanisach’) in the Cree tradition teaching her grandson, who continues the story. Pretty simple concept and art, but it really lands.
12. First Hunt - Jay & Joel Odjick, il. Jay Odjick
Tells the story of a traditional first hunt by a young Algonquin boy plagued with dreams of wolves representing his fears. Also pretty straightforward premise & art, would be good for middle graders.
13. Copper Heart - Elizabeth LaPensée, il. Claude St Aubin, Andy Stanleigh
Tells a story of two siblings, set in the history of copper mining on Anishinnabeg land - copper being a sacred resource used to connect with trickster spirits/creatures called Memegwesiwag (which make copper clockwork and remind me a little of djinn). Really nice art, and a sweet story about siblings surviving and helping each other.
Indivudal entry notes (favourites in bold):
1. Vision Quest: Echo
I had no idea David Mack was native! This is an excerpt of a longer backstory of one of Marvel’s characters, Echo a.k.a. Maya Lopez, who appears in the Daredevil and New Avenger’s comics.
Done in a really cool collage style (very Mack) with Indian Sign Language incorporated.
2. Ochek - David Robertson, il. Haiwei Hou
Tells a Cree origin story about an ochek (wolverine-like animal) biting a hole in the sky to let summer in. Drawn in a very graphic illustration way which stands out.
3. Coyote and the Pebbles - Dayton Edmonds, il. Micah Farritor
Another origin-ish story, about the trickster-spirit coyote “helping” night creatures create the stars (mostly by accident). Really nice pencil-drawn aesthetic.
4. The Qallupiluk: Forgiven - Sean & Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsely, il. menton3
Inuit story of a shape-shifting deep ocean creature drawn to youthful energy. More of an illustrated short-story format than a comic, but has a really awesome horror-ish atmosphere to it with the inhuman thoughts and rules of the Qallupiluk. Some stunning visuals when the creature is in its “true” form.
5. Ue-Pucase: Water Master - Arigon Starr, il. David Cutler
A Muscogee Creek story of ‘the young man who turned into a snake’ told within a futuristic context. Replaces the traditional snake eggs with a tin of spam in a nice reference to comtemporary native culture. Nicely inked and illustrated - fairly simple re-telling, but cool.
6. The Observing - Elizabeth LaPensée, il. Gregory Chomichuk
A Haida story of the ‘star people’, set in an Indigenous steampunk world (steam as in using water as sacred technology). Wordless, very short. More vibes than plot. Cool illustrative graphic art.
7. Strike & Bolt - Michael Sheyahshe, il. George Freeman
A futuristic telling of a Caddo story of two brothers, Thunder and Lightening. The world-building is a little vague here, and the dialouge clunky at time. Makes for a fairly standard comics one-shot. Seems to also take some inspiration from H.G. Wells Time Machine, but maybe I'm just reading into it too much there.
8. Siku - Tony Romito, il. Jeremy D. Mohler
A story of an Inuit hunter encountering animal spirits. Also contains slightly horror vibes towards the end. Well illustrated and intriguing. Would definitely read more of these creators’ work.
9. Home - Ian Ross & Lovern Kindzierski, il. Adam Gorham, Peter Dawes
The story of Anishnabe artefacts in a museum, and the (somewhat frantic) recovery of stolen bones. Pacing is a bit rapid, feels like it needs more set-up, but a cool fuck-you to immoral collectors everywhere.
10. Tlicho Nàowo - Richard Van Camp, Rosa Mantla, il. Nicholas Burns
Tells the story of the Tlicho ritual, Night the Spirits Return, which occurs at caribou migration time. More straightforwardly educational than others, would be good for kids wanting to learn.
11. Ayanisach - Todd Houseman, il. Ben Shannon
Post-apocalyptic story of an oral storyteller (an ‘ayanisach’) in the Cree tradition teaching her grandson, who continues the story. Pretty simple concept and art, but it really lands.
12. First Hunt - Jay & Joel Odjick, il. Jay Odjick
Tells the story of a traditional first hunt by a young Algonquin boy plagued with dreams of wolves representing his fears. Also pretty straightforward premise & art, would be good for middle graders.
13. Copper Heart - Elizabeth LaPensée, il. Claude St Aubin, Andy Stanleigh
Tells a story of two siblings, set in the history of copper mining on Anishinnabeg land - copper being a sacred resource used to connect with trickster spirits/creatures called Memegwesiwag (which make copper clockwork and remind me a little of djinn). Really nice art, and a sweet story about siblings surviving and helping each other.