Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Incredible Doom

I loved the art a lot!! The monochromatic colour palette of blue was perfect— light blue to convey memories at times, and muted dark blue to build the tense atmosphere. The perspective and composition of each frame, along with the lighting was so good!! The characters were also drawn very expressively; the father was drawn perfectly to capture his creepy, scary behaviour.

I loved the 90’s setting, and the whole start of the internet and computers vibe. I also the frames of emails and messages between characters!!

The plot pacing was also spot on. Each scene felt necessary. The prologue and memories helped develop Allison’s trauma and backstory really well. I especially liked

mix of on page of flashbacks of his old friends and one page of the present when Richard was confronted about Tina going to jail. It worked so well in building my connection and understanding of him.

.

The multiple character perspectives was also really fun to read. It created suspense

such as when Allison and Sam were hiding from the psycho father, and it switched to Richard’s pov, creating a tense cliffhanger

, and it made me wonder how the Richard and Tina tied into Allison and Samir.

The music reference (Sonic Youth and Daniel Johnston) made me laugh.

The book’s ending was satisfying, despite the book being the first volume in a series. Though I wonder about Ryan (the bully), and what his story (something about being bullied at camp by Richard’s friends for writing) with Richard is.

Content Warnings

librarianryan's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book was not at all what I was expecting. The description tells you it’s the story of the beginning of the modern computer era. However it’s really four students from different backgrounds that come together because of bulletin board servers in the early 90s. These kids are just learning about computers but actually learning more about themselves and who they can trust. This book was a super-fast read. The artwork is all done in black, white, and blue which really sets a somber tone. This book says its volume one and I really think I want volume 2 but I don’t know how long I’ll have to wait for it. There are trigger warnings for this book, there is abuse of a child. It’s right in the beginning and it’s verbal, not quite physical but still physical, and really grabs the reader off from the beginning. However this still makes for a fabulous read for any high schooler or adult.

Content Warnings

modernica's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Content Warnings

heylizg's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

cerebellum's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.75

Content Warnings

bluelibrarian's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Content Warnings

obscurepages's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Okay, this was incredible (pun intended? lol)! I didn't have much expectations for this, only that I found the premise so interesting. Now I can say that I am pleasantly surprised!

Incredible Doom was simple, yet so poignant. It showed the magnificence of using computers and the internet for the first time. And it also highlighted how amazing and comforting it can be, as it helps in connecting people and forging unexpected friendships. It also featured queer characters, which I didn't expect! I loved that.

Anyone looking for a fast and yet moving read, this graphic novel is for you!

Thank you so much to Epic Reads/Harper Alley for sending over a finished copy! This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.

Full review on my blog soon!

CW: child abuse, domestic abuse, bullying, violence

Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog

Content Warnings

More...