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3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
In Black Ice, Bradford D Smith, offers a new imaginative take on a classic awakening mystery. He takes you a cross country ride that that promises the answer to a thrilling mystery of how our main character Oscar wakes up on day with powers. While the graphic novel is very imaginative and fun to read, the ending leaves a little to be desired. Without any idea of how far in the narrative this Graphic novel was supposed to take us, the reader is left to ponder when and if any of the questions raised will be answered. While I overall enjoyed the ride, the abundance of space in the pages can leave the reader wanting more at times. The series has a lot of heart and is very easy to read, but now that I am invested, I will expect a lot of answers in the next installment.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book.
I enjoyed the graphics of this, I thought they were quite simple, but really work with the story. I like the social commentaries of that the author made in the book about race and discrimination. However, I did find that there was little to no conversations in the book and we pretty much only had Oscar’s inner monologue throughout the book which I was not a fan of. I also feel like I can’t really comment on the plot because most of the story was Oscar going on the journey to a wildfire and once we finally get to the wildfire, it’s cut short and the book ends without us getting any answers.
I’ll be interested in reading the second one if there is a second book coming out because the story felt incomplete.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel is definitely the start to a series since it ends on a cliffhanger and I felt it was a decent start. I think Oscar is an interesting character and I liked the themes and ideas established in this volume. I'm curious to see what happens next.
The art style took me a bit to get used to, since it could be very minimalistic at times. I can't help but wish that this graphic novel was in full colour because I feel like it would be absolutely gorgeous.
Overall, I rated it 3.5/5 (rounded to 4/5 for NetGalley).
This graphic novel is definitely the start to a series since it ends on a cliffhanger and I felt it was a decent start. I think Oscar is an interesting character and I liked the themes and ideas established in this volume. I'm curious to see what happens next.
The art style took me a bit to get used to, since it could be very minimalistic at times. I can't help but wish that this graphic novel was in full colour because I feel like it would be absolutely gorgeous.
Overall, I rated it 3.5/5 (rounded to 4/5 for NetGalley).
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There better be a sequel coming.. No, but seriously. I literally devoured this graphic novel from start to finish and that ending. I need more. The story is about Oscar who has no idea what happened to him. Why he can suddenly sees black smokey shapes that seem to be spirits, why his eyes are different and why he's so, so cold. He's being called towards a huge fire without knowing why or who's calling him. The story contains flashbacks, through which we learn more about the world Oscar lives in, who he is and what happened to him. The world in which the story takes place touches on current events, it's world in which Black people are unalived because of their skin color. This is also why I feel the need to address an event in the middle of the book that can (=will) be triggering as Oscar has an encounter with a police officer. Oscar learns that not all spirits are friendly. It's a tense, but very intriguing story told in a very beautiful way and I seriously can't wait for the sequel (there will be one right???)
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a beginning, so there isn't a whole lot of change just yet. Lots of mystery, lots of emotions, not a lot of action quite yet. Interested in seeing what a broader series of this would look like.
I just found the premise of this really difficult to follow. Maybe I needed to give it longer, but I just found myself getting distracted trying to piece it together.
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
While reading Black Ice, there were times that I had no idea what was going on, but I feel like that is intentional. The story is told in Oscar’s point of view, and he doesn’t know what is going on. I enjoyed the simplicity of the art style and look forward to seeing what comes Oscar’s way in the future. #netgalley
This was darker than I expected it to be. Emotional, but confusing too. There were lots of details left out as to why Oscar's like that, and whoever that woman was, or what the spirit thingies are exactly (the giant one near the end). The concept was interesting but it could've been executed better (I'm assuming there's a second book after this?)
TW for racism and police brutality
TW for racism and police brutality