A review by seawarrior
Test Vol. 1 by Christopher Sebela

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I've had high hopes for Test since its announcement, but after reading I feel sorely disappointed. Firstly though, I should mention what worked for the book, which is the art. Hickman's drawings and Saxon's colors were the most effective storytellers throughout the narrative. Symbols, expressions, locations and colors portrayed Aleph's experiences and emotional state most distinctly, and clarified what was happening when the text had me feeling lost. 

The words were what frustrated me reading this story. As the pages progressed I only got more irritated with Aleph's endless, directionless inner monologue. By the end I felt as if I had just read the same words repeated by Aleph with different synonyms throughout most of the story, leading to an ending that made little sense and answered none the questions I had at the start. The premise of this comic was interesting, and Aleph was a promising character, but the execution of their story left much to be desired and was too over-complicated for me to enjoy reading it.
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