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A review by hobbithopeful
Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins: Yasha Nydoorin by Cecil Castellucci, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A gripping and tense tale, but too often the weak art and lack of dynamic composition distracts from the story, resulting in graphic novel that fails to deliver.
I enjoyed getting to see more of Yasha's backstory, it was interesting to see how rough she was raised, and the survival mindset that was forced on her from a very young age. I wish I was able to stay focused on the writing and the characters, but too many times my eyes were instead drawn to the blocky art, and squiggles that took place of feet. There is a key difference between having a style, and just not being good at art. In order to have a developed style, you have to at least understand basic anatomy and how to make the style work so the art is still understandable by the viewer. There are numerous times throughout the novel that the character's faces and features are inconsistent, and often just seem rushed or put as an afterthought. The number of panels were instead of feet there is just a random blocky squiggle, each foot depiction differs.
Other graphic novels in this series showcase excellent composition and varied art boxes. They incorporate the pages into the design and showcase movement, and strong technical skills. It's odd to see such a departure for this character, no matter how rough the background or gruff the character it truly feels like justice was not done for Yasha's backstory.
Overall I would not recommend this to anyone to buy, the cover feels like a severe departure from the actual art of the book. The copy I purchased was sealed, and I was unable to see what it looked like before I bought it. I recommend it from the library, or if you are a die hard Yasha fan, otherwise save your money.
I enjoyed getting to see more of Yasha's backstory, it was interesting to see how rough she was raised, and the survival mindset that was forced on her from a very young age. I wish I was able to stay focused on the writing and the characters, but too many times my eyes were instead drawn to the blocky art, and squiggles that took place of feet. There is a key difference between having a style, and just not being good at art. In order to have a developed style, you have to at least understand basic anatomy and how to make the style work so the art is still understandable by the viewer. There are numerous times throughout the novel that the character's faces and features are inconsistent, and often just seem rushed or put as an afterthought. The number of panels were instead of feet there is just a random blocky squiggle, each foot depiction differs.
Other graphic novels in this series showcase excellent composition and varied art boxes. They incorporate the pages into the design and showcase movement, and strong technical skills. It's odd to see such a departure for this character, no matter how rough the background or gruff the character it truly feels like justice was not done for Yasha's backstory.
Overall I would not recommend this to anyone to buy, the cover feels like a severe departure from the actual art of the book. The copy I purchased was sealed, and I was unable to see what it looked like before I bought it. I recommend it from the library, or if you are a die hard Yasha fan, otherwise save your money.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence