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vsbedford's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully drawn but a bit of a let down in story-telling - look, it's basically an X-Files episode mixed with The Lives of Others which is okaaaay but ultimately I think the brevity of the volume gives the wealth of ideas at work here short-shrift. I don't necessarily need an exposition dump plopped into the middle volume but it's just that this is a very intriguing world and I'd like to spend a little more time in it. A recommend but with the caveat that you may be a bit unsatisfied.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
urlphantomhive's review
3.0
East Berlin, the 1970s. A place so crowded with spies of all sorts that people wonder when was the last time they told the truth. It is the setting of this new supernatural thriller, which aims to make us pause and ponder on some important moral questions.
The main character is an American spy in East Berlin who had witnessed a strange sky and is investigating it, all the while he is hunted by repercussions of this job and other earlier jobs. It might seem strange to say, but the questions on truth, morality and duty were for me the strongest part of the book. The supernatural part was rather bland and a bit formulaic. The art was slightly depressing, which fitted the story well, and I liked that the setting was Berlin for a change.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Find this and other reviews on my blog https://www.urlphantomhive.com
The main character is an American spy in East Berlin who had witnessed a strange sky and is investigating it, all the while he is hunted by repercussions of this job and other earlier jobs. It might seem strange to say, but the questions on truth, morality and duty were for me the strongest part of the book. The supernatural part was rather bland and a bit formulaic. The art was slightly depressing, which fitted the story well, and I liked that the setting was Berlin for a change.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Find this and other reviews on my blog https://www.urlphantomhive.com
fallona's review
3.0
I really, really wanted to like this graphic novel more than I actually did. It touched on a number of themes I really enjoy in fiction: truth and lies, surveillance and (false) freedom, justice and mercy, idealism and disillusionment, identity and its loss. It featured a morally grey protagonist, and a setting that I tend to enjoy seeing in media. It drew subtle parallels between characters that could have been very poignant and thought-provoking. It had most of the elements that should have made me love it.
And yet somehow, it read like a summary of itself. The pacing was too fast to evoke either the poignancy or the quiet horror of which it should have been capable; the art, while evocative and well suited to the story, never felt quite atmospheric enough to capture the suspense and sense of inevitable dread that never quite manifested.
For a story that relies so much on the protagonist's sense of himself (or lack thereof) and his lies, I never felt that I knew Herring well enough to care what became of him. This may very well have been partially deliberate, as Herring might not quite know himself--but in such a short piece of fiction, it contributed to the overall sense that it could have been much more effective than it really was.
This had the potential to be a delightfully eerie, harrowing read with a striking message. It could have been an excellent example of a story about aliens that isn't really about aliens at all (but about alienation, certainly). Instead, the result is somewhat bland--not because the elements aren't there, but because the pacing and brevity of the story make it seem far too superficial.
I received an electronic copy of this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
And yet somehow, it read like a summary of itself. The pacing was too fast to evoke either the poignancy or the quiet horror of which it should have been capable; the art, while evocative and well suited to the story, never felt quite atmospheric enough to capture the suspense and sense of inevitable dread that never quite manifested.
For a story that relies so much on the protagonist's sense of himself (or lack thereof) and his lies, I never felt that I knew Herring well enough to care what became of him. This may very well have been partially deliberate, as Herring might not quite know himself--but in such a short piece of fiction, it contributed to the overall sense that it could have been much more effective than it really was.
This had the potential to be a delightfully eerie, harrowing read with a striking message. It could have been an excellent example of a story about aliens that isn't really about aliens at all (but about alienation, certainly). Instead, the result is somewhat bland--not because the elements aren't there, but because the pacing and brevity of the story make it seem far too superficial.
I received an electronic copy of this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
shannonleighd's review against another edition
2.0
infinitysbookshelf's review
2.0
For this graphic novel ( a format I don’t usually read) I will be giving a shorter review, as I didn’t really have much to say. This 112 pages collection of the 4 comics in the series read very fast. The whole thing was over in an hour and honestly I wanted more story. The basic premise revolves around an American spy working in East Berlin, who is ordered to investigate a object that falls out of the sky, which is being stored in a bunker. Obviously things start to go wrong when the object turns out to be more dangerous than anyone can imagine
The art style was very bleak and fit perfectly with the setting. The art was my favourite part of the whole collection. There were a few panels that were really disturbing and perfectly fit with the ascetic of the story. The rest were pretty ordinary, just with the style that I enjoyed. The overall story was not one that really fit with the graphical format, and I wish that this was a full novel and the plot was expanded. The story just felt very, very quick and there was backstory that needed to be understood in only a few panels, which didn’t really work for me. I didn’t really feel any emotions reading though the entire book in one sitting.
Overall with a story that is lackluster, characters with very backstory, who do develop but almost artificially, and a art style that was perfect for the setting, I didn’t really enjoy the reading experience that much.
2 stars
The art style was very bleak and fit perfectly with the setting. The art was my favourite part of the whole collection. There were a few panels that were really disturbing and perfectly fit with the ascetic of the story. The rest were pretty ordinary, just with the style that I enjoyed. The overall story was not one that really fit with the graphical format, and I wish that this was a full novel and the plot was expanded. The story just felt very, very quick and there was backstory that needed to be understood in only a few panels, which didn’t really work for me. I didn’t really feel any emotions reading though the entire book in one sitting.
Overall with a story that is lackluster, characters with very backstory, who do develop but almost artificially, and a art style that was perfect for the setting, I didn’t really enjoy the reading experience that much.
2 stars
samterroni's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
teaandtales1's review
3.0
Interesting concept, and I really wanted to love it - just not enough to keep picking it up each month. The first 2 issues were pretty good and then it went downhill.
graypeape's review against another edition
4.0
Trippy and atmospheric tale of an American spy investigated an unknown object that fell from the sky in 1973 East Berlin. There's lots of Cold War posturing going on, with a deep look at truth, lies, and identity- what are they, really? The story is kinda creepy-eerie-huh?, the art is fabulously spooky and disturbing in a way that will give you the shivers, and together it's a good blend.
#StrangeSkiesOverEastBerlin #NetGalley
#StrangeSkiesOverEastBerlin #NetGalley
slbeckmann's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to the author, BOOM! Studios and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Not really sure what to make of this. The story, purportedly about spies, espionage and the web of lies woven by those in the biz, is interrupted by an alien creature that has indefinable powers. Lots of spectacular explosions, death scenes and so on, but we never learn what was going on with the alien, where it came from, what it wanted... and it's not really clear what happens to the spies either. So narration and story sadly lacking - the artwork is good, but this is not enough to make me want to follow up on the next parts of this series.
Not really sure what to make of this. The story, purportedly about spies, espionage and the web of lies woven by those in the biz, is interrupted by an alien creature that has indefinable powers. Lots of spectacular explosions, death scenes and so on, but we never learn what was going on with the alien, where it came from, what it wanted... and it's not really clear what happens to the spies either. So narration and story sadly lacking - the artwork is good, but this is not enough to make me want to follow up on the next parts of this series.