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claerey's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
thefussyreader's review
2.0
A brilliant idea complete with some great, mood-setting artwork, but poorly written.
So many wasted panels of pointless dialogue going around in circles. Some even repeat themselves, where the characters have the same conversation twice, seeming to forget they already had the conversation two pages before. That was kind of weird.
The thing about graphic novels is it's like bite-size stories. Writing a good graphic novel is incredibly challenging, because there are far fewer pages in which to build a world, set a scene, establish a conflict, develop characters and play out plots, and it has to be done entirely through artwork and dialogue alone. So dialogue needs to be stella. Every word needs to be relevant and impact the next panel.
The problem with this graphic novel isn't the story itself or the artwork, but the dialogue. The way the characters behave in this world, given their circumstances is understandable, but so much more could have been covered through better dialogue.
There were so many redundant conversations and I just feel like those panels could've been better used to explore the conflict further. And where the dialogue wasn't redundant, it just felt sloppy. Poor dialogue makes boring characters, and I struggled to connect with any of them.
The artwork, however, is perfect for the story. It suits the mood so much. Its tense, atmospheric and a little mysterious. Even before the disaster struck, there was something dark and foreboding about it. With so much of it drawn in either stark light or deep shadows, the artist did a good job depicting the important details within each panel despite these contrasts.
I don't believe this has a sequel, but if it did, I probably wouldn't read it, just because I didn't enjoy the characters enough. This would make a great movie, though. I'd sure watch it.
So many wasted panels of pointless dialogue going around in circles. Some even repeat themselves, where the characters have the same conversation twice, seeming to forget they already had the conversation two pages before. That was kind of weird.
The thing about graphic novels is it's like bite-size stories. Writing a good graphic novel is incredibly challenging, because there are far fewer pages in which to build a world, set a scene, establish a conflict, develop characters and play out plots, and it has to be done entirely through artwork and dialogue alone. So dialogue needs to be stella. Every word needs to be relevant and impact the next panel.
The problem with this graphic novel isn't the story itself or the artwork, but the dialogue. The way the characters behave in this world, given their circumstances is understandable, but so much more could have been covered through better dialogue.
There were so many redundant conversations and I just feel like those panels could've been better used to explore the conflict further. And where the dialogue wasn't redundant, it just felt sloppy. Poor dialogue makes boring characters, and I struggled to connect with any of them.
The artwork, however, is perfect for the story. It suits the mood so much. Its tense, atmospheric and a little mysterious. Even before the disaster struck, there was something dark and foreboding about it. With so much of it drawn in either stark light or deep shadows, the artist did a good job depicting the important details within each panel despite these contrasts.
I don't believe this has a sequel, but if it did, I probably wouldn't read it, just because I didn't enjoy the characters enough. This would make a great movie, though. I'd sure watch it.
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