Review: Comic Book/Graphic Novel Review Bundle

Title: Devolution

Series: (Devolution #1-5)
Author: Rick Remender
Publisher:Diamond Book Distributors
Publication Date: September 06, 2016
Pages: 128
Genres: Graphic Novel, Comics, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Source: ARC 
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SYNOPSIS
Every living creature on Earth has been devolved - the evolutionary clock turned back, reverting all life to odd mutations and prehistoric incarnations. The cities of man are little more than bloody territories ruthlessly dominated by tribal Neanderthals ruling from the backs of mammoths, packs of saber-toothed tigers, and giant man-eating insects. Raja, one of the few remaining "Still Sapien" humans, heads to San Francisco to find the antidote for the world-changing DVO-8 viral agent. But to cross the wasteland, she'll have to convince the last pocket of humanity to join her quest... and survive the Nazi hillbillies that rule them through fear!

MY REVIEW
I received this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. I am such a sucker for science fiction and dystopian stories, and this one was right up my alley. I absolutely loved the premise for this story. The world devolving back to a primitive state- everything! The people turn into cavemen, there are woolly mammoths running around, huge plants and vegetation that takes over everything, gigantic bugs and arachnids...it's just spectacular. Seeing an apocalyptic world like this is just awesome. The gritty, in your face artwork really impressed me as well. I think that it was the perfect style for this type of story. While I think that the origins and the baseline for the story could have been elaborated on, it was still a great read. I definitely recommend giving this a try!

Title: Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening

Series: Monstress (Collected Editions) #1

Author: Marjorie M. Liu

Illustrator: Sana Takeda

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date: July 19, 2016

Pages: 192

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Steampunk

Source: ARC

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SYNOPSIS

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steampunk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both. Entertainment Weekly praised MONSTRESS as “one of Image Comics’ most imaginative and daring new series” and dubbed it the “Best New Original Series” in their year-end “Best Comics of 2015” list.

Collects MONSTRESS #1-6

MY REVIEW

I received this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the gorgeous cover for this, and read the intriguing title, I knew that I would definitely be reading it!

The deco and steampunk elements in the artwork are stunning!

I admit to being rather confused at the beginning of this story. Things didn't really fall into place for me until Issue 6. However, I kept up with the story and I am glad that I did. The story is intriguing and it is very much like nothing I've ever read before. I think that fact is one of the best things about this series. The uniqueness is extraordinary.

One of the things that struck me about Monstress was the darkness of the story and the art. I also appreciated underlying social issues.

The characters are very interesting. I loved the main character, although I am not sure if she is a heroine or something else entirely. This is the best kind of fantasy since the characters are so different - different races and beings all struggling against on another.

I definitely recommend this story. I am still a little confused about what is happening, but that doesn't matter in the least. Everything about this story is presented wonderfully.

Title: Warship Jolly Roger #1
Series: Warship Jolly Roger
Author: Sylvain Runberg
Illustrator: Miki Montlló
Publisher: Magnetic Press
Publication Date: August 09, 2016
Pages: 33
Genres: Graphic Novel, Science Fiction
Source: ARC from publisher
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SYNOPSIS
In a gritty, star-spanning future, where mankind has colonized planets throughout the galaxy, former Confederation Commander Jon T. Munro was serving a life sentence for a war crime he was forced to commit. When a prison break runs amok, however, he seizes the opportunity to escape with a ragtag team of cons to form a small crew of pirates with one goal in mind: vengeful justice. And the first step in their plan is to steal the battle cruiser he once commanded, a state-of-the-art warship they call "The Jolly Roger".

MY REVIEW
I received this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite an interesting story. All of the elements that were brought together were so compelling. I admit that I wasn't able to put this down until I finished it. I am very much looking forward to the next part of this story. The artwork is beautiful and edgy like the story. While the story wasn't mind blowing, it is well worth the read. I very much enjoyed it.