Daniel Freedman

After her mentor’s death, apprentice blacksmith Bianca allies with the Birdking. Many enemies and obstacles work to prevent Bianca from reaching Atlas, her final destination.

The reader is instantly dropped into the high fantasy of Birdking. Each chapter starts by giving small snippets of the local lore. The captivating art is rich with vibrant in color, sweeping landscapes, and enriching typography. It is surprising to see such minimal facial expressions from Bianca. Similar to the synopsis, this graphic novel seems to end just as the reader starts to understand its world. The reader practically bated into the second volume that is not available yet.… (más)

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC in exchange for review through Edelweiss. Trigger warning for gratuitous violence.)

Set in a near dystopian future where a fascist movement known as the Machine rules, Kali is the leader of an all-woman motorcycle gang. The Matrikas are one of many rebel groups resisting assimilation - or actively fighting it. That is, until a violent coup ends with Kali stabbed in the back, wandering the desert wasteland and, eventually, poisoned and captured by the Machine's army. She's got just twenty-four hours to live - but she's determined to make the most of it, by taking down as many turncoats as possible. Even if one of them is her literal sister.

KALI is a stylish, action-packed story that's sadly lacking in much substance (assuming that this isn't the first volume in a series, anyway). The world-building is pretty minimal; for example, we don't learn a whole lot about the Machine, how it came to be, etc. (unless we're simply meant to extrapolate from current events - which, given the group's Nazi-esque vibe, isn't a stretch). The story arc involving Kali's seeming amnesia, followed by the "big reveal," feels almost anti-climactic, which is strange given the divergence of everyone's realities.

The artwork has a gritty, MAD MAX vibe, and while the narrative aims for the same, it does fall a bit short. Still, a wild enough ride.… (más)