Thank you so much Netgalley, Oni Press and Dan for the ARC!

I was super stoked to read Dega. A female astronaut stranded in an unknown planet? Hell yes! Sounded like a best-selling book waiting to be adapted into a web series.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I didn't understand the artwork for most parts and the writing was average. It was all a bit underwhelming. However, I do love the rough sketches Dan provided and the pretty cover.

Summary - Not bad but not good.

Despite its short length, Dega was a struggle to finish. The art was lovely, but the story was absolutely confusing. I did not figure out what was happening until near the end, and I’m still not sure I understood it correctly.
I would recommend this title only for the enjoyment of the art itself.

Dan McDaid worked for five years on this. Now, it doesn't immediately <i>look</i> like that - that probably sounds like a negative, but I don't mean it that way. As McDaid says in his afterword, the original idea was to work quickly, and I feel like the art <i>looks</i> like that, and it's on purpose.

I quite like the roughness, and the designs of the world and the creatures that are encountered. There are times when it took me a minute to descern what I was exactly looking at, but you know, I don't mind art that asks a bit of me as reader.

The story is less succesful, I feel. It is a certain kind of metaphysical sci-fi that is quite common, and you have to have a really clear idea of what you're trying to do, and I wonder how clear this was to McDaid. I don't think it completely translates in the work, or at least for me.

Overall, it's an interesting book, that suddenly stops. And I wish there was more, there.

Book Summary:

What would you do if you found yourself the lone survivor on an empty planet? Okay, not the only one – you get to have a droid for company. That'll help, yes? Dega seeks to answer that question as our lead finds herself stranded following a crash, up against the dangers of an unknown planet – and the monsters within.

My Review:

As per usual, it was the cover of Dega that originally caught my attention. But in my defense, it's pretty amazing, right? The colors are so bold and demand that you pay attention to what is offered within these pages.

Dega reads like a show if that makes sense. It's a battle for survival, but it's also surreal, beautiful, and so much more. This is the story of one woman (and droid) fighting to survive in a dangerous situation. In the process, there will be a whoooole lot of life lessons.

It's worth noting that Dan McDaid wrote and illustrated Dega, which explains the strong sense of cohesion between the two. This graphic novel series is worth looking into, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

Highlights:
Surreal
Existential
Strong Female Lead

2.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC.

Dega promises to be a thrilling journey through a hostile alien world, but unfortunately falls short of delivering on that promise. The story feels incomplete and abrupt, leaving readers wanting more. It reads more like the first chapter of a larger novel than a standalone book. While the illustrations and concept are intriguing, the overall execution leaves something to be desired.

While the art style of this graphic novel is beautiful, the story of it is so instantly forgettable that I find myself incapable of really even giving thoughts on it as it hasn't stuck with me in the slightest

While I did see the potential of the graphic novel, the length is what really limited the story. McDaid’s first graphic novel, it is clear that his time working on Firefly and Doctor Who magazine have provided a solid sci-fi foundation to his artistry. However, the contrast of color-saturated pages and those that were devoid was a creative choice that felt detrimental to the plot due to the overt messaging. The abruptness of the ending and the lack of depth also further provided a weak start to a series that could've been great if it was only more robust in both length and in plot.

This book that really make much sense to me it was very short less than 100 pages and followers. The main character who landed on another planet and adventures on that planet, but a lot of things happen. That doesn’t make sense. There’s some alien stuff and sci-fi intrigue but it didn’t really pull me. I don’t think this is really my cup of tea

Dan McDaid is a Doctor Who and Judge Dredd comics veteran who has also drawn series like The Fearsome Doctor Fang for TKO. I first encountered his work on Boom Studios' Firefly ongoing, where he brought strong-lined pulpiness to the series. Dega is McDaid's first original graphic novel, crafted entirely by his hand. He writes and draws the story of a young woman stranded on a barren planet, with her only hope of survival buried beneath its surface, where both salvation and destruction await. Like many of the best sci-fi short stories, Dega's plot is easy to follow, building tension and excitement with each expertly structured page and panel, but still includes striking moments that are deliberately unexplained, inviting thoughtful interpretation. There's a raw energy in Dega's linework that is lacking in too many of its peers, and makes sparse but inventive use of color. Dega makes a strong case for hoping that this first foray into the graphic novel format from McDaid isn't his last. -- Jamie Lovett

There have been countless stories about people stranded in space or a deserted planet from the numerous versions of Lost in Space to Andy Weir’s The Martian. Often the challenge with these kinds of stories is how the writing and what ideas can bring to a narrative that could have its own identity. Of course, there have been comics that have followed this narrative, including Dan McDaid’s first graphic novel, Dega.

From the first pages, Dega does something peculiar: it is no beginning and no end. Her ship crash-landed on the mysterious world “Dega”, our unnamed protagonist does her best to survive, whilst discovering the secrets hiding in the dark under the world.

Having done comics based on existing sci-fi IPs from Firefly to Doctor Who – the latter’s influence is very apparent as the reveal of Dega is lifted from one of the Doctor Who movies – this original piece by McDaid took five years to develop, as you can read from the production notes of the back of this edition. No doubt from an artistic standpoint, there are some stunning pages as our heroine is scrambling around for what tools she can manifest. With the survivor’s gadgetry having this tactile feel, the same could be said about the world of Dega itself.

Whilst McDaid’s art isn’t the most polished, the grungy aesthetics fit well into this alien world where there are a variety of creatures to confront. As well as playing with coloring, which adds to the murkiness, there are a lot of pages where there is no color, which is used to depict what the night looks in Dega. Though experimental and interesting, these pages can be hard to follow due to the unpolished art.

As the story starts by jumping right into the protagonist’s situation, there is never enough context about said situation. Though McDaid’s lean storytelling is intentional, just a bit more insight into our protagonist and her mission in Dega would have been appreciated. Although she does narrate throughout the book, it’s rather cold and even though we get glimpses of her psychology through surreal dream sequences, it is ultimately a failed attempt at establishing any themes of existentialism.

Stunning work from an artistic standpoint, but the emotionally cold narrative doesn't work wonders, even with its well-worn sci-fi premise.

I thought the artwork itself was imaginative and eye-catching, but the black-and-white style with sudden bursts of colour made it difficult to actually distinguish between different characters, places, etc. The story was very slow to start and there was a lot of confusion in the beginning as the character wasn't introduced nor was her situation explained enough to let the reader realise what was happening.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free graphic novel*

I loved the style and vibe of "Dega", but my main issue is with the brevity. The graphic novel is less than 50 pages and while it raises many interesting questions and teases at a fascinating underlying story, it overall fails to engage the reader and introduce them to world building, story, and characters.

If "Dega" had 100 more pages, it would be brilliant. Please don't be afraid to pick it up nevertheless though, it's entertaining and fascinating.

2.5 stars

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley.)

It's been nearly an earth year since the unnamed narrator of DEGA crash-landed on a hostile alien planet. In this time, she's discovered an energy force deep below the planet's surface that could get her home. But she's not alone: the pit is guarded by a tentacled monster, and a sentient AI has already laid claim to the technology. (I think? It's all very confusing, like a fever dream.) Plus, there are the aliens who want to spit roast her, and the atmospheric anomaly that's threatening to do them all in with its Benjamin Buttons-eque time warp magic.

This all sounds like something I should love; unfortunately, the story stops before it even starts. When I reached the end, I thought that surely there must be some mistake; maybe the file I downloaded on Netgalley was a preview/sampler instead of the entire book? But the page count comes in well below one hundred pages across every retailer I looked at. Sadly, this is it. This is the book. It feels like the first chapter in a book vs. the first volume in a series.

Hugely disappointed.

Storytelling is so sloppy. I did not understand what was going on at all. Also, I wasn't particularly drawn to the art style. This graphic novel seems more like a draft that the author presented to the publishing company. It appears that the writer intended to create a graphic novel that does follow a non-linear plot, but things didn't work out as planned.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press to provide the eARC of this book to reviewers.

There isn't a lot to Dega, approximately seventy pages of space thrills about a young astronaut, stranded on a deserted planet trying to survive. The art is admirably expressive and scratchy, even if at some points it almost completely breaks down. But the story is really just an extended Future Shock, and the artistic symbols used (one in particular) is a little baffling given its setting - and rather than evoking wonder, it does nothing more than bring to mind Beneath The Planet Of The Apes. Assuming there will be more of this, it is a decent amuse-bouche. If this is all there is, then - hmmm - not enough meat on its hallucinogenic bones.

3⭐

This graphic novel started off well but got confusing as it went on.
Instead of providing answers, the story just produced more questions and never answered any of them.
I liked the art style at the beginning but it became hard to actually see what was happening, especially when it turned to mostly black and white, too many sketch lines made it difficult to discern the different characters and scenes.
I could be convinced to read the second volume of this story but only to try to understand what happened in this one.

I love the lineart and the color palette, the story seems interessino, but I'm still confused about what's going on. I think it only needed a little more context.

I am a big fan of Dan’s work so when I saw he did his own graphic novel, that he wrote and drew, I knew I wanted it. Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC. I will start by saying how surprised I was at how compact of a story this is, while being rather expansive. The universe is huge and there are clearly lots of unanswered questions in this one, but this is a tight, almost personal story. I enjoy the fever dream aspect to some of the art and the way Dan plays with color, or lack thereof. I would add a spoiler on here, but honestly, there is no way to spoil this book as explaining it would be nearly impossible. It is just an experience.

This was a very interesting, but confusing read. I feel like it was way too short and didn't fully explain anything that was going on, so I'm not quite sure what happened. Why the dream about the subway? Is this some post apocalyptic earth? Another planet? A moon? What are these beings??I'm super intrigued and if there's another issue that helps clarify the story I'll absolutely read that in a heartbeat, I would love to understand what I just read lol.

That being said, the art style was grungy and gritty, perfect for this type of genre.

Thanks NetGalley and Oni Press for the digital arc!

Beautiful illustrations with an intriguing story. This was far too short to get overly invested in, though. I found the story fascinating and wanted to know more. I just would have a hard time paying for something this short.