I apologize for the delayed review, I was unable to review back when I received the approval. I was overwhelmed by life...

On to the review: Joyride is a fun sci-fi comic about friendship, defying the government, and finding yourself.

This volume really lays down the character development in a way that makes you empathize and like the characters. The plot moves quickly (in a good way). It's action packed and would be interesting to anyone attracted to more thrilling sci-fi works,

If you like escaping fascist governments, but in space, while making friends, then this might be the book for you!

Unfortunately I was unable to review this book after reading. I still rated it on goodreads at the time, and I appreciate the approval. Thank you.

I really loved this short comic a great space adventure that reminded me a bit of Guardians of the Galaxy with the group that become friends through the story. The plot was thrilling especially with the added chase of the brothers with all the history behind their relationship pushed the pace. It was not what I was expecting I was thinking it would be this little cute adventure between two friends that would be adorable and annoying but it was soo much more as there was big and fascinating world behind the story that has so much to uncover so I can’t wait to read the rest of the volumes.

I loved Uma because she just had one goal to explore and be curious which is a bit like me I am very curious person. She was a very noted character that had so much baggage wound up inside which made her mysterious and cool. I enjoyed that they slowly unravelled this about throughout the comic. Catrin she annoyed me a lot because she was very black and white I personally don’t think you can be like that plus she was quite a blind character to what was in front of her which was why it nice to see her develop as well. Dewydd what a soapy boy I didn’t enjoy his character right until the end because he had this typical romance with one of the girls. But then they revealed things about family that got me interested in his character.

The artwork in this comic was beautiful and very epic in style of showing vastness of space. The design of the spaceship was so cool as it looked like each character had an individual pod to ride like a motorcycle. The monster that likes to swallow was so creepy but it was also such a good idea of what it does. My favourite scene of artwork would have to be the battle at the end between Dewydd and someone else that is just looks like a poster because it is a scene of sadness and tension. I loved the design of Buddy as well a bit like a mix of C3P0 and an Iron Man suit.

Overall, it is a fun space comic that will take time to get used to the characters but when you do you’ll love them and want to know so much more about them and their world. Also Kolstak is a great voice of reason in this comic with his space knowledge. If you are looking for a short series set out in space with a good story this comic is for you. I just would have liked to see one more issue in the volume as I was so enjoying the story but it did end on cliff hanger of what might happen to the group next time.

This has a very fun premise and beautiful art and an interesting set-up for this group of characters. However, outside of those, this wasn't very compelling or memorable. And I won't be looking into any further volumes in this series.

I enjoyed this first volume somewhat. I don't think I'd rush to read the second one though. The characters are really fun. I feel like they are really developed. I can see some great arcs beginning for them here. I like the artwork as well. Seeing the different alien designs were great. It was also great action and movement. Uma is such a strange lead. Kinda untrustworthy. Kinda badass. She's interesting to read.

I really enjoyed this book even though it wasn't really memorable. It was fun but it's not something that's going to stick with me. Amazing graphics and narration!

Confined to Earth, Uma seeks adventure and freedom away from the strict rules enforced on Earth. Uma is the leader of this misadventure in space. Uma seeks thrill and excitement. She brings along her close friend Dewydd and Catrin is forced to tag along in this space adventure. The adventure unites the characters despite coming from different social and economical bacgrounds. Uma is the leader of the group and captain of her crew, because she is the one who planned the adventure. Overall, this comic does reveal background information of all three characters. Uma loved her life prior to the takeover, and she idolized her mother. Dewydd is the youngest in his family, and his older brother overshadows Dewydd and his accomplishments. Catrin is overall a badass, and she is not your stereoytpical princess. As I mentioned, the story is fast paced, and I would have liked to seen more explorations of different worlds for this first novel. I really liked Catrin because of her relatable grumpy mood, but makes an excellent friend. I loved how carefree and fun loving Uma is despite consequences. I like the one sided love that Dewydd has for Uma. Overall, this first volume was a fun volume and I hope the following volume allows for more character growth. It does remind me of a teen version of Guardians of the Galaxy. For the following volume, I hope that the stakes are higher. The third chapter of Joyride is my favorite because you learn the background stories of Uma and Catrin.

Teens escape a boring landlocked life by stowing abroad a boat. Drama and adventure ensues. Except it's a spaceship.

Marcus To has a really imaginative look and feel to the crazy adventures these kids get up to. 

Verdict: try it. interesting, but the characters aren't super memorable.

Joyride is an exciting, fun, and fascinating story that will draw readers in from the very beginning. It consistently has fun with the story it's telling while also knowing when to slow down and settle in on the issues it's trying to address. Wild, exciting, and thrilling, this is a story I couldn't put down. \

The art is also beautiful. Marcus To's clean lines and descriptive movements create a world that feels a live and blooming. The coloring is wonderful and makes the story pop, and fills out To's lines wonderfully.

This first volume will make readers laugh, think, and desperately search for the next one.

Uma, Catrin and Dewydd are the three main characters in this who get stranded in space as they try to escape a dystopia Earth. Well, Uma and Dewydd are trying to escape, Catrin is trying to catch them and ends up tagging along as well.

I did like this graphic novel. The art was lovely and I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It is definitely a story I think would benefit from being made into a cartoon, with several scenes being ones I could imagine in full colour with the accompanying sound effects. However, I find parts of the plot were a little rushed and there was a lot packed into this one volume. I would have liked more of a reaction from Uma at the identities of her companions and more of the plot dedicated to Dewydd and his brother's confrontation.

I'm definitely going to keep an eye for the sequel! 3.5 stars!

Interesting and fun look at difficult and timely subjects including fascism. Great graphics and both story and characters that move the reader.

As the tagline says, Earth sucks. Earth is now a dystopian dictatorship encased in a giant protective bubble. So when Uma and Dewydd get an opportunity to bail, they take it. They steal a spaceship from some slavers and take a guard, Catrin, who was chasing them along with them. Now they're freewheeling through space, making their way as they go. The book feels like the Guardians of the Galaxy movie crossed with 80's anime. It's a hell of a ride. Now I must search out volume 2.

DNF for me

I tried really hard to get into it, but every page was painfully for me

In the near future, humankind has finally found life in the universe! And we are TERRIFIED. In response, the government creates a dome called SafeSky to protect us from extraterrestrial life and have used this fear as an excuse to create a fascist, controlled society. As you do. Or as humans do, anyway. Shock Doctrine engage! Power up the giant gun on the moon!

Characters/Plot 8/10
The characters of Joyride are relatable namely because they are familiar types without being stereotypes. Namely, in another title, Dewydd would probably be the lead, haplessly following his manic pixie dreamgirl Uma into the great beyond. Instead, within the first volume, all three leads have Goals, Motivation, and Background that make their actions reasonable, if not always wise or expected.

For some it might be hard to relate to Uma’s enthusiastic (to the point of irrationality) embrace of flinging herself into space, intent on never coming back. But when you find out what’s happened to her, it all makes sense. Dewydd is in fact following Uma because he loves her (this is barely a spoiler), but this is complicated by the fact that her character isn’t there to teach him anything, and she has romantic inclinations of her own.

Catrin starts as your standard security guard getting swept up in the hero’s madcap adventures, but turns out to be a whole lot more. She’s also Uma’s enemies to friends to potential love, and it’s done in a slow way that I wholeheartedly approve of.

I have to admit that I’m strongly in favor of slow burns over insta-love, no matter the genre, but especially for LGB characters, everything tends to happen at once, because the writers often lose interest after sweeps to knock one of them off. Boo. In Joyride vol 1, we’re still eeking toward friendship.

The side characters are also worth paying attention to, especially the robot/ship’s pilot/Uma’s text buddy and the alien wanderer they pick up at their first stop who is constantly nonplussed or horrified by the antics of the humans he’s fallen in with.

If I had a criticism to make, it’s that the emotional resolution of the final chapter comes pretty quickly. But I’m willing to excuse it since the story is otherwise well-paced and Uma tends to be mercurial in nature. It feels believable that she would shift her feelings very quickly from one state to another.

Art 7/10
I grade comic art on a few specific criteria: Can I tell what’s happening? (Clear lines, distinguishable action, etc.) Are the characters identifiable with recognizable facial expressions? And are there moments to elevate the sequential drawing to art?

Joyride gets high points on clarity of action and emotive characters. The designs for the aliens are neat, too, and it was interesting without being too cutesy, gross, or ridiculous. The panels are well laid out and the artist does an excellent job of directing they eye through the course of action, even when there are floating panels or smaller panels layered on top of a larger scene.

The comic misses out on higher Art points, but that isn’t an aim of this volume, and there are some very well composed scenes of our teens looking up at a huge field of stars and the entire Protex scene with Uma and Catrin has a lot of meaning pressed into a few pages.

Also, space dance party.

Narrative Themes:
Important themes:
Bio-fam Loyalty vs Found Family
Security vs Freedom
Human Expectations vs Alternative Alien Logics

I won’t go into details on these at the end of this volume because it would involve spoilers and I need to see the full arcs to accurately judge. What I will say at this moment is that the fact that these themes are present is a plus for the title. You could easily just have a group of teens run off and have adventures with no deeper connection for any of the characters. I appreciate what’s started here, particularly the dystopian elements, as dystopia literature has been a research interest of mine and I’ve taught dystopia lit. Love it.

You can’t do dystopian Earth without making the human connections and addressing the issues of violence and conflicted loyalties and values, but the story doesn’t get too bogged down in philosophizing either.

TL;DR
Overall, I’m going with a definite recommendation. I picked this volume up as a free review copy for Netgalley, simply based on the LGBT label, but if I’m honest, I would be interested in the story regardless based on the dystopian and sci fi content.

The fact that other reviews keep going on about SPACE GIRLFRIENDS doesn’t hurt. I’ve already secured the second volume, and I’ll be preordering the third.

Review will post on the main Sapphic Alliance Site October 2, 2017.

This first volume of Joyride was an exciting thrill ride from start to finish. As an avid fan of sci-fi, the summary was enough to suck me in and after the very first page, I couldn't put it down. On top of an enticing plot of rebellion and exploration, the characters are just as intriguing. The dynamic between Uma and everyone else, from her best friend to future alien partners in crime are layered and always had me waiting for more. I was especially interested in the main villain of the story, wishing to see not only more of him, but more of everyone's backstory. The best parts of Joyride would have to be all of the strong female characters, the colors, and the artwork. I adored the style and am more than excited to see another volume of the wonderful world of Joyride.

3.5/5 stars.

The art in this was fantastic, so beautiful and creative! The characters were interesting, and I'm looking forward to reading more of the series, but the plot did seem to lack some direction. There wasn't a very cohesive narrative after they escaped earth, but I feel like there's a lot of potential for future development.

This was a wonderful read! The story was really interesting, with nice pacing, great characters, wonderful worldbuilding and such a great rising action that kept me enthralled.

I really liked the characters. Uma was a wonderful protagonist, who started somewhat obnoxious, but as we learned more about her, I fell in love with her. I absolutely loved Catrin! I'm a huge fan of stoic but sweet female characters and her relationship with Uma was my favourite thing about the book (can these two be the endgame relationship please?). Dewydd was sweet and had some nice character development and I adored the bit with his brother. And seeing Kolstak just annoyed with them was very funny :D The adorable robot was a nice bonus.

I've always been a huge fan of Marcus To and this was him at his best form. It was absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to read the second volume.

Earth sucks. Steal a spaceship. --> undoubtedly the best advice a book has ever given me.

I love the bright, colorful art style and character designs of this volume, and I was so on board with the story from the very beginning. I love that Uma can be badass without having to be stoic; she’s reckless and capable and has a very short fuse, but is also genuinely in love with every new thing she encounters, from new gadgets to alien languages. Her enthusiasm makes the dialogue funny and unique.

I also like Catrin and I ship her and Uma so much, but I ended up being disappointed here. There’s no canon gay relationships yet (I believe there may be some in the next volume?). The story also hints that Dewydd has feelings for Uma, but there’s no indication she feels the same way and hopefully the writers don’t try to force it.

Other important reasons reasons to read Joyride: a giant AI who talks like the birdsrightsactivist twitter, and it's a lot like The Force Awakens!

The only thing that I don't like in this graphic novel is that Uma is the protagonist; I prefer Catrin than her because she possessed a pleasing personality than the latter. Nonetheless, this comic series is really exciting to read and based from the synopsis of the succeeding volume, it looks like it is much better than this. Although I don't like Uma, I would still read the second installment once I got a copy because of the story; I also want to check if there would be any development in the relationship of Catrin and Dewydd because I really want them to end up together.