Lovely art with beautiful colors. I really enjoyed LOOKING at it. Did I enjoy reading it? It wasn't really for me. A little too weird, a little too much. I can see this being for others, though. I would recommend it to anyone who likes their comics a little weird, rather than the standard superhero fare.

3 stars

This read was such a fun time and the graphics were really punch you in the face colorful and exciting. There were a few moments of confusion here and there and some parts where I didn't feel like I could understand what some characters were doing or why they were doing it, but to be honest the issues I had were not so large that they took me out of the story and adventure. Overall a very fun read.

book given in exchange for an honest review

This was a fun addition to the DC catalogue. My favorite part was the originality and the art. I felt it was original and well done.

I was quite intrigued about this title but I was not at all familair with neither the author nor the story but I thought the premise of the story was fantastic and I am glad to say it developed very nicely throughout the volume, though at some points it is a bit confusing and hard to follow (I am not sure if that was because I was not familiar with the character, but given how this is a volume 1, that shouldn't have happened). The best part was, without a doubt, the art; the style was incredible and very colourful, which fitted well with the plot. Shade as a chharacter was also intriguing and you want to know more about her and her story, so I will say this is a successful first volume andd maybe those issues I had will be explored more in further installments.

This book was very different than my normal comic read. First off, the art was so fun and bright - very much like classic pop art. The story was unlike anything I’ve read and the author was definitely not trying to fit into a mold of any sort while creating this work. The story follows a mean girl in high school who is found brain dead and whose conscious is replaced by an alien who then returns to the same high school in said mean girl’s body. This is a fun read about friendship and starting over.

I'm honestly torn about this book. The art and covers are absolutely gorgeous, so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, they fell somewhat flat.

The story is a mess, that's the only way I can describe it. Readers aren't eased into it, most pages contain huge amounts of info dumps, which still don't explain anything. Maybe if I've read the original Shade the Changing Man, I might've understood more, but isn't it a point of reboots to attract new readers? I spent most of my time reading utterly confused and whenever I thought I started to understand what was happening, I was thrown another confusing curveball. And despite how dense to understand it was, there was barely any plot to think of. I'd almost call that amazing, if I wasn't so annoyed. I really wanted to like this book.

Loma Shade, a bird alien from a faraway planet (that is basically Earth but some of the inhabitants are aliens. Some of them. A lot of them looked like regular humans. No, it's never explained) dons the coat of madness and somehow her spirit transfers to a comatose teenage girl on Earth, Megan. It's never explained how exactly the coat or the "Madness" works, as far as I can remember. Loma decides to take over Megan's life and finds herself back in high school, where she tries to figure out why everyone hates her so much. Surprise, turns out Megan was a horrible despicable abuser to everyone around her! Meanwhile, back on Loma's planet we get a side-plot about a secret research facility trying to utilize the Madness for some sinister purposes. This side-plot actually seems to be the main plot, given how Loma on Earth literally doesn't do anything but hang out at high school and terrify her classmates, but at the same time, it's touched upon so very sporadically, I'm not too sure. Like I said, the story is a mess.

There doesn't seem to be any direction to this book. Loma is a huge fan of Earth who wants to learn everything possible about it, but she never actually learns anything. It seems like the Earth portion spends most of it's time running in circles, watching Loma on her wacky hijinks, wasting time. It's a very pretty waste of time, but still a waste. It seems like every few pages Loma needs to be told again why people are scared of Megan (because she was a horrible abuser!!! We've been over this five times already oh my god), how to act, not to do magic around people.

Which brings me to my other point. The art is gorgeous but also very confusing. I could never figure how much are people around Loma seeing and there's never any explanation. Sometimes it seems that all the magic around his visible, sometimes not. It's confusing.

The art really is gorgeous though. The lines are beautiful and the flat colours fit the style so well, it's probably the best drawn comics I've seen. The art is mostly the only reason I kept reading, to be honest.

I really hope we'll be seeing a lot more of Shade--I was so disappointed back when the last Vertigo run was cancelled. Great reboot!

I wanted to like this book but it was just a bit too weird for me. It's pretty far removed from a standard human experience and doesn't really make an effort to connect with us. For being a book about an alien masquerading as a human, Shade doesn't really make much effort to interact with said humans.

The first thing that caught my eye when I opened this book is the art. It feels like a proper 80s comic. Now, I wasn't a massive fan of the original Shade the Changing Man comic, but this "reboot" is pretty intriguing. It also feels way more coherent than the original story.

The premise of the book is fairly cool. There’s an alien, she steals the body of a girl who isn’t really using it, and she has to learn about this girl’s life as she goes along. She has to figure out how to be a person while also figuring out how to be this specific person. The female relationships, in particular, are pretty interesting in this book. Castellucci could have easily made this a typical teenage drama filled with bratty teenage girls, but she instead gave the characters quite a bit of depth.

The art does go a bit weird. People look middle aged in one panel and like teenagers in the next. It all feels very trippy, but some of it in a better way than others. The colors were really cool and I love the style, I was just bothered by the lack of consistency.

Overall, this book has pros and cons. I imagine it probably works a bit better when you have the full context of the original story, but I think if you keep your mind open enough, this book is accessible to anyone.

I haven't read Shade, the Changing Man and didn't know anything at all about this comic when I read it. I had no clue what to expect, but it was definitely rather interesting.

The first thing I noticed was definitely the colour. The art was amazing, so quirky and expressive. Immediately, I was hooked on this book. The art alone drew me in, and I loved looking at every page.

The plot was also pretty wild. Loma Shade, a strange alien creature, steals the "madness vest" and takes control of the comatose body of Megan Boyer - leaving her ex-boyfriend behind as she ventures to Earth. Everyone believes her to still be Megan, and Shade struggles to fit in and right Megan's wrongs. But it was only meant to be a bit of fun - not a permanent situation.

Shade eventually confides in a new-found friend about her true identity, but everyone else still thinks she's just Megan. But Shade is nothing like Megan, and no one has missed the sudden change. But the change is welcome, for the most part - it turns out that Megan wasn't the nicest girl around.

There were also some mini stories included at the end, which were really interesting, about some new characters.

It is a very, very strange comic, and I loved the art. But I didn't really connect with Shade that much, or feel any emotion for or from her. I'll probably read more at some point, and perhaps then I'll begin to enjoy it even more. For now, I'm giving it 3.5 stars. I loved the art, and the plot was good, too. I just hope to feel more emotion from Shade.

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. I went into this comic with absolutely no background knowledge of the previous Shade properties and I think that the lack of familiarity had a giant impact on my enjoyment.
The art was incredibly well executed, but I have to admit that I had no idea what was going on the entire time. There have been a lot of comic properties rebooting lately, and for the most part they have been very easy for new readers to pick up and understand what is going on. Shade the Changing Girl, had me scratching my head and wishing that the main character wasn't so incredibly unlikable.
If this had been a stand alone/new comic based on new content I would have given this a 1 star, however I can concede that this title would have been better with a little more knowledge of the original run.

Eng/Esp
This is the strangest comic in Young Animal. That is SAYING SOMETHING.
Cecil Castelucci, who I hope to be reading more from soon, channeled Shade into a new era, made some poetry along the way and took me on the trippyest ride of the year. The creative team on this one just coalesced into some crazy psychedelic magic, from the artwork and colors, to the letters (I’m a sucker for inventive lettering) to the story. Just a great all around effort that really showed on the pages of this book. But Cecil takes the cake because rarely have I felt more confused-but-amused with a story, and the payoff for when you finally get in sync is huge.
Shade: The Changing Girl is of course a reinvention of the classic Shade character popularized by Milligan and Bachalo in the Vertigo glory days. This time, both the earth and the alien incarnations are women, but the latter must struggle with the horrible emotions and actions of the former (who she’s possessing), whilst controlling “The Madness” (her power) and understanding her new society. Confused yet? Wait till you get to the good part. The story, though hard to follow at first and intimidating to those who don’t know the previous iteration of the character, finds it’s groove and delivers on the goods. The first issues feel (on purpose, I’d wager) like you’re as much a fish-out-of-water as the first character, and during the story you get to understand everything a little bit better, just like our heroine. I love this kind of storytelling, even if it gives me a headache at first.
If I’m maybe putting you off, please also note that I almost read this first volume in a sitting. This is not a boring title, nor is it unnecessarily heady. This is an almost Young Adult comic that treats its readers with respect but never forgets about keeping the story interesting. You just have to accept the trippy ride you’re about to embark upon, and enjoy.
I can’t say this enough: Young Animal is doing a great job of keeping comics fresh, interesting and completely bonkers. Great work by Cecil, the artists and by Gerard Way.
Este es el cómic más extraño de Young Animal. Eso en sí ya es decir algo.
Cecil Castelucci, de quien espero leer más muy pronto, transmitió a Shade a una nueva era, creao algo de poesía en el camino y me llevó al viaje más alucinante del año. El equipo creativo se unió para hacer magia loca y psicodélica, desde el arte y los colores hasta la rotulación (soy muy parcial a los cómics que usan las letras de maneras inteligentes) a la historia. Un esfuerzo genial que de verdad se notó en las páginas de este título. Pero Cecil se lleva el premio porque rara vez me he sentido tan confundido pero divertido por una historia, y cuando por fin te sincronizas con la historia ésta te premia de gran manera.
“Shade: The Changing Girl” (Shade: la chica que cambia) es, claro, una reinvención del clásico personaje de Shade popularizado por Milligan y Bachalo en los días gloriosos de Vértigo. Esta vez, tanto la versión terrícola como la espacial de la protagonista son mujeres, pero la segunda tiene que lidiar con las horribles emociones y acciones de la primera (a quien posee), mientras que aprende a controlar a la “Locura” (su poder) y entender la nueva sociedad en la que se encuentra. ¿Confundidos? Esperen a que lleguen a la parte buena. La historia, aunque difícil de seguir en un principio, toma ritmo y entrega un gran resultado. Los primeros números se sienten (a propósito, me parece) como si fueras un pez fuera del agua, similar a lo que está sintiendo nuestra heroína. Durante la historia logras entender mejor, igual también que la heroína. Amo esta forma de contar historias, aunque a veces me cause un dolor de cabeza.
Si tal vez te estoy desincentivando, toma en cuenta que casi leí este primer tomo de una sentada. Este no es un título aburrido ni innecesariamente pensativo. Este casi es un cómic para Jóvenes Adultos, que trata a sus lectores con respeto, pero no olvida mantener interesante a la historia. Sólo tienes que aceptar el viaje maniático al que te someterás y disfrutar.
No puedo decir esto las suficientes veces: Young Animal está haciendo un trabajo increíble de mantener frescos, interesantes y completamente locos a los cómics. Excelente trabajo de Cecil, los artistas y de Gerard Way.

Loma is a bird alien from Meta. She steals the madness vest from the last Shade series and inhabits the mind of a comatose girl, Megan, on Earth. Megan was a mean girl who terrorized both her friends, nerds, and even her parents, just an awful person. Most of the book is Loma dealing with this.

Nothing happens in this book. It's so boring and bland. Same with the art. It felt like an indie comic where nothing happens and there's no point.

Shade the Changing girl is an interesting title. This is a title I heard about from my 16 year old daughter and decided to check out on my own. She looks forward to the issues and has even done some fan art work. Shade is an alien who takes over the body of a mean girl who was now in a coma. She (Shade) is basically trying to fix all the wrongs this girl made without anybody finding out who she is -- besides the close friends she told. Would I use this in the classroom? Depends on the grade level. As a homeschooler our curriculum is much looser and I have already thought of some interesting things I can do with some of the issues that arise with my highschooler. I recommend the series to both teens and adults.

I like to move it, move it, move it, I like to… movie it, provie it, shooo… sorry, I think my brain’s broken from too many crappy comics lately! Oh up yours Young Animal. Thank Jeebus this is the last one of these I’ve gotta endure!

Shade, the Changing Man is reimagined as Shade, the Changing Girl because I guess the character changes? Ahhhhh you spin me right round baby right round like a record... Come on, dude, keep it together, it’s almost over… have another drink.

I’ve never read any of the previous incarnations so I can’t compare or even know if this is similar in approach but this Shade is an alien called Loma inhabiting a teen girl’s body for a contrived reason. Loma must find out why everyone thinks she’s a bitch - not that anything’s at stake, she’s just gotta do something to fill the pages. Yup, real edge of your seat reading!

I wasn’t sucked into what little story there was. We know that Megan, the Earth girl host, was a mean girl before Loma inhabited her, so we have to wait tediously for Loma to figure out what we know from the start. No explanation either for how possession works - is Megan’s, uh, “spirit” killed when Loma jumps in or what? It appears at the end but where was it up til then? Ah, I didn’t really care anyway.

Loma leaving her home planet to come to Earth was a flimsy excuse that added to the pointlessness of this comic. And the stuff on Loma’s home planet was equally unimaginative. Basically aliens have the same culture as we do on Earth (even vaping!) but they’re alien-looking. The art is nothing special but Kelly Fitzpatrick’s colours are trippy and cool.

Shade, the Changing Girl is boring garbage. I highly recommend avoiding any books with the Young Animal label!

Loma, an alien, is in a rut in her life. So she decides to steal the famous madness coat from her favorite poet, Rac Shade. To avoid getting caught stealing this item, she runs away finally settling in earth and into an earth body of a high school girl named Megan. Loma thinks that life will be easier on Earth, a planet much simpler than her home planet. However, the body she has chosen in of a high school bully who is currently in a coma. When Loma in Megan's body (who now goes by Shade) goes back to school, people are less than enthused to see her, all while people in her home world are trying to figure out how to get the coat back.

Overall, the artwork in this book was pretty incredible and vibrant. However, the story text sometimes had me confused and made my head spin a bit. I suppose that is probably how Loma felt in her new world and body, but at times it detracted from the story. The concept for this comic was awesome, and it shows how hard it is to be a teenager (especially if you are an alien from another planet). I will be interested to watch and see where this series goes, as of right now it wasn't really for me.

Simply could not get into the story, and I am a fan of weird comics. The artwork is really lovely, but the writing isn't strong enough to match it.

It did not take me long to figure out that this graphic novel is not for me nor would it appeal to my students. The plot is pretty simple despite its non-linear narrative structure. Loma, a birdlike alien creature, is bored on her planet and desires adventure so she dons on a madness coat and turns into a spirit that inhabits the body of Megan, a comatose high school queen bee. Loma is disheartened to find out that Megan was a mean girl that pretty much everyone hated. Loma tries to amend Megan's wrong meanwhile Megan's parents and friends are more shocked about Megan acting like a real human being with emotions and empathy rather than her weird alien powers.
Despite the colorful and vibrant illustrations of the graphic novel, I was bored throughout reading it. The plot was just okay and the characters failed to pique my interest. I didn't get a good grasp on who Loma is before she inhabited Megan. I also couldn't drum up any sympathy for Megan who was a big bully that took a lot of drugs and ended up drowning. I also didn't feel there was a lot of depth to the story despite the trope of using the high school setting as a metaphor of explaining the tumultuous time of puberty. Plot points that didn't really connect where casually explained by the weird things happening in the story instead of an actual explanation.

I haven't read the original Shade series- I hadn't even heard of it before reading this so some of my confusion may be to do with that, but I had no clue what was going on. I read the blurb after reading the comic, and honestly, that explained the book to me far better than actually reading the book did. I couldn't understand the main character's motivation for doing anything that she did.

The "stream of consciousness" type of dialogue that DC do in most of their books where there are these weird, out of place, poetic thoughts all over the page were even more present here that usual, and I just don't understand why they do it. These are just some examples:

"No matter how I try, I can't go further?
No stream to stride.
No way to go but back to earth.
There is a choice. Her life or my death.
I choose life."

"It takes so little effort to change the way feelings feel.
It is an antidote to the darkness in her.
I feel so light. Like I could almost fly.
How do you find a star to sail by?
When there is nothing but a black sky?
You start with your heart."

How small is that hand that pinches you real?
How long does the sun bend to your smile?
How far do you dare when you don't dream?
How warm does a home feel after you fall?"

I think they use madness as a plot point as an excuse for when things don't make sense or seem random.

I have to say- the art is really pretty and I love how bright the whole book is. I don't usually like DC's covers- that's some of what puts me off reading more of their stuff, but the covers for the Young Animal comics are beautiful, and the cover is really what made me give this imprint another shot after reading Doom Patrol and not understanding any of that either.

The story-line of an alien in her 20's wanting more for her life and escaping via a coat that can transport you somehow into another person's body on another planet could have been interesting to read about, and I think you could have it be weird without it making no sense and confusing new readers who aren't familiar with the context or the characters in the story.