Cover Image: Kim Reaper Vol. 1

Kim Reaper Vol. 1

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This was a very fun & cute graphic novel. The story line was original & well written, and the artwork was very well done. I would be very interested in continuing this series!

Was this review helpful?

I wasn't sure what to expect from KIM REAPER, all I knew was that I loved the cover and wanted to read it. And now that I have? I'm curious as to what took me so long.

This is exactly the type of book I love to read. It's lighthearted -- even though the titular character is a grim reaper! -- and features two wonderful female leads. Yes, the writing is a bit much at times, but even then, it's always fun. There were moments where I wished the artwork was a bit tighter, however, it's quite enjoyable.

I do wish Becka was a bit more developed. Yes, she does come to terms with Kim's job over the course of the book, but we also don't really get to see a side to her outside of the dorky Kim obsessed student who accidentally follows Kim on a reaper job. The instalove is a bit off-putting, and the timeline isn't necessarily clear as one moment they hardly know one another and the next they're working together in a bakery. Still, despite my issue with the book, I can truly say I enjoyed it and will be picking up a copy for my shelves.

Was this review helpful?

Everything about this is adorable. From the artwork, to the colour palette to the story it's just a dream world of soft lines and sweetness. Which is odd since a good portion of the action takes place in the underworld. Maybe that appeals to my 'dark but sweet' treacle kind of lifestyle? 

If you like F/F relationships, forays into the underworld, scythes and cupcakes this is definitely a comic for you. It has the same light-hearted tone as Nimona with the quirky artwork of some of the best cartoons on television. 

There were panels that genuinely made me laugh out loud (a little awkward to explain at work) and there's an underlying feeling of an adventure waiting to happen. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this story goes in the future.

I can already think of about 20 friends I am going to have to buy this for as a gift. I daresay many of you will also love it!

My rating: 5/5 stars

Kim Reaper releases March 13th so order now if you're intrigued!

By the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

More like a 3.5*. I found the artwork so fun and colorful. The story was action packed, quick paced, and fun. At times I found the dialogue annoying. Kim and Becka were so cute together but again at times a little intolerable. It is a super fun read that I would recommend. I will also try the next installment.

Was this review helpful?

I love all of Sarah graleys work. This is a must read!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Oni Press for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.

This was such a cute read! I don't generally read graphic novels/comics, but this one just drew me in as soon as I saw the cover. Also, the title is super funny and catchy. I just couldn't resist and I'm so glad I picked this one up.

Becka is a university student that works at a bakery and has a crush on a girl named Kim. Kim is a grim reaper, tasked with guiding souls into the afterlife. One day, when Becka accidentally falls into a portal and interrupts Kim at her job, she accidentally sets off a chain of events that will pit the two girls against an angry cat-dad, zombies, and even the reapers of the Underworld!

First off, I can see where people might think that this story was all over the place. Grim Beginnings is a bind up of four issues of Kim Reaper, so readers may have gotten confused and felt that there was a lot of jumping around in the story. I personally enjoyed how wacky and fun and even slightly all over the place it was! This story definitely didn't take itself too seriously and I loved the humor that was on every page. I especially loved the insanity that was the Underworld and how really, none of their rules made much sense and the reapers just kind of did what they wanted. All of the parts that took place in or involved the reapers in the Underworld had me laughing so hard!

Becka and Kim were super adorable and definitely ship-worthy. I loved how different they were, appearance-wise and personality-wise, and I really felt like they worked so well together. They were funny and cute and got into some crazy things throughout this bind up. Their character dynamic was great and they really balanced each other out so well. I loved that Becka was on the larger side because I don't ever read stories, let alone comics/graphic novels, about female characters that aren't twig thin. I thought she was absolutely beautiful and adorable and that her and Kim were the cutest couple ever. Kim was also so unique and funny and different and I just truly loved the two of them and all of their interactions throughout this comic. Even if the story/plot wasn't enjoyable, I'd keep reading just to see more of Becka and Kim!

As I said above, this story definitely did not take itself too seriously. It was so funny and I loved all of the crazy antics that Becka and Kim got into. Also, I really enjoyed the Underworld and the reapers. I'd read an entire issue about the things that they get up to while in the Underworld because I feel like it's not all serious grim reaper business and that it would be a great story to read! Each chapter was a fairly quick read and I feel like the first three kind of connected as one story with chapter four being the beginning of a new story arc, which makes me really excited to see where the story goes from there.

Overall, this was a quick and fun read that had me laughing at how wacky it was. The relationship between the two main characters was wonderful and I'm so ready to see where their story goes in the future! If you're looking for a new comic/graphic novel to get into, or even if you want to get into the genre but are feeling unsure about it, I highly recommend picking up Grim Beginnings! It has humor, LGBT and unique body type representation, zombies, grim reapers, baked goods, and a lot of cats. This is one series you really don't want to miss!

Was this review helpful?

LOVED This!

Super cute graphic novel about a queer grim reaper?! OKAY!!!! The story starts off with Becka crushing on Kim, in their college arts class. After a meet cute involving Kim reaping the soul of the cat, the 2 girls take off on a whirlwind of quick adventures. There are other grim reapers, zombies and romance, all tied together by the wonderfully drawn art.

Thank you to Netgally for providing me with this ARC for my honest review! This one was truly a pleasure and I can't wait for the next installment!

Was this review helpful?

I have been eyeing this book (and well this comic) for a long time. Ever since Sarah posted bits and pieces of it, told us about it, showed the comic issues. I knew I wanted it. But I wanted to wait for the bundled volume to come out as it isn't easy to find the issues.

This book is about Kim, but also about Becka. We see things happen from both perspectives, and I loved that. We see Becka (whom I loved instantly) and her crush on Kim. Little could that girl have expected that her kick-ass girl crush was a Grim Reaper. :P I had such a laugh when she saw Kim go through a portal, and instead of screaming, just started making pictures for internet usage.

After that the story really starts. Instantly we find out that Kim isn't just your normal average goth, oh no. To fun her college, rent, and epic clothes she took a job as Grim Reaper. Yup. That must be the best job ever.

You won't be able to have a breather, believe me. It will be a rollercoaster of cats, creepy Reapers (with an enormous bunch of egos), parties, skeletons, and lots of sparks flying.

Because these two girls are in lurrrrveee! I wasn't sure at first if Kim was also in love/liked Becka (as she first seemed very put off by Becka's kind of stalking), but that all changed when she was so sweet to go on a sort of date with Becka to show her the Grim Reaper's powers. And especially later it got more obvious as she has to save her girl from certain doom (stupid Grim Reapers (not Kim)). The romance between was really cute, and I liked that Sarah Graley added some more extra to it by having Becka not approve of Kim's powers. Or well, at least not the whole reaping thing. And it was also not much of a disapproval if more of a worrying thing. It is a dangerous job, and Becka would like many more dates and many more romantic events.

Becka and Kim couldn't be more different, though Becka also shows she can kick some serious butt if the need arises (never mess with a girl who works in a bakery).

The art was fabulous, I just adore Sarah's style of drawing.

It was just a shame that the ecopy I had didn't have that high definition on the images. The text bubbles were clear and HD, but the rest was a bit fuzzy. Which is a shame. It is not the first time I have noticed this happening when I get a copy from Netgalley.

All in all, I could rave about this one for a long time, but I think I have said what I wanted. I will just say that I want a second book! I want more Grim Reaper adventures, more romance, more kisses! Give me more Becka and Kim!

---Review to be posted on my blog (and all other places) 2 weeks before the book comes out.----

Was this review helpful?

Becka has a crush on the cute goth girl in her class, Kim - the only problem is Kim's part-time job gets in the way. Because, as the title suggests, Kim makes ends meet by collecting the souls of the dying (and this is why proper maintenance grants were a good thing). Ridiculous, sweet, and often very funny, though in some ways I'd have been happier still with less plot, lower stakes and more room for the brilliance of the basic premise to breathe.

Was this review helpful?

This book is adorable. The story is charming and straight-forward, is somewhat slow in parts. I love the idea of being a part-time grim reaper and the bureaucracy of the Underworld was hilarious. The story was very funny and got many guffaws out of me. It definitely doesn't take itself too seriously.

I love the cute and bubbly design of the characters and especially Becka. It's wonderful to have a plus-sized gorgeous queer heroine of color without it being a big deal or her being othered for it.

It definitely has some issues, sometimes characters act nonsensically to the point where you want to shake them and some parts of the books are very slow, but overall I'll definitely be keeping up with it.

Was this review helpful?

This feels very much like a Matt Groening piece - it has all the manic hallmarks and bug eyed shenanigans that I expect from Simpsons or Life in Hell. But this is a Life in Hell updated for the Seatttle/portland mentality and without the pithy social commentary. Both protagonists are dumb, plucky, and frenetic; don't expect a lot of depth and just enjoy the silly ride.

Story: Becka has a crush on a classmate - when following her one day to invite her to a party, she ends up learning Kim has a side job as a grim reaper (hey, a girl has to earn money, right?). Becka is at first excited but gradually begins to hate the unpredictability of the job. Can Kim win her back while still fighting off ghouls and zombies?

The plot operates like a sitcom - situations are set up to cause a demented comedy rather than to actually create a story. So most of the first chapter is Kim showing off grim reaping without actually doing any reaping. The second story is Kim preventing Becka from being reaped - and fighting off a zombie horde sent to take out Becka. Because one should never cross the rather silly Grim Reapers Inc, obvs.

The art is cute in all its bug-eyed wonder. The cover image gives a good indication of what you will find inside. It's a lot of over-emoting and over-the-top antics in order to gain laughs. A dumbing down of the Simpsons, to be honest. That can work or not depending on your mentality going in and how much you enjoy very stylized sequential art. A lot of the scenery reminded me of my last visit to a Voodoo Donuts restaurant in downtown Portland - take that as you will.

In all, it was cute and original but also a bit too silly and manic. I would have liked some pithy commentary or another hook other than the hyper active rude humor. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Was this review helpful?

If I had to sum Kim Reaper up in one word, it would be adorkable.. It's cute, geeky, and doesn't take itself too seriously.

I liked the artwork. The colors are nice, and Becka's hairstyle is adorable. Same with the cats!

The storyline is cute. It definitely felt a bit rushed, and development of characters and their relationships seemed hurried. The plot was much more silly than serious when it comes to the supernatural, but I did enjoy that there was a plot instead of being straight up romance. This works as a fun, quick read, and I feel like it would be a good read for younger readers looking for a story with an LGBT relationship.

Was this review helpful?

I received an advanced readers copy of Kim Reaper from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Part-Time Grim Reaper. Full-Time Cutie!

Like most university students, Kim works a part-time job to make ends meet. Unlike most university students, Kim's job is pretty cool: she's a grim reaper, tasked with guiding souls into the afterlife.

Like most university students, Becka has a super intense crush. Unlike most university students, Becka's crush is on a beautiful gothic angel that frequents the underworld. Of course, she doesn't know that.

Unaware of the ghoulish drama she's about to step into, Becka finally gathers up the courage to ask Kim on a date! But when she falls into a ghostly portal and interrupts Kim at her job, she sets off a chain of events that will pit the two of them against angry cat-dads, vengeful zombies, and perhaps even the underworld itself. But if they work together, they just might make it... and maybe even get a smooch in the bargain.

Lately I’ve found myself drawn to graphic novels more. As I was browsing through NetGalley, I came across this book. The synopsis sounded interesting so I thought I’d give it a chance.

Kim Reaper is a quick, light-hearted, and overall adorable read. While I enjoyed the story so far, I felt the characters aren’t as developed as they could be. I’m also not sure about how the story is going to grow and possibly mature since the characters are college age.

Recommended to Read: This is the kind of book you read in between heavier, emotionally draining books to help bounce back.

Was this review helpful?

***Thanks to the author and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*


The only thing I liked about this book was the illustrations they were pretty and the girl on girl crush was ok. The story I found it ok at the beginning but boring as it progressed.

Was this review helpful?

It's a cute concept and it features LGBTQ characters without making a big deal, but it's definitely YA. It's a bit cheesy and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Was this review helpful?

Kim Reaper is a positively adorable story about two college girls falling in love and fighting baddies! Becka is an innocent baker looking for a fun date with her crush, only to find out that her crush, Kim, is a part-time grim reaper! Antics ensue, and the entire ordeal is precious, hilarious, fun, and diverse! While the writing was cheesy and young at points, I had so much fun reading Kim Reaper and would totally pick up the next volume.

Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Was this review helpful?

This was super cute, and the premise really drew me in. There wasn't a lot of depth to the story though. I didn't really have a connection with the characters, and I felt like the story was kind of all over the place. We were jumping from one thing to another so quickly.

It was just okay for me. I did enjoy the art work, and I think a lot of other people will really like it though, especially if they're looking for a cute, quick read.

Was this review helpful?