Cover Image: Moth & Whisper Vol. 1

Moth & Whisper Vol. 1

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Member Reviews

*Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

I found myself zoning out around vol. 3 with this story, so I did not complete the trade, but I found the art style engaging. The story is lacking in some parts, as there is too much "showing instead of telling" which I would think is hard to do with a comic? The cast is diverse and there is a good amount of representation among the characters.


+ Diverse cast of characters
+ Gender queer protagonist
+ Art style
+ use of correct pronouns


- More telling than showing
- Too much focus on back stories/past instead of focusing on the actual story

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Moth & Whisper is a new cyberpunk/thriller graphic novel, and one with a very appealing name at that. The series follows the child of two famous thieves, one known as Moth, and the other known as Whisper. But what does that make their child? Unfortunately, it seems like they’ll have to figure it out for themselves, because the parents have gone missing.
This was a captivating tale of sleuthing, spying, and infiltration. So if you’ve ever wanted a spy series in graphic novel form, this is one to check out. Oh! And did I mention that the main character is genderqueer, as advertised? Love it.

Moth & Whisper was a fun and thrilling read. I loved the setting, the plot, and the characters. So, basically I loved everything about this one. I couldn’t help but find myself captivated by the missing Moth and Whisper, and the child they left behind to solve the mystery.
Moth & Whisper is set in what appears to be the far future – with lots of technology and government/business oversight. It’s a dark and disturbing world – despite how bright it may appear to be.
Niki was a fascinating character. They grew up in a world where only their parents had seen their true face. Can you imagine how that would feel? And then to lose your parents and not know the why or how…it’s no wonder Niki didn’t follow their orders to keep their head down and not start a search.
Niki’s quest set off a chain of events, thus giving us the plot at hand. It was fun to read, and even more interesting to see this new world that Niki lives in. I loved the technology shown. It was very sci fi-esque, while not going too far out of the realm of reason. A nice balance.
The secondary characters in this graphic novel weren’t as fleshed out as Niki, but I’m not sure they needed to be. Granted, I do still have questions about a couple of them, but that just shows my level of interest. With any luck future graphic novels (if there are any) will cover more about these two.
I’m really happy that I took a chance and read this volume. I don’t know if it’s going to be the only one or not (I haven’t heard anything about a second, but that doesn’t mean much), but I find myself hoping and looking forward to seeing more from this world.

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This was a fun and quick read. The graphics were pretty cool, very futuristic and colorful, and the story line was very catchy and enjoyable. I love how the gender identity was tied in with the many different faces that Nikki was given. Over all this was a good Graphic-Novel I hope there is a follow up of Nikki's story and his parents.

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I really enjoyed reading this graphical novel :) Story was interesting and it easy to dive into the plot. Characters were impressive with their own unique quirks. I liked the art style. It suited well this comics. In the end, there were examples of how the artwork was done or changed and it was fascinating :)

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4.5 stars.

This was a very interesting read and I loved the world setting a lot especially with all the high tech. The artstyle was great too especially the backgrounds. Besides the story, I also like the characters and the representation.

My only complain about this book is how easy things get taken care of but otherwise I'm invested in the story especially as to the mystery of what happened to Niki's parents.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

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I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of <i>Moth & Whisper</i> by Ted Anderson and illustrated by Jen Hickman. Not only did the story sound all kinds of exciting, but it had a diverse cast and the idea of a genderqueer main character who took on the antihero-like personalities of two quite different thieves was a temptation that I simply couldn't pass up. And thank goodness I didn't, because this book was one of the best I've read.

Readers learn pretty quickly upon starting the story who both Moth and Whisper were and are currently. They also learn about Niki, who has been trained practically since infancy to follow in the footsteps of her parents. And with them now missing, Niki is left behind with their training and their technology as their only way of both surviving and finding them. They set out with one goal in mind, to take down the person they believe responsible for the disappearances of their parents.

There was so much to appreciate about this story, from the brilliant artwork to the plot to the wonderfully diverse characters. The tale moved along well, almost making you feel as though you were actually watching it happen in film. This was a first for me as far as graphic novels go, and it was definitely something I found myself appreciating. With a little more added to it, I could certainly see this as a feature length film and I would definitely line right up to watch it.

My only real complaint with this novel is the fact that the end tied up far too quickly and neatly for me. I don't know if I'd like to have seen more of a struggle or not, but I do feel as though there should have been more. The way everything was tied up, barring one rather important piece, of course, just seemed too easy. And it seemed especially too easy after everything that they'd gone through, not to mention the multiple identities that Niki requires in the system to operate. It's a minor complaint, but still something.

Overall, <i>Moth & Whisper </i>was one of the best graphic novels I've come across and I'm really glad I got the chance to read it.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

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I have so many feelings for this and all of them are amazing. This was such an engrossing story. I loved Niki from the very beginning and I wish them all the best. I can't wait to read more of this series and know all the mischief that Niki gets into.

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The description itself was enough to pull me in; two thieves who had a child in secret that mysteriously disappeared?

The story was great and I'm excited to see where the series proceeds. I loved how the main character (Niki) was genderfluid and didn't let gender get in the way with they're infiltration/disguises. They knew who they needed to be, and continued with the mission.

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An incredible creation. both art and script are amazing, and Niki was a great character filled with surprises. I am now waiting for Volume 2 to see what happens, and I'm almost 100% sure there will be a hint of romance, which would make it perfect!

Full review to be published on Aug 5: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2019/08/comic-moth-whisper-vol-1-kid.html

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!! I enjoyed this book so much more than I was expecting to (and I was expecting to like this book!)!! Great characters, great plot, amazing art, attention to details (check out the signs and backgrounds! And amazing story!

Definitely recommend and want to continue on with this series!

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I don't see too many heist stories. When I do, I hope they get to be as fun or engaging as Lupin III while showing their own style. Fortunately, the premise alone makes a great run. The title character is able to be anyone they want. So they decide to combine their parents' legacy into a dual identity. Much like the writer, I am an allosexual cisgender so I'm not able to understand the personal life of a gender-fluid queer. But here that's not something that is required of following Niki. The audience is supposed to be an outsider unless they can relate to the cast. At the same time, the audience can't help but watch the spectacle of Niki balancing the several identities.

The world-building is top notch as well. Signs that display subtle messages of security are everywhere. In fact one of the subjects comes up on the side later. It shows just what kind of world is for Niki to be off the grid. For a thief, misinformation is crucial. It's all about the presentation, and that's something every major player puts out on a regular basis.

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Impressive artwork from cover to cover-- Niki's character design is what drew me in to this title. Unfortunately, a bit of Niki's distinctiveness and identity as a character is lost just under the premise that they are usually hiding under a number of different disguises. I didn't feel that there was something between all of Niki's alter egos that defined them as *Niki*.

And a small nitpick-- the treatment of Niki's gender identity in this dystopian world seemed a bit idealistic and unbelievable. Even the antagonists are respectful of Niki and use gender neutral pronouns. (However, the authors made a point in the foreword that Niki's gender is just part of their character and not a main facet of the story, which maybe explains that choice.)

Nevertheless, there's enough here that I'm excited to read "Moth & Whisper" volume two and *hopefully* see Niki's character and the world get fleshed out more.

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I adored the art in this. The pace was okey, it was very suspenseful, the only problem was the characters and the end which I didn’t like at all. The characters were not that well developed...

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Moth & Whisper is an engaging read that grabbed me from the first page. The art style is one that not only compliments the story and tone of the graphic novel, but looks amazing too.

The story of Moth & Whisper is one that hits so many of my favourite tropes – it features superheroes, super-sleuths, and super-thieves all within a tightly controlled cyberpunk dystopia. Oh, the main character Niki also identifies as gender-queer, so you know, there’s another reason for you to love the story.

Moth & Whisper is not just an interesting story – I loved the art of Jen Hickman. The panels are really well set out and you get a real feel for the flow of the action. I never felt bombarded by the action or the narrative and the panels that features Nikki’s parents were so beautiful! The bold colours on the black looked so good!

I also loved seeing all the little background details in Moth & Whisper. The end part of the book points out some of these details, but throughout you notice these small background hints which really helped to create a bigger world than what was solely told in the story. The signage featured subtly throughout the story paints a larger picture of a tightly controlled government and those who operate around it. A quick peek at the cover will give you an idea of some of the signs featured throughout.

Not only is the story of Moth & Whisper incredibly interesting, I was so ridiculously invested in the welfare of Niki. At the end of the graphic novel, I just wanted to know more about this world and where the story will go from here.

RECOMMENDATIONS

If you’re looking for a really interesting, cyber-punk, action, graphic novel that features a gender-queer character, than Moth & Whisper is for you!

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Awesome story set in a futuristic world with dystopian vibes. A very likable main character who's genderqueer, which in my opinion made this story even more liberal in terms of worldbuilding.
I'm highly intrigued by Moth and Whisper and I'm looking forward to seeing more of their story.
A fast-paced plot which keeps you interested and by the time this thriller cyberpunk graphic novel mixed with the sci-fi elements and also the crime to be conquered sank in I was faced with a 'to be continued' and was taken aback by how enjoyable this actually was.
I think this was enough raving and I'm confident I convinced you to go check it out.

*A copy provided in exchange for an honest review

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"Moth & Whisper Vol. 1" is an interesting sci-fi/crime graphic novel. It has some good art and a fun story throughout.

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Moth & Whisper, Vol. 1 by Ted Anderson, illustrated by Jen Hickman, is a graphic novel about a young genderqueer thief, Niki. Niki lives in a near-future city where government surveillance is rampant. Everyone can be identified at any time by their face, warning signs are posted that faces cannot be covered, and an unregistered face will only draw more attention. Despite all that, the Moth and the Whisper are the best thieves in the city, able to use silence and disguises to slip in and out of even the most watched areas; no one knows their names or their faces… or that they’ve been missing for the last six months.


No one except Niki. Niki, their child, has been using the skills they learned from their parents to imitate both of them. Niki is taking on jobs as both the Moth and the Whisper in a bid to keep their disappearances secret while working to find them. A high-tech suit that can disguise itself and a mask that can print new faces, combined with the six fake identities Niki’s parents wove into the municipal surveillance system for them, allow Niki a great deal of freedom to hunt for their parents – and the biggest crime boss in the city is in their sights.

This could be summed up as a caper/heist novel, but there is a lot of depth to it beyond that as we get glimpses of Niki’s childhood and some tantalizing hints about the Moth and the Whisper. The pacing of the story was great and I really loved the art. I was hooked from the first page. I also thought it was incredibly clever how so much of the world-building was done almost casually, through street signs, posters on buildings, and that kind of thing, which really gave a sense of place to the story.

This was Volume 1, and it does leave questions unanswered, but it still has a satisfying conclusion – no cliffhangers. I’m eagerly looking forward to more of the series.

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Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

I went in not knowing what Moth and Whisper was about at all. It is such a unique story. The art along with the plot was really well-done.

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I got a chance to read this through NetGalley.com.

This was a fun concept with a lot of ideas I was interested to see developed. Two notorious thieves, the Moth and the Whisper, run the city, pulling off capers for whoever holds the right amount of money. But no one knows that the Moth and Whisper are one person: Niki.

I loved the style of art and some of the ways that the artist drew in the perspective. I was also really interested in the details the author and artist included at the end of the book, detailing why some of the details were drawn, colored, or included the way they were. Honestly, I would like to search back for the details I missed when reading this for the first time! What I wish there was more of was substance. I think Niki needed more time to develop as a character, develop relationships with characters outside of their mother and father, and have time to have a real arc of a story. As much as you don't want to have to info dump in the story, I would also have loved to see this world built and fleshed out more, though more books could be coming and I don't know about it!

Interesting story, great art, but just want a little more.

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Overall this was a very fun read. I liked the main characters and the art style was good. I think it probably could have been a bit longer and as far as I remember we don't actually learn what really happened to her parents, but maybe they are planning on doing another volume. It works well as a standalone but I could also see it becoming a series. Definitely a good short read for people who like sci-fi and lgbtia protagonists.

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