Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. An interesting story that is supported by great illustrations. The storytelling was a bit disjointed and several of the characters lacked backstory, making it a bit hard to understand their roles and relationships. Omni does do a great job at tying in social issues like racial profiling and immigration into the plot, making it feel incredibly relevant. I am interested to see how to story progress in the next volume.

Cecelia, a doctor, becomes super-powered with nine different types of intelligence. Other Ignited (aka people with powers) start appearing and a mysterious organization is tracking them. It definitely has an early X-Men feel to the plot (how will society react to people with super-powers? is it the next step in human evolution or caused by something else?), but with a heavy social justice framework to the plot. The plot can feel a little bogged down by the social justice lessons, but the artwork does a good job of portraying Cecelia's nine intelligence types. I'll stick around for one more volume to see where it goes.

Upon initial glance it seemed to have a very "safe" art style. One that is reminiscent of successful comics that we've seen before. The way it uses that art however was excellent. All the visuals for the parts of the brain she is using when using her powers is incredibly well executed.

It is rare for me to say this but in this case it being a graphic novel was the perfect choice to realise this plot at its fullest potential. The story benefits greatly from the aid of the illustrations especially with the use of colour and explanations when she is using her abilities that would probably have proven very difficult to comprehend in a novelised form.

The characters will probably need another volume before I can fully love them but they were certainly an entertaining read. They carry the story well and give it life and personality. Mae is probably my personal favourite and I loved her "comic-within-a-comic".

Overall it was good and I suspect it will only get better from here on out.

Devin Grayson is an award-winning comics veteran with over two decades of experience, paired with Alitha Evelyn Martinez who has worked the pencils an inking on everything from bigger superhero names to more indie projects via her creator-owned titles. She's one of my favorite names when it comes to women in the comic book industry and one of the few Afro-Latinx names I can count. Grayson's publication of Batman: Gotham Knights in March of 2000, she became the first female to create, launch, and write a new, ongoing Batman title. Grayson and Martinez have a partnership that really has created something special: Omni Vol.1 The Doctor Is In.

Intro: Set in H1’s new alternative universe where extraordinary events happen and change the lives of extraordinary people everywhere--where a group of folks around the globe all receive powers that make them targets. And people who can bring change to the people around them. Gifted doctor Cecelia Cobbina was once just doing her job with the Doctors Without Borders, and then she's infused with a special power--to where she has an answer for almost everything and can be in more than one place at once. She can save more lives. She can do good. She's also on the run with a few trusted friends.

The writing and the art really compliment each other--I don't often see many Black women-centered in superhero genre comic books. Cecelia is, very much centered in this narrative, she's not one dimensional, and seeing her struggle and having a fuller character arc than I see most characters have in many mainstream comics says a lot. From the first issue, or chapter Cecelia is in bed with her headscarf on. *chefs kiss* More Black women illustrating comics. More AfroLatinx women illustrating comics. Thank you Alitha E Martinez. The art reminds me that I just love when a creative team works perfectly--the coloring is emphasized to perfection when we see Cecila in action when her powers are activated--seeing multiple versions of her on a page with different colors completing different actions and tasks almost looks dreamy. It's been said before but this is a fresh and new entry in the sometimes stale super hero comic boook genre and this is Humanoids strongest book in their collection.

The diversity depicted in this title is stellar, and I love the superpower of Cecilia being not only smart, but well-rounded, seeing things from different angles. I appreciated the various superpowers everyone had, but I do wish there had been more backstory for both the characters as well as the onset of the powers.

I really liked the premise of this book. I liked that it was a superhero story where super powers seemed to be bestowed on those most in need - the disenfranchised. I found it a little hard to follow at some points, though. It is a little like X-Men, or that seems to be the trajectory anyway. I think I need another volume to form a better opinion.

*Received via NetGalley for review*

Unabashedly political, Omni takes a little but to find its footing, but delivers when it does. Dr. Cecilia has become the first "Ignited", manifesting all 9 intelligences. She and her (honestly, incredibly annoying) sidekick Mae travel around finding other Ignited, until the Omni corporation finds them.

Lots more is left to be explored in future installments, and the hint of a reveal at the end definitely leaves me wanting more.

I think this is a really interesting introduction to the Humanoids/H1 Universe that I believe was actually first rolled out in the Ignited series. I loved the main character, Cecelia Cobbina, and the story Omni told about how she uses her superpower of drawing upon multiple ways of thinking about things to unravel the mystery of what the Ignited (i.e. Humanoids/H1's superheroes) are, and why they might exist. I liked the cliffhanger note that this book ended on.

This book definitely feels aimed at and more appropriate for teens than adults or children readers. Not just because it's a riff on superhero comics, but just in terms of content and appeal for readers. General comics fans of all ages will like this, but its primary interest will be with teens I think. The narrative's complexity falls, for me, into that age range.

I liked the usage of different color thought bubbles to represent each modality of thinking, but on a smaller computer screen, I ended up having to do some serious zooming to read them clearly. I'd be curious to see what they look like on printed text, but I'm imagining it will be fine.

Overall, it's not earth-shattering but it's a very interesting YA comic that sets the stage well for further stories in this alternate superhero universe.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel because of its art style and entrenching plot. I would highly recommend this to fans of graphic novels and odd, interesting stories.

Fantastic comic book with excellent characters and a good story-line that wasn’t boring. I felt the artwork was rather good, and I liked how the character how to try and deal with these new sources of power she receives. I also like that the main character is a risk-taker.

Omni is a really cool take on the super hero/super empowered genre. It touches on issues of race, class and climate change in the first issue in ways that feel very interesting. The idea to base superpowers on the intelligence types is a pretty cool one and the way it's presented as different aspects of Cecelia Cobbina's psyche talking to each other is novel. I love how each has it's own personal style and quirks, and the color coding really helps too. It's like a power fantasy for the marginalized and I love everything about that. Also, the art is great. I can't wait to see where it goes and to check out other entries in the shared H1 universe.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Normally, I don't like to invest in a graphic novel series until there are a few volumes available, however this is now a MUST. Incredibly innovative, beautiful artwork, engaging characters, and the usage of "supervillain-y" should be enough to keep us going for a good long while with this one. I love the idea behind this, the structure of the story, it's all just amazing! I am so glad I got this! Can't wait for the publication!

An interesting premise even if the storytelling was a little disjointed and hard to follow at the start. Intrigued to see where this series will go!

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this one! Omni Vol 1 was a great read. The illustrations are so vibrant. I loved seeing a Black woman doctor as the main character. And not only is she a doctor, her sister is a doctor too. The premise is really interesting and I'm excited to see where this will go. I also enjoyed the comics from the character Mae. They were a fun addition and helped to clear things up. The story was a little confusing with the flashbacks. Great work from everyone involved. Very refreshing for a comic.

Something is happening to people around the world - they are becoming "ignited..." developing strange powers that Dr. Cecilia Cobbina thinks are physical reactions to environmental stressors. Dr. Cobbina is one of these ignited. Her superpower: she is INSANELY intelligent. In fact, she is able to maximize all 9 of the accepted kinds of intelligence, and can think and respond faster than any human being on the planet. But when looking for others like her, a mysterious organization called Omni comes calling, and explains she is their new CEO. No one will tell her how Omni was founded, or how it is funded, or how they knew about her powers... which leads her friend Mae to believe it's all just a little too supervillainy for comfort.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2 Stars

A young doctor suddenly and mysteriously acquires superpowers as do several other individuals on the planet. But only her power can answer "why".

Given how stale the superhero genre has been getting these past few years Omni is a fresh and original take on what human beings would do if they were given tremendous unexplained powers. This book has one of the most interesting premises for a superhero story I’ve heard in a long time. It’s culturally relevant, not afraid to tackle 'taboo' subjects and still fun and interesting enough to keep your attention.

The colour work and illustrations are fantastic. They work so well to clearly show how the ignited's powers work and any limitations they have. I especially like the neon colours used when Celina uses her powers.

The only reason that this book didn't get a 5 Star rating from me was that the tension seemed to decrease as the story went on. However, with all the questions the ending of this volume left me with and everything is set up so far, I will be sure to pick up the next issue when it's released.

You Should Read This Book if you Like:
+Inventive Science Fiction 🧪
+ Cool superpowers a la the Xmen 👩🔬
+ Diversity in Sci-fi 🙌
+Plot driven graphic novels 📑

Trigger Warnings: Discussions on Racial Profiling, Gun violence, internment camps, refugee children, family separation.

This is one to watch.

PREORDER this book now for only £11.99 🦸🏿♀️.

I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley in alliance with H1 Publishers. I am leaving this review voluntarily 📚.

A fascinating story with some original "superpower' ideas and appealing characters. The storyline is confusing, partly because of frequent flashbacks at first and partly because of complex things going on in the story but not completely explained by text. Howerver, the plot is compelling enough to keep a reader (me!) going.

I received this ARC from NetGalley. (I've never been a book's first reviewer before! Pressure's on!)

This is a very fun, vibrant GN. It will be best to wait until more volumes are available and read them together, as this volume mostly sets up the story but doesn't answer many questions yet.

The characters are likable and interesting. The main character's enhanced ability is a very interesting idea, and the consistent use of color when she's experiencing her ability add to the story. The volume also introduces some societal questions-- about personal freedom, evolution, and the point of humanity-- that I hope later volumes explore more fully.

A series to watch!