Graphic novels and Delilah S. Dawson are two of my favorite things. So as soon as I discovered Star Pig, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. Space adventures! A female lead! The absolute cutest tardigrade I’ve ever seen! It all sounded like the perfect formula. And don’t get me wrong, Star Pig was good! It just wasn’t as great as I was hoping it would be.

One thing I really did love about Star Pig was the art. Francesco Gaston captured my attention from the first panel with its vibrancy. All of the aliens looked great, the settings were detailed and fun, and did I mention that there’s an adorable tardigrade? I also thought, with the main character Vess in particular, that character facial expressions were really well done, which is a make it break it king of thing for me when it comes to comics.

The writing was a mixed bag for me on this one, which I hate to say because Delilah S. Dawson is a favorite of mine. There were many fun and cool moments in the story, but never quite enough depth to really pull me in. It even felt a bit rushed at times, which I think was a result of the focus being placed on smaller stories and conflicts as opposed to the overall story arc. I do think this could easily be remedied though in future issues, as there’s obviously more story to be told. A bit more focus on that overall story could give this series just the depth that it was lacking in this first volume.

I loved the characters, though. Vess was a fantastic lead. She was funny and snappy and just a delight to read. And there there was Theo, who is my new favorite pink tardigrade. Theo was basically a ‘very good boy’ who could talk. Easily my favorite character. Vess and Theo’s interactions were the best thing about this comic for me, which I found interesting because the other character interactions all felt a little stiff and/or rushed. Vess and Theo’s budding friendship really gave this story its heart and is what made me most want to keep reading.

Overall, I did like Star Pig. Was it the best comic I’ve read lately? No. It wasn’t even the best Delilah S. Dawson one I’ve read recently. (See: Sparrowhawk.) But it was fun. A series of cute, funny stories with enough depth to make me keep reading but not enough to really make it stand out for me. The art alone though does make this one worth reading. I do plan to continue reading the series, though, if more are made, and with the way this volume ended I really, really hope more are planned I have high hopes for future installments. The overarching story seems to be a big one, and I think more focus on that could really take Star Pig up a tier. So I definitely recommend this one. It’s fast and fun and very easy to take in. Don’t go in with super high expectations, just go in expecting to have a bit of fun.

(This review will go live on NovelKnight on 3/9/20.)

This is such a cute story about misfits in space! The art work was really amazing. The aliens were designed to look super creepy which I am a big fan of. The story and characters were fun and engaging.

This was not what I had expected, but delightful all the same.. I loved the premise of Earth having not made contact with alien species, but alien species knowing basically everything about them. Great illustrations, interesting and exciting premise and an ending that leaves me wondering and wanting more. What will they do now? Find a planet? Listen to music and roam? Find their way home?

A really good start!

/ Denise

Star Pig is an intergalactic adventure featuring human teen Vess Singh-Rodriguez and 'space pig' Theo Tardigrade. The two had an unexpected meet-up when a sporadic cloud alien blasted Vess' spaceship while the teens were on their way to space camp and Vess is the survivor Theo was able to save.

From then an out-of-this-world friendship blooms as the two main characters venture with one ultimate goal: to go home to their planets safely and in one piece.

Things I love about this e-galley is that the illustrations are on point and each scene was depicted as if it was traced from real life. Noting that the setting is on space made it more interesting and all the alien interactions added flavor to the story. The writing is also top notch, the Earth references are relatable and most lines are hilarious. I enjoy the Keanu Reeves fascination and the Synthesizer.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

This was totally weird, modern-day teenage space opera with an absolutely adorable sidekick. I look forward to reading more.

Vess has finally convinced her moms to send her to space camp (in outer space), but en route the shuttle carrying the campers is cut in two. Vess is jettisoned into space only to find herself inside the belly of a giant tardigrade - a nearly indestructible creature that "speaks" telepathically. [Tardigrades are real creatures. Search for them; they are awesome.] Subsequent encounters with aliens - some more humanoid appearing than others - lead to wacky adventure as Vess tries to get her feet and she and Theo the tardigrade try to keep each other safe.

Oh, and it turns out everyone in space loves Earth, and especially American, pop culture, and there are so many great references from the Beatles to "yeet".

**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This graphic novel was really cool. I loved how colorful it was and the design of the world and characters. The diversity of the cast was really appreciated. I also thought that an alien species that loves American pop culture was really fun. I genuinely laughed out loud at some of Johnny's lines. To be honest, I didn't like the over-the-top slang that the characters used, it just took me out of the story. I loved the characters though, especially Theo! Overall, this book was super fun and original, and I would definitely read the next one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the second work I've read from Delilah S. Dawson and I think it's great. A fun writing style, Star Pig has a captivating story that had me smiling.

This was such a cute and funny graphic. I caught myself laughing a lot. And I just adore Theo!! I really can not wait to read the rest of this great story!

<i>arc provided by the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

This one was super fun. I didn’t really have any idea what it was about the cover instantly caught my attention as did the title.

The art was beautiful. I loved that it was full of colour and that the aliens were drawn to look creepy. The plot was fun and engaging and honestly... kind of adorable. The fact that this ‘star pig’ creature swallowed the human to save them was cute and their developing friendship was as well.

I would love to read more about this human and their cute squishy alien friend!

4/5 ⭐️

tw: death

This was a really beautifully drawn graphic novel and i liked the main character of Vess. The story was good in the first and third parts but it kind of lagged in the middle. I liked those parts but the plot was not that great overall. It was a little messy and could have been a little tighter than this. This was not a bad book but just needed a little editing.

A fun, splashy graphic novel that doesn't make a lot of sense but doesn't have to.

I feel like I'm almost not nerdy enough to fully appreciate this, but the premise, that the rest of the galaxy is unreasonably obsessed with American pop-culture is pretty funny. It was explored in interesting ways, and I think the best descriptor for this whole outing is "zany," which was fun. It was like a very small Guardians of the Galaxy with a female lead and a much gentler Drax.

The artwork was great, and I think the further adventures of Vess and Theo will be thoroughly entertaining.

This was a lot of fun. The main characters are pretty neat, especially the Tardigrade, who is endearingly naive. There are a lot of pop-culture references and unexpected laughs. Overall, it's a pretty good start to a series and I'm definitely interested in reading the next part.

A spaceship, full of teens from Earth on their way to Space Camp, gets pummeled by an asteroid, breaking the ship open and sending the teens sprawling into the deadly open space. One tech wiz teen named Vess gets swallowed by a giant pink space pig called a Tardigrade. A sweet, grotesque, and innocent creature who doesn't know at all what's going on, but wants to help. The two of them are quickly abducted by a slightly nefarious scavenger, who is a spore cloud and speaks in a strange mix of casual expressions. Together they must escape.

The story explores the idea of different species getting to know each other, and learning to work together. It's fun to see what the aliens imagine life on Earth to be like. The main character Vess is biracial, has anxiety, and experiences panic attacks throughout the story.

The bright, shiny action of Guardians of the Galaxy meets the absurdism of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Teens and adults will enjoy this fun sci-fi comic.

Thank you netgalley for the arc.

This graphic novel was so funny. It’s light and colorful with lovable characters. The planet earth can not be visited by aliens so the galaxy beyond earth is obsessed with humans and everything earth, especially our music. So there are jokes about our music and our movie stars lol. It was great and funny. The star pig aka Theo reminds me of Sheldon from the Big Bang theory. I highly recommend.

On the way to Space Camp the shuttle is destroyed and a girl is rescued by a giant space tardigrade who escaped a lab. It swallowed her and brought her to safety. The tardigrade is trying to find his home planet and promises to help get her back to Earth.

Lettering in this book is exactly what you want. There are fun things for sound effects and the dialogue never once gets in the way of the art or is hard to read. The colors are beautiful, everything is so bright and beautiful. He artist also nailed all of the outfits and backgrounds. You really feel you are in the future on a far away planet. The story is hilarious. The aliens are obsessed with Earth culture so there are several pop culture references that were well placed and so funny. This book is absolutely adorable!

I read Star Pig as it was released in singles, but I still enjoyed reading it again. I will be picking up the trade.

Creative Team:
Story Delilah S Dawson
Art Francesco Gaston
Colors Sebastian Cheng
Letters Shawn Lee
Published IDW

Vess is on her way to Space Camp, but unlike the movie of that name, the accident to the shuttle Vess is traveling on leaves her as the only survivor. Her life is saved by a tardigrade, a creature normally microscopic in size on Earth, but gigantic in the case of this space-faring individual. In the manner of the living spaceship in <i>Binti</i>, the self-named space pig rescues Vess and keeps her alive - since tardigrades can survive in space. But their troubles are only beginning. Vess and the Earth artifacts are valuable to galactic fans of human culture, while Star Pig is even more valuable for its species longevity and other biological secrets. Can the two of them survive those who are as acquisitive as The Collector from Marvel comics?

With plenty of pop culture references - everything from the Sarlacc of Star Wars to Keanu Reeves - and some wonderful scenes of a geeky teen messing about with alien technology, this is a fun and entertaining read for those who enjoy sci-fi stories. Once they reach the end readers will be eagerly looking for the next installment. "Tubular Tardigrade Facts" are included in the back of the book.

This is certainly an interesting read for both kids and adults. A 16-year old lucks out in a spaceship crash by getting swallowed by a giant tardigrade. Luckily the titular star pig is friendly enough to go about and it has some pretty nice abilities to communicate and go through. The ideas behind the numerous aliens as abstract as they come are always well and good. The 80s slang speaking cloud of spores was certainly good. The idea behind aliens liking something about Earth is always fascinating; even scientists think the planet serves as a potential vacation spot. Even then I'm actually a fan of the idea of Earth being a nature reserve of sorts. Maybe a system of laws prevents species from going onto the surface of the planet. Not that the Earth in this GN appears to appealing. From what people say, it seems people aren't much fans of their planet or the culture that ruined it either.

So what happens when Vess is flung into a universe where there are so many unknowns its overwhelming. Well giving answers about where humans fit aren't it as the last pieces suggest. For all the themes of pop culture and creativity being what makes Earth so appealing to someone, there are also things that don't fit quite right. Using shapeshifting cephalopods as an allegory for the cosmic horror unknowns by using familiarities to their advantage kind of defeats the point of those premises. I mean the events near the end look like they are guaranteed to need failsafes. I don't know but sometimes less really is more.

Well, this was a surprise and no mistake. Forcedly brash cover with punky female character standing happily alongside her jumbo tardigrade? Nothing could go right, surely? But a heck of a lot did. There's invention here, there's wackiness for the sake of us enjoying it and not for the sake of wackiness, as so often is the case, and there's a sense of humour. I've seen better jokes than the universe being consumed with envy for 1980s and 1990s American culture, and I think some of the mock slang could have been better, but generally this read very well – and again, a lot better than I expected. I won't bother to summarise the plot – the situation is enough to be hooked by, and that's all on the cover. It was a little unsettling to think we were a gazillion galaxies away from ours only to have a shuttle ride around the solar system, but the sense of scale in this drama will evolve if we get a part two – which I'm already looking forward to. Definitely four stars.