'Biotope 1' by Appollo with art by Bruno is a graphic novel about a murder in a controlled environment on a distant planet.

3 policeman are called to the planet Biotope to investigate a murder on a scientific base. Things are not as they seem, as they soon find out. Some of the scientists are openly hostile and the jungle outside feels hostile.

This is part one of two and is setting up a decent police procedural. The art is quirky and fits this odd story. I'm looking forward to part two.

This is a bit of an incomplete review without the rest of the story. It's about a team of investigators who go to see about a couple who committed a murder / suicide on a far planet to see if there's more to it. They don't investigate so much as things fall into their lap out of the blue. A lot of this book seems to just happen out of nowhere, particularly the end. The character models all have very stylized, 60's mod looks to them. I am curious to see how this ends.

An exciting science fiction tale, full of secrets and murder and lots of diversity. The art style didn't really do it for me, but it was clean, well-colored (with a limited palette, which really emphasizes both the foreignness of the station and the monotony of being stuck in one place), and easy to understand.

Ok so 3 cops from Earth get sent to a lush jungle planet with nothing on it but a science base. They are going there to investigate what is being called a murder-suicide between two LGBT geologists stationed there. They have to try to solve it in under a month because that is when the next shuttle to Earth leaves, otherwise they're stuck for 6 extra months.
Everything is looking pretty routine until... well... stuff happens. Bad stuff. LOTS OF BAD STUFF.
Don't want to say anymore, but the last few pages left me asking "what the hell is going on here?" in a good way.

This Book One of Two takes us to somewhere else in the galaxy, and a human settlement being used by scientists to discover the kind of ecology we've wrecked back on Earth. Two geologists, a specialist scorned by many on base who think they're pioneers for a mining industry, have been involved in a lethal altercation, but they're the not the only people to have died on the base – and they're certainly not going to be the last. There's not a lot here that we won't recognise from other books, but the way this has been put together is quite good, to say the least. The chain-smoking chief policeman is droll, and the fact it involves many people of colour will appeal to some. Oh, and the point where this book ends is certainly a great stopping point, with no end of mystery about what we're due to get in the second half.

This was a fun quick sci-fi read which ended with a cliffhanger. Luckily I have Biotope 2 ready to read! I enjoyed the art and the plot.

Thank you to Europe Comics for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Biotope: Vol 1’, script by Appollo and art by Brüno, in exchange for an honest review. It was published on 19 February and was translated from the French by Jonathan Farr.

In the first part of this science fiction crime thriller a police captain and his two detectives arrive at Biotope, a scientific research base on a lushly forested planet. They are there to investigate a murder-suicide.

The scientific base is self-sustaining and they quickly learn that there have been seventeen deaths and disappearances in the last six months. It soon becomes obvious that the base scientists are withholding information and some are actually quite hostile.

This proved quite an exciting read with some very interesting plot twists. The art is very distinctive, quite retro and cartoonish with a muted colour palette that suited the stark setting of the research station. It made the bright red splashes of blood (when they happen) stand out as well as the verdant green of the planet’s vegetation.

It ended on a cliffhanger and I was so pleased that Europe Comics had made both parts available to read and review.

That was super fun! I loved the twists and turns it took in the end. It kinda became a spy/cop thriller based in a setting not unlike "the word for world is forest" by UK LeGuin. Liked the drawing style too. 1 part valerian two parts Moon and Ba's drawing. The beginning was kinda slow, but I do not regret sticking to it.

¡Qué divertido! Me gustaron mucho los giros que tomó, en especial al final. Se convirtió al final en una especie de thriller policíaco basado en un mundo parecido a "el nombre del mundo es bosque" de LeGuin. Me gustó mucho el estilo de dibujo, parte Valerian, parte algo parecido a las ilustraciones de F. Moon y G. Ba.

This is an engaging and amusing comic about three detectives who travel to a new planet in order to conduct and investigation into the deaths of two scientists who had been conducting research on the planet.

The planet is remote but lush with plant life. The community of scientists working there are mired in their own politics and factions, and when this spills over the detectives find themselves caught up in the midst of everything.

This is surprisingly funny in some places and dark and dangerous in others. The graphics are good but the colouring is quite simple with one or two colours on the page. This helps illustrate the monotonous lush green of the plant life on the planet and the barreness of the encroaching desert. The story has great pace and well developed characters. Definitely a series to follow.

This is a sci-fi setup where three detectives from the earth have been sent on a shuttle to another planet with an exploratory scientific settlement. The world outside the outpost is green and is teeming with wildlife. The murder has been dismissed, and no one is willing to talk about it. In the first instalment, there is constant resistance from all the members to divulge information, or so it seems. It ends quite dramatically, and I had to start the next right away. The art was interesting and very clearly indicated the tone of the story, and I was reasonably invested in the events.
All characters introduced to us are not likeable, and that just adds to the flavour of the story.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based only on my own reading experience.

This is a good comic. I really enjoyed it. The characters are well developed and the story is packed with action and adventure. The author does a great job delivering a story with a solid plot and interesting subplots..

3 cops are called to investigate a murder/homicide on a base on a planet being explored. But as the cops start looking into what should be an open and shut case they find some really strange things going on in this base, and what tops that list is the number of deaths in the past year.

This volume of the graphic novel space murder mystery doesn’t have any answers. It concludes just as everything is suddenly going very, very badly. I have to say the plot reminded me of a couple scifi TV shows or books I’ve read, though it does feel unique in some ways too. The art style definitely sets it apart. Not exactly a style I prefer, but it does fit the tone of the book. I have strong suspicions as to what is causing all the violence on the planet but sadly can’t confirm without the 2nd book. (view spoiler) As the topic probably would clue you in, this is aimed at older readers. Recommended scifi murder mystery fans who are ok with the content.

Note on content [based on the ARC]: 19 mild swear words and one strong swear word. No sex scenes. The boss cop briefly complains about there being no porn on the tv and seems to be making passes at the lady cop he works with (she shuts him down). There are several murders/shoot outs on page with blood shown. One character smokes throughout, even after being told he can’t. Some drinking at a bar in one scene.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What I Liked

The art — mainly, because it showed real people and not overly chiseled or sexed up mannequins. Moreover, the color palette used in these comics is limited. That’s a smart move since most scenes depict a lab-like setting.

The pages aren’t filled with a lot of dialogues, which made it easier on the eyes. So, I continued reading.

What I Didn’t Like

The story wasn’t too original and neither were twists uncrackable. I could easily predict what’d happen next.

Even so, my reading experience was a positive one.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this quite a bit. The art style was engaging while being easy to follow. I particularly liked how the art was done for both the dance scene and the fight scene at the club. The coloring there also really captured my attention.

As for the writing, I thought it was a little by-the-numbers at first, but the twist at the end has me eager to pick up the next volume. Appollo managed to make everyone in the, rather large (for short a short piece), cast distinct and memorable. Finally, I liked the overall tone of the narration and dialogue. Effortlessly brought the "hard boiled detective" part of the story to life for me.

Thanks NetGalley for this arc, in exchange for an honest review. This was quick, compelling read. I’m not necessarily invested in the characters but I’m definitely invested in the case! I can’t wait to read part two!

I received a review copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this was a surprising read! A well-crafted and surprisingly engaging sci-fi mystery. Three cops from Earth are sent to Biotope, a planet with lush vegetation where humans have set up a science base. The cops are trying to find out what exactly has happened with two geologists who were in a rocky relationship. Aparently one man killed the other and then committed suicide but the cops don't really believe it's a "passion crime".

Honestly, I went into this with no expectations but an open mind. At first I was surprised at how simple the style is but it grew on me. The three cops are Black and the whole science base is filled with diverse people. You can recknognize the features and there is a certain quality to the faces that remind me of traditional African art.
At first, the mystery element is slowly evolving but suddenly, I found myself hooked as more questions arise. You're just as clueless about the base, the planet, and the people as the protagonists. The relationships are multifacetted and interesting, new relations unfurling as you continue reading.
And I have to admit, I was not expecting the first issue to end like it did. I was honestly surprised at the events that took place and now I really wanna read more!

This comic was a positive surprise for me. After reading so many free first issues on Image and on Netgalley, this only the second comic that I actually, truly liked, where the narrative quality is amazing, the characters actual people with inner lives, and the story not only interesting but well executed.
I hope the series continues to be at least equally strong.

I started this graphic novel with very little information about the story and I think that’s the best way to go into this book. The main plot is a team of detectives are sent to a new planet to investigate a murder. This book merges the “locked room” mystery with sci-fi space exploration. Things are not what they seem and I got a very old school detective mystery vibe here paired with brightly colored story panels.

Book 1 does end with a pretty significant cliffhanger so it’s ideal to have the second installment waiting. I kind of liked the cliffhanger, as it gave a good ending point and had some shock value but it also gave me a chance to pause and think over the story before starting the second book.

Overall this was a fun read. I liked the bright colors paired with the very traditional detective story. Some of the information was a bit complex for the panels of a graphic novel but I think overall this story works in this format. It’s fun to see the planet visually over trying to imagine it. The characters have a lot of personality visually and their conversations only add to their traits.

I would recommend this graphic novel series to anyone that is looking for something new and different. It would be a great option for classic mystery readers to give the graphic novel format a try, and a nice taste of classic mysteries for those graphic novel lovers. There are only 2 books that I know of, so the duology is a shorter read which is perfect for those looking to try the genre.

This was a read that got me hooked from the beginning. Dialogues and art with a very good balance, so I could read and also follow the story through the pictures. I would certainly recommend to anyone who is in need of a fast, gripping read!

First half of a fun sci-fi thriller, drawn in an interesting European 60s style.

Three cops arrive at Biotope, a research base placed on an unnamed lush, forest-covered planet. A man has killed his partner, and then supposedly committed suicide. The cops are there to investigate. Soon it becomes clear there's a lot more going on.

The art style is very eye-catching, very European - it reminds me of <i>The Yellow Submarine</i>, and the sci-fi designs of <i>Barbarella</i> and <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i>.

This book is only half the story, and ends on a big cliffhanger. It's therefore hard to properly rate the plot and story, but I will say I like the characters, and want to see where all of this is going.

3.5 stars

Biotope is a distant planet that contains a scientific base. The purpose of the base is to investigate the surrounding area. However, a murder has occurred on this isolated research station, and for this reason, Captain Toussaint and his team have been sent from Earth to determine what is going on. Once they arrive, they discover that they are about as wanted as the plague. No one at the base seems to be interested in any type of investigation. The premise of the story seems to be that man destroys everything he touches and that efforts must be made to prevent this from happening.
The entire story is not told in just one volume. It is necessary to read both volumes, in order, to find out what happens. There story teaches a lesson, but there is humor contained in it, as well. The illustrations are clean with not a lot of color. However, I think this is a good idea because the format lends itself more to the type of story being told. I thoroughly enjoyed part one of Biotope and was caught off guard by the cliffhanger that takes place at the end. I could not wait to read the next volume in the series to find out what happened next. Also, it was good to see some diversity within the pages. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.