Cover Image: Icarus

Icarus

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Member Reviews

I must say I appreciated the original story and the way it ascended, this was a fun short read!
The art was pleasing and it was so uniform!!!! The character of the dog is so beautiful and gives the book a new angle.
I'm excited to read the next book!
My rating 3.5 stars

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This book is about Icarus, who falls from the sky and lands in a kind of hellish land. He doesn't remember who is is or why he's there but he has wings, looks completely different to everyone else living there.

Even though the book is named after Icarus the only thing he and the one from greek mythology have in common is the name and that they have wings and fell from the sky. I wished for some kind of retelling, but that is not what this is.

Still I really enjoyed the story. The drawings are really pretty and it's a very interesting world and story. Even though it was a quick read it didn't feel rushed and I liked the characters.

The ending and the way Icarus gets his memories back was a bit strange though. It is only the first book in a series though so I hope some of my questions will be answered in the following volumes. Besides that I really enjoyed it and it was an interesting read!

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The artwork is great, it really brought the story to life. The storyline is interesting, just wasn't blown away.

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This is a story about two peculiar men who stumble upon each other, who come from opposite worlds and yet share the same sincere heart. A story about friendship, adventure, and saving the world.

It's not, however, a sci-fi Greek retelling of Icarus. Or if it was, then it failed to be. So I recommend going into this book with an open mind, leave what you know about Icarus behind, and let this story take you to the depths of volcanoes.

Here's what to expect from this book:

» the art was absolutely beautiful.

» there's a two tailed lava dog who would do anything for its human, and he carried this graphic novel on his back.

» the character design for all the beasts in the book was gorgeous. i wanted to adopt all of them. petition to make a beast hotel where all of these mythical creatures just interact together with riddles.

there were only two things that kind of put a dent to my enjoyment of this book:

» there's a LOT of info dumping. side characters going on random rants to tell you what is or was happening in the world. i wish we were left to navigate the world with the equally oblivious two main characters instead.

» there were a lot of "convenient plot devices" meaning our characters would find themselves in a very hard situation and then something bizarre would get them out of it very easily.

however, i understand that it might have been so packed with dumps and convenience because its still the first volume, and there's so much to unpack, so many things we need to learn about the world and the characters.

i think a younger target audience that's still being introduced to sci-fi might enjoy this!

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Icarus & Jellinek find that when their worlds collide, nothing will ever be the same and the story just gets better from there. Stunning artwork and a great story, and wonderful graphic novel. I would love to read more.

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I love mythology and this is what drew me to this comic. I am always dubious especially with each retelling. However Gregory developed a well crafted, beautiful which the art matched.

Unlikely heroes journey to stop the bad guy, the witty banter with the fast paced, twisty and action packed.

I loved this comic and I would recommend to anyone.
.

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Paraphrasing from Jellinek, Entrances, I tell you. That writer knew how to make an entrance. Gregory A. Wilson takes us on a fiery ride through an alternate telling of the Icarus myth from the times of ancient Greece. Packing it full of magic and monsters, we are carried into the world of Vol, journeying with a winged mystery man, a man who is essentially a scavenger and a demon dog with horns…

Being a lover of greek mythology I was drawn to the name of the comic, then I read the plot. I was initially quite worried, the myths themselves are so beautifully presented, I was worried that any variation on it would be harmful to the majesty of the original. I was wrong. Gregory has developed an intriguing, modernised, dystopian like version of the story of Icarus and I am ecstatic about being on this journey with him.

The beautifully crafted art is a joy to behold. Áthila Fabbio has done an extraordinary job of conveying the story through imagery, bringing the characters to life and perfectly displaying the words of Gregory through character features and emotional displays.

It was a great pleasure reading this story that was reminiscent of a lord of the rings type rag tag group of unlikely heroes on a journey to stop the bad guy. A fantastic nod to the original mythology, Gregory, Áthila and co deliver a fast paced, twisty and action packed opening to what is now, for me, an eagerly awaited series ‘The Longest Fall’.

“Entrances, I tell you. That kid sure knew how to make an entrance!” - Jellinek

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The art is wonderful, the style reminds me of Jean-Claude Mézières, the artist/cocreator of Valérian. The story is good, but a little slow. It took me a while to get into it, but I would absolutely read the second volume since the story started to pick up at the end.

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Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this graphic novel. I enjoyed the take on Icarus and the people being involved in the story. The illustrations were consistently gorgeous and the story was interesting and engaging! I can’t wait to see what will happen to Icarus in the future.

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Gorgeous graphic novel through and through. Thoroughly recommended to anyone with the love of angels, fantasy, and excellent artwork.

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An interesting graphic novel, unlike anything I've read in recent history. I appreciate the originality of this story, and I believe the graphic novel readers in my library will as well. The ending was solid, and could very well act as a complete story, but I am interested to see where it goes in a future volume. The art was very well done, the coloring is consistent throughout - showing the difference between the creatures of Vol and those that are "Other," as well as making sure the characters themselves are easily told apart.

Recommended for public libraries where graphic novels are popular.

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I liked this graphic novel. I liked the friendship formed between Icarus and Jellinek, and the loyalty of Rig. I liked that Icarus pushed Jellinek out of his comfort zone and in doing so Jellinek discovers parts of his world he never knew existed. The artwork by Athila Fabbio is beautiful. I will be looking out for the next one in the series.

Thank you to Atthis Arts for this advanced copy.

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An interesting twist to the myth, Icarus is seen in a whole new light in this graphic novel. The story is compelling, the characters are interesting, and the plot moves in a way that makes it hard to stop reading. My favorite part was the artwork; it’s absolutely gorgeous. The details, the colors, the scenery. If you like graphic novels you will love this one for sure.

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Icarus falls from the sky and meets an unexpected friend and shenanigans happened. This was an interesting idea and it has so much potential! I loved the art style and felt it suited the story well. As far as the storytelling goes, it's... okay.

I wish there had been more worldbuilding and less action, honestly. We're led from one action sequence to another without a lot of time in between to recuperate or digest the last one. I also wish the author had utilized the "Show, don't tell" thing we're always being told.

I think this has a lot of potential and this story deserves to be read!

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Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

This graphic novel introduces the story of Icarus and Jellinek. Jellinek is a prospector (scavenges for resources) with a lavadog-like companion named Rig. He meets Icarus, when Icarus falls from the sky knowing nothing about who he is. Together they travel to different parts of the planet and begin to uncover the secrets of who Icarus is and the history of the planet.

My thoughts:

First and foremost the artwork is amazing! It is beautiful and the colors add so much to the atmosphere of the world. The world is definitely intriguing. It seems to be a desert/volcanic planet with magisters that control magic, fire demons, salamander kings, among others.

I really enjoy Jellinek as a character. He kinda reminds me of Sam from LoTR because he's kinda grumpy but loyal and he has all these stories about the creatures/history of the world that he is invested in.

Icarus I'm not sure about yet. He arrives with no memories but remembers things as they become convenient it seems. This makes the plot feel very bland because there is minimal struggle for the characters.

However, this is the first volume in a series so the focus is introduction rather than explanation and for that purpose I think it did a good job and I'm interested in learning more about this world.

UPDATE:
The eARC was extended to include more content, so this is my updated review. The second section of Icarus introduces the main city of the world where our characters go to hopefully learn something about Icarus' history. The corruption of the magisters plays a role in the characters journey and in the end many of the reader's questions are answered.

I will say that there is still a lot of exposition and explanation that furthers the plot rather than actions but I am still looking forward to the next volume of this series.

Again, thanks to NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book.

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Don't like to be negative but I really disliked this. Ugly art and clichéd characters in a vaguely interesting setting didn't make me want to finish this. Very disappointing.

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The opening artwork style was really stunning, I loved the bright reds against the blues in the opening scenes, as it really built up this 'otherworldly' vibe that was a mix between fantasy (Firedemons and Sorcerers etc) and the Science Fiction (the general style of the village our protagonist lives in, and the idea he's a flamepetal prospector. I've not read many graphic novels that walk on the cusp of both genres, usually they're heavily inspired by one more than the other. So that was fun!
I did struggle a little with the pacing, I feel like the content in this probably could have made three vols. and allowed the reader to get to know the characters, the setting, and the context a little better before rushing on to the next thing. For example, a lot is narrated to the audience so they don't get left behind. A few more pages seeing the mundane nature of Jellinek's life would have shown rather than told the audience how bored or beaten down he was. The Mayor rocking up and then back fives minutes later felt really convenient, and we've only got three or four panels between hearing how horrible the Magister is and being confronted by him. It doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for anticipation or build up.
But when your only criticism is 'I wish it were longer' or 'I wish there were more of it' I think that's a pretty good sign!

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<em>I remember a flash of light...and then falling.</em>

<em>Icarus</em> by Gregory A. Wilson and illustrated by Áthila Fabbio is one of those books that I probably shouldn't have picked up. And it's not that the story is bad or that the artwork is hard to look at, cause it's not. I think, ultimately, the worst thing about this book is it wasn't what I expected. I think a lot of us have preconceived notions about what to imagine when we hear the word <em>Icarus</em> and thus I was kind of expecting something rooted in Greek Mythology. That is not the book I got.

<b>A Note On Icarus</b>

The only thing Icarus in this novel shares with the myth we know and love is that he fell from the sky. And while, sure, this is a great theme to pull from to make your own, I found myself rather bored with the story as a whole once I realized that was the only recognizable piece. I couldn't connect with any of the other characters in this novel, either. And that honestly took a lot away from it.

So, I think it's a mixture of things. I didn't care for the plot and I certainly didn't care about the characters involved. But my unmet expectations definitely played a role in how I felt about the story as a whole. While I won't say it was everything, it diminished the impact of the moments. I also just kind of hated the narrator, despite him being a decent person. I'm not sure what it was about his voice, but I just couldn't get into it.

<b>Red</b>

Okay, I get it. They live in the center of a volcano. But why was there so much creepy red on everyone? I don't think the artwork was <em>bad</em>, exactly. But I definitely didn't like it, either. In the end, I kind of chalk this up to the burnt nature of everything being out of my preferences. And while I <em>loved</em> the way Icarus looked, everyone around him just kind of made me cringe a bit. I mean, the dog had red legs and horns in his head that made him look disfigured. I couldn't stand the red skin. It was just...hard to look at.

Considering this is a graphic novel, that was a problem for me.

<b>Count Me Out</b>

I feel torn in a way because I don't know if I'd classify this story as terrible. But it definitely wasn't for me and I couldn't personally recommend it to anyone. I'm sure there is an audience who will love this story, but I'm not sure it's the majority of people who pick this book up because of its title.

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

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'Icarus' begins with a character named Jellinek being saved by Icarus from a beast in this world. Icarus does not remember anything about where he fell from or his past .This was a pretty solid comic! I enjoyed the angular art style and the different creatures. I would be interested to read more volumes in the future, especially to see more about the world this is set in. As with most first volumes, it was quite introductory and didn't go too deeply into the world-building or characterizations, but sets up the plot.

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• Icarus (by Gregory A.wilson)
First and foremost: gorgeous

The cover, the art, the graphic, the mythical creatures, the style.
Everything is so good. I loved it.

Now if we talk about the plot and the story line, there was a lot of potential. It was even such a visual pleasure to read this novel but then again it felt shirt on the story part

It could have been a 250-300 pages graphic novel with a bit more story I would have bought it from store in paperback.

The characters were well built. But that might be what didnt fit with me, they were so well built already there was no chance of much character development

But I did love "RIG" the two tailed beast dog. I love him. Really.

So I recommend this graphic novel to anyone who wanna dive in some mythical period with Angel's and hell and heaven without any proper knowledge of starting or end cause that's what will hit you hard

Also last but not the least kudos to the graphic artist. You did good and brilliant and great and the beat work.

• Character development- 2.5☆
• Story Plot- 3.5☆
• Side characters- 3☆
• Flow of the story- 4☆
• Graphic design- 10/5☆
• Overall - 4☆

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