I was pleasantly surprised by Hustle and Heart. The title was listed under Horror and Mystery & Thriller, and despite it not meeting what I personally want from a horror or thriller graphic novel, Hustle and Heart: Foretold is a decent beginning to what looks to be interesting mystery incorporating elements of cryptid lore and occult detective fiction. 

THE ART
When it comes to graphic novels, I am very picky about the art. I typically do not enjoy the style typical to graphic novels--I much prefer stylized art with more of a cartoon or manga bent--but the art style used here works fine. Its not the best art style I’ve seen in a graphic novel, but it's also not awful or off-putting (I'm looking at you, Sacred Lamb). If you look at it too closely some panels start to look a little goofy, but that’s fine, because the narrative is fast paced enough that (for the most part) a reader isn’t going to be staring at the artwork.

THE NARRATIVE
(Spoilers ahead!!)

The story is about a guy who gets teleported places, turns into Mothman, and then those places blow up/catch fire/are otherwise destroyed in a spectacular manner. The FBI has some feelings about that and also there is a cult dedicated to him, with members who either love him or hate him. He also has an estranged daughter, a dead wife, and a maybe-love-interest colleague.

While none of these plot threads actually begin to be of major relevance in this first installment, that’s fine. This first installment sets up succinctly the players, stakes, characterization, and motivations at play in the narrative. The narrative ends with a pretty good hook, too; I won’t spoil what it is but it definitely piqued my interest in what is going on. 

Now for the million dollar question: will I continue to read the series?

Eh, maybe. 

As I’ve said before, I’m not much of a graphic novel person. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s hard for me to get really into them. I’ll definitely request the sequel on Netgalley, though, or get my hands on an omnibus in a few years should one be made.

Despite Hustle and Heart: Foretold not quite being what I am looking for in a horror graphic novel, fans of Mothman, occult mystery, and disaster men will find a lot to enjoy here.

DNF. I found the artwork overly complicated and the font used was difficult to read, both of which made it impossible to get into the story itself.

The title doesn't make any sense, and to be honest, nothing does. Every line is a cliche. The characters don't look the same from one page to the next.

This is a hot mess.

His haunting dreams are actually a premonition to an imminent catastrophe. Can he prevent these disasters from happening? Is he a messiah or just an unfortunate witness? And why is fbi after him?

I had absolutely no idea what this was about when i started this, and this is the best way to get into it imo, but I'll leave a one word hint here to peak your interest, which might be a possible spoiler but not really, and that word is "Mothman". I mean, interesting or what?!

The graphics are good, minus the faces imo. Very branched out for a graphic novel, i thought some details were unnecessary, but this ends on a cliffhanger so i suppose it's setting up for the continuation. Would love to see where it goes. Thanks so much @Netgalley @onipress for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Trigger warning for scenes of violence, including a terrorist bombing. This review contains minor spoilers!)

Ever since the tragic death of his wife Hannah, Professor Derek Flynn has been experiencing blackouts, characterized by lost time and amnesia. He wakes up in unexpected places, with no idea of how he got there, usually just after a major disaster - man made or natural - has occurred.

The first time it happened, Hannah died in a gas leak explosion, in a St. Louis apartment complex to which neither of them had ties. The most recent occurrence is a terrorist bombing at the Mall of America - one that lands Derek on the Department of Homeland Security's radar. Now, with the help of an old colleague named Alice, Derek sets off in search of the truth. But law enforcement isn't the only entity out to get him; a cult-like group of people whose lives he has touched are also looking for Derek. Not all believe him to be a messiah, however.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from HUSTLE & HEART: FORETOLD, but this definitely isn't it. (Cryptids!) It's a really fun and creepy mashup of science fiction, fantasy, horror, urban legends, and cultish goodness. The store never drags, and the ending is pretty much the perfect cliffhanger. The art isn't always my favorite, but it gets the job done. I do really love Derek's shapeshifter form, which is the perfect blend of vulnerable and eerie.

My main complaint is the title, which gives zero indication a) of what the story is about and b) that it's the first volume in a series (I mean, fingers crossed).

Oh, and on page 33, where Officer Hunt commands a subordinate to hack the Texas DMV records because obtaining a warrant would be too cumbersome and cost countless lives? Give me a break, lady.

i was really interested from the start with this graphic novel. it’s fast paced and incredibly engaging.

i like that it starts straight into the action. it starts with Derek waking up and not knowing where he is or how he got there and it kicks off from there.

the art style works so well got the type of story this graphic novel is telling, it gives you the perfect gritty, mystery vibes.

i also really liked the characters, Derek and Casey being standouts in my opinion! both dealing with loss and trauma.

it did end on a cliffhanger so i’m hoping the next graphic novel is in the works because i’m so pumped to see what happens in this series!

Prof Derek Flynn, former history professor keeps waking up at the scene of major disasters (fires, drownings etc) with no recollection of how he got there or what involvement he had with the events. His daughter who is in anger management blames him for the death of her mother, while he isolates himself away from her and everyone else around him in fear of his unknowned state. This graphic novel explores his experiences, where we begin to find out a bit more about his family, his past trauma and of course his abilities.

This was a very well-drawn and well-paced graphic novel which genuinely had me hooked. If you're a fan of superhero comic-books, this very much had the feel of that type of story. It felt very much like the beginning of an action-packed storyline, one which I will continue to read as I really have no criticisms - the only thing I was left thinking is 'I want to read the rest of it' which is a very nice issue to have!

I received a complimentary copy of this graphic novel from OniPress via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

The plot blurb made the story seem interesting, but sadly the felt flat for me. I think the reveal near the back half is what took me out of it. I couldn't take it seriously after that reveal. The plot is okay on the surface, but the dialogue is a bit cringe at certain parts. Reminds me A LOT of Supernatural's dialogue in the early seasons. Honestly, it made this book feel like the plot of a new CW show. I also couldn't connect the characters, at all. The way Derek is written feels like every "single Dad who is a bit of a mess and is struggling with [Insert Thing] but he loves his daughter" character in every piece of media that's come before him. The different plot lines also felt somewhat disconnected? In an attempt to build suspense and intrigue, it felt like there was too much going on. I logically understand how it's connected, but didn't feel it emotionally. The art style is fine. It's a very classic American comic style, reminiscent of 1980's comics. The characters do feel a bit flat with how they're drawn. Something about them having very muted expressions just made me dislike it a little bit. It's a pity, on paper, the plot is exactly something I'd love to read, but in practice, just fell flat.

Heath Amodio’s book is entertaining and an action-oriented comic book read. I enjoyed the style, as well as the fantasy elements of the book. A solid read for fantasy and comics fans.

I liked the story and the art and am curious to see what happens next. Hustle&Heart follows Derek who is losing his mind. He tends to disappear and then come around in places of human tragedy. His personal life sucks: his wife died in a fire and his daughter has anger issues.

The art is mostly good but later in the story stuff gets distorted (though it may be deliberate given what's happening).

The writing is solid and the characterization more than decent.

An intriguing start.

After his wife’s death, Derek has been showing up at random places where tragic events happen, like he is a bad omen or something, but he doesn’t know why and doesn’t want to worry his teenage daughter, Casey. Gripping, fast-paced, super easy to read, this is an amazing first volume of what I assume will be a new comic series. The story’s premise promises a lot of tension, and there’s an uneasiness running through it that adds to it. The artwork is also gorgeous, even though rough around the edges. Can’t wait for the second installment. Thank you to Oni Press for the eARC.

FLEW through this excellent, incredible book. Tightly written, earnest, laugh-out-loud funny at several parts!

Amazing first volume of (hopefully) much longer series about traumatised professor turned moth man the bad omen! Gripping, fast-paced and dark, ‘Foretold’ is a graphic novel I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend to all of you!

Honestly cannot wait for the next volume! The cliffhanger and the end of this one really made hyped up for more of this story!

Throughout the gorgeous rough around the edges and sleek artwork, you follow Derek who is absolutely losing his mind, or so it seems. I enjoyed his daughter's character and that is something I would love to read more on. I think unfortunately the storyline of this was lackluster and I hate to say it because everything else really draws you in. I think with added improvement and maybe the next in the series, things could be great for our characters and plot. It has an unsettling vibe the entire way but that's exactly what saved it a bit for me, I loved the way it made me feel. So I'm still looking forward to reading more!

I have been craving something with an X-Files - cryptid kind of vibe, so I was very excited to stumble across Hustle & Heart: Foretold. This was a great first installment in a new series. Derek Flynn continuously finds himself disappearing and waking up at the scene of horrific disasters. Soon he and old fried get swept in the mystery with the FBI, his daughter, and a cult all on his tail with questions of their own.

The artwork is great and really draws you in. I look forward to the next in the series.

This is a great start to this series. The story has a way of increasing the suspense and the eerie mystery as it moves on with the plot. It isn’t horror but had some kind of uneasiness running through it which adds to the tension while reading. This is definitely a good read if you enjoy sci-fi with a bit of mystery. It does leave off with a cliffhanger so proceed with caution.

Professor Derek Flynn disappears from home and finds finds himself waking up, at the scenes of disasters. He doesn’t know what is happening to him and he cannot explain these disappearances to his daughter. He reaches out to a friend to help him, while at the same time a mysterious group of people reach out to his daughter with some answers, but as the solutions begin to emerge Derek attracts the attention of the FBI who are hunting for him with questions of their own.

This is a great start to this series. It is a gripping story accompanied by great artwork which has a way of increasing the suspense and the eerie mystery. I did enjoy reading this. It isn’t horror but it has a frisson of unease running through it which adds to the tension while reading. This is definitely a good read if you enjoy sci - fi with a bit of mystery.

Copy provided by publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Needed something 'light' from previous books read. First book in a series. Interesting concept and I'm interested in seeing where this story goes. One of the main person is annoying, but im hoping as the story progress, we'll see growth. Would have given it 4 stars, but the actual art is off putting and somewhat depressing. Maybe that's the style and as the story continues, the art will reflect the story.

2/5 Stars

Thank you to Oni Press and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is going to be a shorter review because I just don’t have many opinions on this book.

I requested this graphic novel because I thought it looked and sounded interesting, which it was but for some reason I just didn’t enjoy it that much. The art style was beautiful and I did really enjoy that which is why I kept reading it. The plot just did nothing for me emotionally, I don’t care about the characters or the story which is rare for me with graphic novels. It felt incomplete and it does end on a cliffhanger so it likely is just setting up for a continuation but I felt like more could have been done for this volume. I truly barely connected with the book and I am writing my review right after reading it and I can not tell you what the plot is, that is how little I connected with it. I really did want to enjoy this book as I love everything I’ve read from Oni Press but this one was just a flop for me.

Derick, somehow finds himself running away from a fire. A fire burning a building. He must get away. His first thought has this something to do with him? He must go home. But, what he doesn’t know is that there is An agent at homeland security hunting him down. Thinking he has something to do with the killing of people at each lication. He must find out why this is happening to him. But, he also has. Daughter he wants to protect. He doesn’t want her to know where he goes, so he sent her to live with her aunt. But she wants answers, and is angry. When he decides to get help from a trusted friend. Ahannah his daughter goes to the aunts to pack her belongings. But there she is asked to go with these young people who were in her youth group to explain about her Dad. When explained she doesn’t believe it. Yet Dereck and his friend are teleported to Seattle Washington. Why?they figure out he goes to locations where there is to potentialof danger. Can he save other in time? Or will he be to late?