This was a wonderful twist of both medieval fantasy and sci-fi that was so amazingly portrayed by the art in this title.
I would give this 4 stars in itself for the wonderful artwork, it really is some of the best I have seen in a graphic novel in a long time.

The world building alongside the art was great and the character development throughout the story really added to it not just being about the art,

The shortness of the book kept it sweet and easy to read in a sitting, with enough plot to keep you hooked, a great balance that I would definitely read again if there are to be any future volumes.

Overall, a great snappy read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thankyou to EuropeComics and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

Redarrs embark on a journey through a captivating world blending medieval fantasy, solar punk, and post-apocalyptic themes. The narrative unfolds with depth and intrigue as the protagonist navigates societal complexities, an oppressive ruler, and the mysteries of a forbidden forest. Engaging character development, unexpected twists, and immersive world-building make this volume a promising start to an intriguing series, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next installment.

The seamless blend of traditional fantasy and sci-fi elements, coupled with the author's skillful storytelling, creates a compelling reading experience. Minor drawbacks - like plot complexity and artistic nuances - do not blemish my overall positive reception.

"NeoForest" is an interesting dystopian world full of intrigue and danger. Rulers are near immortal as they have the technology to grow and transplant human organs and regenerate tissue. The ruler of Cocto Citadel is in need of regenerative treatment, during which he must temporarily transfer his power. Cocto's daughter is off in the Forest with friends, venturing into more danger than she knows. Since she is not present, Cocto must make a decision that may have deadly consequences for him and others. In this intricately drawn world of humans, human-animal hybrids, killer plants, and more, safety is no one's guarantee. This first volume will draw readers in and carry them quickly through, leaving them eagerly awaiting the next volume.

I really wanted to like this, the art is breathtaking one of the most beautiful styles I have ever seen, but the story fell flat. It didn't have my attention, I didn't really enjoy the font, I found myself squinting at it and the story wasn't compelling to me.
I'm so sad, because I really wanted to enjoy it, but It just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Europe Comics and NetGalley for this review copy!

I can see that the world-building in this story is truly remarkable. The way it blends medieval fantasy with futuristic solar punk and post-apocalyptic elements is truly fascinating. It's intriguing how the post-apocalyptic society is only revealed once you venture beyond the city limits. I understand that the society functions similarly to the medieval nobility system, with the main character being the heiress to her father's land. However, I can sense that this story didn't quite capture your attention like others have. It sounds like there were some interesting plot elements, but perhaps too many were introduced at once, making it difficult to keep track. While the art was good, I can empathize with how the way faces were drawn may have felt a bit off to you. Nonetheless, I appreciate how the towns and cities were designed, with a cohesive blend of traditional fantasy and sci-fi elements.

NeoForest is an absolutely stunning experiance. From the beautiful artwork, to the clevely crafted writing. This story has it all.
Wonderful introduction to characters and their world. Excited to see what else comes of this storyline.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to an early copy of this book*
Why I Read It: Honestly don't remember. Maybe because the synopsis implied a sort of climate science fiction narrative along with fighting for a better future. Also, I liked, and still like, the cover.

What It's About: A power struggle between various factions over the fate NeoForest hinges on the rebellious heiress Blanche.

Finishing Thoughts: This fell very short of any expectations I had. First and foremost, it is way too short, being more the length of a couple of chapters and not a whole comic volume, yet there was enough page space to cram in several subplots happening simultaneously, at the expense of character building. Every single one, however, is very generic and I've already seen used multiple times in fantasy novels (evil usurper, rebellious princess on a quest, nonhuman citizens rising against an oppressor). I didn't care for the art either, too bulky for my taste, but this was also surprisingly gory and I have to be in the right mood for. Even then there are some lines I don't want crossed when it comes to visual depiction that this comic does so I also finished this volume a little unsettled. There was nothing fresh or endearing about this comic, and even though it's just an introduction it's a bad one that doesn't give me any hope for improvement. Definitely won't be continuing this series.

Recommendations: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki (yes, he wrote the manga). That manga series gives exactly what I was hoping for from this series (weird but not repulsive, endearing characters, political intrigue mixed with environmentalism, good art) in the best possible way.

The art style was so incredibly beautiful and visually stunning, and the story had me hooked. I enjoyed every second reading this !!!

NeoForest is a beautifully crafted sci-fi narrative full of great world building and stunning art. This was a great introduction to the world and characters, and I'm excited to read more.

This graphic novel was hilarious and well-drawn, definitely worth the money and the hype, and I hope will be successful!

First of all I want to thank netgalley for providing me with the first volume of this graphic novel.

neoforest tells us that in the distant future lives a young woman named Blanche, she is the heiress of the city cocto, her father enjoys practicing a sport that constantly puts him in danger, and one day Blanche decides to explore the forest without knowing that her father He has been injured and must go into hibernation to heal, but since the heiress is not there, his uncle assumes the throne in his absence. But he is not interested in returning it once the heiress returns.

The world that he presents to us is one where nature has taken over everything, technology exists, but the theme of nature is more visible, it is a futuristic mix but where nature controls.

The only drama I had with the story is the typography in the text, which does not allow reading at all, many times I had to use zoom but even so words are lost.

That's why I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

This is an intriguing first volume with excellent world building, engaging characters and good artwork. I enjoyed reading it and I want to read the next volume soon.

I think the best thing about this story is the world building, which shows us a world in which the rich are able to prolong their lives, the ruler of the nation is oppressive, the ruler’s daughter is liberal in thinking and wants to venture into the forbidden forest with friends.

But what happens when the unexpected happens and the heir goes missing in the forest, and the guide is killed by poisonous plants? The way this story develops is engaging because it keeps you on tenterhooks.

Definitely one to follow.

Copy provided by Europe Comics in exchange for an unbiased review.

I am a big fan of Europe Comics because over the time I discovered a lot of great gems, but once in a while there will be a fail and unfortunately this one was one of it.

I was very impressed with the art style and the power it had to immerse myself into the world. Actually, I feel like the art did a better job at creating the world and the story than the writing did, which is where this comic falls short.

There is too much text, too much exposition, too much telling and telling and telling, too much world building and character building that happenes only in the text boxes but it does not feel naturally on the page. I wish it was telling us less and allow the art to talk more.

It ends on a cliffhanger, but I am not sure I will continue this series because I am not intrigued by it.

My copy expired before I could finish it (one of those times!) but I was absolutely loving the atmosphere the beautiful illustrations created and I will be looking it up as soon as it is published!

⭐️⭐️ It was OK, I can see why some loved it

Set in the distant future, this graphic novel tells the story of Blanche, an heiress of Cocto Citadel, a neofeudal city like those that arose after the end of the world. Blanche and her father find themselves at the center of dramatic power struggles. However,
Blanche has set off for an off-the-grid hike with her two closest friends. Unbeknownst to the trio, in close pursuit are both their enemies and a handful of unlikely potential allies. The question is: who reaches them first?

The artwork was really the star here. The color palette added to the overgrown nature aspect of the world. Lots of lush greens and yellows. I loved the line work and the general style. I had trouble with the lettering and how small the text was.

There was so much world building and character introductions, I just got lost. I see the potential in future books, I just didn't connect with this one.

Thank you to Europe Comics, NetGalley, and authors Fred Duval & Philippe Scoffoni for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. NeoForest - 1. Cocto Citadel is out March 29, 2023.

If you like science fiction / fantasy and manga style publications, this is Volume 1 of a series worth previewing. The artwork is transporting, imaginative. The multi-faceted plot improved greatly after an unimpressive motorbike jousting match introduced the protagonist. I appreciated receiving this ARC from Europe Comics through NetGalley. I regret assuming the story would be complete in one volume though.

I was definitely drawn to this comic by the cover art which looks gorgeous so let me first review this aspect of the book, and also because, since it's a 60-pages first issue, it's just the very very beginning of a plot.

When the description read neofeudal I wasn't expecting it to be represented in the aesthetic so I was genuinely surprised by mix of middle ages, industrial and retroscifi, and it worked surprisingly well. Also the palette choice was really beautiful with mostly greens and grays and pastel hues, also the soothing palette was in contrast with the plot with power struggles, murder schemes, genetic engineering and murderous plants.

Though I don't think the world depicted is a plausible future, this is something you just have to let go at the very beginning, and actually it wasn't hard to do so because the world is very immersive.
What we see of the characters is merely sketches at this point due to the shortness of the story so far but I can't wait to see where the story evolves.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC.

NeoForest is a graphic novel with a beautiful art style with a limited colour pallet that will make you want to live in the world created within the pages. The characters were all very unique of each other the story was engaging and the story was well paced throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The illustrations were very well done, creating such emotion and tension. I loved the plot and the pace of it, along with the characters which were very well developed. The illustration style was quite unique, and not like many other graphic novels I have read. I really enjoyed reading this.

I think this series holds a lot of potential! The concept itself was pretty generic, but there seems to be a lot the author could run with to really make this a great story.

Not to mention the artstyle is quite pretty, each panel showed a ton of detail and depth.