I thoroughly enjoyed this dystopian graphic novel from Image Comics. I would highly recommend this if you enjoy comics like Paper Girls or Y: the Last Man.

Dandelion is a collection of stories about the invention of floating homes, created initially by a girl who dreamed of living in the clouds. In reality, these homes became prisons used to exile poor people to live out of sight from the rich and those in power. There is a lot of commentary throughout on automation displacing people from their jobs and how those in power distort good intentions for their own gain.

The stories are all interconnected and have various authors. I thought they did a great job of weaving characters and storylines together. The artwork is also gorgeous and there are different styles in each section.

I will definitely be picking up a physical copy when it comes out in June!

I read a lot of graphic novels. This one was not in my wheelhouse, for sure. I didn't hate it but I felt like it was very disjointed. I didn't jive with the content but I got it. I wish it had more flow from one story to the next.

Dandelion is a dystopian science fiction anthology where the individual short stories form an interconnected narrative around the Dandelion technology and the mystery surrounding its inventor. The Dandelion pods are flying mobile homes that, though originally intended for easy travel and accessibility in a time of climate crisis, have become a way to displace people and “exile” them from land. The story touches on important themes such as global warming, forced displacement, and ethics within technological development.
I really wanted to fall in love with this graphic novel, but overall, it fell a bit short for me. I loved the concept, and I thought that the underlying story of Jen Nakamuto and the Dandelions was well done for the most part, but the short stories themselves felt a bit underdeveloped for me and didn’t always feel like they fit into the overall narrative. There were a lot of really good moments throughout though; I particularly liked the “To Build a Paradise” poem, and the reveal of the story “Grounded”.

What a clever and gorgeous anthology. The future depicted in Dandelion not only feels realistic, it feels possible and close. There was so much to love in this collection, and I wanted to sink my teeth into every single story and learn more about the people that live in this world. Beautifully done.

rep: Characters of color, characters with disabilities, wheelchair user, queer characters

spice: none

tw: trauma, racism, xenophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment

Expect the unexpected! What I thought would be a fun futuristic read turned out to be a much heavier read. The possibility of our world heading in this direction was eye-opening. Second chances aren't always possible, and punishment isn't always given to those who deserve it. A vital lesson I noticed was the need to be kinder to one another. We are the future; we will fail until we start working together and practicing compassion. The art was incredible and truly helped paint the picture in the best way of understanding.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this graphic novel’s ARC in exchange for an honest review !!

☆ ☆ ☆ [ 3 Stars ]

— “Dandelion” had such a good premise and such a cool set-up. In a dystopian world where the invention of sky pods where people could live - and later become exiled to - and free themselves of earth becomes polarized and popularized in society, “Dandelion” speaks of social and human issues. It was such a cool foundation, something I have not really seen in the dystopian, end of the world type genres and was super engaged with the summary.

But man did it fall short.

The art style was impeccable, I liked the range of diverse casting of characters we saw, but other than that — I feel like nothing really happened. We learn a few things about the history of the Dandelions and find out some secrets, but the varying different storylines ( and there are quite a few ) and the different pairings of characters, really make everything feel one-dimensional. I didn’t get connected to any of the characters or the storylines occurring, because after the first one ended and a new one began, I went into the next ones expecting the same thing ( and was right ). Henceforth it was hard to feel connected to the characters or really have them be memorable to me in any fashion, even the one who made the dandelions !!!!

Overall, the art style was great, and the premise was super cool, but the execution fell short of the promised outcome. I wish that there had been more fleshing out of one or two storylines rather than converging upwards of four - five different storylines of people. A cool read, though!

Wow, I really loved this one. It had so much to say but the ways it says it are varied and beautiful. Through poetry, interview, chance meetings; I could read the stories of Dandelion for a very, very long time.

The story delves into concepts of the future in regards to going to live in what they call "dandelions." It is a futuristic place to live in the sky and many of the stories show the benefits, cons, and the aftermath of Earth in the perspective that worst has happened. This can be a precautionary tale, however, there are different short stories that will blow you away by the color, and illustrations. The primary audience for this is for people sixteen and up for the cursing, the violence. The conversations or some of the stories didn't resonate or add depth but I found the podcast excerpts to be very fascinating addition to the graphic novel. I found myself pretty distant from enjoying the characters wholeheartedly but there are few instances where I found myself enjoying the characters. I find this more of an art about society in a new revolutionary and innovative light. This graphic novel is a 3.5, I am not sure if I would recommend this to an average consummer for their light reading but I would recommend this to a climate activist for literature. Thanks to NetGalley, I got to experience some sweet colors with epic backgrounds with a touch of pondering about our future.

What a unique book with one of the most beautiful covers I have seen lately!
The cover art was what actually made me want to pick it up and read it.
The story did not disappoint, although the book’s art is not of the same level as the cover art. Each chapter has a different vibe in its art, each chapter has a different touch and tells the story differently. It’s not a bad thing per se, it was just something I was not entirely prepared for.
The story is well told and the art in general complements the story really well.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

In 2041, Jen Nakauto invented a floating pod ~
The equivalent of a trailer home that lives in the skies forever.
She called it "Dandelion".

Vagrants, immigrants without asylum,
And workers displaced by post-labor automation
Were sent to the skies to live out their days in these Dandelions.

They were known as EXILES.

***

In the not-too-distant future, the 1% are clinging to a dying earth, banishing the most marginalized humans to trailer homes in the sky. At first blush, life in a Dandelion doesn't seem all that bad: food is delivered via drones; virtual reality helps to stave off loneliness and alienation (from nature, the earth, and humanity); and, let's face it, a five-bedroom house is more than most of us can afford, even in 2024. But these modern miracles are floating prisons, no matter how gilded the cage. (Although, tbh, it sounds pretty awesome to this socially anxious introvert. Throw in a few doggos and I'm sold!)

DANDELION explores this all-too-plausible future through a series of interconnected stories. There's Reggie and Amy, whose lives were changed irrevocably after a car accident. After witnessing the massacre of a community of Dandelion citizens who dared touch down on earth, violating international law, an artist known only as Vesper crashes her stolen Dandelion to earth, vowing revenge. When Somchair and his brother become orphans in the flooding of Bangkok, they rebuild their family home - only to see it burned to the ground by vandals. Rather than board a Dandelion with his brother, Somchair rebuilds once again - this time taking to the seas as a pirate.

These vignettes are interspersed with interviews and podcast transcripts featuring Jen Nakauto, the elderly - and missing - inventor of the Dandelion, who supposedly got the idea from a dream. But there's more to the story than Jen is willing to tell.

I wanted to like DANDELION more than I did. It's an interesting idea, but in jumping between characters, I felt a little disconnected from the story. Also, some of the details didn't quite make sense to me; for example, why would the government (and thus the 1%) waste money keeping "unproductive" and "useless" Dandelion citizens in supplies?

Climate change is real and we need to do something about it if we want to survive. But is floating in the air the answer? I loved the concept (very real) but I feel like it could have used some more development and I didn’t like that the art wasn’t consistent throughout.

Overall though, it wasn’t bad.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Firstly, I love this cover it is so pretty, that’s kind of why I requested this book hahah. Secondly, I liked the premise of the dandelion ships. They sound cool and I want one. Some of the things I’m not sold on, each chapter looks like it has been illustrated by a different artist. That’s not a bad thing but it makes the red more disjointed to me. Theres also a lot of characters that we are following and nothing has been resolved between any of their stories. I do like that there is queer representation.
I want to read more I just haven’t decided if I like it yet.
Thank you to Image Comics and Netgalley for a complimentary copy.

I've never read anything like this before. I loved the graphics and it was intruiging to read, even if it wasn't what I was expecting

It confronts a lot of climate and world issues through the lens of a dystopian world and the aftermath of world devastation and introduces us to "Dandelions", floating vessels in the sky for *some* to live in. This is very violent and showcases humanity at its loneliest and most depraved.

The different art styles & separate yet interlinking stories make up a fully fleshed out dystopia that I couldn't help but want to explore more.
I devoured this in one sitting! Right from the 1st story, you are thrust into a dark world where people are exiled into dandelions. I am so glad we returned to the couple from that 1st story to see a happier side. I really enjoyed that each story had its own tone & did find myself enjoying the happier ones most.
I loved how the stories slowly show how the lovely hopeful invention was twisted for government gain. Along side the backgrounds of the exiles, the exploration of isolation & its effects is really made me think.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for a honest review!

Unfortunately, not a fan. The artwork is unique but the stories did not work for me, there were just okay.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my e-arc of this graphic novel.

The art style changed with each issue - I like this becuase it gives a distinct difference to who's story we are following. This is less of one story, than an anthology of many stories happening in the same world. The art is beautiful and I loved seeing all the changes in each issue.

I particularly loved the opening panels of the issues. The openeing text is always the same, describing dandelions and giving a brief history (like an opening titles scene to a TV show), but the art beneath is different depending on the issue.

The overarching plot was lovely to piece together from the tidbits given throughout all the stories. Though, I understand that this won't be for everyone.

In a world where the "unwanteds" live in the sky never to touch foot on the ground again. Pizada explores big concepts: Can VR replace human experiences? Should we trust AI to take care of our needs? Who makes the decisions? What do you do when your invention is used for harm?Each vignette give us reminders of what is important in life.

I've seen a lot of praise for this, but it ultimately just wasn't for me. I didn't enjoy the art style, and the violence was not to my taste.

What It's About: In a gettting-towards-dystopian future, a woman invents floating mobile homes called Dandelions. Once you pay for one you float through the sky forever, forbidden to set foot on the ground again. This book is an anthology about how this changes both people's lives and society in general.

How the Heck Is It? It's pretty awesome. All anthologies have their ups and downs, but there weren't any stories in here that I didn't like, and I loved several of them. Characters also re-appear, which creates a more cohesive world. The art styles on display are vastly different, but they work well together.

My favorite story in the anthology was The Pirate and the Fisherman. But, really, it was all good.