This is a 3.5 star review rounded up to 4.

The Cull is a new entry in the Stranger Things/Paper Girls genre. A group of friends go to a mysterious rock to film a movie and maybe do something else and instead find a place that exists between universes. Then things happen.

The characters in this are very well crafted. They work as individuals and as a group of friends. They have their own motivations and issues. I liked all of them.

The art is great. It's hyper-realistic, but the artist knows how to make the art breathe and move as part of the story. A lot of times hyper-realistic art like this just hangs on the page and doesn't integrate. That is not the case here.

The story is good, but this is obviously the first volume of a longer series. A lot of things are set up and not much is explained or resolved by the end of the book. And there's a twist at the end- and it's not that surprising a twist.

This was a good read and I will pick up future volumes to see how the story plays out.

Thanks for Net Galley and the publisher for an eARC of this comic/graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

The description of this drew me in but I think it’s definitely more comparable to Stranger Things than The Goonies. I did enjoy that the plot was concise and I could follow it easily. Often times with science fiction concepts, I have a hard time following because the language is convoluted and the plot is somewhat all over the place. That was not the case with this one.

I think that if you are a reader that reads graphic novels/comics mainly for the artistic aspect of it, definitely check out a sample of this before purchasing. The art style is unlike anything I’ve encountered before in books and know it will not be for everyone.

Rating: ☆☆

Netgalley Review:
Wow, if you want a read that has absolutely everything than this is the book for you. From self harm to LGBTQ to Superpowers to alternate Earths. It has everything. Which i think is its biggest fault. Too much stuff makes you lose track of, and waters down, the main plot.

Second thing i'd mention is that It moves quick. Which on its own isn't necessarily a bad thing. I've read books that I'd say are "quick reads" because they move fast and can be read fast, but the story makes sense and wraps up real nice. This one though is super quick and tries to touch on every possible subject along the way.

I feel like the story itself could be interesting, but then in the middle of the story all of the sudden a random social, orientation, family issue is thrown in. If not that then suddenly some crazy fantasy twist happens. By the end of the first volume I was expecting absolutely anything to happen on that last page.

Hopefully in later volumes they'll be pulled together and it will make sense, but as of right now with only 1 volume released it seems disjoint, and rushed.

I really enjoyed this introduction to the series! The characters seem interesting, I would love to know more about the little boy, and the art style is incredibly beautiful!

Okay, this is my JAM. I don’t want to give anything away, so I will keep this brief. The illustrations are phenomenal, the story is compelling and darkly mysterious, and I.WANT.MORE.NOW.

4.25 stars.

I received an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics!

Look for this in April!

The comparison of The Goonies meets Something Is Killing The Children immediately got my attention and The Cull didn't disappoint when compared to those two. I'd also say fans of Super 8 & Monsters should check this out. The art style is really unique which I appreciated & when they were all in the liminal space, the use of colour was fantastic & the sense of scale in certain scenes really helped bring everything together.

I didn't expect where the story was headed whatsoever after they went into the liminal space and it just continued to improve per issue whilst really building up the tension. It was also a surprise how much character backstory could be weaved into just a few issues but this really helped flesh out the group and I'm glad for it.

Whilst the ending works fine as is.... I wouldn't say no to more!

Thanks to Netgalley & Image Comics for the arc.

Fascinating story about alternate worlds. The area that they find is both beautiful and thrilling to explore. And then they find the down side and it picks up quickly. Despite the ending seeming rushed, the rest of it was fun: the characters are fleshed out well and you get a glimpse into what their lives are like outside of this adventure. I was so drawn into the story and was disappointed that there really wasn’t an ending. I am hoping that there is more to this story. The illustrations are fantastic! The expressiveness of the characters and the beauty of the hidden world were so well done.

Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for an eARC of The Cull Volume 1.

Five friends leave in the middle of the night to shoot a movie...and discover another world.

Each character is very distinct and has their own struggles. There are lots of heavy topics discussed throughout the storytelling, such as grief and loss, domestic violence and self harm. The artwork was absolutely stunning. It looked like something out of a movie or video game. It very much reminded me of a combination of Stranger Things, the Goonies, and T. Kingfisher's book The Hollow Places. My only issue is that I felt like the story was kind of rushed. I feel like it should have been a tad longer to develop a bit more.

I hope there are additional installments, because there was a massive cliffhanger. I would definitely be interested in reading more.