ARC From Netgalley.
3.5 Stars.
Absolutely beautifully illustrated book, but the concept of the story is a bit abstract. Not sure if the author is commenting on how we rebel against others helping us, or the miscommunication of aliens in our lives, or perhaps even caution against embracing the future, or some kind of all three. I definitely need to know more about the lore of the world, including before and after the story, to better connect with what is going on.
I'll be looking up more about what the author has to say about this.

Recommend, but take the reviews to heart before picking it up.

Since I was little I’ve toyed with the idea of what would happen if everyone around me were to suddenly disappear, so I was instantly intrigued by the setup of this comic.
This story really moved me. I immediately grew attached to the characters and the dynamics between them, especially the two younger girls. I loved the post-apocalyptic vibes of the world, and the mystery of the giants. It reminded me of how much I enjoy apocalypse stories when there aren’t zombies involved. The art was very inspiring to me as someone who wants to make comics of my own. I often found myself just sitting and admiring the illustrations. And the ending made me cry.
It would have been even better if everything were expanded on, especially the characters. I wish we had gotten to learn more about them, and seen more of them interacting with each other. It would have added more weight to the story emotionally. And then you have the mystery of the whole setting. Why did everyone suddenly disappear? What are the giants? Are they responsible for the state of the world, and if so, why? What are they trying to achieve?
On the other hand, while I am itching for answers, I think the lack of them does fit the narrative. We saw the events play out from the point of view of Lori, who was just trying to survive, plain and simple. She was not worried whatsoever about the why of the situation. And the language barrier prevented us from learning anything from the giants themselves. For all we know, the red giant could have been telling them everything, but they would never have understood.
Overall, this comic exceeded my expectations all around. I recommend this for the art alone, and to anyone who likes dystopia and/or apocalyptic fiction.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-arc!

*Published 7/7/25

I liked the way the story was set up. It was told through Lori's POV. She narrated the story as if she were telling it to another person. It was almost like she was trying to put distance between herself and what happened. We also got some of her inner dialogue, and you could see how distrustful and cautious she was. She was the perfect balance for her friend, Annette, who was cheerful and almost naive. I think at times Lori was frustrated with Annette, but she stuck by her because they were friends. With so few people to trust, she did everything she could to keep her and Annette safe. 

I also really loved the art style. It was beautiful while still capturing the rough circumstances they found themselves in. 

I loved how Red shook things up. It was interesting to see how Lori dealt with this change. It really showed her state of mind and how living in their world had influenced her so heavily. She couldn't let down her guard and was always trying to think one step ahead. 

Unfortunately, the ending felt unfinished. I had so many more questions about the story, and I felt like we were robbed of the chance for Lori to really get to know Red. It was a heartbreaking but beautiful story about learning to trust and love. I really hope that there might be a sequel in the future. Overall, it was a stunning book with an interesting story.

Kieron Gillen is a master of pacing, and We Called Them Giants proves it—elegiac, eerie, and devastating in just the right measure. A haunting short story in comic form that lingers like myth.

What do you do when you wake up to empty streets? Where do you go when the food runs out and the utilities shut off? If you can't trust the people near you - do you take shelter with a Giant?
The art is absolutely stunning, the main character is brusque but smart, and I was rooting for the little found family to get through this sudden apocalypse. The story is fast-paced and honest and harsh - I absolutely recommend it!

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC copy!

A beautiful and gorgeous graphic novel with pages that I would consider framing and putting on my wall.

Such a quick and easy to read with a great story! As a standalone novel, its pacing is moderate and the story is reminiscent of the BFG meets TWD. It's very much a dark fantasy that gives off the feeling of loneliness in a post apocalyptic world.

This book is super gorgeous. Would have loved if this was much longer. I am a fan of Gillen’s work from almost the beginning., and this was excellent, but would have enjoyed more.

This is a fascinating graphic novel with excellent artwork.

The world changes overnight.

Lori wakes up one morning to find that the majority of people have disappeared, only a few remain and the world has descended into survival of the fittest. Then the giants arrive and Lori finds that the enemy giants may also be a way of survival and so begins a new way of life for her in a strange and dangerous world.

If you like dark fantasy or dystopian graphic novels then this is one for you. There is so much the story doesn’t tell us but that adds further mystery to the story. It was good to read, not normally the kind of graphic novels that I would read but I enjoyed it.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Beautiful illustrations, fantastic character designs and the colouring in the graphic novel is pleasing to look at.

The story was fun and endearing though it was quite average and lacked significant depth to it.

3.5 star rounded to 4, still an enjoyable read.

The artwork in this book was fantastic but I feel like the story fell pretty flat at the ending. There's a lot of build-up about the giants and then it just kind of ends. Slightly disappointing.

What a beautifully drawn manga with such an interesting story! I will be very interested to see what Lori discovers about her new world in volume 2.

Oh God, is this how my cat sees me? In all seriousness this felt like a published thought experiment; which isn't bad but it doesn't feel fully fleshed out. I wouldn't mind a second volume of this that explains some of the mysteries.

Thanks NetGalley and Image Comics for this arc

3.5/5 stars rounded down

This was a really interesting story with beautiful artwork, but there are just so many unanswered questions at the end of this. I was looking forward to having some of the mysteries explained, and I'm finding out I really don't like open ended endings in books lol. That said, the storyline was interesting and this definitely would've benefitted from like 20 more pages of content, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

"We Called Them Giants" by Kieron Gillen is filled with beautiful art work, and the story is engaging, however I was left with questions which weren't addressed in the book.

Lori wakes to find all of the other humans missing. We are not told what happened to them. Many more outstanding questions in an otherwise interesting story.

Lori wakes to find the streets empty and everyone gone. She finds a school friend, Annette, and the duo work together to survive as best they can, especially avoiding the gang who call themselves The Dogs. Then, one day alien crafts appear and giants begin to roam around. Lori and Annette begin to be drawn to the giants for protection, but communication is limited. What are they here for?

I originally grabbed this because of the artwork and oh my, did it not disappoint! It was beautiful and captivating throughout all the pages.

That being said though, the story fell short for me. We were given so many questions and I felt like most of them were not answered by the end. Like, where did most of the humans go? Why were only some people left? Where did the giant come from (besides space), and what were they doing here? Were the events connected??

I gave it the star rating I did for the art, the story itself still has too many unanswered questions.

*Thank you Image Comics and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Felt a little thin, but the art is fantastic and I was able to read through this in one sitting. I would be more interested in this as an ongoing series, as I feel like there is more story to explore.

I read through this whole book in such a short time - the artwork is beautiful, and the storyline tight and compelling, will definitely both recommend and revisit this one.

Beautiful artwork and panels. The story itself was short and sweet with a decent premise. I did feel like the execution fell flat. The pacing of things felt kind of choppy, but I feel like there was a lot of potential for a more in depth world/universe to be built here.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the publishers and Kieron Gillen for the opportunity to read We Called Them Giants in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this and read it in one sitting, I'm a very keen graphic novel reader and this one will be up there in my favourites.
I was hooked from page one on both the story and the beautiful art work.

We are taken on a post apocalyptic journey as Giants inhabit the world, wolves and people trying to survive, all the characters are well fleshed out and interesting as well as imperfect and relatable.

I really look forward to the next book and will be buying a copy for my shelf at home.

Gorgeous and devastating.

The art and the post apocalyptic world you get dropped in had me captivated. I wish we got to know more about the giants and what happens next. This is a stand alone but it read more like the first of a series. I could have gladly stayed in this universe to read and find out more.
4 stars due to the beautiful art, the story alone would be a 3.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC