Not a full copy, as the last quarter was plain white apart from the annoyingly-on-every-page copyright line, so not a full review. It wasn't up to too much anyway, being a childish variation on the post-apocalyptic-misfits-on-a-quest narrative. Some of the magical skills people had could have been well worth investigating, such as the baddy who could fire bullets and explode things by imagining the munitions and giving them a sound effect. This however was more interested in watching people slice through cars with a sword. As you do. Three stars - marked down for being a sampler without us being told that in advance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the ARC copy of Breaklands. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.

In a post-apocalyptic world, everybody is born with godlike abilities, except for Kasa Fain: the only girl with anything to her name save her hunting skills. While waiting, alongside her brother, for their parents to return, he gets kidnapped by slavers due to his excelling abilities, and Kasa will do anything to get him back, godlike powers or not. And not even the fact that she gets allies along the journey, it will not make it any easy.

So...this one was okay-ish. I wasn't the biggest fan of the art satyle, looking too simple for my liking and the story it was telling, in my opinion, and I didn't really connect with the story and the characters suffering it. Like, we barely get to know Kasa and her brother before he gets kidnapped, so why should I care for what happens to him?

I will, say, on the other hand, that I got fond of Kasa's character, her resilience and strength both in muscle and personality, never leaving her brother's rescue until she founds him. Kasa was the redeeming quality of the comic. She was serious and fun, a potential leader and a friend. I thought about DNFing this book, leaving it half-way, but she deserved a chance, and though I wasn't liking the story, I enjoyed Kasa's character!

The action scenes were cool, too. And I had quite a few laughs. But, the story got confusing at times and there wasn't much depth in plot and characters, so I can't say I'm a big fan, I probably won't even read the following volumes. Sure, it was better than other things I've read lately, honestly, but it's not a story that has moved me or that will stay on my mind for weeks to come. Just a passerby, I guess.

Even the magic system was a tad confusing, because it made no sense who had what abilities, their capability to use them and the rules. Some of them were just plain hilarious, and others didn't seem useful at all (which, plausible in a world where everybody can do such things), but I would have like some stability in the mid of chaos, that all.

Breaklands is a tricky one. If y'all are a fan of Mad Max alike stories, post-apocalyptic settings and rescue missions with psychic abilities throw in the mix, then sure, go for it. But for the people that are looking for depthness, complex characters and a moving story, this ain't it.

The artwork took me by surprise. I was expecting a little more realistic then cartoon. But it was a nice change for the dark story written in between. By the end didn't mind it. The story was alright.

adventurous dark fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25 stars

This one wasn't for me which is unfortunate because it had so many things I love in a story: post-apocalyptic hell scape, unique power sets/abilities, and a terrifying godlike cult leader. The art was solid, vivid colours, dynamic action.

The main issue I ran into was an inability to connect with any of the characters. Instead of fleshed out, fully formed characters it felt like a handful of tropes thrown in a blender. Our FMC is "not like other girls", with an "insufferably bratty golden child" brother who is kidnapped by a "rock-a-billy" gang. FMC is helped by "mystical old guy" whose whole personality is "old and cryptic", "girl who likes to blow shit up" and the "quiet barbarian berserker".

This is only volume one so it could be said that the characters will develop as the story moves on, but this is the chance to hook your readers and it hard to stay hooked long enough to see that development come about when the characters are so flat.

I'd have loved to read this but was unable to read it before July 7th.
This publisher has a really good rate of fantastic graphic novels and I am sad.

I'm not sure 100% how I feel about this one. I'm really intrigued with the plot and it definitely felt a bit like Borderlands, which is such a fun video game. I loved how the story introduces you right into the action and then takes you back to show how we got into the situation. Unfortunately it just felt like the pacing was off a bit and it was hard to follow exactly what was going on at some points. Sometimes it felt like a panel was missing during fight scenes and I kept having to go back and reread sections to make sure I got all the information. I still had a fun time with it, but I think it could have been polished a bit more.

Breaklands is a graphic novel with vibrant illustrations set in a compelling world with a unique take on classic themes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the colourful illustrations that this novel gave, from the start you are attacked by colourful illustrations and quirky characters, which immediately peaked my interest.

I found that the story was a unique take on classic dystopian tropes think borderlands/Mad Max type of post-apocalyptic tropes. The characters had understandable and valid intentions, with each characters having their own humorous quirks. The only thing I wish we got was more clarity; I found that we received very little information on what really happened during the break (which Is possibly due to people not knowing much about it because it happens hundreds of years previously), i also wish we got a little more detail and what gifts actually were, as we just sort of got told they exist, we didn’t get told why they existed or how they came about. However I hope this will be explored in further novels. And After reading this I will be immediately picking up the other Breaklands novels!

I absolutely adored the story and was very excited to read. I will say that I got to about page 91 of the 130and then it was all white pages, so not sure if that was just on my end. I tried reloading the book a few times. Perhaps because the archive date is tomorrow? Either way, amazing read and I would love to read this once it comes out and the rest of what happens. Very curious to see how the rest of the world fleshes out.

Honestly, this one didn't quite land for me. While the post-apocalyptic setting had a lot of potential to be fun, Justin Jordan just didn't reach the heights I expected. The core idea of the story and the characters were decent, but the artwork was a major turn-off for me—it looked incredibly amateurish. This made the fight scenes particularly difficult to follow, and I just couldn't get into the flow of the story at all. Overall, I'd have to say this was a pretty big disappointment.

2.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Breaklands is about a post-apocalyptic world where most people have powers. It gives Mad max vibes. The dialogue and storyline fell flat for me. I didn't particularly care for the art style either. It was well done but I couldn't connect with the characters. My ARC didn't load properly so I missed the last third of the book but I really didn't care to continue anyways. I think there is definitely an audience for this but sadly it wasn't for me.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Breaklands #1 sets up a post-apocalyptic world where everyone has powers—except for one girl. While the premise sounds promising, the execution falls flat. The pacing feels rushed, with little time to connect with the characters or understand the rules of the world. The dialogue is serviceable but often leans into clichés, and the emotional beats don't quite land. The artwork is decent, with a stylised, kinetic energy, but it’s not enough to elevate the story. Overall, it feels more like a generic pilot than a strong series opener.

The story is fast-paced but not really well-thought-out. And while the overall tone appeals to me, I didn't like the art at all. As a result, I'm sure I won't be continuing the series.

While I’m a huge fan of Mad Max and there’s definitely shades of that and the post-apocalyptic feel, I found it difficult to fully get into this. The storyline was fine but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the art.