by Inaki Miranda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The most unique piece of We Live is the QR code that delivers you a soundtrack intended to be listened to while you read the comic. This is a very cool idea, and one that really worked for me. I wish it was enough to get me into the story more and make me like it better.
Unfortunately the excitement and uniqueness mostly ends there. Not that We Live is bad, it's not. It's just fine, average, or even pedestrian. I was really hoping for something different here, the monsters to be interesting, the conflicts or race to get to the shuttle to feel more desperate. But instead I just felt like we were toddling along with our two lead characters to get to some place I felt I didn't even know much about.
This could almost have been Horizon Zero Dawn with it's lush illustrations and world set-up. Maybe that's the problem; it didn't feel unique enough to me given the current big titles out there. One thing the comic industry needs to realize is that if the trope they are selling is big in another area (ie: video games) then they need to be careful it's not too similar.
All that to say if you buy the individual comics there are some gorgeous variants and the wraparound, fold-out cover is a real treat. However, in this trade paperback collecting the first few issues you don't get that special feel sadly.
I will rest my case on the fact that my continuing recommendation since 2019 is Something Is Killing The Children. If you want crazy monsters, the blood and gore (that We Live definitely has some of), interesting characters, and an elaborate plot laying just behind the basic monster hunter story then go for it. If you'd like some pretty, but fairly boring pages of pretty green lush forests, and some average monsters that attack; then go for We Live.
Please note: I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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The most unique piece of We Live is the QR code that delivers you a soundtrack intended to be listened to while you read the comic. This is a very cool idea, and one that really worked for me. I wish it was enough to get me into the story more and make me like it better.
Unfortunately the excitement and uniqueness mostly ends there. Not that We Live is bad, it's not. It's just fine, average, or even pedestrian. I was really hoping for something different here, the monsters to be interesting, the conflicts or race to get to the shuttle to feel more desperate. But instead I just felt like we were toddling along with our two lead characters to get to some place I felt I didn't even know much about.
This could almost have been Horizon Zero Dawn with it's lush illustrations and world set-up. Maybe that's the problem; it didn't feel unique enough to me given the current big titles out there. One thing the comic industry needs to realize is that if the trope they are selling is big in another area (ie: video games) then they need to be careful it's not too similar.
All that to say if you buy the individual comics there are some gorgeous variants and the wraparound, fold-out cover is a real treat. However, in this trade paperback collecting the first few issues you don't get that special feel sadly.
I will rest my case on the fact that my continuing recommendation since 2019 is Something Is Killing The Children. If you want crazy monsters, the blood and gore (that We Live definitely has some of), interesting characters, and an elaborate plot laying just behind the basic monster hunter story then go for it. If you'd like some pretty, but fairly boring pages of pretty green lush forests, and some average monsters that attack; then go for We Live.
Please note: I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Follow me on Goodreads
1 comment:
Pity this has been disappointing for you. I agree, though; video games are (and have become even more so lately) great at story telling, and more 'traditional' media should not turn their noses up at what games can deliver or they'll be in for a nasty surprise eventually!
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