Reviews

The story takes place in 1973 East Berlin and can best be described as a combination of a Soviet spy thriller and the X-Files. I sped through this graphic novel and already want to read it again! I kept finding myself wondering if things are what they seem, or if its all meant to be a psychological trick for the characters to deal with their past sins. I cannot wait for the next in this series to see what happens next! I also adore the art style, as it feels like a stylized, minimal color film noir that fit the story perfectly.

I received an ebook of this title from the publisher via Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

franchesterrrrr's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Gorgeously drawn !!!

ljrinaldi's review against another edition

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3.0

The publisher blurb says that it is chilling and intense, but I just found it frustrating.

A mysterious alien crash lands in East Berlin, and the local spy tries to figure out what it all is.

And what it is all is is your worse fears, and regrets.

And, well, I'm sure there is more to it than that, but that is the main point, and it seems to take forever to get to it.

The art is good, dark, and intense, and did I mention dark? The characters are not all that eveolved, and I don't really care about any of them, to be honest.

So, a good spy vs alien story, but not a great one.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

jhstack's review against another edition

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4.0

Haven't read much Cold War spy fiction in a while, so this scratched an itch (especially with the backdrop of an alien discovery) that left me wanting a little more clarity or depth with certain characters/settings. (e-galley from NetGalley)

mandalynreads's review against another edition

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2.0

I am not sure what to say about this graphic novel, as I look back on it and can't think of any memorable moment. I didn't like the characters, the world, the plot. Everything just kinda happened. There were a lot of backstories told about hard times, but nothing that drew me in. The story was confusing. I.... What did I just read?

The artwork in this novel had a lot of character to it. I really enjoyed looking at almost every single page, yet it could be confusing and that aided in my lack of enjoyment of the plot. I also think that the word bubbles and type were not the best choice and brought me out of the novel because of how jarring they were.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

vsbedford's review against another edition

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4.0

Beautifully drawn but a bit of a let down in story-telling - look, it's basically an X-Files episode mixed with The Lives of Others which is okaaaay but ultimately I think the brevity of the volume gives the wealth of ideas at work here short-shrift. I don't necessarily need an exposition dump plopped into the middle volume but it's just that this is a very intriguing world and I'd like to spend a little more time in it. A recommend but with the caveat that you may be a bit unsatisfied.

I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

urlphantomhive's review

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3.0

East Berlin, the 1970s. A place so crowded with spies of all sorts that people wonder when was the last time they told the truth. It is the setting of this new supernatural thriller, which aims to make us pause and ponder on some important moral questions.

The main character is an American spy in East Berlin who had witnessed a strange sky and is investigating it, all the while he is hunted by repercussions of this job and other earlier jobs. It might seem strange to say, but the questions on truth, morality and duty were for me the strongest part of the book. The supernatural part was rather bland and a bit formulaic. The art was slightly depressing, which fitted the story well, and I liked that the setting was Berlin for a change.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Find this and other reviews on my blog https://www.urlphantomhive.com

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