zeezeemama11's review against another edition
5.0
No words, middle grade GRAPHIC graphic novel about Dinosaurs. Artwork is fabulously done. Take your time and enjoy the bloody bloody blood bath of dinosaurs of the cretaceous doing battle.
zomvi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is essential reading for anyone who reads comics and loves dinosaurs. The illustrations are absolutely top-notch, and the dinos are drawn with lots of expression, without being too stylized/cartoonish. There is no dialogue, and feels somewhat akin to a wildlife documentary. I loved the ARC so much, I bought a copy of the full-color release as well! Keep in mind, though, it is quite frank about the brutality of survival in the animal kingdom, so there is quite a bit of blood and gore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
x_tora's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
doowopapocalypse's review against another edition
4.0
Who doesn’t love a dinosaur comic? I think Delgado’s Age of Reptiles is still a bit better, as I like the art a touch more and AoR isn’t a stand alone, but this is very good.
barb4ry1's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5
Awesome.
Cretaceous impressed me with a research-based, action-packed and heart-wrenching account of a young T-Rex separated from its family. We follow it as it tries to make its way back to its family.
Galusha showed dinosaurs’ lives and the story through illustrations only. His story needs no words to shine, thrill or terrify. He shows a savage life of the Cretaceous era and pulls no punches.
Hunters become hunted, predators become prey. Despite lack of dialogue, the story delivers a genuine and deep experience.
I loved the art that beautifully depicts the harsh, brutal life of when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Galusha brings their world to life and fills it with a sympathetic cast of savage reptilian heroes.
A must read.
ARC through NetGalley
Awesome.
Cretaceous impressed me with a research-based, action-packed and heart-wrenching account of a young T-Rex separated from its family. We follow it as it tries to make its way back to its family.
Galusha showed dinosaurs’ lives and the story through illustrations only. His story needs no words to shine, thrill or terrify. He shows a savage life of the Cretaceous era and pulls no punches.
Hunters become hunted, predators become prey. Despite lack of dialogue, the story delivers a genuine and deep experience.
I loved the art that beautifully depicts the harsh, brutal life of when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Galusha brings their world to life and fills it with a sympathetic cast of savage reptilian heroes.
A must read.
ARC through NetGalley
gudzilla's review against another edition
4.0
no wordings, just amazing art to tell the story. what an amazing artwork!
elizabethlk's review against another edition
4.0
Cretaceous is a fascinating take on prehistoric life in the day of dinosaurs. Without using any words, Tadd Galusha weaves a story that feels immediately emotional, and genuinely painful at times.
I was under the impression when I went into this book that for some reason it was going to be kid-friendly and it definitely seems to be geared more to teens and adults (although kids who like their dinosaur stories with a bit of extra gore and feeling might find themselves enjoying this one, especially if they struggle to read usually). At times I found myself having to go over a page a few times to make sure I was seeing everything correctly, but that's more so because I personally need extra time to comprehend images without words.
The story itself was really dark and emotional, with a lot of circle of life stuff going on, but as someone who can be emotional about that sort of thing, it definitely had me teary-eyed. The way it veered in between the core story and the big picture was interesting, and I found it especially immersive, although it did make it hard for me to visually follow a couple of times.
Artistically, this story was stunning. The dinosaurs were all rendered in an incredibly believable way, and they seemed relatively true in design to what they would have been in real life based on nonfiction I have read. The scenery, in particular, was quite breathtaking. The events often got bloodier than I really anticipated going in, so there were a few scenes early on that had me cringing slightly, but mostly I adjusted to it, I just hadn't expected it.
The information section in the back that identified each of the creatures depicted and gave additional information about them was helpful and especially interesting. I didn't expect to see that in the end, but I definitely appreciated its presence.
Overall, this is something that I did find myself enjoying a lot, especially once I started really getting into the thick of it. Anyone looking for a believable dinosaur story need look no further.
I was under the impression when I went into this book that for some reason it was going to be kid-friendly and it definitely seems to be geared more to teens and adults (although kids who like their dinosaur stories with a bit of extra gore and feeling might find themselves enjoying this one, especially if they struggle to read usually). At times I found myself having to go over a page a few times to make sure I was seeing everything correctly, but that's more so because I personally need extra time to comprehend images without words.
The story itself was really dark and emotional, with a lot of circle of life stuff going on, but as someone who can be emotional about that sort of thing, it definitely had me teary-eyed. The way it veered in between the core story and the big picture was interesting, and I found it especially immersive, although it did make it hard for me to visually follow a couple of times.
Artistically, this story was stunning. The dinosaurs were all rendered in an incredibly believable way, and they seemed relatively true in design to what they would have been in real life based on nonfiction I have read. The scenery, in particular, was quite breathtaking. The events often got bloodier than I really anticipated going in, so there were a few scenes early on that had me cringing slightly, but mostly I adjusted to it, I just hadn't expected it.
The information section in the back that identified each of the creatures depicted and gave additional information about them was helpful and especially interesting. I didn't expect to see that in the end, but I definitely appreciated its presence.
Overall, this is something that I did find myself enjoying a lot, especially once I started really getting into the thick of it. Anyone looking for a believable dinosaur story need look no further.
jmanchester0's review against another edition
3.0
Brutal.
For a book with no words, this story is intense.
And bloody. As I assume it is when predator and prey are trying to survive.
It‰ЫЄs a little hard to read in digital form when you can‰ЫЄt see the layouts as well. But the art is pretty fantastic, and it‰ЫЄs still a compelling story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for a copy in return for an honest review.
For a book with no words, this story is intense.
And bloody. As I assume it is when predator and prey are trying to survive.
It‰ЫЄs a little hard to read in digital form when you can‰ЫЄt see the layouts as well. But the art is pretty fantastic, and it‰ЫЄs still a compelling story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for a copy in return for an honest review.
doodles_and_books's review against another edition
5.0
Anyone who knows me, knows that dinosaurs will always hold an extremely special place in my heart. They were the first real thing I fell in love with, and that love has stayed with me for over two decades. So, needless to say, when I saw this was available to read on Netgalley, I jumped!
Cretaceous is an absolute treat that explores the cycles of life and death in our prehistoric world. This is a stunning graphic novel, and takes full advantage of visual storytelling: apart from a few roars and sniffs, there are no words. And all the better for it. This story doesn't need words to tug at your heartstrings or make your heart race. The illustrations are detailed, dynamic, and visceral.
This one will definitely be added to my personal library upon release!
Cretaceous is an absolute treat that explores the cycles of life and death in our prehistoric world. This is a stunning graphic novel, and takes full advantage of visual storytelling: apart from a few roars and sniffs, there are no words. And all the better for it. This story doesn't need words to tug at your heartstrings or make your heart race. The illustrations are detailed, dynamic, and visceral.
This one will definitely be added to my personal library upon release!
bryonyreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Cretaceous has such beautiful illustrations that really do add to the story in such an amazing way. The colours were vibrant and despite having no dialogue and being about dinosaurs, this graphic novel really is moving and the ending got me all emotional. Some people may view it as just a dinosaur-eats-dinosaur story but it follows a broken family trying to find each other again.
The field guide at the end was also really useful and I enjoyed reading that extra little bit of information.
The field guide at the end was also really useful and I enjoyed reading that extra little bit of information.