Scan barcode
jellyfists's review
4.0
This is possibly the strangest book or graphic novel I have ever read. It got weirder the longer it went on, with a very complex and intriguing plot. The unexpected twists and turns in Naja's life made it all the more interesting, but had the ending become inevitably confusing. Hopefully this will be a series because the ending made next to no sense, it left me with quite a few questions about some characters who didn't show up until the end. Overall it was an engaging book with some awkward and peculiar moments. I recommend it to those who can handle some insanely weird happenings and decent levels of gore.
crystalstarrlight's review
2.0
Bullet Review:
OMG SRSLY WTF WAS THAT??!?!
To those who didn't like "City of Bones" because of the Jace/Clarity fake-sibling thing: DO NOT READ THIS!!
My brain is in pieces all over the office.
OMG SRSLY WTF WAS THAT??!?!
To those who didn't like "City of Bones" because of the Jace/Clarity fake-sibling thing: DO NOT READ THIS!!
My brain is in pieces all over the office.
geekwayne's review
4.0
'Naja' is a strange graphic novel. It's gotten good reviews and partially in, I was really questioning why. By the end it all made sense, but not before taking some interesting twists and turns.
Naja is an assassin who works for Zero. She's never seen Zero. She also doesn't feel pain, which is a plus in a violent profession. Naja is the third best assassin working for Zero and she's content being known as Three. One and Two are a bit more uneasy. Two would gladly knock off One if it weren't so difficult, but all three of them find themselves creating an uneasy truce just to stay alive from a bigger threat.
We learn all this through a narrator with a strange manner of speaking. At first, I thought this affectation strange, but it made sense as the story went on. The narrator knows a lot about Naja, including her disdain for most of the countries and peoples she has visited. There is an undercurrent of pretty dark humor here and it's pretty solidly written by Jean-David Morvan. Art by Bengal is really good for the story. I ended up liking it, so if you try it, stick it out until the end before deciding.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Naja is an assassin who works for Zero. She's never seen Zero. She also doesn't feel pain, which is a plus in a violent profession. Naja is the third best assassin working for Zero and she's content being known as Three. One and Two are a bit more uneasy. Two would gladly knock off One if it weren't so difficult, but all three of them find themselves creating an uneasy truce just to stay alive from a bigger threat.
We learn all this through a narrator with a strange manner of speaking. At first, I thought this affectation strange, but it made sense as the story went on. The narrator knows a lot about Naja, including her disdain for most of the countries and peoples she has visited. There is an undercurrent of pretty dark humor here and it's pretty solidly written by Jean-David Morvan. Art by Bengal is really good for the story. I ended up liking it, so if you try it, stick it out until the end before deciding.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
hellocookie's review
4.0
Before I even get to an actual, proper review, let me just start by saying wow. Wow, wow, wow. What an incredible book by JD Morvan and Bengal. Wow. I’ve admittedly never heard of either creator until I read Naja, but I can promise you that these two are on my radar now.
Naja is a book about an assassin who literally doesn’t feel pain, emotionally or physically. She works for a man that she’s never met that goes by the name Zero and she’s third on his go-to killer list.
The story varies in perspective but ultimately this book, as the title would lead you to believe, is Naja’s. It’s told from the perspective of a mysterious third person; someone who has insight in Naja’s life and the lives of the people around her, unknowingly. So I guess the book shifts focus rather than perspective but it works really, really well. The narration intentionally keeps a lot under wraps and steers the story into a fantastically interesting direction.
The book almost feels a bit like a written adaptation of Kill Bill at times. Naja’s real name is beeped out of the story, like The Bride’s for a large chunk of the story. But instead of it feeling similar to her character from the Quentin Tarantino movies, it feels more like an extension of O-ren Ishii’s tale, specifically her origin story.
The artist on this book is Bengal. Again, I have no prior knowledge of his work, but it is pretty freaking incredible. His style is very much an adapted manga style with a very unique look. The line art is stunning and Bengal excels at showing a wide range of emotions (and/or indifference) on the faces of his characters. The action sequences in the book feel vivid and fluid and work exceptionally well with Morvan’s words to really bring the story to life. Then there are the colours… oh man, this is honestly just such a beautiful book and if it had been in black and white, Bengal’s art would still be exceptional but the colours are part of what really gives this book life. SO. AMAZING.
JD Morvan doesn’t really tell this story with a ton of dialogue. As I mentioned, we’re being told the story by a mysterious third party who has a whole lot of information on all of the players. We don’t know how the narrator is connected to the story and we don’t know what his intentions are towards them, but it doesn’t matter. Despite his part in the story, it’s mostly told with seemingly no bias as the book works craftily towards the climax. You find yourself falling further and further down the rabbit hole the more you read and just become enveloped in what’s going on. The characters all have their own motives and each play an important part in the tale, no one feels like a wasted addition.
VERDICT
Buy it. Naja was an excellent read that I enjoyed from start to finish. It has about 250 pages, give or take and it isn’t something that you’ll just flip through and be done with. It has lots of meat on its bones for you to eat and digest.
Everything about this book is worth checking out, so make sure that you do it.
Naja is a book about an assassin who literally doesn’t feel pain, emotionally or physically. She works for a man that she’s never met that goes by the name Zero and she’s third on his go-to killer list.
The story varies in perspective but ultimately this book, as the title would lead you to believe, is Naja’s. It’s told from the perspective of a mysterious third person; someone who has insight in Naja’s life and the lives of the people around her, unknowingly. So I guess the book shifts focus rather than perspective but it works really, really well. The narration intentionally keeps a lot under wraps and steers the story into a fantastically interesting direction.
The book almost feels a bit like a written adaptation of Kill Bill at times. Naja’s real name is beeped out of the story, like The Bride’s for a large chunk of the story. But instead of it feeling similar to her character from the Quentin Tarantino movies, it feels more like an extension of O-ren Ishii’s tale, specifically her origin story.
The artist on this book is Bengal. Again, I have no prior knowledge of his work, but it is pretty freaking incredible. His style is very much an adapted manga style with a very unique look. The line art is stunning and Bengal excels at showing a wide range of emotions (and/or indifference) on the faces of his characters. The action sequences in the book feel vivid and fluid and work exceptionally well with Morvan’s words to really bring the story to life. Then there are the colours… oh man, this is honestly just such a beautiful book and if it had been in black and white, Bengal’s art would still be exceptional but the colours are part of what really gives this book life. SO. AMAZING.
JD Morvan doesn’t really tell this story with a ton of dialogue. As I mentioned, we’re being told the story by a mysterious third party who has a whole lot of information on all of the players. We don’t know how the narrator is connected to the story and we don’t know what his intentions are towards them, but it doesn’t matter. Despite his part in the story, it’s mostly told with seemingly no bias as the book works craftily towards the climax. You find yourself falling further and further down the rabbit hole the more you read and just become enveloped in what’s going on. The characters all have their own motives and each play an important part in the tale, no one feels like a wasted addition.
VERDICT
Buy it. Naja was an excellent read that I enjoyed from start to finish. It has about 250 pages, give or take and it isn’t something that you’ll just flip through and be done with. It has lots of meat on its bones for you to eat and digest.
Everything about this book is worth checking out, so make sure that you do it.
adelavmb's review
Naja hates everything and everyone. She is the number three assassin of the organisation she works for. She doesn't know who her boss is, doesn't question why she has to kill, doesn't feel anything... other than hate. Well guess what, Naja?
Other than "loving" the main character, I got to a point where I lost my interest in the story too, and it's really a shame since I loved it at first. Nothing is explained in the first half, it all seems very random and while I am sure it gets explained (hopefully) later on, at that point I couldn't have cared less.
Other than "loving" the main character, I got to a point where I lost my interest in the story too, and it's really a shame since I loved it at first. Nothing is explained in the first half, it all seems very random and while I am sure it gets explained (hopefully) later on, at that point I couldn't have cared less.
house_of_scatha's review
1.0
Very pretty and nicely drawn. The story was a bit thin and mostly an excuse for ultra-violence.
hobbes199's review
3.0
Eurgh. I'd like to say more but will leave it until I've collected my thoughts. I'll never get that hour back though.
http://ifthesebookscouldtalk.com/2014/07/01/naja/
http://ifthesebookscouldtalk.com/2014/07/01/naja/
movingtoguam's review
2.0
Netgalley provided a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have no clue what happened. I really don't. This conclusion was so sudden that I don't know what to do with myself. Sure, some parts were obvious from about halfway into the book, but there were other things that surprised me.
The main character is called Naja and she is a cold blooded assassin. The person who orders her assassinations is only called "Zero" and she doesn't know anything about him. Not what he looks like or what his real name is. Zero has other assassins as well, but she is number three. As the story progresses, we get to meet number one and two as well.
What makes Naja special is that she can't feel anything, not physical nor mental pain.
I love assassins very much and this didn't dissapoint. it took me some time to get used to the drawing style, but afterwards it felt natural and excititing. I had so many questions by the end of the first volume that I just read the whole thing in one go. Things will be explained throughout the novel, but it was such a thrill to discover the secrets and conspiracies.
I have no clue what happened. I really don't. This conclusion was so sudden that I don't know what to do with myself. Sure, some parts were obvious from about halfway into the book, but there were other things that surprised me.
The main character is called Naja and she is a cold blooded assassin. The person who orders her assassinations is only called "Zero" and she doesn't know anything about him. Not what he looks like or what his real name is. Zero has other assassins as well, but she is number three. As the story progresses, we get to meet number one and two as well.
What makes Naja special is that she can't feel anything, not physical nor mental pain.
I love assassins very much and this didn't dissapoint. it took me some time to get used to the drawing style, but afterwards it felt natural and excititing. I had so many questions by the end of the first volume that I just read the whole thing in one go. Things will be explained throughout the novel, but it was such a thrill to discover the secrets and conspiracies.