heidibowell's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
themshelves's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
joleenbrown's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
That was an intense read!
Kind of slow at the start but then it amps up.
Kind of slow at the start but then it amps up.
neven's review against another edition
3.0
The second installment of Snowpiercer is still sociologically interesting and admirable for the seriousness with which it approaches its, frankly, goofy premise. But the plot meanders and it's hard to develop any lasting feelings for the characters. This is largely due to the art that's fine on the level of a single person, but fails to describe action scenes well, or convey the mood inside the train. Action comics are hard.
bluelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Please take these three volumes as separate works of art from the film that was inspired by them. They are good; they do not deserve the one star ratings people who "love" the film have been giving them. The story lines are horrifyingly intriguing. I actually preferred the story and artwork in the 2nd and 3rd volumes to the 1st, so do yourself a favor and read all three. If you enjoy graphic books and/or are drawn to post-apocalyptic fiction, these are worth your reading time.
bluepigeon's review
2.0
If you must read the second installment (which collects volume 2, The Explorers, and volume 3, The Crossing), get it from the library. Because in all likelihood, you won't love it enough to want to own it.
The Explorer's seems very similar to the first volume: guy from the tail gets with the rich chick from the front. There isn't as much gratuitous nudity and objectification of the female body, so that's a bit of an improvement, and the main dude (Puig) gets a bit more of a backstory, which is good, but overall, it's still mostly an action comic, where action is rather confusingly drawn (someone else commented on this, which I agree with). There are neat ideas, kernels of ideas, in there, like the children trained to withstand the cold (and serve some other purpose, it turns out), but there are also some very stupid and nonsensical developments. Most important to the plot is this idea that there are two trains, and this one in volume 2+3, is aware of this fact and is constantly testing brake systems in case they come across the other train (Proloff's train; the previous volume, which takes place in the other train, did not have this, because, apparently, they had no idea that there was another train on the same track...) Ok, fine. There are two trains. But wait, what, how in hell, come again, the other train is INSIDE this one? Yes, yes, see 15 years before the story starts, the trains did actually collide and this one salvaged the other one, apparently. So, the fact that the authorities are using the threat of the train collision to keep the masses in fear and control is a pretty cool idea. But the fact that the other train is inside this train and why and how and who and what?!? Yeah, makes no sense, and serves no purpose.
Then comes the third volume, where, wait, the train did not have to be going on this track, it can actually go off the train tracks?! They hear a song and they decide to follow it. If you know the sensibility of the stories by now, you know that there is no bright ending, so you can guess what they find at the end of the sing-song rainbow.
All in all, I like the mood and the drawings, but the story and plot really fail to carry it through for me. I will not continue reading this series, not even from the library.
The Explorer's seems very similar to the first volume: guy from the tail gets with the rich chick from the front. There isn't as much gratuitous nudity and objectification of the female body, so that's a bit of an improvement, and the main dude (Puig) gets a bit more of a backstory, which is good, but overall, it's still mostly an action comic, where action is rather confusingly drawn (someone else commented on this, which I agree with). There are neat ideas, kernels of ideas, in there, like the children trained to withstand the cold (and serve some other purpose, it turns out), but there are also some very stupid and nonsensical developments. Most important to the plot is this idea that there are two trains, and this one in volume 2+3, is aware of this fact and is constantly testing brake systems in case they come across the other train (Proloff's train; the previous volume, which takes place in the other train, did not have this, because, apparently, they had no idea that there was another train on the same track...) Ok, fine. There are two trains. But wait, what, how in hell, come again, the other train is INSIDE this one? Yes, yes, see 15 years before the story starts, the trains did actually collide and this one salvaged the other one, apparently. So, the fact that the authorities are using the threat of the train collision to keep the masses in fear and control is a pretty cool idea. But the fact that the other train is inside this train and why and how and who and what?!? Yeah, makes no sense, and serves no purpose.
Then comes the third volume, where, wait, the train did not have to be going on this track, it can actually go off the train tracks?! They hear a song and they decide to follow it. If you know the sensibility of the stories by now, you know that there is no bright ending, so you can guess what they find at the end of the sing-song rainbow.
All in all, I like the mood and the drawings, but the story and plot really fail to carry it through for me. I will not continue reading this series, not even from the library.
patrick_'s review
3.0
Suffers from same flaws as first volume, stilted dialogue and transitions. Cool ideas though.