floandra's review against another edition
3.0
Titan was a pretty interesting story but I wish it would have been a little longer. The chapters and plot points felt kinda rushed to me. The characters were all introduced so quickly that even towards the end I still mixed a lot of them up. But other than that I found this story quite interesting and unique. I'll definitely check out more by François Vigneault.
#netgalley
#netgalley
jentidders's review
3.0
In the future, some humans (known as Titans) have been genetically-modified to be giant workers on mining planets, overseen by Terran management.
When MNGR First Class João da Silva is sent to Homestead Station on the moon of Titan to take charge he meets miner Phoebe Mackintosh, a Titan union rep and former mixer (boxer). Tensions are running high on the planet, and it is up to the pair to try to avert a disaster that could result in a galactic civil war.
I really liked how this sci-fi story commented on labour disputes and workers revolts and critiqued capitalism whilst also having a diverse cast of characters, and I thought the rough art-style and limited pink/black-toned colour palette worked well.
When MNGR First Class João da Silva is sent to Homestead Station on the moon of Titan to take charge he meets miner Phoebe Mackintosh, a Titan union rep and former mixer (boxer). Tensions are running high on the planet, and it is up to the pair to try to avert a disaster that could result in a galactic civil war.
I really liked how this sci-fi story commented on labour disputes and workers revolts and critiqued capitalism whilst also having a diverse cast of characters, and I thought the rough art-style and limited pink/black-toned colour palette worked well.
vaiomo's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this. It wasn't super good but it was okay. The dialogue was very overwhelming and to be fair pretty hard to read due to the fact that this comic has its color aesthetics. Sometimes the black would just merge in in my opinion making it hard to read the dialogue, or at least rather distracting.
The story itself is quite fun to read especially since it's in space and focusing on what is in my opinion "Something new". I really enjoyed the whole setting, I thought it was fun.
Overall I enjoyed the comic and would like to maybe purchase it in the future.
3 stars
I liked this. It wasn't super good but it was okay. The dialogue was very overwhelming and to be fair pretty hard to read due to the fact that this comic has its color aesthetics. Sometimes the black would just merge in in my opinion making it hard to read the dialogue, or at least rather distracting.
The story itself is quite fun to read especially since it's in space and focusing on what is in my opinion "Something new". I really enjoyed the whole setting, I thought it was fun.
Overall I enjoyed the comic and would like to maybe purchase it in the future.
3 stars
inkandplasma's review
I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
DNF @ 20%
I liked the concept behind this a lot, but it lost me somewhere in execution. The art is excellent, but the dialogue was too much and overwhelmed the page. There was so much going on that it was hard to read, with a lot of visuals and a lot of words crammed into each page, and right at the start there was so much exposition that it made me immediately weary. Graphic novels should show, not tell, and this just didn't do that for me. I also found the white text on the pink background really hard to read, and squinting at the page to read him talking to his internal systems got old fast.
I think the idea behind this is excellent, and the plot is interesting if standard sci-fi fare, but unfortunately I just struggled to get into it, which is a shame because I was getting Murderbot-esque vibes at first and had high hopes.
DNF @ 20%
I liked the concept behind this a lot, but it lost me somewhere in execution. The art is excellent, but the dialogue was too much and overwhelmed the page. There was so much going on that it was hard to read, with a lot of visuals and a lot of words crammed into each page, and right at the start there was so much exposition that it made me immediately weary. Graphic novels should show, not tell, and this just didn't do that for me. I also found the white text on the pink background really hard to read, and squinting at the page to read him talking to his internal systems got old fast.
I think the idea behind this is excellent, and the plot is interesting if standard sci-fi fare, but unfortunately I just struggled to get into it, which is a shame because I was getting Murderbot-esque vibes at first and had high hopes.
moonlitbooks_'s review
4.0
* I acquired a copy of this arc through Netgallery*
Initial Thoughts: A really interesting read on worker's rights, capitalism, revolution and war. I wish it had been longer and the character's a little more fleshed out but it was good nonetheless!
Review:
*Trigger Warnings: violence, sex, infidelity*
A captivating sci-fi graphic novel that explores the horror and intricacies of capitalism in deep space through the characters of João and Phoebe.
João is a privileged Terran MNGR fist class who is sent on a mission to Homestead on the moon Titan to increase the plan't productivity. When he lands he is naive in believing he can act as some form of saviour and unite Terran management leaders and the genetically-engineered Titans, and doesn't understand why the Titans are reluctant to accept his leadership or control over them. Vigneault then expertly manages to challenge this naivety and João's beliefs in the system Terrans have created on Titan to showcase what capitalism has done to Titans.
This contrast well with the character of Phoebe, a Titan, who appears sympathetic to Terran culture and João when he is received badly. However, Phoebe is captivating with several layers to her that Vigneault pulls back as her beliefs and loyalties are routinely challenged in the story and overall I really enjoyed reading her arc.
The story manages to follow the issues of rebellion, war and capitalism well with Vigneault routinely testing the beliefs, morals and loyalties of both sides of these conflicts. However the main conflict presented here is clearly the concept of capitalism and it provides a rather damning assessment of how capitalism impacts workers, it's faintly reminiscent of Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman' at times due to this.
The artwork of this is also beautiful and manages to encapsulates the horrors of the books without making it too gory for the reader to look at.
The book does have it's issues chiefly in it's failure to fully explore the two main characters as I believe I only knew them on a surface level, but also it could have explored the nuances of the issues and conflicts it was presenting further.
Overall it was a great sci-fi graphic novel and one I would recommend to readers, however if you don't want to read about sex scenes or mass violence this may not be for you.
My full review: https://moonlitbooks.home.blog/2020/08/03/titanarcreview/
Initial Thoughts: A really interesting read on worker's rights, capitalism, revolution and war. I wish it had been longer and the character's a little more fleshed out but it was good nonetheless!
Review:
*Trigger Warnings: violence, sex, infidelity*
A captivating sci-fi graphic novel that explores the horror and intricacies of capitalism in deep space through the characters of João and Phoebe.
João is a privileged Terran MNGR fist class who is sent on a mission to Homestead on the moon Titan to increase the plan't productivity. When he lands he is naive in believing he can act as some form of saviour and unite Terran management leaders and the genetically-engineered Titans, and doesn't understand why the Titans are reluctant to accept his leadership or control over them. Vigneault then expertly manages to challenge this naivety and João's beliefs in the system Terrans have created on Titan to showcase what capitalism has done to Titans.
This contrast well with the character of Phoebe, a Titan, who appears sympathetic to Terran culture and João when he is received badly. However, Phoebe is captivating with several layers to her that Vigneault pulls back as her beliefs and loyalties are routinely challenged in the story and overall I really enjoyed reading her arc.
The story manages to follow the issues of rebellion, war and capitalism well with Vigneault routinely testing the beliefs, morals and loyalties of both sides of these conflicts. However the main conflict presented here is clearly the concept of capitalism and it provides a rather damning assessment of how capitalism impacts workers, it's faintly reminiscent of Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman' at times due to this.
The artwork of this is also beautiful and manages to encapsulates the horrors of the books without making it too gory for the reader to look at.
The book does have it's issues chiefly in it's failure to fully explore the two main characters as I believe I only knew them on a surface level, but also it could have explored the nuances of the issues and conflicts it was presenting further.
Overall it was a great sci-fi graphic novel and one I would recommend to readers, however if you don't want to read about sex scenes or mass violence this may not be for you.
My full review: https://moonlitbooks.home.blog/2020/08/03/titanarcreview/
bbennett128's review
3.0
[3 Stars]
-- Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for an eARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine --
I enjoyed this little graphic novel. I think it has a nice commentary on class divide and revolution. On social hierarchies and how differences can separate or bring us together. I liked the story arc as well as the two main characters we followed throughout the graphic novel. The art style was pleasing to the eye and easy to follow.
Overall, a nice quick read. I'd recommend
CW: violence, suicide, death
-- Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for an eARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine --
I enjoyed this little graphic novel. I think it has a nice commentary on class divide and revolution. On social hierarchies and how differences can separate or bring us together. I liked the story arc as well as the two main characters we followed throughout the graphic novel. The art style was pleasing to the eye and easy to follow.
Overall, a nice quick read. I'd recommend
CW: violence, suicide, death
vickycbooks's review
Titan attempts to be subversive, but I'm not entirely certain if it pulls through.
Basically, Titans are bioengineered humans who have basically been forced to work in terrible conditions in space to provide energy for Terrans, what we would call normal humans. The story centers around Terran João da Silva who came to a work area on the moon Titan that's pretty unproductive to try and restimulate it into being profitable. He's introduced to a Titan, Phoebe, who tries to be a liaison between João and Titans, but this is a pretty tenuous position.
The story tries to tease out a class struggle & eventual uprising, but inherently, I feel like the story's centering of João as our focus and semi-narrator, as opposed to Phoebe or another Titan, makes it imbued with the gaze of the managerial Terran class.
I was frustrated with João, but I don't know how other readers reacted to him or how he was intended to be interpreted. I think the way the story is presented makes it easy to be lulled into this idea that he is trying his best and is a victim in the story, because he doesn't have that much power over the higher-ups. But I also think the message of the story should have been that João failed at wielding his managerial power to help the Titans. We're basically stuck reading about this guy who has immense power over the Titans themselves, but only a little with the upper management.
I think I would have appreciated the story more if it wasn't told from his POV, if it was from Phoebe's point-of-view (who is a controversial character herself, because she is in part yearning to be elevated to a better position through her interactions with João.)
I also struggled a lot with how the author portrayed the language of the Titans. They speak in a sort of broken English (a lot of subject-verb disagreements) and like. I guess I didn't feel this was necessary. Or I wish it was used in a more subversive way, instead of the Titans in broken English & the Terrans in "Standard American" English. I think it's absolutely believable enough that they're subjugated just because they're bioengineered and the work they do, and I feel like the use of the "two" Englishes, given how modern readers interface with it, actively detracts from the subversive message Titan attempts to construe.
I see what Titan was trying to do, but I also am just not convinced how successful it was at being subversive. (Also, other spoiler-y storylines were not my favorite.)
Still, the art was weird and funky and great to look at. I liked the fluidity of the Titans' drawings. (Random accessibility note, but a few sections of text are thin white text on pink speech bubbles, and it's difficult to read. Just be ready to squint if your vision isn't the best or if you're in bad lighting.)
Maybe my interpretation of the text isn't what other peoples' were, or how it was intended by Vigneault. I wouldn't necessarily take this review as indicative of what message Titan is trying to portray. It's just how the story sounded to me, and I hope readers who do read Titan walk away with the subversive messages, rather than the managerial-apologetic ones.
Basically, Titans are bioengineered humans who have basically been forced to work in terrible conditions in space to provide energy for Terrans, what we would call normal humans. The story centers around Terran João da Silva who came to a work area on the moon Titan that's pretty unproductive to try and restimulate it into being profitable. He's introduced to a Titan, Phoebe, who tries to be a liaison between João and Titans, but this is a pretty tenuous position.
The story tries to tease out a class struggle & eventual uprising, but inherently, I feel like the story's centering of João as our focus and semi-narrator, as opposed to Phoebe or another Titan, makes it imbued with the gaze of the managerial Terran class.
I was frustrated with João, but I don't know how other readers reacted to him or how he was intended to be interpreted. I think the way the story is presented makes it easy to be lulled into this idea that he is trying his best and is a victim in the story, because he doesn't have that much power over the higher-ups. But I also think the message of the story should have been that João failed at wielding his managerial power to help the Titans. We're basically stuck reading about this guy who has immense power over the Titans themselves, but only a little with the upper management.
I think I would have appreciated the story more if it wasn't told from his POV, if it was from Phoebe's point-of-view (who is a controversial character herself, because she is in part yearning to be elevated to a better position through her interactions with João.)
I also struggled a lot with how the author portrayed the language of the Titans. They speak in a sort of broken English (a lot of subject-verb disagreements) and like. I guess I didn't feel this was necessary. Or I wish it was used in a more subversive way, instead of the Titans in broken English & the Terrans in "Standard American" English. I think it's absolutely believable enough that they're subjugated just because they're bioengineered and the work they do, and I feel like the use of the "two" Englishes, given how modern readers interface with it, actively detracts from the subversive message Titan attempts to construe.
I see what Titan was trying to do, but I also am just not convinced how successful it was at being subversive. (Also, other spoiler-y storylines were not my favorite.
Spoiler
Cyrus' actions in particular felt like Vigneault was actively trying to diminish the validity of the Titan uprising.Still, the art was weird and funky and great to look at. I liked the fluidity of the Titans' drawings. (Random accessibility note, but a few sections of text are thin white text on pink speech bubbles, and it's difficult to read. Just be ready to squint if your vision isn't the best or if you're in bad lighting.)
Maybe my interpretation of the text isn't what other peoples' were, or how it was intended by Vigneault. I wouldn't necessarily take this review as indicative of what message Titan is trying to portray. It's just how the story sounded to me, and I hope readers who do read Titan walk away with the subversive messages, rather than the managerial-apologetic ones.
mapo's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
eliebooks's review
2.0
Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review :)
This is a nice short science-fiction story about inter-planetary colonisation, exploitation and rebellion. The story was not very new and the characters are not unique (both protagonists love 20th century music). Everything felt rushed and I guessed most of the twists. I liked the technological aspects and the whole idea of Titans. There were points when I wanted to know a little bit more about the characters and the history of the colony.
This is a nice short science-fiction story about inter-planetary colonisation, exploitation and rebellion. The story was not very new and the characters are not unique (both protagonists love 20th century music). Everything felt rushed and I guessed most of the twists. I liked the technological aspects and the whole idea of Titans. There were points when I wanted to know a little bit more about the characters and the history of the colony.