Reviews with content warning for Death - ExtraOrdinary (Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition)

While I like the illustrations - they do take up a rather classical art style - the story retells parts that we've already been told in Vicious. With that said, I do still think this story could largely be read on its own though it doesn't have a conclusion.

I wish I had longer to get to know the characters. They felt a little too rough to be any more than stereotypes and that impacted the story a bit.

Not a must read but a "It's nice" read.

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shadowspinner's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.5

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csmall73's review against another edition

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dark funny sad fast-paced

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

2.75

It was interesting but very reminiscent of the X-men. Typical DR. Getting into things outside the realm of safety.

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keepcalmblogon's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

Contrary to the usual timeline of things, I got into comic books at an older age, but I am so glad that I did, because then I could read the Villains graphic novel that’s meant to take place between Vicious and Vengeful. Not only is ExtraOrdinary a five star read, but hearing V.E. Schwab talk about the creation of the graphic novel in the back content of the book made me so happy. I love Schwab’s writing, but when she discusses her reasons for writing and her technique of writing, it makes being a Schwab fan a truly multifaceted experience.

ExtraOrdinary is a sweet little bonus story that I think must foreshadow the third Villains novel. And by sweet, I mean, “sweet, we got this story,” because, as with the other books of the series, nothing is sweet in this world. But ExtraOrdinary brings the Villains stories to life by giving us graphic detail and imagery we don’t have to imagine, vividly colored by Enid Balam.

If you plan to read this series, or already have, but skipped ExtraOrdinary, or don’t think you’d be into a comic book, you’re totally missing out and I highly recommend it, like all of Schwab’s work!

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hylian_narwhal's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.75

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bubblyfemme's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If you want just a small taste more of Schwab’s Villains universe, this comic collection is for you.

This story moves quickly, but it’s not particularly involved. This collection book captures issues #0-4 and gives just enough information I was able to learn Charlotte’s background quickly. I do think prior knowledge of the Villains universe helps, as there’s a little bit of Victor but a decent amount of Eli in these pages. I found ExtraOrdinary to be a good sister story to the duology, but I’m not convinced it would stand alone as successfully. Maybe if it was a little longer?

The somewhat sudden end after issue #4 also threw me off. This may be a “me” issue, but I don’t love how quickly the comic book tied everything up but clearly left the story open for more. The storytelling was successful enough that yes, of course, I’d like more of Charlotte’s story! But I’m not sure if Titan has commissioned any more of this tale or if Schwab is writing anything more. Like any series that feels as though it has ended when it just begun, I found this frustrating.

Let’s shift focus and talk about the art.

As much as I enjoy Schwab’s writing as a rule, the art in this collection is spectacular. Enid Balám is probably better know for his Hawkeye: Kate Bishop art done for Marvel, but it doesn’t make his work on ExtraOrdinary any less impressive. I’m not always a fan of tall figures and the blue/orange tinted color scheme, but Balám weaves it all together extremely well. Charlotte’s EO ability is gruesome: the ability to see peoples’ deaths in reflected surfaces. For this to really come to life, the artists needed to be subtle but piercing and Balám delivers that in spades. As much as Schwab has given us three different stories tied together, Balám shows us the world Charlotte lives in, and the one that haunts her dreams. I’m almost definitely going to flip back through the collection and review the drawings in all the reflections because there’s so much insight there to Charlotte and the world. Likely hidden secrets, too.

We also need to acknowledge the cover. The one pictured in this review is the one I have and I absolutely love it. The covers for every issue are positively stunning, though. Anyone who says comic artistry isn’t art is a fool.

I absolutely enjoyed this in-between story and I’m glad I read it between Vicious and Vengeful to give me a bit more world expansion. You don’t need to read this to enjoy the other books, but I do think reading Vicious will increase enjoyment of reading ExtraOrdinary because of the background you’ll have going into the story.

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toldinstories's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.5

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