Reviews

Echoes Vol. 1 by Rahsan Ekedal, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Troy Peteri

daynpitseleh's review

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2.0

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a decent horror graphic novel. I enjoyed the artwork, but found the story to be just okay. The characters (especially the wife) were not really well-developed. The story was very quick, and just as it was starting to get going, it was over. I would be interested to read other works by the author though.

brittlovesbooks's review

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4.0

creepy!

londonfog86's review

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4.0

No spoilers here.
I received this book in exchange for and honest review.
http://boundininkbooks.com/2016/04/05/review-echoes-by-joshua-hale-fialkov/

I am not usually a suspense/horror fan, but I love Criminal Minds. So when I read the synopsis for this while looking for new books to review for you lovelies, I knew I needed to read this. I was so, so, so excited about starting this graphic novel... and Joshua Hale Fialkov did not disappoint.

It starts out kind of jumbled in the beginning to get you used to Brian's jumbled mental state. Once it really gets going, however, and Brian finds his father's trophies, his mental state begins to unravel. His ability to tell the difference between what's real and what's happening in his head comes completely undone when he meets a cop looking for a missing girl.

If I had to use a series of one words adjectives to explain this book it would be: dark, suspenseful, mind-bending, and creepy. Fialkov excelled at making me want to root for Brian Cohn. As the story unfolded and things got more complicated, I wanted to reach into the book and save Brian but I was also afraid of him.

Brian is broken and confused. Sinister forces are at work and you aren't sure when Brian got to be so scary. I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of the series. My stomach was tense and knotted while I read and I found myself holding my breath as I turned the page. When I reached the end, I needed more.

I'll be picking up the print version with all five parts as soon as possible because I need to know what happens.

jmanchester0's review

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4.0

Wow.

Wow.

Creepy.

Dark.

Horrific.

What can I say that won't give anything away?

Besides that it was so intense I had to finish it in a single sitting?

The writing was good and the black and white art lent a mysterious air to the story.

Definitely a different kind of whodunnit.

Recommended if you like dark stories with serial killers.

Thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Distributors, and Image Comics for a copy in return for an honest review.

honguan's review

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dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

sophieislington's review

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3.0

I read this far too fast. It was really good but deserves a second read through from me to get a proper review.

mishaone's review

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4.0

This was actually significantly better than I expected.

nvhudsmith's review

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5.0

Freakin' fantastic horror. I bought this (a full collection) despite my hesitation about a classic mental-illness-a-horror-trope. Without giving out too many spoilers here, I want to note up front that this doesn't play that game to the problematic implication -- there is horror that comes from mental illness symptoms but the reader is not afraid of our mentally ill protagonist but empathetic towards them, and it really heightens the level of fear here. The illustration is eerie and despite the lack of color, uses many different details to bring the idea of living in fear and guilt and uncertainty, plus a little gore, to life.

booknooknoggin's review

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5.0

Brilliant and creepy. The title made sense at the end. I can't believe I put this off. The scenes were so intense. Definitely recommended for horror fans. This needs to be made into a movie!

hdbblog's review

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3.0

Eh, this could have been so much better. As it stands, this isn't a bad read. We meet Brian, a man trying to cope with a mental illness and the death of his abusive father at the same time. All Brian wants is for things to be normal. He has a pregnant wife, and has built a life for himself. What could go wrong? Apparently, quite a lot.

Kudos to Fialkov for writing an interesting twist into this serial killer story. I definitely didn't see that coming. What I think was missing here, to really pull me in, was the length. Brian's story was heartbreaking. His inability sometimes to distinguish his hallucinations from reality was terrifying, and I felt for him. It's just that there wasn't enough time for me to really fall into his story. Before I knew it, things were at a climax, and the story was over.

I do have to give a big high five to Rahsan Ekedal for the illustrations in this book though. Each panel is lovingly crafted in black ink on stark white, and it really emphasizes the bleakness of the whole story. I will say that I wasn't a huge fan of the two page spreads, laid out as they were though. It would have been easier to read them in a loosely bound book that would lay flat, but in this case they were hard to read.

Final verdict? Borrow this. It's good, and if you're interested in serial killers I think you'll enjoy it.
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