A review by alaspooriorek
The Castoffs Vol. 1: Mage Against the Machine by M.K. Reed, Brian Smith
3.0
I received a free, advanced copy of The Castoffs from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a good first start for a graphic novel, but not much happens in over 100 pages.
The Castoffs is set in the future of a world where magic exists. In the past there was a war between the "surrogates" and the "mages". This war ended in a stalemate with great losses on both sides . . . I think? Volume 1 of this graphic novel follows the mission of three magic apprentices. One is a warrior, one can "phase" out and has the unfortunate luck of breaking everything she touches, and the the other is a "charmer" masquerading as a healer. Together they travel together to a village where peoples' memories are disappearing, but what seems to be a simple mission turns out to be much more complicated.
After reading this, I can't really say that I like or disliked it. The plot was evil tech versus good magic, which is slightly overdone these days. The character connection is just not there. I don't really believe that the three of them could be fighting the entire story, but then suddenly work great together in a single spread.
I want to see the next volume before I make any final judgements though. 3 out of 5.
This is a good first start for a graphic novel, but not much happens in over 100 pages.
The Castoffs is set in the future of a world where magic exists. In the past there was a war between the "surrogates" and the "mages". This war ended in a stalemate with great losses on both sides . . . I think? Volume 1 of this graphic novel follows the mission of three magic apprentices. One is a warrior, one can "phase" out and has the unfortunate luck of breaking everything she touches, and the the other is a "charmer" masquerading as a healer. Together they travel together to a village where peoples' memories are disappearing, but what seems to be a simple mission turns out to be much more complicated.
After reading this, I can't really say that I like or disliked it. The plot was evil tech versus good magic, which is slightly overdone these days. The character connection is just not there. I don't really believe that the three of them could be fighting the entire story, but then suddenly work great together in a single spread.
I want to see the next volume before I make any final judgements though. 3 out of 5.