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Once Upon A Time #2
[Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen] [By: x] [September, 2013]
The Evil Queen has, quite literally, captured the Huntsman's heart -- and now he's her slave. Based on the world of ABC's hit primetime series ONCE UPON A TIME, this is the never-before-told tale behind their twisted relationship -- and what happens when a good man is forced to do bad. When Regina cooks up yet another devious plan to capture Snow White -- this time by allying with a pack of power-hungry werewolves -- the Huntsman comes face-to-face with his past...and an independent spirit in Red Riding Hood that just may match his own. Can these two break free of the forces that bind them and save Snow White? When put to the test, where will the Huntsman's loyalties lie? Has the Evil Queen stolen his heart in more ways than one?
Hardcover
First published September 3, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
May 9, 2015
This was awful.
This graphic novel is based on the tv show Once Upon a Time, and although I haven't seen any episodes of it yet this is supposed to be backstory so you can jump in without having seen the show. It's possible that fans of the show would like this a lot more than I did, but I can't imagine non-fans who enjoy graphic novels would like any part of this book.
I have no problem with multiple artists working on a series, but I've never seen multiple artists working on one story arc. It was incredibly jarring to move onto the next chapter with the characters and style changed although the story hadn't. At one point the Queen's hair changed color and I thought she was someone else! So unnecessarily confusing. After that I was just annoyed at the whole thing.
And the story is ridiculous: the evil Queen wants to kill Snow White but apparently needs others to help her even though she can kill a werewolf by merely pointing at it. Why does she need any help? She has magic, Snow White doesn't! But let's kill a bunch of villagers and enslave the Huntsman ... because then there'd be no plot.
Oh, and if you're going to name a character "Red" you should probably let the reader know you mean Little Red Riding Hood and not Rose Red. I was so confused as to why Rose Red would be a werewolf and then read AFTER the story was over in the notes and sketches that it was a completely different character.
Awful. Just awful.
This graphic novel is based on the tv show Once Upon a Time, and although I haven't seen any episodes of it yet this is supposed to be backstory so you can jump in without having seen the show. It's possible that fans of the show would like this a lot more than I did, but I can't imagine non-fans who enjoy graphic novels would like any part of this book.
I have no problem with multiple artists working on a series, but I've never seen multiple artists working on one story arc. It was incredibly jarring to move onto the next chapter with the characters and style changed although the story hadn't. At one point the Queen's hair changed color and I thought she was someone else! So unnecessarily confusing. After that I was just annoyed at the whole thing.
And the story is ridiculous: the evil Queen wants to kill Snow White but apparently needs others to help her even though she can kill a werewolf by merely pointing at it. Why does she need any help? She has magic, Snow White doesn't! But let's kill a bunch of villagers and enslave the Huntsman ... because then there'd be no plot.
Oh, and if you're going to name a character "Red" you should probably let the reader know you mean Little Red Riding Hood and not Rose Red. I was so confused as to why Rose Red would be a werewolf and then read AFTER the story was over in the notes and sketches that it was a completely different character.
Awful. Just awful.
May 24, 2016
OUAT is my favourite TV show at the moment, and I SUPERLOVE Regina! The art on the cover is so beautiful, I wish the same artist had illustrated the insides!
December 22, 2014
I saw the cover, thought it was a graphic fairytale, and grabbed it. I wasn't until I got home that I realized this was a tv show tie-in.
I think if you're a huge fan of the tv series, you'll get waaay more out of this than I did.
I watched most of season one, and then life got in the way.
So.
I assume this is an importantish tie-in, that gives fans an extra glimpse into the Huntsman, Red, Snow, and the Queen. There's a lot of stuff about the werewolves hatin' on Red and Hunt that I didn't get, but if I'd kept up with the show...who knows?
It was pretty short, and even without prior knowledge, it was still entertaining.
If you're hooked on Once Upon A Time, then this may be something to check into.
I think if you're a huge fan of the tv series, you'll get waaay more out of this than I did.
I watched most of season one, and then life got in the way.
So.
I assume this is an importantish tie-in, that gives fans an extra glimpse into the Huntsman, Red, Snow, and the Queen. There's a lot of stuff about the werewolves hatin' on Red and Hunt that I didn't get, but if I'd kept up with the show...who knows?
It was pretty short, and even without prior knowledge, it was still entertaining.
If you're hooked on Once Upon A Time, then this may be something to check into.
December 4, 2013
I picked this up because I enjoy the TV series, no matter that it is a guilty pleasure. It never ceases to amaze me that a show this cheesy actually works...
This adaptation does an okay job of filling in some of the gaps from the first season. The stories were mostly consistent with what we have seen on the screen. Where it did fall down was with the artwork. For me, any adaptation of something you see in a film or TV series needs to have characters that are visibly recognisable on the page compared to their on screen presence. This graphic novel just fails to do this. In particular, the evil queen Regina was mostly unrecognisable here, despite the fact that the actress who plays her has a face that should be a gift to any artist portraying her. Other characters such as Snow White and Red Riding Hood are similarly poorly served by all the artists here. Only the Huntsman seems to do well out of his image.
Still, its a nicely put together piece of work, with some interesting bonus material in the back which shows what could have been done with better artists, but it's a bit of a miss otherwise.
2 1/2 stars
This adaptation does an okay job of filling in some of the gaps from the first season. The stories were mostly consistent with what we have seen on the screen. Where it did fall down was with the artwork. For me, any adaptation of something you see in a film or TV series needs to have characters that are visibly recognisable on the page compared to their on screen presence. This graphic novel just fails to do this. In particular, the evil queen Regina was mostly unrecognisable here, despite the fact that the actress who plays her has a face that should be a gift to any artist portraying her. Other characters such as Snow White and Red Riding Hood are similarly poorly served by all the artists here. Only the Huntsman seems to do well out of his image.
Still, its a nicely put together piece of work, with some interesting bonus material in the back which shows what could have been done with better artists, but it's a bit of a miss otherwise.
2 1/2 stars
August 13, 2020
I loved it, I can't wait to read the next one!
November 16, 2022
Highly recommended for Oncers, especially for fans of Graham and Red. Neither of them got enough screen time in my opinion, and this is a really nice backstory. The only jarring part was that the story was split into four chapters, and each chapter had completely different artwork from four different artists. In some ways, this was nice, since if I disliked a particular style, I knew I wasn't stuck with it for the whole book, but it was a little difficult to have to continuously switch back and forth. The story itself was strong enough to make that more an inconvenience than a real deterrent, however, and since I'm in it for the plot anyway, it all worked out.
I also now ship Red/Huntsman. Whoops?
I also now ship Red/Huntsman. Whoops?
December 6, 2013
Every time I see artwork by Vasilis Lolos I want to punch a Marvel executive. What on earth makes you guys continue to give him work? The rest of the artwork is okay, but the dialog is really bad. I've not watched any of the tv show, but if it's no better than this I won't be wasting my time.
July 5, 2015
Reginia is one of my favorite characters in Once Upon a Time. I am starting off with this because I think it's important to know and has a great deal to do with why I loved ths Graphic Novel. Once Upon a Time is a television show that's constantly moving, characters live, characters die, and sometimes there whole story is not completely told before their time is up. This is not a side story to Once Upon a Time, I'm sorry to say that if you're not a fan of the televsion show you really should not pick this up. It is completely designed for fans of the television show, you need to know background of some characters in order to really enjoy the story. Though this story takes place before the television show, it's got all your favorites in it.
With that being said, the story revolves around the Huntsmen and Reginia after she has taken his heart. We find out the twisted kind of relationship that they have and it's an interesting ride. I loved seeing how some characters that you wouldn't expect to connect actually connect. I loved seeing more of Red and Snow. Most of all I loved learning more after the Huntsmen, who really did leave Once Upon a Time too soon. The story is wonderfully crafted. It not only fits in with everything from the television show but also added new things, giving me more to think about now when I watch the show. I would love to see more of these Graphic Novels come out and see what could come out of them. Though it is a limited audience novel I think it's magical. The fans of the televsion show will love it,I know I did.
With that being said, the story revolves around the Huntsmen and Reginia after she has taken his heart. We find out the twisted kind of relationship that they have and it's an interesting ride. I loved seeing how some characters that you wouldn't expect to connect actually connect. I loved seeing more of Red and Snow. Most of all I loved learning more after the Huntsmen, who really did leave Once Upon a Time too soon. The story is wonderfully crafted. It not only fits in with everything from the television show but also added new things, giving me more to think about now when I watch the show. I would love to see more of these Graphic Novels come out and see what could come out of them. Though it is a limited audience novel I think it's magical. The fans of the televsion show will love it,I know I did.
April 4, 2021
Not a big fan of the drawing style, but it was fun to be back in this world.
August 1, 2022
i read this while at gfs house and forgot to log it! i hate to say it but yeah im still a OUAT fan 🧎🏼♀️
December 4, 2013
I am a huge fan of Once Upon a Time. I can't not watch this show and if I had to only pick one current show to watch, it would be this. I'd sneak in episodes of How I Met Your Mother too, but it's in it's last season so that's okay. The nice thing about Shadow of the Queen is that it's not a graphic novel from of an episode, but an entirely new story that we didn't see on the show. It's a short story and doesn't really affect the series, but you get insight into the Huntsman and what happened to the werewolves after Ruby "betrayed" them. In all fairness, they did start it.
The story itself was done very well. It was involved and helped the viewers of the show to connect more with the Huntsman - who don't see nearly enough as it is. I wouldn't stay the story is necessary to the plot from the television show, but it is a fun additive.
The drawings were done very well with attention paid to all details. The illustrators did an amazing job of capturing the likeness of the actors, even down to facial expressions. Joe's comment on this graphic novel was that the layout was done nicely with a nice variety and the drawings one of the better that he has come across. Side note: This comment was in reference to those illustrators he hasn't heard of/come across before. He can be such a graphic novel snob! But I love him so I just roll my eyes and go with it.
The story itself was done very well. It was involved and helped the viewers of the show to connect more with the Huntsman - who don't see nearly enough as it is. I wouldn't stay the story is necessary to the plot from the television show, but it is a fun additive.
The drawings were done very well with attention paid to all details. The illustrators did an amazing job of capturing the likeness of the actors, even down to facial expressions. Joe's comment on this graphic novel was that the layout was done nicely with a nice variety and the drawings one of the better that he has come across. Side note: This comment was in reference to those illustrators he hasn't heard of/come across before. He can be such a graphic novel snob! But I love him so I just roll my eyes and go with it.
September 28, 2016
Kind of meh. Definitely a tie-in, as it would make a poor stand-alone graphic novel and needs some familiarity with the characters and events of Once upon a Time.
Some brilliant art, some average. A few frames of action are confusing as to what exactly happened, distracting a bit from the story. Sometimes Red looks seriously like Snow or Snow looks like Regina, also distracting a bit from the story. The plot, characterization, and dialog (in other words, the writing) are solid but ordinary, not really imparting the sense of wonder and other-ness I have seen in the television series.
Connoisseurs of the show will need to take an extra dose (!) of Suspension-of-Disbelief (in, yes, a fantasy story about fairy tale characters). There is the start of a romance , that is conflict with events of Season 5. Ah, well; Not every story can be canon.
Some brilliant art, some average. A few frames of action are confusing as to what exactly happened, distracting a bit from the story. Sometimes Red looks seriously like Snow or Snow looks like Regina, also distracting a bit from the story. The plot, characterization, and dialog (in other words, the writing) are solid but ordinary, not really imparting the sense of wonder and other-ness I have seen in the television series.
Connoisseurs of the show will need to take an extra dose (!) of Suspension-of-Disbelief (in, yes, a fantasy story about fairy tale characters). There is the start of a romance , that is conflict with events of Season 5. Ah, well; Not every story can be canon.
January 15, 2016
Well, this clearly is for fans of the TV-show. You get more of the huntsman 's story while he was enslaved to Regina. This gets 2 stars because I love the TV show so much, especially the portrayal of the huntsman. I'd give it 2,5 stars actually. Bonus ONCER fangirl stars. The hint at a possible SPOILER true love with Red seems to be forced. How long have they known each other? !?! And they fall in love over what? Because both are Wolf-y? Well, both actors had understandably other things to do than going with weak guest appearances on the show (standing in the background)...so it's convenient to give both a shared backstory. I get it. I get it.
Snow seems a bit passive, but this is the Huntsman 's story after all.
I actually liked that the four parts of the comic were created by different artists. It's a bit strange to get used to at first, but makes up for other things.
Snow seems a bit passive, but this is the Huntsman 's story after all.
I actually liked that the four parts of the comic were created by different artists. It's a bit strange to get used to at first, but makes up for other things.
June 12, 2016
I like that it had Red in this graphic novel because we don't see much of her or the werewolves in the show. I liked seeing Red, Snow White, and the Huntsman work together. There was more of the Huntsman's personality which I liked since we didn't get to see much of him in the show either. I like the art in this graphic novel except for the second chapter. The second chapter looked too cartoony for my taste. There's a really weird twist in the plot but hey that's what Once Upon A Time is known for. I didn't love the twist but I can't say that it wasn't an interesting one. I recommend this if you like Once Upon A Time.
December 20, 2013
Too short, but an interesting addition to the OuaT storyline. I liked that it gave us more from the Huntsman and Ruby/Huntsman was fantastic. Switching artwork for each chapter was odd, but everyone is very talented.
August 12, 2018
Certainly not the most intelligent thing to read, but I enjoyed the artwork. I especially liked that chapter that was done in the style of 1960s-era horror comics.
maybe-one-day
March 21, 2021Regina and the Huntsman's story was so intriguing when I was into the Once Upon a Time television series. I hope this graphic novel explores that further.
July 20, 2017
I pretty much read this in one sitting. It was not my favorite and I would've preferred to see it as an actual episode rather than a graphic novel, but it was still interesting -- particularly as a supplement for Oncers. ;)
April 1, 2023
Meh. The artwork on these pages had more verve and energy than did the writing. The writing told little. I get that the creators of the show couldn't give the comic creators too much to work with without depriving themselves of potential plot points, but this book deserved better.
December 31, 2024
Enjoyed this! So sad they didn't continue making graphic novels for OUAT :(
January 12, 2021
3.5 Stars
March 28, 2022
Once Upon A Time (Shadow of the Queen)
The Huntsman travels to a silver mining town. As he enters, the townspeople scatter in fear. The Huntsman request to enter the castle, but one of the guards refuses him. A fight takes place but Huntsman takes down the guard. The Minister pleads with him that they have no more silver and that the people are starving. The Huntsman tries to reach a compromise, but the Queen appears. She shows no sympathy and squeezes his heart to remind him who’s in charge. While he recovers, the guard's attacks. But he takes them down. The townspeople turn over their silver to the Huntsman.
Later at the Queen’s palace, the Huntsman tries to get the Queen to see that she can be respected without taking the people’s money and loved. But the Queen says there’s only thing that matters (killing Snow) She needs the silver to do that. She flashes back to the memory of her true love Daniel and how they had a real chance at love until she saved Snow White’s life. Her mother then accepted Snow White’s father’s proposal without hesitation. Daniel and Regina planned to elope but then Snow White betrayed her and because of that Cora ripped out Daniel’s heart. The Huntsman uses the silver to make arrowheads. He warns the Queen there will be attempts on their lives. He’s then quickly surrounded by the whole pack.
Days later, Regina and the Huntsman are traveling through a snowy forest when they hear a howl. The Huntsman asks for an arrow but is he’s attacked by a werewolf. He’s then surrounded by the whole pack. The Evil Queen stops the wolves by throwing a magic orb of light that causes all the wolves to shapeshift back to humans. One of them is an old acquaintance named Adair. They start to argue, but the Queen cuts it short/ She throws all the arrows into the air so that they’re pointed at the pack. The Evil Queen states that she’s looking for Snow White. The Queen asks for Anita, but Adir says her daughter (Red) had her killed so he’s in charge. He makes a deal with the Queen that in exchange for Snow White they’ll get freedom to roam the woods and the silver mines. The Queen agrees to the terms. The Queen later heals the Huntsman as he tries to warn her not to trust Adir. But she’s not interested.
The Evil Queen and the Huntsman lead the wolf pack toward the mining village. There’s a werewolf that’s lagging behind and the Queen commands him to get information. He ignores her. The Huntsman explains that the werewolves speak telepathically and they should let them do their thing. One of the wolves leaps and the Queen drops the box with the Huntsman’s heart. The Queen commands the Huntsman to use one of the arrows, but then Red is spotted and the wolves turn to attack her to get vengeance. The Huntsman aims his arrow at Red. Then changes his aim in the werewolf’s direction. Red runs off and the Hunter runs off after her with the box. Red steals the box from the Huntsman. Regina demands that the wolves go after them both but they’re only interested in the deal.
The Huntsman tracks Red and she reveals herself in human form. She says she was trying to help the villagers until she came across the wolves and questions how he can work with the Queen. He tells because of what’s in the box she has. He hasn’t had control over his heart since the Queen took it for trying to help Snow White. He says this time tho he doesn’t think the Queen will be swayed so easily now that she has the wolves. Red and the Huntsman agree that they have to find Snow. Red returns the Huntsman’s heart.
Snow and (on the run) travel through the same snowy forest and hears some of the townspeople talking about the Royal wedding of Prince David and Abigail (King Midas’s daughter). One of the people reports the news that there was a massacre. The wolves have been tearing people limb to limb and they’re led by Regina. The dwarfs wonder why she’d do this and Snow says it’s because of her. She bravely sends word to meet with Regina. Red and the Huntsman find Snow and tell her about a place where there’s a totem that can turn the werewolves into normal wolves and they’ll have a chance at taking them down. Red is ok with this even though they’re her pack. They arrive at the lake, they find the ancient tree that the totem is buried inside. But before they can find the totem the Evil Queen and the wolves arrive. Regina commands the wolves to take down Snow, Red, and the Huntsman. Snow buys them time to find the totem by bravely telling the Queen to come after *her* and leave the others alone. Snow leads the wolves unto the ice so that when they transform them they’ll be trapped. Adir goes after the Huntsman, but Regina orders him to “stay on script” and kill Snow White. The Huntsman shouts out a warning, but it’s too late. The ice beneath Red and Snow crack and they fall in. The Huntsman now has the totem and dives in to save them. The Queen’s only concern is for what the huntsman had in his hand. Adir tells her it doesn’t matter they’re dead. The Queen doesn’t seem to believe this. Underwater, Red, Snow, and the Huntsman transform to sea creatures. They know they don’t have long before they turn back so the Huntsman convinces Red to try to unite the pack under her rule. One of the pack suffers an injury from one of the Huntsman’s arrows. Adir suggests to the Queen that they rest. She also questions her motives. She shows him what happens to those that do. He silently vows that she’ll regret this. Red tries to convince Adir that freedom doesn’t equal fear and working for Regina is the wrong path. But he thinks nothing will be ok until Snow is dead. Adir and the Huntsman get into a fistfight. The Huntsman threatens to end Adir, but Regina is the one that does him in. The pack sees this a betrayal and try to attack her, but she holds them off with magic. Red, Snow, and the Huntsman use this advantage to flee.
Red tries to go back to defend her pack, but the Huntsman goes instead (fearful that she’ll die too). He once again gives control of his heart over to the Queen. Now in a safe place Snow vows Red that they’ll get the Huntsman’s heart back (and back who it really belongs to *Red*). At the castle, Regina is in a good mood and says that when the snow thaws they’ll once again find Snow White and kill her for good this time.
My Thoughts: Great show! Not a very good graphic novel. In a graphic novel, the first thing is the illustrations HAVE to be on point or the rest goes downhill. These were not! It’s not a good thing when you have to look up the summary of the book online just to get what’s going on in the story. I like my illustrations bold, bright, and sharp! There was nothing in these characters' features (particularly Snow and Red that put me in the mind of the actresses on the show that played them). I even thought the townspeople in the inn were supposed to be the dwarfs. (Tho I did wonder why they’d all be traveling through the woods together in the snow). It was only because I found the summary of the book that I knew that they were the townspeople. The plot wasn’t special. I haven’t watched Once Upon A Time in a long time but had I not read this it wouldn’t have added a thing to the Snow, Huntsman, and Red storylines. The one thing I did like was the sketches at the end of the book of the character's costumes. I think I just need a sketchbook of the designs of the amazing costumes they wore on the show.
Rating: 5 I remember when I got this book as a Christmas present and how excited I was to own it. It just didn’t live up to my expectations.
The Huntsman travels to a silver mining town. As he enters, the townspeople scatter in fear. The Huntsman request to enter the castle, but one of the guards refuses him. A fight takes place but Huntsman takes down the guard. The Minister pleads with him that they have no more silver and that the people are starving. The Huntsman tries to reach a compromise, but the Queen appears. She shows no sympathy and squeezes his heart to remind him who’s in charge. While he recovers, the guard's attacks. But he takes them down. The townspeople turn over their silver to the Huntsman.
Later at the Queen’s palace, the Huntsman tries to get the Queen to see that she can be respected without taking the people’s money and loved. But the Queen says there’s only thing that matters (killing Snow) She needs the silver to do that. She flashes back to the memory of her true love Daniel and how they had a real chance at love until she saved Snow White’s life. Her mother then accepted Snow White’s father’s proposal without hesitation. Daniel and Regina planned to elope but then Snow White betrayed her and because of that Cora ripped out Daniel’s heart. The Huntsman uses the silver to make arrowheads. He warns the Queen there will be attempts on their lives. He’s then quickly surrounded by the whole pack.
Days later, Regina and the Huntsman are traveling through a snowy forest when they hear a howl. The Huntsman asks for an arrow but is he’s attacked by a werewolf. He’s then surrounded by the whole pack. The Evil Queen stops the wolves by throwing a magic orb of light that causes all the wolves to shapeshift back to humans. One of them is an old acquaintance named Adair. They start to argue, but the Queen cuts it short/ She throws all the arrows into the air so that they’re pointed at the pack. The Evil Queen states that she’s looking for Snow White. The Queen asks for Anita, but Adir says her daughter (Red) had her killed so he’s in charge. He makes a deal with the Queen that in exchange for Snow White they’ll get freedom to roam the woods and the silver mines. The Queen agrees to the terms. The Queen later heals the Huntsman as he tries to warn her not to trust Adir. But she’s not interested.
The Evil Queen and the Huntsman lead the wolf pack toward the mining village. There’s a werewolf that’s lagging behind and the Queen commands him to get information. He ignores her. The Huntsman explains that the werewolves speak telepathically and they should let them do their thing. One of the wolves leaps and the Queen drops the box with the Huntsman’s heart. The Queen commands the Huntsman to use one of the arrows, but then Red is spotted and the wolves turn to attack her to get vengeance. The Huntsman aims his arrow at Red. Then changes his aim in the werewolf’s direction. Red runs off and the Hunter runs off after her with the box. Red steals the box from the Huntsman. Regina demands that the wolves go after them both but they’re only interested in the deal.
The Huntsman tracks Red and she reveals herself in human form. She says she was trying to help the villagers until she came across the wolves and questions how he can work with the Queen. He tells because of what’s in the box she has. He hasn’t had control over his heart since the Queen took it for trying to help Snow White. He says this time tho he doesn’t think the Queen will be swayed so easily now that she has the wolves. Red and the Huntsman agree that they have to find Snow. Red returns the Huntsman’s heart.
Snow and (on the run) travel through the same snowy forest and hears some of the townspeople talking about the Royal wedding of Prince David and Abigail (King Midas’s daughter). One of the people reports the news that there was a massacre. The wolves have been tearing people limb to limb and they’re led by Regina. The dwarfs wonder why she’d do this and Snow says it’s because of her. She bravely sends word to meet with Regina. Red and the Huntsman find Snow and tell her about a place where there’s a totem that can turn the werewolves into normal wolves and they’ll have a chance at taking them down. Red is ok with this even though they’re her pack. They arrive at the lake, they find the ancient tree that the totem is buried inside. But before they can find the totem the Evil Queen and the wolves arrive. Regina commands the wolves to take down Snow, Red, and the Huntsman. Snow buys them time to find the totem by bravely telling the Queen to come after *her* and leave the others alone. Snow leads the wolves unto the ice so that when they transform them they’ll be trapped. Adir goes after the Huntsman, but Regina orders him to “stay on script” and kill Snow White. The Huntsman shouts out a warning, but it’s too late. The ice beneath Red and Snow crack and they fall in. The Huntsman now has the totem and dives in to save them. The Queen’s only concern is for what the huntsman had in his hand. Adir tells her it doesn’t matter they’re dead. The Queen doesn’t seem to believe this. Underwater, Red, Snow, and the Huntsman transform to sea creatures. They know they don’t have long before they turn back so the Huntsman convinces Red to try to unite the pack under her rule. One of the pack suffers an injury from one of the Huntsman’s arrows. Adir suggests to the Queen that they rest. She also questions her motives. She shows him what happens to those that do. He silently vows that she’ll regret this. Red tries to convince Adir that freedom doesn’t equal fear and working for Regina is the wrong path. But he thinks nothing will be ok until Snow is dead. Adir and the Huntsman get into a fistfight. The Huntsman threatens to end Adir, but Regina is the one that does him in. The pack sees this a betrayal and try to attack her, but she holds them off with magic. Red, Snow, and the Huntsman use this advantage to flee.
Red tries to go back to defend her pack, but the Huntsman goes instead (fearful that she’ll die too). He once again gives control of his heart over to the Queen. Now in a safe place Snow vows Red that they’ll get the Huntsman’s heart back (and back who it really belongs to *Red*). At the castle, Regina is in a good mood and says that when the snow thaws they’ll once again find Snow White and kill her for good this time.
My Thoughts: Great show! Not a very good graphic novel. In a graphic novel, the first thing is the illustrations HAVE to be on point or the rest goes downhill. These were not! It’s not a good thing when you have to look up the summary of the book online just to get what’s going on in the story. I like my illustrations bold, bright, and sharp! There was nothing in these characters' features (particularly Snow and Red that put me in the mind of the actresses on the show that played them). I even thought the townspeople in the inn were supposed to be the dwarfs. (Tho I did wonder why they’d all be traveling through the woods together in the snow). It was only because I found the summary of the book that I knew that they were the townspeople. The plot wasn’t special. I haven’t watched Once Upon A Time in a long time but had I not read this it wouldn’t have added a thing to the Snow, Huntsman, and Red storylines. The one thing I did like was the sketches at the end of the book of the character's costumes. I think I just need a sketchbook of the designs of the amazing costumes they wore on the show.
Rating: 5 I remember when I got this book as a Christmas present and how excited I was to own it. It just didn’t live up to my expectations.
June 10, 2021
As a big OUAT and comic book fan, I was excited to read this.
While the story is a nice quest to the main plot of the tv show, it lacks substance. It doesn't do much in the wider world of OUAT, it sets up romantic relationship that we know can never be fulfilled and for $20 it's very short. I was mainly disappointed to find that a quarter of this book was concept art. Where's the actual story?
That being said, it was nice to dip back into the world and experience new stories 10 years after it first aired.
While the story is a nice quest to the main plot of the tv show, it lacks substance. It doesn't do much in the wider world of OUAT, it sets up romantic relationship that we know can never be fulfilled and for $20 it's very short. I was mainly disappointed to find that a quarter of this book was concept art. Where's the actual story?
That being said, it was nice to dip back into the world and experience new stories 10 years after it first aired.
January 20, 2015
So I really don't know how to review this so I'm jut gonna break down what i specifically liked/disliked and maybe I'll hit a rating that way. But first a couple of (to me) important details: I picked this up having never read a graphic novel before because I am absolutely obsessed with the Once Upon A Time TV show on ABC and S4 is currently on a midseason hiatus and I AM ABOUT TO DIE. I figured there wasn't much of a better way to get into graphic novels than with something I know that I'm into. While the book is marketed as being never before seen stories that go along with the book(which is true) it does spoil an important plot point of S1E15,"Red Handed,"(looked it up, you're welcome) so if you are planning on watching the show, finish season 1 first for good measure. Being inexperienced with graphic novels I don't know if my issue is with the format or with the story itself.
Anyways...
Positives:
-loved that these were side stories of the show and that we got more Enchanted Forest worldbuilding.
-BANDIT SNOW (wish they'd show more of this on OUAT) + her relationship with Ruby
-The not so subtle hint on the chemistry between Red and the Huntsman. I SHIP IT and I wished Graham had been on the show longer so him and Ruby could have been together, although I do love her and Whale. I just want Meghan Ory back on the show for goodness sakes.
Neutral:
-The art. Each of the 4 chapters has a different artist/group of artists, and I enjoyed some a lot but was meh about others. It was a good thing because if I wasn't in love with a style I wasn't stuck with it forever, but then again I wish it was a book that was just comprised of my favorite art styles.
Negatives:
-The length. It was only 100ish pages, which I felt was too short for the story it was telling and I wanted more, but not in a good way.
All in all, really excited for the 2nd graphic novel that's coming out in April, especially because the cover has my favorite little swashbuckler on it and Captain Swan= OTP
Anyways...
Positives:
-loved that these were side stories of the show and that we got more Enchanted Forest worldbuilding.
-BANDIT SNOW (wish they'd show more of this on OUAT) + her relationship with Ruby
-The not so subtle hint on the chemistry between Red and the Huntsman. I SHIP IT and I wished Graham had been on the show longer so him and Ruby could have been together, although I do love her and Whale. I just want Meghan Ory back on the show for goodness sakes.
Neutral:
-The art. Each of the 4 chapters has a different artist/group of artists, and I enjoyed some a lot but was meh about others. It was a good thing because if I wasn't in love with a style I wasn't stuck with it forever, but then again I wish it was a book that was just comprised of my favorite art styles.
Negatives:
-The length. It was only 100ish pages, which I felt was too short for the story it was telling and I wanted more, but not in a good way.
All in all, really excited for the 2nd graphic novel that's coming out in April, especially because the cover has my favorite little swashbuckler on it and Captain Swan= OTP
September 30, 2013
The majority of the time when a tie is written for a movie or a television show, it is oriented towards the fans of the show. Thus, the reason I checked this book out of the library was we have been watching Once Upon a Time since the first season.
If you have never watched the show, this graphic novel does fill you in on what is happening. However, you will get more enjoyment if you understand the back story from the previous episodes.
As being tied back into the TV series, it does an okay job of giving another story that happened before the curse was placed. However, for tying it into the series, it does not flow smoothly. Also, with the story of the Huntsman in the series, it does not flow with what has been seen on TV.
As for the artwork, I am not too impressed. It is interesting seeing each chapter done by a different artist, but Chapter 2 sticks out compared to the others.
Overall it is okay to read, just a side diversion until the show returns for Season 3. Which for me started after I finished reading this.
If you have never watched the show, this graphic novel does fill you in on what is happening. However, you will get more enjoyment if you understand the back story from the previous episodes.
As being tied back into the TV series, it does an okay job of giving another story that happened before the curse was placed. However, for tying it into the series, it does not flow smoothly. Also, with the story of the Huntsman in the series, it does not flow with what has been seen on TV.
As for the artwork, I am not too impressed. It is interesting seeing each chapter done by a different artist, but Chapter 2 sticks out compared to the others.
Overall it is okay to read, just a side diversion until the show returns for Season 3. Which for me started after I finished reading this.
May 3, 2015
And yet again, I buy a comic from a TV show and it turns out to be from Marvel.
And it turns out to be... meh.
The preface says that you can read this book if you haven't read the show, it'll make you want to watch it!
WRONG
If you haven't watched the show, you'll probably be confused as hell. I watched most seasons (except for the last one, when I watched a couple of the Frozen episodes and I just rage quit), so I know the story and the characters. And even I was a little bit confused. Since when did Red kill her mother? Was this is the show and I'm just being senile? Or the novel? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT
The artwork was another thing that was a bit... meh. Maybe just not for my taste. Each issue has a different illustrator, but I wasn't keen on any. Especially the one that made Snow White look like she was cross eyed.
Read this if you've watched the show and you just want a little bit more, but don't expect anything awesome.
And it turns out to be... meh.
The preface says that you can read this book if you haven't read the show, it'll make you want to watch it!
WRONG
If you haven't watched the show, you'll probably be confused as hell. I watched most seasons (except for the last one, when I watched a couple of the Frozen episodes and I just rage quit), so I know the story and the characters. And even I was a little bit confused. Since when did Red kill her mother? Was this is the show and I'm just being senile? Or the novel? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT
The artwork was another thing that was a bit... meh. Maybe just not for my taste. Each issue has a different illustrator, but I wasn't keen on any. Especially the one that made Snow White look like she was cross eyed.
Read this if you've watched the show and you just want a little bit more, but don't expect anything awesome.
September 15, 2013
If it hadn't been for the jarring shift in illustration styles I probably would have given it five stars instead of four. The story was wonderful, I recognised the characters as the ones I love from the television show, and the artwork in the first and fourth chapters was amazing. It wasn't that chapters two and four were bad, just that two was so strange it bordered on psychedelic, and the fourth just wasn't as striking or smooth as the fourth. It all comes down to preference, I guess. But I still really enjoyed this, even though it did give me great emotional pain that I could have done without, especially given how the show already made me feel about one of the main characters in this novel.
October 11, 2013
i don't quite see how the plot of the graphic novel fits into the plot of the series. it seems to me like this is a ploy to pique the interest of comic book fans and hopefully get them to watch the show.
i also didn't enjoy much of the art. apart from michael del mundo's (who did chapter 1 and the cover, i think) which i felt rendered the biting cold of winter nights, i didn't find the images appealing. but i think it's important to note that i am more inclined to images which display great detail. much like makoto shinkai's animations.
[SPOILER]
also, WTF! why did they even dedicate 3 cells for a passing mention of Red and the Huntsman's romance? it didn't even contribute to the plot at all.
[/SPOILER]
*sigh*
i hope if they make another one, it gets a better story and better art.
i also didn't enjoy much of the art. apart from michael del mundo's (who did chapter 1 and the cover, i think) which i felt rendered the biting cold of winter nights, i didn't find the images appealing. but i think it's important to note that i am more inclined to images which display great detail. much like makoto shinkai's animations.
[SPOILER]
also, WTF! why did they even dedicate 3 cells for a passing mention of Red and the Huntsman's romance? it didn't even contribute to the plot at all.
[/SPOILER]
*sigh*
i hope if they make another one, it gets a better story and better art.
June 13, 2015
This was pretty good. I enjoyed the other OUAT(Out of the Past) comic better. This one also had some really cool concept art at the end. Overall it was a good comic. If you love the Huntsman/Graham you will really enjoy this!
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