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Sky Doll #1-3
Sky Doll Box Set
As power-hungry Papess Ludovique seeks more control over the citizens of Papathéa, those who still honor the memory of the outcast ruler Agape rise up in protest. Noa the Sky Doll finds herself in the middle of a Holy War, and quickly becomes swept up in it as rumors of her true powers spread across the planet. Roy and Jahu do their best to protect her, but as Noa soon discovers, one cannot escape one's destiny.
This box set collects Sky Doll: La Ville Jaune, Sky Doll: Aqua and Sky Doll: La Ville Blanche.
This box set collects Sky Doll: La Ville Jaune, Sky Doll: Aqua and Sky Doll: La Ville Blanche.
Hardcover
First published November 5, 2008
6 people are currently reading
648 people want to read
About the author
Alessandro Barbucci
247 books101 followersHe is an Italian artist, most famous for numerous Donald Duck comics and Sky Doll.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
March 4, 2020
Excellent European comic albums in the tradition of Moebius' Incal-esque trippy science fiction, but with more Disney art stylings. That is, Disney if they did erotic art...
The storytelling can be a bit confusing, but it's really all about the art. Spaceships and sexy robots abound in a critique of both capitalism and religion. What more could anyone want?
Skydoll shows what the comics medium can achieve if there are no limits! Very high quality
The storytelling can be a bit confusing, but it's really all about the art. Spaceships and sexy robots abound in a critique of both capitalism and religion. What more could anyone want?
Skydoll shows what the comics medium can achieve if there are no limits! Very high quality
April 17, 2017
Davvero molto bello! I disegni, i colori, la storia sembra promettere bene (già ho qualche mezza teoria) ed ha anche parecchi spunti di riflessione! Voglio il secondo *-*
February 27, 2012
I think the thing that bothers me most about Sky Doll is that at the core, there are good ideas here. Mass religion, the intersection of religion and consumerism, how media distorts reality, how acceptable aggressive male (hetero)sexuality is.
Except it all gets lost in a beautiful mess.
The art, and environments are gorgeous (even if the women are all beautiful and well endowed, while the men are ~real characters!) -- don't get me wrong. Noa is amazingly expressive, especially with her eyes.
But the book tends to forget what it's doing (for example, they cause a genocide of a species, and even a member of that species doesn't seem to mind much). The experience of women, under such a harsh, patriarchal regime is mentioned, but glossed over.
Sky Doll's reputation -- built on it's art alone -- is well deserved. As a science fiction text, or a graphic novel (how it tells a story), is where it fails.
Except it all gets lost in a beautiful mess.
The art, and environments are gorgeous (even if the women are all beautiful and well endowed, while the men are ~real characters!) -- don't get me wrong. Noa is amazingly expressive, especially with her eyes.
But the book tends to forget what it's doing (for example, they cause a genocide of a species, and even a member of that species doesn't seem to mind much). The experience of women, under such a harsh, patriarchal regime is mentioned, but glossed over.
Sky Doll's reputation -- built on it's art alone -- is well deserved. As a science fiction text, or a graphic novel (how it tells a story), is where it fails.
November 25, 2017
This series has some really great art, and an interesting story. The story is a bit muddled and hard to follow at times. And it doesn't really come to much of a conclusion here. So I wouldn't pick this up if you're looking for a really cohesive story with a satisfying ending. But if you're looking for some loopy French Sci-fi comics with gorgeous artwork, then you might really like this.
May 21, 2018
Interesting!
(Yeah, one word review, I'm that lazy nowadays)
(Yeah, one word review, I'm that lazy nowadays)
February 6, 2016
http://morethansuperhumans.blogspot.c...
On the planet Papathea, the Church of the holy mother Lodovica is all-powerful. That's because religion isn't just big business on Papathea--it's the only business. But Lodovica hasn't always been solely in charge. Her sister, Agape, was the spiritual counterpart to Lodovica's carnal side. But when Agape's disciples began to outnumber Lodovica's, Lodovica had Agape desanctified, effectively driving Agape and her followers underground as heretics.
Years later, two missionary corps agents are on a diplomatic mission to the planet Aqua, a planet populated entirely by females where a mysterious (and entirely unsanctioned) religion has taken hold. Along the way, Roy and Jahu stop at the Heaven Spaceship Wash to get their vehicle serviced. There, Roy meets Noa, a sky doll. Sky dolls are androids built to serve the needs of those who are rich enough to own them, and Noa is desperate to escape from her owner. Stowing away in Roy and Jahu's ship, she accompanies them on their mission. Soon enough, it becomes clear that Noa, who has been experiencing some strange transformations, may have a mission of her own on Aqua.
Sky Doll features gorgeous European-style artwork, but the two-dimensional characters take a backseat to the plot, which, in turn, is not particularly compelling. In fact, the story ends just as it's about to get interesting. Learning how the characters deal with the events at the end of the book is what would have (hopefully) breathed some life into Roy, Jahu, and Noa.
My understanding is that Barbucci and Canepa are at work on a fourth Sky Doll volume (this book collects the first three). It's still too early to know whether Marvel will publish that fourth volume in English.
On the planet Papathea, the Church of the holy mother Lodovica is all-powerful. That's because religion isn't just big business on Papathea--it's the only business. But Lodovica hasn't always been solely in charge. Her sister, Agape, was the spiritual counterpart to Lodovica's carnal side. But when Agape's disciples began to outnumber Lodovica's, Lodovica had Agape desanctified, effectively driving Agape and her followers underground as heretics.
Years later, two missionary corps agents are on a diplomatic mission to the planet Aqua, a planet populated entirely by females where a mysterious (and entirely unsanctioned) religion has taken hold. Along the way, Roy and Jahu stop at the Heaven Spaceship Wash to get their vehicle serviced. There, Roy meets Noa, a sky doll. Sky dolls are androids built to serve the needs of those who are rich enough to own them, and Noa is desperate to escape from her owner. Stowing away in Roy and Jahu's ship, she accompanies them on their mission. Soon enough, it becomes clear that Noa, who has been experiencing some strange transformations, may have a mission of her own on Aqua.
Sky Doll features gorgeous European-style artwork, but the two-dimensional characters take a backseat to the plot, which, in turn, is not particularly compelling. In fact, the story ends just as it's about to get interesting. Learning how the characters deal with the events at the end of the book is what would have (hopefully) breathed some life into Roy, Jahu, and Noa.
My understanding is that Barbucci and Canepa are at work on a fourth Sky Doll volume (this book collects the first three). It's still too early to know whether Marvel will publish that fourth volume in English.
March 4, 2017
vol 1: la città gialla 5 (ma anche sei)*/5*
June 29, 2012
Religions are fascinating; it's hard to deny that fact. And we see them all the time in the media whether we're a religious person ourselves or merely a bystander. Sky Doll is one of those pieces of media that takes religion and squishes it together with a science-fiction world to create something bizarre and intriguing.
On page one of the first issue, we find ourselves introduced to one of the main characters of the story, a Sky Doll named Noa. What are Sky Dolls you ask? They are life-like android without rights, resembling a young female, who exists only to serve the state's desires. Unlike many of the other Sky Dolls owned by the crude boss figure known as God, Noa has a personality all her own. She's not afraid to speak her mind, bubbly, curious, and she exhibits a wider range of emotions than any of her brethren. It's clear from the get go that she has a desire for something more than her careful life at Heaven Spaceship Wash and is willing to go to any means necessary to make those desires reality.
Even going as far as to stow away on one of the ships passing through.
Enter Roy and Jahu. These two seemingly normal men are missionaries headed to the planet Aqua and, despite Jahu's dislike for Noa and everything she is, the Sky Doll is allowed to venture with them. It soon becomes apparent that there is something more to this doll than meets the eye, as well as the two men she travels with.
Now, let me take a moment to explain the world this trio is from. In this universe, the papacies of Agape,representing spiritual love, and Lodovica, representing sexual love, fell into major conflict, resulting in the supposed “destruction” of Agape and the creation of a dystopia in which freedoms have become perverted beyond belief. Let's just say the Sky Dolls were created as a distraction. Lodovica rules the galaxy through (surprise, surprise) extensive media control, using “miracles” to impress the masses. (Did I mention she's just a touch psychotic?) Like any good society though, there are the underground followers of Agape scattered throughout the universe as well as heretics like the inhabitants of the planet Aqua who follow a different god or goddess all together. Lodovica has made it her goal to destroy anything and everything not centered around her, wanting complete and total control and loyalty from all beings in the galaxy. But we all know that something like that isn't easy, though, and as Noa, Roy, and Jahu's adventure takes a turn for the complicated, Lodovica's power begins to waver.
I don't want to spoil anything since there are only three issues out thus far, but I found Sky Doll to be visually stunning though a bit overpowering at the same time. It can be quite wordy at certain points, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but there was a lot of information getting presented all at once and sometimes it was confusing. I found myself reading certain parts several times over and even going back to read all three issues over again just to make sure I got a good grasp on what was going on. Please don't let this discourage you though, Sky Doll is a wonderful piece of work. I found myself feeling for Lodovica (yes, I felt bad for the psycho!) as things began to hit the fan and falling in love with Noa and her warm personality. The creators have gone out of their way to make a fascinating world, so if you find yourself wanting to know more about it, I recommend getting a hold of "Doll's Factory", which gives you more insight to the world of Sky Doll. It helped me a lot in understanding more about what was going on in the pages of the actual comic, to some extent.
Sky Doll has a little something for everyone and I definitely think this comic is worth a read. But don't take my word for it. Go give it a try!
On page one of the first issue, we find ourselves introduced to one of the main characters of the story, a Sky Doll named Noa. What are Sky Dolls you ask? They are life-like android without rights, resembling a young female, who exists only to serve the state's desires. Unlike many of the other Sky Dolls owned by the crude boss figure known as God, Noa has a personality all her own. She's not afraid to speak her mind, bubbly, curious, and she exhibits a wider range of emotions than any of her brethren. It's clear from the get go that she has a desire for something more than her careful life at Heaven Spaceship Wash and is willing to go to any means necessary to make those desires reality.
Even going as far as to stow away on one of the ships passing through.
Enter Roy and Jahu. These two seemingly normal men are missionaries headed to the planet Aqua and, despite Jahu's dislike for Noa and everything she is, the Sky Doll is allowed to venture with them. It soon becomes apparent that there is something more to this doll than meets the eye, as well as the two men she travels with.
Now, let me take a moment to explain the world this trio is from. In this universe, the papacies of Agape,representing spiritual love, and Lodovica, representing sexual love, fell into major conflict, resulting in the supposed “destruction” of Agape and the creation of a dystopia in which freedoms have become perverted beyond belief. Let's just say the Sky Dolls were created as a distraction. Lodovica rules the galaxy through (surprise, surprise) extensive media control, using “miracles” to impress the masses. (Did I mention she's just a touch psychotic?) Like any good society though, there are the underground followers of Agape scattered throughout the universe as well as heretics like the inhabitants of the planet Aqua who follow a different god or goddess all together. Lodovica has made it her goal to destroy anything and everything not centered around her, wanting complete and total control and loyalty from all beings in the galaxy. But we all know that something like that isn't easy, though, and as Noa, Roy, and Jahu's adventure takes a turn for the complicated, Lodovica's power begins to waver.
I don't want to spoil anything since there are only three issues out thus far, but I found Sky Doll to be visually stunning though a bit overpowering at the same time. It can be quite wordy at certain points, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but there was a lot of information getting presented all at once and sometimes it was confusing. I found myself reading certain parts several times over and even going back to read all three issues over again just to make sure I got a good grasp on what was going on. Please don't let this discourage you though, Sky Doll is a wonderful piece of work. I found myself feeling for Lodovica (yes, I felt bad for the psycho!) as things began to hit the fan and falling in love with Noa and her warm personality. The creators have gone out of their way to make a fascinating world, so if you find yourself wanting to know more about it, I recommend getting a hold of "Doll's Factory", which gives you more insight to the world of Sky Doll. It helped me a lot in understanding more about what was going on in the pages of the actual comic, to some extent.
Sky Doll has a little something for everyone and I definitely think this comic is worth a read. But don't take my word for it. Go give it a try!
December 29, 2024
This (incomplete?) little story is about the interjection between religion and consumerism, sensuality and sexuality, the male and the female, etc. Or so it tries to be, but it’s in quite a rush! I would like to think this is simply a fatal mistake, but the art is quite gorgeous (isn’t it?), so maybe they knew they could only do a few of these. It’s a shame, because as a proper series this could rule. It doesn’t feel like a proper series.
I like all of its sex, and its colours and its bombastic rhythm. But I don’t like how wordy it is. How disorganized and incoherent it is.
There is no rush in telling a story!
I like all of its sex, and its colours and its bombastic rhythm. But I don’t like how wordy it is. How disorganized and incoherent it is.
There is no rush in telling a story!
April 23, 2017
Recommended for catholic, disney-obsessed furries. If you aren't into all of that, this might not be the book for you.
Read
June 9, 2020Como lectora de
W.i.t.c.h.
en mi infancia, desde el momento en el que descubrí Sky Doll, este cómic se convirtió en una necesidad consumista inmediata. El estilo gráfico de Alessandro Barbucci y Barbara Canepa es muy particular y, si bien en su momento los conocí ilustrando el guion de Elisabetta Gnone, el aspecto visual me resultaba, hasta cierto punto, casi nostálgico. Pero allí donde el cómic de Gnone destacaba por su colorido y su aire profundamente mágico, dirigido a un público juvenil, Sky Doll es una historia de fantaciencia religiosa mucho más adulta, más crítica y satírica y con un componente sexual muy marcado, lo que parece inevitable, teniendo en cuenta que la protagonista de la historia es un robot sexual.
Noa, protestona e inconformista.
Sky Doll sigue las aventuras y desventuras de Noa, una muñeca sexual marca Sky Doll® que, en el inicio de la historia, trabaja en una estación de carretera del planeta Papathea, lavando coches con otras compañeras Sky Doll y dando un espectáculo erótico en el proceso. Pero Noa no es como el resto de muñecas Sky Doll: es inconformista y no se resigna al trato despectivo que le da su dueño. Sin embargo, las Sky Doll no están hechas para ser libres: cada treinta y tres horas alguien debe darles cuerda en un lugar de su espalda al que ellas solas no pueden llegar con una llave especial, lo que las ata irremediablemente a aquel que tenga la llave.
En esa estación de servicio conoce a Roy y Jahu, dos emisarios de la papisa Ludovica. Roy, que siente una fuerte atracción por Noa, se apiada de ella y no la denuncia a las autoridades cuando la encuentra escondida en su nave, con lo que Noa consigue su libertad… pero empiezan a pasarle cosas extrañas: oye una voz en su interior que la llama y la invita a recordar, tiene extraños sueños donde una mujer desconocida le recrimina que no es ella y trances en los que hace cosas que se parecen demasiado a los milagros.
Continúa en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2020/05/0...
Noa, protestona e inconformista.
Sky Doll sigue las aventuras y desventuras de Noa, una muñeca sexual marca Sky Doll® que, en el inicio de la historia, trabaja en una estación de carretera del planeta Papathea, lavando coches con otras compañeras Sky Doll y dando un espectáculo erótico en el proceso. Pero Noa no es como el resto de muñecas Sky Doll: es inconformista y no se resigna al trato despectivo que le da su dueño. Sin embargo, las Sky Doll no están hechas para ser libres: cada treinta y tres horas alguien debe darles cuerda en un lugar de su espalda al que ellas solas no pueden llegar con una llave especial, lo que las ata irremediablemente a aquel que tenga la llave.
En esa estación de servicio conoce a Roy y Jahu, dos emisarios de la papisa Ludovica. Roy, que siente una fuerte atracción por Noa, se apiada de ella y no la denuncia a las autoridades cuando la encuentra escondida en su nave, con lo que Noa consigue su libertad… pero empiezan a pasarle cosas extrañas: oye una voz en su interior que la llama y la invita a recordar, tiene extraños sueños donde una mujer desconocida le recrimina que no es ella y trances en los que hace cosas que se parecen demasiado a los milagros.
Continúa en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2020/05/0...
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August 27, 2018
Actual rating: 2,5. The artwork was really great and I kind of enjoyed the story (if there had been a more satisfying ending than the one we got) but what bothered me most was the fact that almost all the women seemed to have their tits out all the time.
May 7, 2017
Le tavole sono stupende! L'ho adorato troppo e non vedo l'ora di leggere il secondo.
September 23, 2018
It's by the author of W.I.T.C.H. and I couldn't stop seeing resemblances... which is just wrong, considering the plot.
March 13, 2022
The art style is stunning! Cute story. This series is sadly kind of obscure, it deserves more love.
September 11, 2021
I truly, truly adore this comic.
From it's visual/art style to it's characters and the world surrounding them.
And what with the beef, pepper and seasonings being the fact that it has themes that strikes a familiar chord with anyone, such as manipulation via mass media, organised religions and the cons it can cause, the questioning of the religious/human's definition of morality, and most importantly, what it means to be "human", via the perspective of our main character, Noa.
And yes I will keep this review short for how convoluted Sky Doll itself can become. So I recommend you to check it out.
And most importantly, is the fact that the creators of W.I.T.C.H. and Monster Allergy(my childhood favourite) also made this.
From it's visual/art style to it's characters and the world surrounding them.
And what with the beef, pepper and seasonings being the fact that it has themes that strikes a familiar chord with anyone, such as manipulation via mass media, organised religions and the cons it can cause, the questioning of the religious/human's definition of morality, and most importantly, what it means to be "human", via the perspective of our main character, Noa.
And yes I will keep this review short for how convoluted Sky Doll itself can become. So I recommend you to check it out.
And most importantly, is the fact that the creators of W.I.T.C.H. and Monster Allergy(my childhood favourite) also made this.
March 19, 2024
I'm reading it in Spanish, not my native language. The authors are Italian, and I figure the translation from Italian to Spanish is pretty straightforward. It's firmly in the bandes desinées/métal hurlant genre, which implies a level of sexism that's not really that acceptable in the US. That said, it's entertaining enough. The characters may not be as complex as you'd like, and the story may not be as subtle as you'd like, but the art is good, it's well paced, and does what it needs to within the confines of it's genre and audience.
December 3, 2018
The artwork is awesome. The story is interesting to say the least, but it's been retold at least 1.000 times before. Evert single scene just feels like one big cliche. The characters are so stereotypical that they basically need no introduction. From the beginning, when you first meet them, you already know what kind of personality that character has.
I would, however, keep on reading the story, just to see what turn will it take next.
I would, however, keep on reading the story, just to see what turn will it take next.
May 21, 2017
Essendo solo il primo capitolo di una storia molto più ampia non posso esprimermi molto su di essa, ma posso dire che viste le brillanti premesse, si prospetta una serie fantastica con tutte le carte in regola per divenire la mia prossima "droga letteraria" del 2017! I disegni sono molto belli e ho apprezzato sopratutto la palette di colori brillanti che caratterizza tutte le tavole!
April 8, 2019
What an immensely beautiful book. I literally cannot state how lovely I found this.
It has by no means its darker moments. Suicide, rape, slavery, religious prosecution... and with the cartoony style and tails added on, everything presented could be seen as silly and unbelievable. But I was never found myself rolling my eyes in disbelief. I love this book.
It has by no means its darker moments. Suicide, rape, slavery, religious prosecution... and with the cartoony style and tails added on, everything presented could be seen as silly and unbelievable. But I was never found myself rolling my eyes in disbelief. I love this book.
December 28, 2024
Gorgeous artwork, fantastic story, solid yet ironic messaging, and great characters. Truly perfect. I only wish there was more.
My sister had this comic in French and I used to look at the beautiful art for hours without fully understanding the plot and only guessing from the expressive drawings what it was about. I'm so happy to have finally read this in English.
My sister had this comic in French and I used to look at the beautiful art for hours without fully understanding the plot and only guessing from the expressive drawings what it was about. I'm so happy to have finally read this in English.
January 7, 2020
Coming late to the party. Great little sci-fi saga with a nice Barbarella feel and a nice space opera structure. Come for the poppy look, stay for the nice motifs in the narrative (power of religions, criticism of current societies, metaphors of women’s place in society and feminism). Recommend !
September 21, 2017
Alessandro Barbucci makes me sad, the guy is so talented my eyes freak out when i see his work.
January 16, 2019
Inizia la saga di Noah, una "bambola elettronica" che, per motivi sconosciuti, prova emozioni e ha una personalità!
March 15, 2019
Sky Doll is the best sci-fi series out there. If you haven't read it yet pick it up!
March 10, 2020
the art is the best of this comic, this use a lovely pallet, the character desing is so good, and the story is controvertial and funny! I want the volume 5!
Read
June 11, 2021Saga this ain't.
January 29, 2022
Amazing art and coloring!
May 24, 2022
This came up on my Amazon recommendations and I wasn't expecting much, but the art was incredibly distinct and the story was fun.
June 21, 2022
Lovely graphical side but most importantly an engaging and interesting story. The biggest fault is that I would love to explore and get to know this realm in more depth
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews