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XINO
“If you like your sci-fi comics as weird as they are high-concept, then you'll definitely want to be on the lookout for Xino." — IGN
“An absolute who’s who of rising creators. Every story in this collection is a banger, and I can’t recommend it enough." — Comics Beat
Because the future is getting weirder everyday, we give you XINO—an intra-ocular lozenge of subversive, surrealist science fiction to cure your awful awareness of it all. Try not to worry—the insertion process will be guided by the megawatt brilliance of comics’ brightest talents as they slowly tune your hopes, dreams, desires, paranoia, alienation, anxiety, and adrenaline to produce the desired results.
Join Melissa Flores (The Dead Lucky , Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ) and Daniel Irizarri ( Judge Dredd ) as they surgically activate the hidden dimensions of the human senses; cult phenoms Christopher Condon ( That Texas Blood ) and Nick Cagnetti ( Pink Lemonade ) debut the world's first intravenous video game system; underground radicals Jordan Thomas ( Weird Work ) and Shaky Kane ( Bulletproof Coffin ) surveil the suburbs for signs of covert infiltration; plus much, more from a startling cast of megawatt talents, including Phil Hester ( Gotham Year One ), David Lapham ( Stray Bullets ) and Maria Lapham force our collective psyche into unrecognizable new dimensions; award-winning and bestselling author Alex Segura ( Secret Identity ) and Zander Cannon ( Kaijumax ) embark on an intergalactic journey of revenge; François Vigneault ( Titan ) and Artyom Trakhanov ( First Knife ) deliver bleeding-edge technology to Paleolithic man; Dan McDaid ( DEGA ) takes weaponized incompetence to the next level; Connor Willumsen ( Bradley Of Him ) digs deep into our capacity for self-delusion—which doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
All that and much much more in this dazzling deconstruction of our past, present, and future!
“An absolute who’s who of rising creators. Every story in this collection is a banger, and I can’t recommend it enough." — Comics Beat
Because the future is getting weirder everyday, we give you XINO—an intra-ocular lozenge of subversive, surrealist science fiction to cure your awful awareness of it all. Try not to worry—the insertion process will be guided by the megawatt brilliance of comics’ brightest talents as they slowly tune your hopes, dreams, desires, paranoia, alienation, anxiety, and adrenaline to produce the desired results.
Join Melissa Flores (The Dead Lucky , Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ) and Daniel Irizarri ( Judge Dredd ) as they surgically activate the hidden dimensions of the human senses; cult phenoms Christopher Condon ( That Texas Blood ) and Nick Cagnetti ( Pink Lemonade ) debut the world's first intravenous video game system; underground radicals Jordan Thomas ( Weird Work ) and Shaky Kane ( Bulletproof Coffin ) surveil the suburbs for signs of covert infiltration; plus much, more from a startling cast of megawatt talents, including Phil Hester ( Gotham Year One ), David Lapham ( Stray Bullets ) and Maria Lapham force our collective psyche into unrecognizable new dimensions; award-winning and bestselling author Alex Segura ( Secret Identity ) and Zander Cannon ( Kaijumax ) embark on an intergalactic journey of revenge; François Vigneault ( Titan ) and Artyom Trakhanov ( First Knife ) deliver bleeding-edge technology to Paleolithic man; Dan McDaid ( DEGA ) takes weaponized incompetence to the next level; Connor Willumsen ( Bradley Of Him ) digs deep into our capacity for self-delusion—which doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
All that and much much more in this dazzling deconstruction of our past, present, and future!
144 pages, Paperback
Published January 23, 2024
33 people want to read
About the author
Phil Hester
917 books63 followersThis Eisner Award-nominated artist was born in eastern Iowa, where he went on to study at the University of Iowa. His pencilling credits include Swamp Thing, Brave New World, Flinch, Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Clerks: The Lost Scene, The Crow: Waking Nightmares, The Wretch (nominated for the 1997 Eisner Award for Best New Series), Aliens: Purge, and Green Arrow.
Since graduating from the University of Iowa, he has been in the comics industry for over 15 years.
Since graduating from the University of Iowa, he has been in the comics industry for over 15 years.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 2, 2023
Like with a prose short story collection, XINO is difficult to rate. I was entertained by each of the stories. Some were better than others, some were even excellent. It reminded me of the old anthology series that DC Comics did when they had their Vertigo line. And all credit to the writers and artists as it's incredibly difficult to tell a story in just a few short pages. They are many established names that I recognized and others that I will be keeping an eye on in the future. I hope Oni Press will continue to put out comics like this.
Special Thanks to Oni Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.
Special Thanks to Oni Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.
Read
November 2, 2023If I describe this as American comics finally grasping Future Shocks, that sounds dismissive, but it really isn't meant to be. Reading short comics by our colonial cousins, I'm often driven to lament their obvious lack of the primer, as readers and often as neophyte writers too, provided by Tharg's six-page science fiction shockers. But the entries here - they get it. I can't really say much about any of the individual stories without giving the game away, but if none of them are up with Alan Moore's masterpieces of the form, nor are there any of the 'Well, I hope that's the last we'll be hearing from this clown' turkeys. As has traditionally been the way of Future Shocks, many of the contributor names are new to me, though we do also get the likes of Zander Cannon, Phil Hester, and Shaky Kane (a Brit, I know, but still). Hell, even the Laphams didn't get my back up like they usually do. Bite-sized, lurid, usually nasty but never groan-worthy - I'm impressed.
(Netgalley ARC)
(Netgalley ARC)
October 28, 2023
I received an eARC from Oni Press via NetGalley.
Xino #1 was a stunning and strange ride. If you like underground, pulp-y weirdness and dark sci-fi, you’ll enjoy this collection. There wasn’t a story I didn’t like, and the ones I didn’t love were purely because I wish there was a little more fleshed out. The artwork is fantastic and the stories felt mostly original. Among my favorites were Rabbit Trap, B&B, Free Hugs or the Ballad of MEGaVORTEX!, Buster, Sticky Tape, and Hue. Can’t wait to read more Xino!
Xino #1 was a stunning and strange ride. If you like underground, pulp-y weirdness and dark sci-fi, you’ll enjoy this collection. There wasn’t a story I didn’t like, and the ones I didn’t love were purely because I wish there was a little more fleshed out. The artwork is fantastic and the stories felt mostly original. Among my favorites were Rabbit Trap, B&B, Free Hugs or the Ballad of MEGaVORTEX!, Buster, Sticky Tape, and Hue. Can’t wait to read more Xino!
December 22, 2023
XINO is a cool anthology with a big variety of sci-fi stories ranging from horror and cautionary tales to absurd stories with funny twists. The art styles found in this collection are diverse and consistently good and fitting to the vibe of each short. While XINO is a solid and entertaining collection, the quality of the stories fluctuates quite a bit, which is only natural. Some felt more like proposals for a comic book you'd give a publisher to provide a glimpse of what you plan on doing and barely scratched the surface, while some managed to pack a lot into a handful of pages (looking at you, The Testimonial). All in all, XINO was highly entertaining and I'd say the good segments outweigh the more mediocre ones. Definitely worth a look if you're into sci-fi anthologies!
- ARC provided by NetGalley -
- ARC provided by NetGalley -
November 30, 2023
XINO will be released January 23, 2024. Oni Press provided an early galley for review.
As a teen of the late 70's/early 80's, I grew up on sci-fi comic anthologies like DC's Timewarp, Marvel's Epic Illustrated and, of course, Heavy Metal magazine. Each issue would always bring something new, engaging, wild, and eye-opening. XINO carries on that proud tradition.
The fourteen stories here have a very hit-and-run nature to them. With an average of ten pages apieces, they have to get right to the point and yet still leave the reader with ideas to ponder (something all good short stories do). They provide tantalizing tastes to satisfy the reader's hunger for sci-fi goodness. We also get some otherworldly single-page pieces of art between stories, just to further tease our imaginations.
If you're looking for some interesting comic tales with a sci-fi flare from a wide array of rising comic talents, XINO might just be what you need.
As a teen of the late 70's/early 80's, I grew up on sci-fi comic anthologies like DC's Timewarp, Marvel's Epic Illustrated and, of course, Heavy Metal magazine. Each issue would always bring something new, engaging, wild, and eye-opening. XINO carries on that proud tradition.
The fourteen stories here have a very hit-and-run nature to them. With an average of ten pages apieces, they have to get right to the point and yet still leave the reader with ideas to ponder (something all good short stories do). They provide tantalizing tastes to satisfy the reader's hunger for sci-fi goodness. We also get some otherworldly single-page pieces of art between stories, just to further tease our imaginations.
If you're looking for some interesting comic tales with a sci-fi flare from a wide array of rising comic talents, XINO might just be what you need.
December 3, 2023
Received as an ARC on Netgalley:
This was a really vibrant and creative comic book anthology.
All of the stories have a very classic 80s Heavy Metal vibe but the tones/perspectives are incredibly diverse.
From evil Bunnies to cyborg cats, this really has it all.
Fantastic artwork and great storytelling. I hope this book gets more entries in the future.
This was a really vibrant and creative comic book anthology.
All of the stories have a very classic 80s Heavy Metal vibe but the tones/perspectives are incredibly diverse.
From evil Bunnies to cyborg cats, this really has it all.
Fantastic artwork and great storytelling. I hope this book gets more entries in the future.
December 16, 2023
XINO is sort of an anthology - a set of short stories. Each of this dystopian, sci-fi, thrilling story gave me the chills and left me wanting more. All the authors/artists are very skilled at what they love to do and are great story tellers. Of course, there were stories that pulled me in more and some less. But that's the issue with short story collection - how do you rate them? I think my review is going to boil down to - I wish they were longer. I was sucked into their worlds from the first page, but they all ended too soon. I am looking forward discovering these amazing creators and their works in longer formats.
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me in exchange for an honest review.
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2023
A mixed bag of stories and artwork styles. Some I enjoyed more than others, but a pretty solid collection overall. Some of the art reminded me of Rich Tomasso, elsewhere it had that old school 2000AD feel, and there was a great splash page in there by Andre Araujo which I've definitely seen before (maybe in his newsletter). It gave the book a varied feel, especially with some of the coloring choices.
The stories themselves dealt in a lot of the familiar sci-fi tropes - invasion of the body snatchers, virtual reality, robots, space opera - but puts a humorous twist on them.
If you're a fan of sci-fi comics with that pulp feel, definitely check this one out.
The stories themselves dealt in a lot of the familiar sci-fi tropes - invasion of the body snatchers, virtual reality, robots, space opera - but puts a humorous twist on them.
If you're a fan of sci-fi comics with that pulp feel, definitely check this one out.
November 14, 2023
This graphic novel is insanely gorgeous! The aesthetic is everything my 80's obsessed little heart could ever want. I'm going to need a physical copy of this asap for my home library, and I only by physical books if they are my favorites. Please grab this immediately.
December 5, 2023
ARC review; thanks to NetGalley!
This was entertaining and really cool, I enjoyed it! It's an anthology of sci-fi horror stories and they're not all great, but most of them are and all of them are illustrated well. I enjoyed the unique style of each one and had a lot of fun with this.
This was entertaining and really cool, I enjoyed it! It's an anthology of sci-fi horror stories and they're not all great, but most of them are and all of them are illustrated well. I enjoyed the unique style of each one and had a lot of fun with this.
May 31, 2025
I received this ARC from NetGalley.
Xino is a collection of scifi/speculative fiction stories that each have a twist at the end. I really enjoyed it. I liked the different art styles and the breadth of topics the stories covered. It has an Electric Dreams or Black Mirror vibe.
Xino is a collection of scifi/speculative fiction stories that each have a twist at the end. I really enjoyed it. I liked the different art styles and the breadth of topics the stories covered. It has an Electric Dreams or Black Mirror vibe.
November 13, 2023
An beautifully illustrated and fascinating series of short science fiction stories, I really enjoyed reading this and it definitely gave room for thought.
October 28, 2023
My thanks to both NetGalley and Oni Press for an advanced copy of this graphic novel collection featuring graphics and stories that harken back to the crazy days of underground comics and Heavy Metal magazine.
Back in the day I was a Marvel Zombie from a very early age. My idea of independent comics would have been maybe Sad Sack or some Richie Rich. All my comics were bought in a candy store in New York, or from my parents. I also had an illegal cable box, so when looking around I found a animated movie that I think I might have seen the soundtrack for in Caldor's. Cool, I thought I love animation. The movie was Heavy Metal and it went through my brain like Den through his enemies. The movie was violent, and naked, and well naked. Now I wanted to go to tag sales and flea markets with my parents. I needed more. Xino is a collection of stories that are very reminiscent of early Heavy Metal, featuring a large group of creators doing stories that really are pushing the edges of the medium in a very great way.
Xino features short, a couple pages in length stories with a strong science fiction feeling, though there is a bit of fantasy and body horror to fill things out. Or off depending on the story. Some of the stories have messages, some reflect our times, some are just vile and gross. None of them are boring. Some of the standouts include a story that seems to take place in mid-twentieth century America where conformity is everything, and a racist gets to meet the new neighbors. Also the first story has some interesting ideas, about game culture, and what could happen in one lets themselves get lost in it. Plus it is pretty action packed.
Xino has a definite European feel to it, mixed with a lot of the underground comics DNA mixed in. Xino as a title even reminds me of zines that I used to pickup at record shops, sometimes with stories that are kind of close to what is here. Again the stories are short, which is both good and bad. There is no filler, no wasted words or panels that set a scene, just story. Some stories I would have liked to have had more of. Some maybe even a little less. And the rest were just right. The art though is really good, a bizarre mix of styles and ideas that really leap off the page and enter the eye and brain. I really enjoyed this and want to read more.
Recommended for readers who want something new. There are a lot of good people doing some great work, and this is good collection to find some new people to add to one's pull list. One will not be bored reading this, in fact some sleeplessness might be induced.
Back in the day I was a Marvel Zombie from a very early age. My idea of independent comics would have been maybe Sad Sack or some Richie Rich. All my comics were bought in a candy store in New York, or from my parents. I also had an illegal cable box, so when looking around I found a animated movie that I think I might have seen the soundtrack for in Caldor's. Cool, I thought I love animation. The movie was Heavy Metal and it went through my brain like Den through his enemies. The movie was violent, and naked, and well naked. Now I wanted to go to tag sales and flea markets with my parents. I needed more. Xino is a collection of stories that are very reminiscent of early Heavy Metal, featuring a large group of creators doing stories that really are pushing the edges of the medium in a very great way.
Xino features short, a couple pages in length stories with a strong science fiction feeling, though there is a bit of fantasy and body horror to fill things out. Or off depending on the story. Some of the stories have messages, some reflect our times, some are just vile and gross. None of them are boring. Some of the standouts include a story that seems to take place in mid-twentieth century America where conformity is everything, and a racist gets to meet the new neighbors. Also the first story has some interesting ideas, about game culture, and what could happen in one lets themselves get lost in it. Plus it is pretty action packed.
Xino has a definite European feel to it, mixed with a lot of the underground comics DNA mixed in. Xino as a title even reminds me of zines that I used to pickup at record shops, sometimes with stories that are kind of close to what is here. Again the stories are short, which is both good and bad. There is no filler, no wasted words or panels that set a scene, just story. Some stories I would have liked to have had more of. Some maybe even a little less. And the rest were just right. The art though is really good, a bizarre mix of styles and ideas that really leap off the page and enter the eye and brain. I really enjoyed this and want to read more.
Recommended for readers who want something new. There are a lot of good people doing some great work, and this is good collection to find some new people to add to one's pull list. One will not be bored reading this, in fact some sleeplessness might be induced.
Read
December 1, 2023I can’t give a star rating for the whole book because it was a book of short stories and each story has a different rating.
This book was like watching a bunch of little episodes of black mirror. If you’re a fan of black mirror, you’ll enjoy this.
Story one: the chip
4.5 stars. I enjoyed this one a lot! I actually wanted more of this one. It was so cool. The whole idea of the story could be a movie! Would be 5 stars if it was just a tiny bit longer with a bit more of a twist. I have so many ideas running through my head now about the movie this could make.
Story two: rabbit trap
1 star. I hated this one. I don’t have anything nice to say about it.
Story 3: b&b
2 stars. This one was really silly. Just some guy lost in space and messing stuff up because he thinks he’s at a b&b. No point at all to this story, but it was kind of funny.
Story four: visceral
Four stars. This one could be a movie as well. It was spooky and creepy and cool.
Story 5: free hugs
3 stars. Ok, what the fuck was that?
Story 6: easy beazy
5 stars. This one was morbid but really fucking awesome.
Story 7: testimonial
4 stars. This was depressing, but has a good point. I like things that have a good point to them so that gives this one extra stars. I feel bad for this guy (the character in the story).
Story 8: buster
3 stars. It was going somewhere but ended nowhere. Good idea, bad ending.
Story 9: (I think it’s called “finale”)
I don’t even have a star rating for this one because it felt like the beginning of a story. It didn’t have a conclusion or anything. I would’ve enjoyed the story if it kept going… or explained more… but it was like a chapter 1 of a whole novel and it was missing a lot of context.
Story ten: she took the air
1 star. I have no idea what this was even about.
Story 11: sticky tape
2 stars. I don’t get it. Why the tape?
Story 12: chateaubriand
2 stars. It was weird and random and had no depth. Could’ve been a cool story if it wasn’t so short. Much like most of these stories.
Story 13: the people
2 stars. Ugh. Another one that just seems like the beginning of a story and left me feeling like the story was incomplete.
Story 14: hue
5 stars. This was my favorite one. This one would make an amazing horror movie! The idea, anyway. If you took this idea and stretched it into a movie, it would be incredible!
In conclusion, a few of the stories were alright, most of them were very incomplete, and a few made no sense whatsoever.
Side note: the pictures in between stories were really cool.
This book was like watching a bunch of little episodes of black mirror. If you’re a fan of black mirror, you’ll enjoy this.
Story one: the chip
4.5 stars. I enjoyed this one a lot! I actually wanted more of this one. It was so cool. The whole idea of the story could be a movie! Would be 5 stars if it was just a tiny bit longer with a bit more of a twist. I have so many ideas running through my head now about the movie this could make.
Story two: rabbit trap
1 star. I hated this one. I don’t have anything nice to say about it.
Story 3: b&b
2 stars. This one was really silly. Just some guy lost in space and messing stuff up because he thinks he’s at a b&b. No point at all to this story, but it was kind of funny.
Story four: visceral
Four stars. This one could be a movie as well. It was spooky and creepy and cool.
Story 5: free hugs
3 stars. Ok, what the fuck was that?
Story 6: easy beazy
5 stars. This one was morbid but really fucking awesome.
Story 7: testimonial
4 stars. This was depressing, but has a good point. I like things that have a good point to them so that gives this one extra stars. I feel bad for this guy (the character in the story).
Story 8: buster
3 stars. It was going somewhere but ended nowhere. Good idea, bad ending.
Story 9: (I think it’s called “finale”)
I don’t even have a star rating for this one because it felt like the beginning of a story. It didn’t have a conclusion or anything. I would’ve enjoyed the story if it kept going… or explained more… but it was like a chapter 1 of a whole novel and it was missing a lot of context.
Story ten: she took the air
1 star. I have no idea what this was even about.
Story 11: sticky tape
2 stars. I don’t get it. Why the tape?
Story 12: chateaubriand
2 stars. It was weird and random and had no depth. Could’ve been a cool story if it wasn’t so short. Much like most of these stories.
Story 13: the people
2 stars. Ugh. Another one that just seems like the beginning of a story and left me feeling like the story was incomplete.
Story 14: hue
5 stars. This was my favorite one. This one would make an amazing horror movie! The idea, anyway. If you took this idea and stretched it into a movie, it would be incredible!
In conclusion, a few of the stories were alright, most of them were very incomplete, and a few made no sense whatsoever.
Side note: the pictures in between stories were really cool.
December 27, 2023
XINO is cleverly named. Its spelling looks like an alien species, but when you sound it out, it reads as “zine-o”, like a psychedelic pill that contains the concentrated essence of experimental zines. This collection of comic strip short stories is science fiction that’s curated to unsettle its readers. It has a very niche audience who will love it.
One panel in the story Free Hugs summarizes almost every story in this collection:
A beautiful landscape with stunning colors. You want to go to this world and be washed in the visual effects. The stories are simplified down to only include the “what if?” setup and the worst-case scenario outcome. The creators of these stories are very fond of the “our organs will liquify and we’ll die screaming” eventuality.
The color work really was my favorite part of this. At some point, I realized that the story format isn’t my cup of tea, and I focused on the graphics. That’s when XINO started working for me, to a degree.
Content warning for gore and anything you might reasonably expect in the horror genre.
Thanks to Oni Press and all the creators behind XINO for sending me a free advance reader copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One panel in the story Free Hugs summarizes almost every story in this collection:
A beautiful landscape with stunning colors. You want to go to this world and be washed in the visual effects. The stories are simplified down to only include the “what if?” setup and the worst-case scenario outcome. The creators of these stories are very fond of the “our organs will liquify and we’ll die screaming” eventuality.
The color work really was my favorite part of this. At some point, I realized that the story format isn’t my cup of tea, and I focused on the graphics. That’s when XINO started working for me, to a degree.
Content warning for gore and anything you might reasonably expect in the horror genre.
Thanks to Oni Press and all the creators behind XINO for sending me a free advance reader copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the advanced copy.
I was so stoked when I saw this - so many amazing comic writers and artists, many who've been a part of some of my favorite comics and series, all writing in a crazy sci-fi comic anthology?! This is so up my alley it's not even funny.
Some stories are better than others but I think that overall, Xino is a very satisfying and enjoyable read for science fiction fans... but then I read a lot of anthologies, and I am ok with not every story being a banger, so long as the product as a whole is a success. The stories themselves remind me of the weird stuff you'd see in the likes of Heavy Metal (the magazine) or the Netflix series Love, Death, and Robots. I just love all of that kind of stuff lol
I think this will be a draw for comic art lovers as well, because there is some incredible art in this book, and just beautiful, beautiful coloring. I honestly recommend checking the book out for the art alone.
Overall, if you like weird sci-fi and cool art, then you'll likely enjoy Xino.
I was so stoked when I saw this - so many amazing comic writers and artists, many who've been a part of some of my favorite comics and series, all writing in a crazy sci-fi comic anthology?! This is so up my alley it's not even funny.
Some stories are better than others but I think that overall, Xino is a very satisfying and enjoyable read for science fiction fans... but then I read a lot of anthologies, and I am ok with not every story being a banger, so long as the product as a whole is a success. The stories themselves remind me of the weird stuff you'd see in the likes of Heavy Metal (the magazine) or the Netflix series Love, Death, and Robots. I just love all of that kind of stuff lol
I think this will be a draw for comic art lovers as well, because there is some incredible art in this book, and just beautiful, beautiful coloring. I honestly recommend checking the book out for the art alone.
Overall, if you like weird sci-fi and cool art, then you'll likely enjoy Xino.
November 11, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
3.5
I'm very mixed about how I feel about this collection of short stories. I expected each story to be their own small self-contained short, but instead, they all read as the ending to a story or the very beginning. They don't feel self-contained or their own finished thing. It feels more like a collection of sneak peeks into up-coming graphic novels, rather than a complete series of stories. Several of the stories did have some excellent concepts and could be made into bigger graphic novels with ease. Some I didn't care about even while reading them. Several of the stories had the same issues as some of the stories in Love, Death, and Robots, where there was a ton of gore for no apparent reason. When did sci-fi become a gore fest? I thought that was primarily a horror thing. Several of the stories had lovely art, and I'll probably see if I can seek out those artists' other works.
3.5
I'm very mixed about how I feel about this collection of short stories. I expected each story to be their own small self-contained short, but instead, they all read as the ending to a story or the very beginning. They don't feel self-contained or their own finished thing. It feels more like a collection of sneak peeks into up-coming graphic novels, rather than a complete series of stories. Several of the stories did have some excellent concepts and could be made into bigger graphic novels with ease. Some I didn't care about even while reading them. Several of the stories had the same issues as some of the stories in Love, Death, and Robots, where there was a ton of gore for no apparent reason. When did sci-fi become a gore fest? I thought that was primarily a horror thing. Several of the stories had lovely art, and I'll probably see if I can seek out those artists' other works.
January 4, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for an eARC of this book!
I know that anthologies can be hit or miss, but this was largely a miss for me and I'm pretty disappointed! "[S]ubversive, surrealist science fiction" is 100% up my alley, but I didn't find most of the comics in this collection to actually subvert my expectations or excite me as a reader.
But I do want to shout out two comics: Visceral (Justan Jordan, Molly Mendoza, Jim Campbell) and Sticky Tape (Dan McDaid) were phenomenal. Visceral blew me away with the gorgeous art and grusome concept. Sticky Tape was so tightly written and excecuted—the art wasn't quite to my taste, but I really enjoyed it.
Overall I probably wouldn't recommend this to many of my comic-reading friends... But if you're a fan of any of the artists or writers in this collection, support your local public library and pick up a copy!
I know that anthologies can be hit or miss, but this was largely a miss for me and I'm pretty disappointed! "[S]ubversive, surrealist science fiction" is 100% up my alley, but I didn't find most of the comics in this collection to actually subvert my expectations or excite me as a reader.
But I do want to shout out two comics: Visceral (Justan Jordan, Molly Mendoza, Jim Campbell) and Sticky Tape (Dan McDaid) were phenomenal. Visceral blew me away with the gorgeous art and grusome concept. Sticky Tape was so tightly written and excecuted—the art wasn't quite to my taste, but I really enjoyed it.
Overall I probably wouldn't recommend this to many of my comic-reading friends... But if you're a fan of any of the artists or writers in this collection, support your local public library and pick up a copy!
November 19, 2023
I received an ARC of Xino from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Xino, like all anthologies, is a mixed bag. Some of it is sublime, some of it is amusing, some of it isn't the best, but all in all it's an interesting book with a lot of fun stories.
The art on display is pretty darn good. There's a nice variety of styles and points of view, and the artists really enhance the writing of the stories. And the stories are good and, occasionally, great. My favorite was about a cat, a crime scene, and some political commentary.
This is a good, solid read and I would recommend it to fans of sci-fi comics!
Xino, like all anthologies, is a mixed bag. Some of it is sublime, some of it is amusing, some of it isn't the best, but all in all it's an interesting book with a lot of fun stories.
The art on display is pretty darn good. There's a nice variety of styles and points of view, and the artists really enhance the writing of the stories. And the stories are good and, occasionally, great. My favorite was about a cat, a crime scene, and some political commentary.
This is a good, solid read and I would recommend it to fans of sci-fi comics!
February 28, 2024
“Xino” by various writers and artists is an anthology graphic novel of stories with unusual twists.
The stories are generally science fiction in nature but add in surrealism and the bizarre. There is the story of a man who creates bad luck wherever he goes and is used as a weapon. There is a bllind man who gets new eyes, but what he now sees is bizarre and strange. There are outcasts and aliens and weird futures that seem familiar and strange.
There is also some pretty good eye-popping art, but just like any anthology, every story and art style may not be for every reader. Still I’m grateful for a chance to review this wild book.
The stories are generally science fiction in nature but add in surrealism and the bizarre. There is the story of a man who creates bad luck wherever he goes and is used as a weapon. There is a bllind man who gets new eyes, but what he now sees is bizarre and strange. There are outcasts and aliens and weird futures that seem familiar and strange.
There is also some pretty good eye-popping art, but just like any anthology, every story and art style may not be for every reader. Still I’m grateful for a chance to review this wild book.
November 2, 2023
Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!
★★★★
Phew! Xino packs a punch on every page!
Each panel is a tour de force of riotous color, violence and action. The stories themselves are strong and the dialogue and art work together perfectly to bring these surreal and thought provoking science-fiction tales to life.
There's an almost horror element at play here and some of the stories made me downright uncomfortable but
I found myself unable to put it down. I think this one is really going to look fantastic as printed media.
★★★★
Phew! Xino packs a punch on every page!
Each panel is a tour de force of riotous color, violence and action. The stories themselves are strong and the dialogue and art work together perfectly to bring these surreal and thought provoking science-fiction tales to life.
There's an almost horror element at play here and some of the stories made me downright uncomfortable but
I found myself unable to put it down. I think this one is really going to look fantastic as printed media.
December 21, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC.
This collection was a lot of fun to read, if you like sci-fi and comics. The stories vary in narrative style, content, and artwork.
I enjoyed the majority of the stories. There are three stories that I would give 5/5 to, "The Ballad of MEGaVORTEX", "Easy Beazy" and "Hue".
Anthologies are always a great way to explore new writers and illustrators and I highly recommend this one! Entertaining, thought-provoking and bizarre!
This collection was a lot of fun to read, if you like sci-fi and comics. The stories vary in narrative style, content, and artwork.
I enjoyed the majority of the stories. There are three stories that I would give 5/5 to, "The Ballad of MEGaVORTEX", "Easy Beazy" and "Hue".
Anthologies are always a great way to explore new writers and illustrators and I highly recommend this one! Entertaining, thought-provoking and bizarre!
November 20, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an arc of this book! I absolutely loved the whole concept of this short story comic collection, some stories were definitely more engaging than others but I thought the illustrations were really captivating and I love the various styles depending on the kind of story it was
November 7, 2023
ARC from Netgalley.
An attempt at Metal Hurlant's short comic fiction or 2000 AD's Future Shocks, we instead get stories that never get enough room to breath. The art is generally uninteresting.
An attempt at Metal Hurlant's short comic fiction or 2000 AD's Future Shocks, we instead get stories that never get enough room to breath. The art is generally uninteresting.
April 17, 2024
Very cool. Never seen a graphic novel anthology. Some very cool art in here.
March 3, 2025
Right now my child is watching a show about a little girl and a bear and the bear is not eating the little girl? What is this world coming to?
February 1, 2024
This anthology blew my socks off. XINO is the most groundbreaking and far-reaching anthology of weird fiction I’ve ever read, regardless of format. The fact that this anthology is a graphic novel and has incredible art is the cherry on top.
While the stories are vastly different in scope and narrative style, all of them are weird, subversive, and speculative as all get out. So many of the short stories turned out to be five-star reads for me. My 5-Star stories: “Rabbit Trap,” “Visceral,” “Free Hugs or The Ballad of MEGaVORTEX!,” “Easy Beazy,” “Testimonial,” “Buster,” “sticky tape,” and “The People.” If it’s not obvious, it would be a whole lot easier to tell you about the stories that weren’t five stars for me. This anthology was that impressive. I enjoyed this collection cover to cover, and I hope we see more volumes in this series.
The art in this collection is varied and diverse, and I enjoyed that the art was never quite the same from story to story. While some stories had clean, 60s-style art, others were purposely sketchy and rough. I appreciated these contrasts throughout the graphic novel and never felt bored stylistically. Although I liked some of the art styles more than others, the worlds were all challenging, weird, and meticulously crafted.
Thanks to Oni Press for an ARC of this GN. All the above thoughts are my own. Check out Back Shelf Books for more of my reviews.
While the stories are vastly different in scope and narrative style, all of them are weird, subversive, and speculative as all get out. So many of the short stories turned out to be five-star reads for me. My 5-Star stories: “Rabbit Trap,” “Visceral,” “Free Hugs or The Ballad of MEGaVORTEX!,” “Easy Beazy,” “Testimonial,” “Buster,” “sticky tape,” and “The People.” If it’s not obvious, it would be a whole lot easier to tell you about the stories that weren’t five stars for me. This anthology was that impressive. I enjoyed this collection cover to cover, and I hope we see more volumes in this series.
The art in this collection is varied and diverse, and I enjoyed that the art was never quite the same from story to story. While some stories had clean, 60s-style art, others were purposely sketchy and rough. I appreciated these contrasts throughout the graphic novel and never felt bored stylistically. Although I liked some of the art styles more than others, the worlds were all challenging, weird, and meticulously crafted.
Thanks to Oni Press for an ARC of this GN. All the above thoughts are my own. Check out Back Shelf Books for more of my reviews.
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