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Eden
Desperate to escape a dying Earth, a family schemes their way onto a massive spaceship towards a new planet, Eden. But shortly after they take off, they discover the terrifying truth, and their journey toward salvation becomes a fight to survive.
The world is dying. Massive overpopulation strains the Earth’s resources, endangering all of humanity with the threat of famine, disease, and war. Governments and the environment alike crumble, and the populace take drastic measures to stay alive. Their only hope is Eden, a newly discovered distant Earth-like planet unspoiled by the choices of man. Massive Edencorp spaceships begin to shuttle millions of lucky people to the safety of Eden, chosen by lottery.
The Oximenko family has survived for years through scavenging, street smarts, and hope. When a neighboring family wins the Eden lottery, Gabe Oximenko hatches a plan to swap out his family with the winners. Everything is going according to plan until the Oximenkos are shocked out of cryosleep and learn the truth of their journey. Now, the family must once again fight for survival, but this time an entire transport ship is looking to make sure they never make it to Eden… or anywhere else!
Writer Christopher Sebela ( Godfell , Crowded ) and artist Marc Laming ( Star Wars , James Bond 007 ) have come together to craft a sci-fi thriller of environmental collapse and corporate greed. From a story by Alain Bismut and Abel Ferry, with colors by Lee Loughridge and letters by Troy Peteri.
The world is dying. Massive overpopulation strains the Earth’s resources, endangering all of humanity with the threat of famine, disease, and war. Governments and the environment alike crumble, and the populace take drastic measures to stay alive. Their only hope is Eden, a newly discovered distant Earth-like planet unspoiled by the choices of man. Massive Edencorp spaceships begin to shuttle millions of lucky people to the safety of Eden, chosen by lottery.
The Oximenko family has survived for years through scavenging, street smarts, and hope. When a neighboring family wins the Eden lottery, Gabe Oximenko hatches a plan to swap out his family with the winners. Everything is going according to plan until the Oximenkos are shocked out of cryosleep and learn the truth of their journey. Now, the family must once again fight for survival, but this time an entire transport ship is looking to make sure they never make it to Eden… or anywhere else!
Writer Christopher Sebela ( Godfell , Crowded ) and artist Marc Laming ( Star Wars , James Bond 007 ) have come together to craft a sci-fi thriller of environmental collapse and corporate greed. From a story by Alain Bismut and Abel Ferry, with colors by Lee Loughridge and letters by Troy Peteri.
136 pages, Paperback
Published April 9, 2024
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71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 24, 2024
How many Deaths does it take to undo pollution and climate shifts and goddamn capitalism?
At one point in this story i thought, What is worth fighting for?
What is worth killing for?
And What is worth dying for?
I swear we are lucky we are living a relatively calm lives.
The story here was crazy, would you kill millions of people to save your wife and your daughter?
you know they have been misled, i think that's worth dying for, i don't want to kill millions even if i have the strength and fighting prowess for it.
When is killing okay? Would you kill several people to save your own life?
it's an insane scenario i know, but damn this story brings them all to the forefront.
You Keep telling me i deserve a better world but that's not the world i want.
We didn't start with the thanks but it's time, Thanks so much to Christopher and Marc Laming, Thanks to Humanoids and Netgalley for this Graphic Novel ARC.
This is a dystopian story about a future where life on Earth is unbearable and the only way to go is space, is to look for habitable planets, And if you think this is bleak enough wait till you face the ugly reality of this world, this will come out 9th of April 2024 so Tune in.
Thieves steal because they want something, we steal because we need it.
Okay i initially thought i will give this 3 stars like most other readers, But actually No!
I mean there is a couple of issues i will address but unlike usual i ll address what made me change my mind first.
I read this as a story, a simple story, a cautionary story for the future like so many dystopian stories perhaps, a story with many good quotes that touch the real world perhaps.
Initially i disliked the father so much, and then i found myself disliking the mother too, something is wrong!
And then i realized it, These are not people!
They are Philosophies given body, Metaphors, the four major characters in the story are just Metaphors signifying something else entirely that can be seen by focusing on why are they one dimensional in a way to the point of clashing, and i say one dimensional here in the best meaning possible of the word!
The father in him i see the dreamers, and he really keeps on being a dreamer to the last moment of the story, you feel he is an idiot in parts of the story, But that's because he is something not someone, we can be dreamers and not look like idiots because we are the sum of many parts, there are other parts that balance our capacity to dream, But not for him, He just has a dream, and he wants to make that dream a reality.
You Grew up so fast all i wanted was to keep you from giving up, losing hope in everything.
The Mother She represents reality, that thing that keeps us closer to the ground than to the sky where all dreams seem to be, and you do like her at one part of the story, specially when the dreamer is hellbent on not touching reality, but then you come to dislike her too, because she is incapable of touching the dream as well, and they clash not ugly clash, but you can easily see how they are both incapable of getting together.
You need to grow up and stop putting your hope in impossible things.
Edencorp/Huark This is easily the third major character, and the third major philosophy Pragmatism, I will speak about this without spoiling so it might come as a little unclear, But they both represent the idea of the ends justify the means, it doesn't matter what you do, if the goal is for something that might help humanity survive, you could even say the constellation cockpit team also represented this philosophy, and unlike the first two, where you can lean towards either of them at many points, you can never lean towards the third team, But what if you are there? What if that's the only way? I knew many many Pragmatic assholes in my life, and excuse me for saying assholes, because they really were the worst people to be friends with, Those people will find no issue to do what Edencorp did and they will thrive.
Earth's future is more uncertain than ever, the only real security you can rely on is Eden.
Last is Kali, I think Kali is science, she just is, and once i saw that, i couldn't stop seeing it "I did good right?" she kept repeating that, and they kept saying yes you did, because that's what we do, science does something, and it's seeking our acceptance our praise our recognition of the great things it keeps discovering, and out support, and we keep Being happy about these discoveries, but a larger part of us keep being skeptical, keep being against it even, because of religion that science makes irrelevant, because of an idiotic idea that a large group of people believe in, it doesn't matter the reason, but science will always keep being good, keep trying to help us, and it's us that use it for bad purposes, and make it evil at times.
And because of that Kali was actually the only person i liked in this story.
Sorry the review gotten long, and i am not saying that how i view this story, is how this story really is, you can make of any story what you make, you can put as many interpretations as you like, none of them is wrong all the time, none of them is right all the time, and unless the writer comes up with his own interpretation we are safe lol
February 7, 2024
So many inconsistencies and plot holes in this one. Another example of badly thought through worldbuilding, which doesn't make much sense, from a practical viewpoint or an economic viewpoint.
The main characters, a family of two parents and a child, are really unappealing. People are attacked and killed, which elicits little reaction from them (except once, when they tell their daughter to look away, except didn't she just attack someone herself?). The child is a techno-wizard, being so adept at technology she functions like a little walking deus ex machina.
The ending really takes the cake - it is literally impossible. All logic flies out of the airlock.
(Thanks to Humanoids for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley)
The main characters, a family of two parents and a child, are really unappealing. People are attacked and killed, which elicits little reaction from them (except once, when they tell their daughter to look away, except didn't she just attack someone herself?). The child is a techno-wizard, being so adept at technology she functions like a little walking deus ex machina.
The ending really takes the cake - it is literally impossible. All logic flies out of the airlock.
(Thanks to Humanoids for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley)
March 14, 2024
I liked the premise and the art.
The Earth is dying, and the only chance at a better life lies in a journey to Eden—a planet untouched by our destructive influence. Edencorp selects winners through a lottery, offering them the opportunity to leave Earth and embark on a voyage toward brighter horizons.
The Oximenko family is among those desperate to escape the dying planet. They're survivors, who scrape by through scavenging, street smarts, and hope. When a neighboring family wins the lottery for Eden, Gabe Oximenko devises a plan to switch places with them. Everything seems to be going according to plan until the Oximenkos are abruptly awakened from cryosleep and discover the shocking (not really) truth about their journey.
While the overall concept is good, and the artwork is nice, the writing leaves much to be desired. The plot, especially in its later stages, lacks coherence and is filled with numerous. It oversimplifies the conflict between evil corporations and individuals seeking a better life, making it clichéd and uninspired. The ending ranks among the most idiotic I've read in quite some time.
But enough negativity for one day. Signing off! :)
The Earth is dying, and the only chance at a better life lies in a journey to Eden—a planet untouched by our destructive influence. Edencorp selects winners through a lottery, offering them the opportunity to leave Earth and embark on a voyage toward brighter horizons.
The Oximenko family is among those desperate to escape the dying planet. They're survivors, who scrape by through scavenging, street smarts, and hope. When a neighboring family wins the lottery for Eden, Gabe Oximenko devises a plan to switch places with them. Everything seems to be going according to plan until the Oximenkos are abruptly awakened from cryosleep and discover the shocking (not really) truth about their journey.
While the overall concept is good, and the artwork is nice, the writing leaves much to be desired. The plot, especially in its later stages, lacks coherence and is filled with numerous. It oversimplifies the conflict between evil corporations and individuals seeking a better life, making it clichéd and uninspired. The ending ranks among the most idiotic I've read in quite some time.
But enough negativity for one day. Signing off! :)
November 7, 2024
Despite great artwork by Marc Laming, Christopher Sebela's graphic novel "Eden" was a pretty boring retread of other, better sci-fi stories, most notably Neil Blomkamp's 2013 film "Elysium" starring Matt Damon. And the truth is, that movie wasn't that great, either.
Plot: a company promises interstellar travel to an Earth-like planet called Eden, for a very hefty fee. People are willing to pay it, though, because Earth has become an overpopulated cesspool with limited resources. The catch? There is no planet Eden. The company simply dumps the millions of cryogenically-frozen human bodies on the dark side of the moon, with everyone on Earth none the wiser. A family of criminals sneak their way aboard, only to discover the truth. The company then goes in to clean-up mode.
I would hazard a guess that there are probably much better environmentally-conscious anti-capitalistic sci-fi graphic novels out there.
Plot: a company promises interstellar travel to an Earth-like planet called Eden, for a very hefty fee. People are willing to pay it, though, because Earth has become an overpopulated cesspool with limited resources. The catch? There is no planet Eden. The company simply dumps the millions of cryogenically-frozen human bodies on the dark side of the moon, with everyone on Earth none the wiser. A family of criminals sneak their way aboard, only to discover the truth. The company then goes in to clean-up mode.
I would hazard a guess that there are probably much better environmentally-conscious anti-capitalistic sci-fi graphic novels out there.
January 13, 2025
[5/10]
As a publisher, Les Humanoides Associes has some of the most interesting science-fiction titles on offer, not surprising given the fact that Moebius is one of the founding members. They can’t all be winners though, even with the high production standards and the quality graphics.
Eden is a dystopian horror script, postulating a future society where overpopulation and corporate control of all levels of society leads to hunger and violence on the streets.
There is a chance of escape though, through a global lottery program for a place on the monthly shuttle away from Earth to the new colony of Eden, a planet developed through the latest technologies, promising enough space and prosperity to the potential settlers.
The Edencorp controls the lottery and the space shuttles. The winning families sign over everything they own to the corporation before they are put into cryogenic sleep for the voyage out.
What could go wrong with this setting?
The story is told from the perspective of a resourceful Parisian family of cat burglars who survive through breaking into apartments in the more affluent arrondisments. When they hear that their next door neighbours have won the Edencorp lottery, they kill that family and assume their identity.
Things go pear-shaped in the worst possible way on the launch of the shuttle carrying 5 million settlers to Eden.
From this point forward the comic becomes a survival thriller on an orbital station, with the stowaway family of two parents and two teenage kids fighting corporate goons, armed drones and robots.
On the plus side, the story is compact and self-contained, with 4 chapters over about 130 pages. The graphics and the colouring are above average, as expected from the Franco-Belgian school.
On the minus side, the script is rather obviously a rushed adaptation of a Hollywood movie script (originally by Alain Bismut and Abel Ferry, translated to bandes-dessinee by Alain Sebela) with all the usual tropes of a modern horror scenario. It’s an easy read, but it lacks depth. I was hoping for more originality from Humanoids, so I plan to read an Incal prequel next.
February 1, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
3.5
Honestly had some great concepts, and the plot was fairly tight, but the ending didn't make much logical sense. This story also focuses almost completely on the action parts, and not too much on the worldbuilding. The reveals don't pack as much of a punch, because there is minimal worldbuilding, you don't really understand what straits the Earth is in besides the basics. I did like the trio of the main characters, but some of it confused me. Because of the minimal world-building, I wasn't sure why exactly, they were robbing people's homes in order to "survive". Like, is this supposed to be an apocalypse-type story? Are they just doing it because they're unable to do anything else? Has the government completely abandoned the common people at this point? The ending didn't make much logical sense to me as well. I understood what the point of the ending was supposed to be and I understood it was meant to be uplifting. But when you think about it for more than two seconds, you're like, wait but that wouldn't work?
Spoiler Talk about the ending and plot points below!
3.5
Honestly had some great concepts, and the plot was fairly tight, but the ending didn't make much logical sense. This story also focuses almost completely on the action parts, and not too much on the worldbuilding. The reveals don't pack as much of a punch, because there is minimal worldbuilding, you don't really understand what straits the Earth is in besides the basics. I did like the trio of the main characters, but some of it confused me. Because of the minimal world-building, I wasn't sure why exactly, they were robbing people's homes in order to "survive". Like, is this supposed to be an apocalypse-type story? Are they just doing it because they're unable to do anything else? Has the government completely abandoned the common people at this point? The ending didn't make much logical sense to me as well. I understood what the point of the ending was supposed to be and I understood it was meant to be uplifting. But when you think about it for more than two seconds, you're like, wait but that wouldn't work?
Spoiler Talk about the ending and plot points below!
January 30, 2024
It was a decent sci-fi comic. I really enjoyed the drawing style. The plot caught my interest and kept it. Although it was also kinda predictable and i feel like the characters arent well fleshed out, but maybe as the story continues that will get better? Some plot choices didnt rlly work for me, but i was still throughout it all entertained.
(thank u, netgalley for the e-arc!)
(thank u, netgalley for the e-arc!)
March 4, 2024
The Tremaine family are normal, hardworking people like so many others. Except they’re not - they’re luckier than most, as they got called up to Eden, the Earth 2.0 humanity dreams to get to. Interstellar ships will make that reality for millions, while everybody else will get to die in the epidemics, wildfires and not-so-natural disasters of an Earth that got pushed to the brink by its own inhabitants. So what’s a little identity theft if it ensures survival? Only that the fake Tremaines, street-savvy, smart and fit like (censored), are in for a rude awakening - and here I was thinking that Eden Corp’s lackluster identification protocols were just a plot hole :)
Yeah, Eden is just another one of those “there are too many people on Earth, what the hell do we do?” apocalyptic stories, this time with a solution as old as the first attempts at colonizing the New World :) But it’s a fun romp, and I loved watching the “lousy, garbage-eating rats” (as one of the Eden Corp brass says) survive and thrive (well, that’s easy, given they’re superhuman in everything). I also loved counting all the stupid things Eden Corp does - yup, this is a story for your reptilian brain :) Don’t try to reason it out, you’ll just be disappointed.
Two stars for being a quick, fun read, relatively well drawn (don’t ask me why Kali looks like a scaled down adult instead of looking like a kid, or why most characters don’t have necks) with one of the dumbest endings ever in the history of sci-fi comics.
Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.
Yeah, Eden is just another one of those “there are too many people on Earth, what the hell do we do?” apocalyptic stories, this time with a solution as old as the first attempts at colonizing the New World :) But it’s a fun romp, and I loved watching the “lousy, garbage-eating rats” (as one of the Eden Corp brass says) survive and thrive (well, that’s easy, given they’re superhuman in everything). I also loved counting all the stupid things Eden Corp does - yup, this is a story for your reptilian brain :) Don’t try to reason it out, you’ll just be disappointed.
Two stars for being a quick, fun read, relatively well drawn (don’t ask me why Kali looks like a scaled down adult instead of looking like a kid, or why most characters don’t have necks) with one of the dumbest endings ever in the history of sci-fi comics.
Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.
March 25, 2025
This is one of those stories where you can very quickly see where it is going (even if the characters do not) and as you would expect they are very quickly backed in to a corner.
However it quickly transpires that the whole story is how they then deal with this situation - after all you the reader realise they are in a no win situation. However the story does work even with such a dark outcome being faced - i will not give away the ending but it is suitable satisfying but uttering avoids all the twee and cliche endings it could have so easily fallen in to.
this is a thoughtful book exploring so many darker aspects of life in the future - one which sadly these days you could so easily see us heading towards - but there is a hope all be it a violent one and i think that is what I take away from this book.
However it quickly transpires that the whole story is how they then deal with this situation - after all you the reader realise they are in a no win situation. However the story does work even with such a dark outcome being faced - i will not give away the ending but it is suitable satisfying but uttering avoids all the twee and cliche endings it could have so easily fallen in to.
this is a thoughtful book exploring so many darker aspects of life in the future - one which sadly these days you could so easily see us heading towards - but there is a hope all be it a violent one and i think that is what I take away from this book.
August 11, 2024
I want a sequel. I love this story.
March 11, 2024
Eden is a science fiction graphic novel that follows one families desperate attempts to escape a dying earth.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel! I read it in one sitting, never losing interest. However, I found the story very predictable, often let down by the plot twists.
The drawing style and art throughout were beautiful, and the panels were so easy and enjoyable to read!
My main reason for such a low rating was the ending, which did not make any sense. It left me with so many questions. How were all these people going to survive? Why wasn't there an uproar? What's their source of food or fuel for the ship?
It was such an unrealistic ending that just lacked creativity, unfortunately.
I feel like this novel would greatly benefit from some fleshing out! Regardless of the issues I have with the ending, it was a really fun and visually enjoyable read! I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a sequel!
Biggest thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc of Eden in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this graphic novel! I read it in one sitting, never losing interest. However, I found the story very predictable, often let down by the plot twists.
The drawing style and art throughout were beautiful, and the panels were so easy and enjoyable to read!
My main reason for such a low rating was the ending, which did not make any sense. It left me with so many questions. How were all these people going to survive? Why wasn't there an uproar? What's their source of food or fuel for the ship?
It was such an unrealistic ending that just lacked creativity, unfortunately.
I feel like this novel would greatly benefit from some fleshing out! Regardless of the issues I have with the ending, it was a really fun and visually enjoyable read! I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a sequel!
Biggest thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc of Eden in exchange for an honest review!
October 12, 2024
8- A fun, thought provoking (although not too deeply) graphic novel, that does not fully achieve what it seems to promise. I think this is mainly because of the art style, that is great at conveying SF-nal atmosphere, with detailed surroundings and costumes with hard edges and a futuristic feel (I like the original look of the jumpsuits, for example), but keeps the emotions of the characters at a distance. Yes, it's realistic, but to really feel the dire straits these people are in, we need to get pulled into their hope, their dreams, their despair and their tenacity - and their faces remained a bit flat. The human figures were just a bit too stiff.
The story is not too original (a polluted, over populated earth and a corporation offering one way trips to a new planet tantalizingly called 'Eden'). A family desperate to escape their dire circumstances switches places with another family that won the lottery to embark on a journey to Eden. Will they be able to keep up the charade? What will happen when they're underway and their deceit will become apparent?
I liked the grand scale coupled with the family dynamic, the clash of world views embodied in the positions of both parents (one a dreamer, one a realist, and who decides what to tellt heir daughter about their circumstances?). The end might be a bit too optimistic, but I went with it (I saw it as a 'leap of faith' - the protagonists really didn't have another choice and this is their last hope, even if they don't know whether it will work out at all (the chances seem to be low)).
All in all recommended for fans of action packed near future SF, about a clash of philosophies on board of an interplanetary space ship. Don't expect a master work, but it's diverting stuff.
The story is not too original (a polluted, over populated earth and a corporation offering one way trips to a new planet tantalizingly called 'Eden'). A family desperate to escape their dire circumstances switches places with another family that won the lottery to embark on a journey to Eden. Will they be able to keep up the charade? What will happen when they're underway and their deceit will become apparent?
I liked the grand scale coupled with the family dynamic, the clash of world views embodied in the positions of both parents (one a dreamer, one a realist, and who decides what to tellt heir daughter about their circumstances?). The end might be a bit too optimistic, but I went with it (I saw it as a 'leap of faith' - the protagonists really didn't have another choice and this is their last hope, even if they don't know whether it will work out at all (the chances seem to be low)).
All in all recommended for fans of action packed near future SF, about a clash of philosophies on board of an interplanetary space ship. Don't expect a master work, but it's diverting stuff.
September 29, 2024
Tästä saisi loistavan scifileffan! Eden on toinen planeetta jossain tuolla kaukana. Rikkaat voivat ostaa paikkansa aluksesta, joka vie matkustajansa puhtaaseen maailmaan, uuteen alkuun. Lisäksi paikan voi voittaa lotossa, jos oma varallisuus ei riitä. Keskiössä on perhe, joka vilpillisesti hankkiutuu viimeisimmän lastin kyytiin ja... no, loput pitääkin sitten selvittää itse lukemalla tämä. Yllätyin varsin positiivisesti siitä, millainen tarina viiden lehden mittaisessa kaaressa ehdittiin kuvata.
May 31, 2024
This should absolutely be a movie or tv series!
This GN takes the standard sci-fi "overpopulation - send them to space via lottery" trope and changes it up in a few amazing and key ways. You should absolutely check this out!
For as many GNs as I read over the year, this one will be recommended to others.
Would love to see what happens next!
Strong recommend. Essential Read.
This GN takes the standard sci-fi "overpopulation - send them to space via lottery" trope and changes it up in a few amazing and key ways. You should absolutely check this out!
For as many GNs as I read over the year, this one will be recommended to others.
Would love to see what happens next!
Strong recommend. Essential Read.
May 17, 2024
I love Sebela’s Crowded, Vol. 1, which skewers the bullshit gig economy, so I got this thinking it might have a similar sensibility. Sadly it doesn’t, and turns out it’s Sebela’s adaptation of someone else’s unproduced screenplay. A bad unproduced screenplay that takes the dumb ideas of the bad movie Passengers and makes them worse. It’s not just dumb, it doesn’t play fair with the audience.
There’s the evil, greedy corporation murdering people, but doing it in the most ridiculously convoluted way possible. This is Soylent Green (Make Room! Make Room!) if it didn’t make sense. Once you start pulling on the loose strings, every aspect of this story unravels. I guess I’ll spoiler tag it, but this doesn’t deserve it.
But the art’s well done.
There’s the evil, greedy corporation murdering people, but doing it in the most ridiculously convoluted way possible. This is Soylent Green (Make Room! Make Room!) if it didn’t make sense. Once you start pulling on the loose strings, every aspect of this story unravels. I guess I’ll spoiler tag it, but this doesn’t deserve it.
But the art’s well done.
August 5, 2024
Story idea was better than the execution. The characters read very one dimensional and very typical of their archetype. I needed this to be better than it was. Sick art work though
October 3, 2024
This graphic novel states it was "based on an original screenplay." An unproduced one, evidently? If so, I can see why it was unproduced, as the science is not great. (Although that's also true of most produced SFF screenplays.) At any rate, I think this works better as a comic, and is surely cheaper than the 9 figures it would have cost to film it.
This story takes place in the near future, when climate change has caused massive human displacement and there are refugee camps all over the world, as people are forced out of places that aren't habitable anymore. (So far, that isn't "science fiction" at all....) In the meantime, there is a supposedly habitable exoplanet discovered in another system, and ships departing on a regular basis to this "new Eden," taking millions of people who have won a lottery for the 15-month journey. (And that right there broke my suspension of disbelief, as a 15-month interstellar journey anywhere means ratcheting up to a significant percentage of lightspeed, which isn't possible now and likely won't be possible for decades to come, if ever. Anyway...) The comic opens with the story of the Tremaine family, who have won the lottery and are telling how they feel about making the trip.
Only, as we soon discover, they aren't the "Tremaine family" at all, but rather three imposters who broke into the Tremaine's apartment the night before they were due to leave, tied them up and stashed them in the closet, and took their place. Which....that was a bit of over-the-top implausibility that was necessary to the plot, and all the more grating because of it. The ship even beeps as they are being loaded into their cryogenic sleeping chambers, warning that the DNA doesn't match, and the Edencorp representative in charge says they're behind schedule and pushes the imposter family through anyway. (Which sounds like a corporate mentality for sure.) The fake family is on board when the ship launches, only to be abruptly woken up even before they have made it out of the solar system....because the ship loops around the far side of the moon and proceeds to dump millions of people out of their storage pods to die on the moon's surface where they cannot be seen.
(At that point I rolled my eyes and thought, "Really?" Even today there are satellites in orbit that monitor the far side of the moon. And no one ever thought to ask why the colony ships returned rather sooner than they were supposed to?)
(Actually, the more I'm breaking this down, the more I'm realizing I really didn't like it. I can also see why the film was never made.)
So now our fake Tremaine family has to fight their way to the ship's cockpit, take control, and attempt to save the rest of the passengers. There is, of course, a corporate conspiracy to mitigate climate change by reducing Earth's population tens of millions of people at a time (at least until the far side of the moon is full up, I suppose) that gets exposed. Our plucky fake family--complete with unnaturally precocious pre-teen daughter who solves every problem the adults can't manage--takes over the ship and ends up taking it on an interstellar journey for real, searching for a planet that might be an actual "new Eden." (Although I wonder why they would trust Edencorp to build technology that would actually keep people alive on such a journey, as they never intended it to leave the solar system at all.)
This was meant to be triumphant and uplifting, I'm sure, and our imposters are a rather appealing, if ruthless, family. The art does help to cover the plot holes, but only to a point. But if this screenplay had actually been made, it would have been a C-movie at best. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
This story takes place in the near future, when climate change has caused massive human displacement and there are refugee camps all over the world, as people are forced out of places that aren't habitable anymore. (So far, that isn't "science fiction" at all....) In the meantime, there is a supposedly habitable exoplanet discovered in another system, and ships departing on a regular basis to this "new Eden," taking millions of people who have won a lottery for the 15-month journey. (And that right there broke my suspension of disbelief, as a 15-month interstellar journey anywhere means ratcheting up to a significant percentage of lightspeed, which isn't possible now and likely won't be possible for decades to come, if ever. Anyway...) The comic opens with the story of the Tremaine family, who have won the lottery and are telling how they feel about making the trip.
Only, as we soon discover, they aren't the "Tremaine family" at all, but rather three imposters who broke into the Tremaine's apartment the night before they were due to leave, tied them up and stashed them in the closet, and took their place. Which....that was a bit of over-the-top implausibility that was necessary to the plot, and all the more grating because of it. The ship even beeps as they are being loaded into their cryogenic sleeping chambers, warning that the DNA doesn't match, and the Edencorp representative in charge says they're behind schedule and pushes the imposter family through anyway. (Which sounds like a corporate mentality for sure.) The fake family is on board when the ship launches, only to be abruptly woken up even before they have made it out of the solar system....because the ship loops around the far side of the moon and proceeds to dump millions of people out of their storage pods to die on the moon's surface where they cannot be seen.
(At that point I rolled my eyes and thought, "Really?" Even today there are satellites in orbit that monitor the far side of the moon. And no one ever thought to ask why the colony ships returned rather sooner than they were supposed to?)
(Actually, the more I'm breaking this down, the more I'm realizing I really didn't like it. I can also see why the film was never made.)
So now our fake Tremaine family has to fight their way to the ship's cockpit, take control, and attempt to save the rest of the passengers. There is, of course, a corporate conspiracy to mitigate climate change by reducing Earth's population tens of millions of people at a time (at least until the far side of the moon is full up, I suppose) that gets exposed. Our plucky fake family--complete with unnaturally precocious pre-teen daughter who solves every problem the adults can't manage--takes over the ship and ends up taking it on an interstellar journey for real, searching for a planet that might be an actual "new Eden." (Although I wonder why they would trust Edencorp to build technology that would actually keep people alive on such a journey, as they never intended it to leave the solar system at all.)
This was meant to be triumphant and uplifting, I'm sure, and our imposters are a rather appealing, if ruthless, family. The art does help to cover the plot holes, but only to a point. But if this screenplay had actually been made, it would have been a C-movie at best. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
April 18, 2024
4/17/2024 Interesting and v smart except for one glaring flaw in the escape plan? Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
4/18/2024 from an idea by Alain Bismut and Abel Ferry, with colors by Lee Loughridge and letters by Troy Peteri.
The Earth of the future is overcrowded and impoverished. Crime rates are up, in no small part due to families like the Oximenkos, who will do whatever it takes to survive. Dad Gabe, Mom Morgan and teenage daughter Kali are a tight and well-trained unit, with Gabe the softer-hearted idealist to Morgan's no-nonsense soldier. Their diverse skills serve them well when they're raiding the houses of the rich for food and other necessities, or eluding criminal gangs bigger than their own.
When the Oximenkos learn that their neighbors have won a lottery granting them much coveted space passage to Eden, an off-world colony with few of Earth's problems, they immediately make a plan to take the Tremaines' places. Unfortunately, their larceny means that the system malfunctions while they're supposed to be in cryosleep aboard the Constellation, the transport ship that ferries millions of sleeping passengers from Earth to the much richer colony, a galaxy away. What the Oximenkos discover upon waking, tho, upends everything they've been led to believe.
This was a gripping sci-fi graphic novel that asks hard questions about survival and provides nuanced answers through the differing lenses of both Gabe and Morgan. Morgan is utterly practical almost to the point of being emotionless, whereas Gabe desperately wants a better world for their daughter. Bright, sensitive Kali synthesizes both viewpoints: as an allegory, it's not the most subtle, but it is highly effective.
The art is excellent at static representation of form -- and don't get me started on how much I love that Morgan is Asian and that Kali takes after her more than white Gabe -- but can get confusing when the action sequences start. It's definitely a book that merits a re-read once you're done with the first pass, especially if you're a fast reader like me who was so busy being carried along by the story that any confusion with the artwork seemed secondary at the time. A second pass definitely helps the pieces fit better, as some of the suspense the art intends to evoke just comes across as confusing unless you already know what's meant to happen next.
That aside, the only real criticism I have of this book is the gaping plothole in what the Oximenkos decide to do at the end. Philosophically, I love it. But I'm genuinely surprised that no one brought up the subject of there definitely not being enough for what they're planning to do. I rather wish that had been addressed, as it really doesn't make sense in an otherwise well-written book.
While this is a standalone graphic novel, I definitely wouldn't mind reading more of the Oximenkos & co's adventures. That's a lot more than I can say about most of the books I read!
Eden by Christopher Sebela & Marc Laming was published April 9 2024 by Humanoids Inc and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
4/18/2024 from an idea by Alain Bismut and Abel Ferry, with colors by Lee Loughridge and letters by Troy Peteri.
The Earth of the future is overcrowded and impoverished. Crime rates are up, in no small part due to families like the Oximenkos, who will do whatever it takes to survive. Dad Gabe, Mom Morgan and teenage daughter Kali are a tight and well-trained unit, with Gabe the softer-hearted idealist to Morgan's no-nonsense soldier. Their diverse skills serve them well when they're raiding the houses of the rich for food and other necessities, or eluding criminal gangs bigger than their own.
When the Oximenkos learn that their neighbors have won a lottery granting them much coveted space passage to Eden, an off-world colony with few of Earth's problems, they immediately make a plan to take the Tremaines' places. Unfortunately, their larceny means that the system malfunctions while they're supposed to be in cryosleep aboard the Constellation, the transport ship that ferries millions of sleeping passengers from Earth to the much richer colony, a galaxy away. What the Oximenkos discover upon waking, tho, upends everything they've been led to believe.
This was a gripping sci-fi graphic novel that asks hard questions about survival and provides nuanced answers through the differing lenses of both Gabe and Morgan. Morgan is utterly practical almost to the point of being emotionless, whereas Gabe desperately wants a better world for their daughter. Bright, sensitive Kali synthesizes both viewpoints: as an allegory, it's not the most subtle, but it is highly effective.
The art is excellent at static representation of form -- and don't get me started on how much I love that Morgan is Asian and that Kali takes after her more than white Gabe -- but can get confusing when the action sequences start. It's definitely a book that merits a re-read once you're done with the first pass, especially if you're a fast reader like me who was so busy being carried along by the story that any confusion with the artwork seemed secondary at the time. A second pass definitely helps the pieces fit better, as some of the suspense the art intends to evoke just comes across as confusing unless you already know what's meant to happen next.
That aside, the only real criticism I have of this book is the gaping plothole in what the Oximenkos decide to do at the end. Philosophically, I love it. But I'm genuinely surprised that no one brought up the subject of there definitely not being enough for what they're planning to do. I rather wish that had been addressed, as it really doesn't make sense in an otherwise well-written book.
While this is a standalone graphic novel, I definitely wouldn't mind reading more of the Oximenkos & co's adventures. That's a lot more than I can say about most of the books I read!
Eden by Christopher Sebela & Marc Laming was published April 9 2024 by Humanoids Inc and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
February 20, 2024
Summary:
The world is dying. We all know it. Many pretend to think otherwise, but denial won't keep you safe. That's why Gabe Oximenko and his family are trying hard to find their way off the planet.
Unfortunately, the odds have never been in their favor. Opportunity struck – but for their next-door neighbors. Yet this family isn't inclined to take the end of the world sitting idly, so they made their own opportunity.
Review:
Eden tells the story of one desperate family trying to survive. Interestingly, their desperation comes in many forms. Gabe is a dreamer – he wants to see the good in everyone and everything. His wife is a realist – she'll look at everything in the worst light, so at least she'll never be disappointed. Meanwhile, their daughter is a tech genius who just needs to be given a chance to flourish.
Together, they end up in an impossible situation. In truth, there's something vaguely familiar about it. I can't quite put my finger on it – so I would love to hear from others on what they think it is! I loved seeing the family fight and work together.
The artwork is probably the biggest highlight for me. It made the story even more enjoyable, and I was happy to keep on reading it. That said – for some reason, I kept getting interrupted while reading Eden. I distinctly remember thinking, "Just let me read! I need to see what happens next." So please make of that what you will, and feel free to infer my investment from there.
I enjoyed Eden. Yes, it is taking the "billionaires are evil" beyond the logical extreme. But let's be real here; it's not that far off from many other cyber-punk-based plots. So maybe it's because I've been indulging in that media so much lately, but it didn't bother me.
Admittedly, I think I would have enjoyed Eden more had the scale been just a tiny bit smaller. When talking in the millions, it's hard to picture it. It's even harder to relate to that sort of loss. How does the saying go – one is a tragedy, one million is a statistic?
Highlights:
Sci-Fi
Family Bonds Know No Limits
Corruption and Billionaires
Dying Earth
Thanks to Humanoids, Inc. and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
The world is dying. We all know it. Many pretend to think otherwise, but denial won't keep you safe. That's why Gabe Oximenko and his family are trying hard to find their way off the planet.
Unfortunately, the odds have never been in their favor. Opportunity struck – but for their next-door neighbors. Yet this family isn't inclined to take the end of the world sitting idly, so they made their own opportunity.
Review:
Eden tells the story of one desperate family trying to survive. Interestingly, their desperation comes in many forms. Gabe is a dreamer – he wants to see the good in everyone and everything. His wife is a realist – she'll look at everything in the worst light, so at least she'll never be disappointed. Meanwhile, their daughter is a tech genius who just needs to be given a chance to flourish.
Together, they end up in an impossible situation. In truth, there's something vaguely familiar about it. I can't quite put my finger on it – so I would love to hear from others on what they think it is! I loved seeing the family fight and work together.
The artwork is probably the biggest highlight for me. It made the story even more enjoyable, and I was happy to keep on reading it. That said – for some reason, I kept getting interrupted while reading Eden. I distinctly remember thinking, "Just let me read! I need to see what happens next." So please make of that what you will, and feel free to infer my investment from there.
I enjoyed Eden. Yes, it is taking the "billionaires are evil" beyond the logical extreme. But let's be real here; it's not that far off from many other cyber-punk-based plots. So maybe it's because I've been indulging in that media so much lately, but it didn't bother me.
Admittedly, I think I would have enjoyed Eden more had the scale been just a tiny bit smaller. When talking in the millions, it's hard to picture it. It's even harder to relate to that sort of loss. How does the saying go – one is a tragedy, one million is a statistic?
Highlights:
Sci-Fi
Family Bonds Know No Limits
Corruption and Billionaires
Dying Earth
Thanks to Humanoids, Inc. and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
March 5, 2024
Someone throw a copy of this at Jensen Ackles's face, please! I took away one star because I saw no news of Jensen Ackles already working on this. That and the reason I also give at the end of the review.
"Eden" will appeal to the adults who watched "The 100" as teens and can't wait for the next Jay Kristoff or Pierce Brown's book. I really liked it. One of the main characters is an evil they, like in the second John Wick, but blonde and I love my theys so one star is just for them.
I really enjoyed the art and the way different body types and ethnicities were beautifully represented, the colours were perfect for the mood of the story, and the world-building reminded me of "Lupin" meeting "Altered Carbon" but the heart of this story is the main trio and the way they love each other according to their beliefs and personalities. The mother in particular and the way she interacted with her family was so wonderful and refreshing to read but it was the father that truly ripped my heart apart. The way this man is desperately fighting to protect and provide for his family in a dying world that doesn't care if they live or die and actually prefers the latter, the way he rages at the life and childhood his daughter did not get to have while fighting for her to have a future is so real, raw and impactful that is what made sure I'll never forget this book.
Plot-wise the first part is much, much stronger than the second since they pulled the solution for their biggest problem out of their behinds when no space-faring knowledge or interest was shown or mentioned as a talent or interest of any of the characters before, but whatever, I can get past that and still look forward to see what the author does with that new story arc in the next volume.
Thank you to NetGalley and Humanoids Inc. for this DRC.
"Eden" will appeal to the adults who watched "The 100" as teens and can't wait for the next Jay Kristoff or Pierce Brown's book. I really liked it. One of the main characters is an evil they, like in the second John Wick, but blonde and I love my theys so one star is just for them.
I really enjoyed the art and the way different body types and ethnicities were beautifully represented, the colours were perfect for the mood of the story, and the world-building reminded me of "Lupin" meeting "Altered Carbon" but the heart of this story is the main trio and the way they love each other according to their beliefs and personalities. The mother in particular and the way she interacted with her family was so wonderful and refreshing to read but it was the father that truly ripped my heart apart. The way this man is desperately fighting to protect and provide for his family in a dying world that doesn't care if they live or die and actually prefers the latter, the way he rages at the life and childhood his daughter did not get to have while fighting for her to have a future is so real, raw and impactful that is what made sure I'll never forget this book.
Plot-wise the first part is much, much stronger than the second since they pulled the solution for their biggest problem out of their behinds when no space-faring knowledge or interest was shown or mentioned as a talent or interest of any of the characters before, but whatever, I can get past that and still look forward to see what the author does with that new story arc in the next volume.
Thank you to NetGalley and Humanoids Inc. for this DRC.
May 15, 2024
You're correct – something's not right. The family of father, mother and teenaged daughter are too media-savvy and saying the right things about the fluke victory they've had in the worldwide lottery for a trip to the exo-planet Eden, and the chance to get away from all the crud on Earth. What's not right here is that the family is a criminal pack, telling themselves they break and enter and steal because they need to, not because they want to, but doing it all the same. Actually, what's not right here is the very nature of their 'trip' – a space elevator, cryosleep, and more. Dumped by the system because the system can tell they're not who they said, they witness the destruction of the rest of the ten million passengers. And then their survival starts to get even less likely…
Actually, does it? Why do they survive the unsurvivable and start to roam around a place with full Earth gravity and perfect human-friendly oxygen, and so on? Why is the genocide-level extermination of humanity not automated, and demand loud-speakers and alarms and so on of itself? Well, because the plot – and one joyfully promising aspect of it – would collapse without it being so. In the finish, this is the only flaw here – but they have rather made it a biggie. Apart from that, this is a sci-fi comic of decent-sized concepts, designed to show us how heavily man can sh*t on man and what the response is, both with and without any hope whatsoever. I'm not sure how well it would have worked as a film – allegedly the first plans for this – it seems small-scale, and of course a certain woken-early-from-cryosleep movie came out and probably killed it off. On the page the small-scale-ness, the way the wordiness can fill in for the action, doesn't matter nearly so much, and this nudges up to just about four stars in my thinking.
Actually, does it? Why do they survive the unsurvivable and start to roam around a place with full Earth gravity and perfect human-friendly oxygen, and so on? Why is the genocide-level extermination of humanity not automated, and demand loud-speakers and alarms and so on of itself? Well, because the plot – and one joyfully promising aspect of it – would collapse without it being so. In the finish, this is the only flaw here – but they have rather made it a biggie. Apart from that, this is a sci-fi comic of decent-sized concepts, designed to show us how heavily man can sh*t on man and what the response is, both with and without any hope whatsoever. I'm not sure how well it would have worked as a film – allegedly the first plans for this – it seems small-scale, and of course a certain woken-early-from-cryosleep movie came out and probably killed it off. On the page the small-scale-ness, the way the wordiness can fill in for the action, doesn't matter nearly so much, and this nudges up to just about four stars in my thinking.
May 28, 2024
The future is a dark place. Climate change and overpopulation have made it so Earth can no longer support the number of people living. Fortunately, a company called Edencorp has located a new planet, Eden, where folks can go to escape from the daying Earth. Every two weeks, there is a lottery to fill 10 million seats on one of Edencorp's spaceships with colonists to the new world.
As the graphic novel starts, readers are introduced to the Oximenko family. They survive by scavenging and stealing what they need. When a neighboring family of three wins the Edencorp lottery, Gabe, the father, decides this could be their chance to get away from Earth by swapping with the family. The family doesn't do so willingly, but that won't stop the Oximenkos.
They easily make it onto the ship and are waiting for their cryotubes to activate when things go horribly wrong when their biometrics are recognized as not matching those of the winning family. The problem is not only has the scam been identified, they also find themselves learning more about Edencorp than they ever wanted. Edencorp is certainly happy to make sure they don't reach any destination.
This was certainly a high-action story. I really liked the illustrtions. In some ways, there was a lot of similarity with the Lost in Space film from 1998. I do have to admit that I was not really sympathetic to the Oximenkos. They were interesting characters, but they weren't particularly likeable people. This does seem like it is a standalone, one-off story.
As the graphic novel starts, readers are introduced to the Oximenko family. They survive by scavenging and stealing what they need. When a neighboring family of three wins the Edencorp lottery, Gabe, the father, decides this could be their chance to get away from Earth by swapping with the family. The family doesn't do so willingly, but that won't stop the Oximenkos.
They easily make it onto the ship and are waiting for their cryotubes to activate when things go horribly wrong when their biometrics are recognized as not matching those of the winning family. The problem is not only has the scam been identified, they also find themselves learning more about Edencorp than they ever wanted. Edencorp is certainly happy to make sure they don't reach any destination.
This was certainly a high-action story. I really liked the illustrtions. In some ways, there was a lot of similarity with the Lost in Space film from 1998. I do have to admit that I was not really sympathetic to the Oximenkos. They were interesting characters, but they weren't particularly likeable people. This does seem like it is a standalone, one-off story.
February 25, 2024
I went into this book liking the premise and art style, and upon finishing, I would say those are still its strongest points.
The Oximenko family lives in an urban dystopian future Paris; they are street-smart and violent in their means to survive. But, they are also a family with a young teenage girl wanting a better life and future. So, when another family of three, seemingly fitting their age and appearance, wins the lottery for tickets to the paradise Earth-like colony of Eden, they hatch a plan to take their identities and go in their place. However, what they find is anything but paradise, uncovering secrets that could likely get them killed to be kept quiet.
It's just that some of the plot points feel a little easily overcome and inconsistent. The fact that the family had no real checks of their identities before boarding the ship, and the daughter is extremely adept with electrical equipment? It just feels like jumps to keep the story moving. The characters are hard to like or be too sympathetic towards, but they are interesting to understand. Are they actually making a stand for their skewed morals? Their daughter's innocence? Or just trying to save their own behinds? I would say it's a decent, enjoyable sci-fi survival story, and I would be interested to see where it goes next.
Overall I give Eden 3 Stars.
The Oximenko family lives in an urban dystopian future Paris; they are street-smart and violent in their means to survive. But, they are also a family with a young teenage girl wanting a better life and future. So, when another family of three, seemingly fitting their age and appearance, wins the lottery for tickets to the paradise Earth-like colony of Eden, they hatch a plan to take their identities and go in their place. However, what they find is anything but paradise, uncovering secrets that could likely get them killed to be kept quiet.
It's just that some of the plot points feel a little easily overcome and inconsistent. The fact that the family had no real checks of their identities before boarding the ship, and the daughter is extremely adept with electrical equipment? It just feels like jumps to keep the story moving. The characters are hard to like or be too sympathetic towards, but they are interesting to understand. Are they actually making a stand for their skewed morals? Their daughter's innocence? Or just trying to save their own behinds? I would say it's a decent, enjoyable sci-fi survival story, and I would be interested to see where it goes next.
Overall I give Eden 3 Stars.
February 28, 2024
The Earth is dying, and the only escape is Eden - a safe and habitable planet that's only a shuttle ride away. Of course, tickets for the shuttle aren't easy to come by. There's a lottery in place, with only a few randomly selected to leave Earth for Eden. The Oximenko family is used to survival and doing what's necessary. When their neighbors win the lottery aboard the shuttle to Eden instead of them, they're willing to do whatever is necessary to take their place.
I was so drawn to Eden by the premise. A family willing to do whatever it takes to leave Earth, regardless of the cost? Yes, please. Unfortunately, the premise ended up being my favorite part of Eden. While I enjoyed the art and the family dynamics, I felt the story slipped and ended up in a wild direction that didn't make much sense. I also had issues with some of the action scenes. The best way I can explain it is that I felt I was missing some of the action and that I was viewing the scenes from the wrong angle. It was a bit frustrating, to be honest. The overall narrative of the story also felt rushed, with inexplicable choices made at times. While the ending redeemed some of the confusion and "mess" of the narrative, I might think twice before reading the next volume (if there is one).
Thanks to Humanoids for providing me with an advanced review copy! All the above thoughts are my own.
I was so drawn to Eden by the premise. A family willing to do whatever it takes to leave Earth, regardless of the cost? Yes, please. Unfortunately, the premise ended up being my favorite part of Eden. While I enjoyed the art and the family dynamics, I felt the story slipped and ended up in a wild direction that didn't make much sense. I also had issues with some of the action scenes. The best way I can explain it is that I felt I was missing some of the action and that I was viewing the scenes from the wrong angle. It was a bit frustrating, to be honest. The overall narrative of the story also felt rushed, with inexplicable choices made at times. While the ending redeemed some of the confusion and "mess" of the narrative, I might think twice before reading the next volume (if there is one).
Thanks to Humanoids for providing me with an advanced review copy! All the above thoughts are my own.
April 28, 2024
Maybe the worst written comic that I’ve actually finished reading?
Emblematically, at one point the main character says “sending us a million miles across the universe” when referring to a route into deep space that’s so long it will require cryo sleep, and I really don’t care about hard sci-fi specifics, but you probably shouldn’t write space stories if you don’t immediately realize how many orders of magnitude that is wrong by (a million miles isn’t even a tiny fraction of the distance to Mars!)
The dialogue is hackneyed and tonally inconsistent, especially when directed at the teenage daughter. The sci-fi action plot is salvaged from a screenplay that didn’t get made, and it seems obvious why it wasn’t. Its “generation ship off a dying earth” premise as presented here is a dumb guy’s take on a cynically corrupt dystopia that ultimately cops out for an even dumber guy’s take on an optimistic twist ending. The ending had me laughing at how simultaneously ill-conceived but proud of itself it was. There’s tons of unclear action at the level of “main character closes distance to gunman and deflects away the gun before it can shoot, repeats several more times for the other people with weapons in the same room.”
Hilariously bad, but not in a way that’s worth reading to laugh at.
Emblematically, at one point the main character says “sending us a million miles across the universe” when referring to a route into deep space that’s so long it will require cryo sleep, and I really don’t care about hard sci-fi specifics, but you probably shouldn’t write space stories if you don’t immediately realize how many orders of magnitude that is wrong by (a million miles isn’t even a tiny fraction of the distance to Mars!)
The dialogue is hackneyed and tonally inconsistent, especially when directed at the teenage daughter. The sci-fi action plot is salvaged from a screenplay that didn’t get made, and it seems obvious why it wasn’t. Its “generation ship off a dying earth” premise as presented here is a dumb guy’s take on a cynically corrupt dystopia that ultimately cops out for an even dumber guy’s take on an optimistic twist ending. The ending had me laughing at how simultaneously ill-conceived but proud of itself it was. There’s tons of unclear action at the level of “main character closes distance to gunman and deflects away the gun before it can shoot, repeats several more times for the other people with weapons in the same room.”
Hilariously bad, but not in a way that’s worth reading to laugh at.
February 23, 2024
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for a review.
Eden is a good, if simplistic, dystopian science fiction graphic novel where a family tricks their way on board a ship supposedly headed to another planet, a veritable Eden, where they will start a new life. Turns out, that might not be exactly what's going on.
The real star of this graphic novel is the art. It's not expressive and over-the-top, it's very kind of sci-fi realistic, but it's detailed without being cluttered and there was a lot of thought that went into the creation of the places where the story occurs. It is good storytelling art.
The writing is a little hit-or-miss for me. There are some good ideas explored and, while the characters are a little trope-y, the people feel real. The plot is kept focused and the dramatic tension is focused one basic dialogue between the haves and the have-nots. I could have used some expansion on some of the ideas.
This is a good read, and a good introduction to some ideas. I would recommend this to someone who likes graphic novels and would like to try out some science fiction.
Eden is a good, if simplistic, dystopian science fiction graphic novel where a family tricks their way on board a ship supposedly headed to another planet, a veritable Eden, where they will start a new life. Turns out, that might not be exactly what's going on.
The real star of this graphic novel is the art. It's not expressive and over-the-top, it's very kind of sci-fi realistic, but it's detailed without being cluttered and there was a lot of thought that went into the creation of the places where the story occurs. It is good storytelling art.
The writing is a little hit-or-miss for me. There are some good ideas explored and, while the characters are a little trope-y, the people feel real. The plot is kept focused and the dramatic tension is focused one basic dialogue between the haves and the have-nots. I could have used some expansion on some of the ideas.
This is a good read, and a good introduction to some ideas. I would recommend this to someone who likes graphic novels and would like to try out some science fiction.
February 26, 2024
3 or 3.5/5
I see the name Sebela, I read it immediately.
Loving the art style, loving the premise, but I feel like the characters aren’t as well developed as they could be. I’m getting a Nona the Ninth feeling from this world, and I love the worldbuilding that is given, but I want to know more about these characters and how they exist in this world. They’re fighting and stealing to survive, but their apartment is very nice, they seem to have plenty of food, and the daughter is somehow a technology genius.
On top of this, there isn't much information about Edencorp or Eden. Ads are referenced but not shown much, i'd love some background information about eden/edencorp's start and how they popped up, as well as how the world got to be this way. The ending fell flat and a lot of the dialogue was repetitive at the end. I dont see any way that millions of people are on the same page about staying on the ship, or believing this family they were about to kill.
I love the art though, it's gorgeous. And the idea is great!
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher
I see the name Sebela, I read it immediately.
Loving the art style, loving the premise, but I feel like the characters aren’t as well developed as they could be. I’m getting a Nona the Ninth feeling from this world, and I love the worldbuilding that is given, but I want to know more about these characters and how they exist in this world. They’re fighting and stealing to survive, but their apartment is very nice, they seem to have plenty of food, and the daughter is somehow a technology genius.
On top of this, there isn't much information about Edencorp or Eden. Ads are referenced but not shown much, i'd love some background information about eden/edencorp's start and how they popped up, as well as how the world got to be this way. The ending fell flat and a lot of the dialogue was repetitive at the end. I dont see any way that millions of people are on the same page about staying on the ship, or believing this family they were about to kill.
I love the art though, it's gorgeous. And the idea is great!
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher
May 30, 2024
A damaged planet and a dream of something better. The Oximenko family like many others on a dying earth, live a feral life, surviving through robbery and theft. In an overcrowded and dying world people have to use their wits and weapons to survive and this family knows how to do that in spades.
But like many others on earth they want something else and they dream of a new life on the planet Eden. Eden is the place everyone wishes to go to. A chance at a new life on a planet that is abundant and flourishing which can only be travelled to if you win the lottery.
When their neighbours win the lottery to Eden, this wild and feral family decide to ambush and rob them. This time, they are not robbing for food or possessions, they are robbing them for a new life and a chance for something better.
The Oximenko family are going to Eden by hook or by crook. (Mostly by crook)
But is Eden all it is made out to be?
Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
But like many others on earth they want something else and they dream of a new life on the planet Eden. Eden is the place everyone wishes to go to. A chance at a new life on a planet that is abundant and flourishing which can only be travelled to if you win the lottery.
When their neighbours win the lottery to Eden, this wild and feral family decide to ambush and rob them. This time, they are not robbing for food or possessions, they are robbing them for a new life and a chance for something better.
The Oximenko family are going to Eden by hook or by crook. (Mostly by crook)
But is Eden all it is made out to be?
Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
February 13, 2024
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free graphic novel.*
I think the premise of this graphic novel is a bit silly, which is why so many people really dislike this: Earth is dying and if you win the lottery, you can escape to the newly founded planet Eden. A family takes another family's place by violence and soon finds out that there is no Eden, the people on the ship are being killed off to...what exactly? Fight overpopulation? Give them hope? That's a bit silly, why make it a corporate evil scheme? I found that quite annoying and unconvincing (I don't doubt that killing off people is realistic in this scenario, I guess).
The family seems to be overly badass too, the kid a teenage genius, the parents hackers, fighters, con artists. I don't know. All of this felt quite rushed. The world building was underused, the conclusion unconvincing. I feel like this graphic novel had a lot of potential...
2.5-3 Stars
I think the premise of this graphic novel is a bit silly, which is why so many people really dislike this: Earth is dying and if you win the lottery, you can escape to the newly founded planet Eden. A family takes another family's place by violence and soon finds out that there is no Eden, the people on the ship are being killed off to...what exactly? Fight overpopulation? Give them hope? That's a bit silly, why make it a corporate evil scheme? I found that quite annoying and unconvincing (I don't doubt that killing off people is realistic in this scenario, I guess).
The family seems to be overly badass too, the kid a teenage genius, the parents hackers, fighters, con artists. I don't know. All of this felt quite rushed. The world building was underused, the conclusion unconvincing. I feel like this graphic novel had a lot of potential...
2.5-3 Stars
April 9, 2025
The artists and writers should keep refining their craft. The novel was eye catching so I picked it up at the library and gave it a shot. The framework concept was OK but the story didn't really come together or make a ton of sense. More time tightening up motivations, plots, and characters would have gone a long way.
For instance, at the end of the book they turn the craft to the stars to seek out an Eden, but there's no indication the spacecraft is supplied for this - in fact there's every reason to think it isn't! The ending on of this book is a fool's mission sure to kill everyone aboard. The stingy company is not fueling the ship for interplanetary missions or stocking the food and supplies needed to start a new colony - that was the whole big reveal of the book!
Instead of the company secretly dumping millions of bodies on the darkside of the moon and never leaving the solar system, what if the company did indeed take the millions to a new planet, but forced them into slave labor to mine for resources or something? Then at least the heroes would be somewhat sure of reaching their destination and being stocked for the trip. They could organize a revolutionary force on the way. There, you're set up for the next novel.
Still needs work, but that's a better plot structure off the top of my head.
For instance, at the end of the book they turn the craft to the stars to seek out an Eden, but there's no indication the spacecraft is supplied for this - in fact there's every reason to think it isn't! The ending on of this book is a fool's mission sure to kill everyone aboard. The stingy company is not fueling the ship for interplanetary missions or stocking the food and supplies needed to start a new colony - that was the whole big reveal of the book!
Instead of the company secretly dumping millions of bodies on the darkside of the moon and never leaving the solar system, what if the company did indeed take the millions to a new planet, but forced them into slave labor to mine for resources or something? Then at least the heroes would be somewhat sure of reaching their destination and being stocked for the trip. They could organize a revolutionary force on the way. There, you're set up for the next novel.
Still needs work, but that's a better plot structure off the top of my head.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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