Dandelion

by Sabir Pirzada, Martín Morazzo (Artist), Vanesa Del Rey (Artist)

From SABIR PIRZADA, writer of Marvel Studios’ **_Moon Knight _**and Ms. Marvel TV series, comes a bold vision of the future! When climate change and automation disrupt the lives of millions, a new civilization is formed in the skies—one that threatens the wealthy citizens who’ve been hoarding Earth’s meager resources for themselves. **_Nomadland _**meets Mad Max in this anthology featuring stunning artwork by MARTÍN MORAZZO (ICE CREAM MAN), **VANESA DEL REY **(REDLANDS), and more!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Dystopia, LGBT, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2024

Reviews

[Ian Payton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic novel is a collection of ten short stories set in a world where outcasts and the dispossessed get to live their lives as “exiles” on floating capsules, “Dandelions”, with all of their living requirements met… except that they can never again land on solid ground.

This is an ambitious concept - the creation of a two tier society (in this case, as literal is it is figurative) caused by the pressures of climate change and job losses through automation. And it tries to pack a lot in: the psychological and societal impact of creating and underclass of people who are forced to live separately from the rest of society, the impact and opportunities that this will provide for criminality and surveillance, and the adjustments and sacrifices that normal people and families would have to make. Woven through this is a thread of the supposed inventor of Dandelion, Jen Nakamuto, and her reflections and regrets over the impact that the Dandelions have had.

I was looking forward to reading this. It should have been great. Unfortunately for me, it fell short of the mark. I think this is mostly due to how short each story was: ten stories in 120 pages barely allows each story to start developing before it hurtles towards its conclusion. Each story felt rushed and, leaving little space for emotional development of any of the characters or situations, with the result that I found it very difficult to engage with any of it.

This is such a shame, as the concept has the richness and potential for a novel length treatment. And there is such a collection of artistic talent; using different artists for each of the stories showcases a broad range of excellent artwork, and the change in visual style matched the change on point-of-view for each story.

Despite all of this, two things did stand out. Running between the main stories are snippets of the “Excerpt from the Statosphere podcast” interview with Jen Nakamuto. This set of reflections of the supposed inventor of the Dandelions, rendered in black and white was a nice counterpoint to the action in the main stories. And I found “The Bird” poignant and emotional (the fact that it had a talking octopus and lizard that was aware that its existence was within a graphic novel also helped). For me, though, these were just highlights in what felt overall like a missed opportunity.

Thank you #NetGalley and Image Comics for the free review copy of #Dandelion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vapid and tepid sci-fi anthology that sort of skates around the points it wants to make, never really managing to hit any of them fully. The set-up of sending the lower classes into the skies in floating ships doesn't really pass the smell test to begin with (an Earth very low on resources, the cost, the logistics, did I mention the cost?). Add an exposition-laden podcast and some terribly cringey dialogue.

Art is done by several different artists, most of them not bad (except one), although it would've helped if there were some agreements made on the visual design of the world and characters.

(Picked up a review copy through Edelweiss)

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful anthology depicting a dystopian world where the skies have been littered with airborne homes known as 'Dandelions'. This graphic novel follows several stories where we can see how the creation as well as the abuse of power surrounding the creation of these futuristic homes have impacted many individuals from all walks of life.

I genuinely loved this graphic novel! I went in blind to be honest and was pleasantly surprised. The stories are all woven together and every thing is pieced together wonderfully by the end of the novel. The characters were incredibly diverse and their stories were hugely impactful to the reader. I felt so many emotions throughout the reading of Dandelion.

This novel discussed the abuse of power by governments towards minorities, highlighting how wonderful creations can become twisted and controlled when left in the wrong hands. A young girl's dream became a way to exile people who were considered a stain to society in some stories, yet some people thrived in this new way of life. It highlights the diversity and differences within humanity. We experienced love stories, heartbreak, tragedies and violence throughout this short but impactful graphic novel.

The way this story is presented, through several short stories, many of which are linked together towards the end is wonderful! I felt like I was experiencing the creation, insight and impact of Dandelion homes through a documentary.

I understand why some people may not enjoy this work. At times it was confusing, especially trying to piece together the underlying storyline. However, it was a wonderful and insightful read. I'm looking forward to a reread already! The artwork was so beautiful and the stories were incredible! I'll definitely be recommending to my fellow graphic novel readers!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Just Another Final Girl Review (Brittany) Levely-Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

“To Build a Paradise
First you need a hell
Breath by breath, we all choke
And the cows sound like laughter
We bake together until the crispy ice breaks
To build a hell, first you need a flood”

Genre:
-dystopian
-techno sci fi
-speculative
-horror
—eco horror
—techno horror

Dandelions the floating homes of our future. The sky is the limit so why not live life at its limits? A floating endlessly on autopilot across the globe, the Dandelion is the best way to experience earth through the eyes of a god and have your debt wiped free at same. Leave your country and come join us as global citizens of the sky!! Sign up for your floating home today!!

theme:
Guilt
Exile
Trapped
Prison
Progress
Technological Innovation
Flying in the sky
Rich vs poor
Virtual reality
Lost
Disappearance
Land
Rebellion
Global warming
Dandelions


“Dandelions were designed to float in the skies endlessly. People were not. The idea was, you'd visit the skies and then return to land. You'd vacation in the clouds.
Take the scenic route through the mountains back. Not this permanent exile.”

“SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO LOOK AT HISTORY WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.”

This is the first graphic novel I’ve ever given a perfect 5*. Illustrations are beautiful and heavily detailed; conveying just as much, if not more, information as the texts itself. The storylines are compelling, cultural critiques of the dangers of capitalist globalization and governmental policies that put profits over the interests of the people they are supposed to serve and represent.

“But a prison is still a prison.”

I got this graphic novel as an e-book arc copy from Netgalley

[Helene Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I struggle with Image comics, but this book hit the mark. The stories centre on a new invention—the Dandelion—that allows its inhabitants to live in the sky. Albeit groundbreaking, the Dandelion soon becomes another means to isolate people who are deemed “different”. They are called “exiles”, and in this collection, we learn what happens when isolation takes a very physical form. The comic can be violent at times, so I don’t think this book is for everybody, but if you like thought-provoking comics that play with the medium, this may be the right read for you.

I received an ARC via NetGalley. All my options are my own.

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dandelion" is an immensely satisfying and imaginative work of science fiction. The plot in this loosely connected series of vignettes floats and darts like a dandelion in a breeze as it explores the impact of a benevolently designed technology implemented without adequate safeguards. The technology itself is unlikely, if not downright fantastical, but that is far from the point since this book, at its core is, not so much a prediction of a dire future, as a candid and unflinching look at the dystopian present we live in now.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Image Comics for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Rigel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I'm not smart enough to follow the entire plot line, but everything just felt disjointed to me. Some characters from earlier stories reappeared in later ones, but it didn't feel like the stories had anything to do with one another. Sure, they were all set in the same world, but that's it.

[Aquila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Dandelion by Sabir Pirzada in exchange for my honest feedback.

It's the Haves vs. the Have Nots in this fascinating vision of the not too distant future.

The year is 2041, and Jen Nakamuto is credited with creating a floating home that takes to the skies. She calls it "Dandelion."

The Exiles of humanity are sent to live in these Dandelions. Some welcome it. Some fight back against an unjust system that is trying to get rid of them.

This story follows the adventures of several different people and families. It explores poverty, disability, criminalization, and more. A variety of gifted artists help illuminate the characters' lives and give us a glimpse of how this world has shaped their experiences and the choices they make.

I loved seeing the many divergent outcomes from similar circumstances. We are each singular and unique. You can't just put people out of the way in a box or a balloon and wash your hands of them.

[Bri Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful on the outside, horrific on the inside-type dystopian world sucked me in immediately. This is a collection of separate, yet interconnected stories that was gorgeously illustrated and extremely satisfying to read.

We get so many forms of media in this anthology, including radio interviews, architectural sketches, and illustrated poems. This kept me so intrigued, and really immersed me into the world that was created. The stories also made many parallels to the impact of technology in real life, which made this world eerily plausible.

Overall, such an enjoyable read with beautiful art and a deep, interesting storyline. Fans of dystopian techno horrors are going to eat this up!

Thank you to Image Comics and Netgally for an advanced copy.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! It's interesting reading sci-fi dystopian's in this day and age cause realistically we are that far from having dandelion pods be a reality. I loved all the different stories, they all interlaced together in some way. Each story was illustrated by different people and I liked all of them, they all complimented each other very well, you could tell that they still belonged in the same world. Overall very interesting little comic!

thank you Netgalley and Image Comics for an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review!

[FantasyBookNerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a future where the marginalised are placed in floating pods to live in the sky, whilst the 1% live in abject luxury, Dandelion explores the abuse of power towards those less fortunate.
Told in a series of interlocking vignettes, Dandelion is a comic with a social conscience.
The story revolves around the Dandelions, a floating pod that can give the homeless, dispossessed and the undesirables a place to call home, and where the state will provide food. However, this comes with a trade-off. In recompense for free food and lodgings, the inhabitants of the Dandelions have to waiver their rights to citizenship of any country and live out their lives in the skies, never to touch down on earth again, at the cost of recriminations.
With artwork that very much reminded me of such things like 2000AD, Dandelion is a comic that is intended to get the reader thinking about how we treat our homeless and our dispossessed in this lifetime. How people are forgotten and how they have to navigate the trails of bureaucracy to obtain status in a society that wants to bury its head in the sand and forget, and if it cannot forget, it will use whatever means necessary to make sure they stay forgotten.
At times, the story can appear a little disjointed as it moves through different timelines, but if you stick with it, it all becomes clearer at the end.
Ultimately, I enjoyed Dandelion and will be watching out for Sabir Pirzada’s work in the future.

[Alex Sarll]

That cover is pretty, but doesn't really sell the core concept here, the eponymous Dandelion being a mobile home in the skies, conceived by the mysterious Jen Nakamuto as part of the old human dream of being up among the clouds. But just as it took us less than a lifetime to turn powered flight from aspiration to arseache, so the Dandelions have been flipped from escapes to prisons, the world's copious unwanted given a subsidised life up there so long as they never darken the ground with their presence again. Even with lots more space than is considered necessary for the modern poor, never mind refugees, and even with VR and aerial hubs to ameliorate matters, it doesn't entirely make sense, but if there's one thing the 2020s has taught us, it's that dystopias don't have to - that's part of what makes them suck (and it definitely feels like the 2020s were an influence on the lockdown (even if it's up) of the airborne Exiles). Much like slow glass, or Niven's teleportation stories, this is SF of the one big change school, and like them it's told through showing us various characters navigating the changed world, rather than following a single protagonist (though some characters here do recur). And to emphasise that variety, different stories have different artists, Martin Morazzo and Vanesa del Rey probably the biggest names but all of them pretty good. I feel a little as if what we've got here is at an uncomfortable midpoint between scattered vignettes and giving us the full, Cities In Flight-style story of the rise and fall, but overall it's a strong introduction for a writer I've only previously encountered on minor superhero tie-ins.

(Netgalley ARC)

[Ashli Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.75*

thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free copy of this in return for an honest review (apologies that it isn’t a positive one)

when i read the description of this i thought “brilliant, this is going to be the perfect graphic novel that critiques the rich and really fleshes out the characters” but it didnt do any of that for me, if anything it fell flat. I loved the idea of having multiple POVs and character storylines throughout, but to me they all lacked depth that made them feel so distanced that i didnt really care about them. the “dystopian” element also fell flat to me, because yeah we got some small details about the world and some minor flashbacks to its creation, but we didnt really get to see into the characters enough to understand the impact of the new world. I wanted to get more experience of the characters thoughts and feelings regarding their new situation to understand how the world has gone backwards and the impacts it has had- but i got barely anything.

I know that graphic novels are short and therefore its inherently harder to provide more detail, but i do think there were so many ways inn which the world could have been developed better to help the reader get a better grasp.

unfortunately this was not for me.

[Sadie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I felt about this one. I'd give it either 2 or 3 stars, but I'm undecided in the way I'm leaning. The stories felt pretty disjointed and all over the place, but maybe that's part of the point. I feel like it tries to say so many things and touch on so many different topics that it, sadly, doesn't talk about any of them well or enough. The cover art is beautiful, and some of the art in the comic are beautiful as well, such as the last chapter. I can appreciate the threads that, I think, the stories were trying to tell, but feel like it could have been plotted out better and deeper to create more impactful meaning overall. It was also difficult to remain interested in the storylines and just felt....like it lacked something. I did get a free digital copy from NetGalley to review and I do appreciate the attempt with this work! Perhaps I'm just not the right audience for it?

[alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful art, strong concept, underwhelming execution. Dandelion is a graphic anthology of interconnected short stories exploring a speculative - though perhaps not so distant - future in which those most affected by the climate crisis now live in floating mobile homes called Dandelions.

At first, Dandelion living seems like it will be an escape, but it soon proves a prison; international law requires inhabitants give up their terrestrial citizenship, leaving Dandelion-dwellers isolated and disenfranchised. It's an interesting exploration of the way technological innovation is often co-opted for the gain of the already-powerful, rather than used for the good of the many, but the devil is in the details, enough of which were fumbled that I felt confused more often than I did compelled. The result was a squarely middle-of-the-road reading experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with a free digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are familiar with the tropes of dystopian science-fiction, you know that the road to a hellish future begins with the false promise of a pleasant one. No matter what good intentions there might be, whether from leaders or innovators, humanity would have to embrace the future or suffer from it. This is what is at the core of Dandelion from Sabir Pirzada, a writer on Marvel Studios shows Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight.

Please click here for my full review.

[mad mags · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

In 2041, Jen Nakauto invented a floating pod ~
The equivalent of a trailer home that lives in the skies forever.
She called it "Dandelion".

Vagrants, immigrants without asylum,
And workers displaced by post-labor automation
Were sent to the skies to live out their days in these Dandelions.

They were known as EXILES.

***

In the not-too-distant future, the 1% are clinging to a dying earth, banishing the most marginalized humans to trailer homes in the sky. At first blush, life in a Dandelion doesn't seem all that bad: food is delivered via drones; virtual reality helps to stave off loneliness and alienation (from nature, the earth, and humanity); and, let's face it, a five-bedroom house is more than most of us can afford, even in 2024. But these modern miracles are floating prisons, no matter how gilded the cage. (Although, tbh, it sounds pretty awesome to this socially anxious introvert. Throw in a few doggos and I'm sold!)

DANDELION explores this all-too-plausible future through a series of interconnected stories. There's Reggie and Amy, whose lives were changed irrevocably after a car accident. After witnessing the massacre of a community of Dandelion citizens who dared touch down on earth, violating international law, an artist known only as Vesper crashes her stolen Dandelion to earth, vowing revenge. When Somchair and his brother become orphans in the flooding of Bangkok, they rebuild their family home - only to see it burned to the ground by vandals. Rather than board a Dandelion with his brother, Somchair rebuilds once again - this time taking to the seas as a pirate.

These vignettes are interspersed with interviews and podcast transcripts featuring Jen Nakauto, the elderly - and missing - inventor of the Dandelion, who supposedly got the idea from a dream. But there's more to the story than Jen is willing to tell.

I wanted to like DANDELION more than I did. It's an interesting idea, but in jumping between characters, I felt a little disconnected from the story. Also, some of the details didn't quite make sense to me; for example, why would the government (and thus the 1%) waste money keeping "unproductive" and "useless" Dandelion citizens in supplies?

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This graphic novel is a collection of short stories, with a few focusing briefly on the same character. The majority of these stories show different people living in a world similar to ours, but fully automated and stricken by several major climate crises. An invention, the Dandelion, created to allow humans the freedom to travel the skies and around the world has been turned into a way for countries to get rid of "undesirable peoples". These people, now called "Exiles" are forced to live out the rest of their lives in the skies, and forbidden to touch down on land anywhere on the planet. This graphic novel does a good job showing that even if a type of technology was created with a noble idea, it's all too easy for capitalism and the government to snatch it up to use as a bandaid solution. But the short stories were so short and seemed so focused on showing these ideas, that they felt bland and lifeless. Yes, I understood the message and its reflection on the current state of the world. But the stories, even the ones that were slightly interconnected, held no weight for me. If the book was more focused on one plotline, maybe it would have read better. This book has multiple artists, each one drawing their own chapter. All of the art styles are good, and all of them have a good flow to them.

[Mary Argetsvell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a story I went into not entirely sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of depth present across the threads woven throughout the novel. Dandelion explores a future where an inventor wanted to make living in floating homes that can travel the world a reality, but the governments of the world ran with the idea and turned them into floating prisons for those who were unfortunate enough to be too poor to afford living on the surface (among other reasons). You get to see the perspectives of a large variety of characters throughout the graphic novel, learning about how their lives have changed and what the invention of these Dandelions, these floating homes, mean to them.

Overall, this was a fun, if slightly depressing, read about how inventions made with the best of interests at heart can still be perverted by those in power to meet their own needs regardless of the inventor's hopes. I would recommend this book if you're looking for a quick read into a dystopian future that feels all too possible.

A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for reviewing it!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dandelion is a dystopian experience where the rich have decided to cast the poor off into the sky and take Earth for themselves. How does it work? The poor remain in these floating pods called Dandelions while the rich stay free on the ground. For the residents of the Dandelions, landing on Earth could have dire consequences.

I loved the concept of this. It really showcases the differences between the lower and upper classes. I really liked how this was done in a series of different short stories with different art styles rather than one long novel. It allowed for multiple perspectives and highlights of different aspects of living in the Dandelions.

Overall, I found this to be a decent read. If you're looking for a unique dystopian story give this one a shot.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Eden R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this, the interconnecting stories just how fast-paced it was. Even the different ranges of stories you got in such a short time, really helped me fall in love with this world and omg dandelion got its name from the actually dandelion seed things which is reminiscent of the pod things that help you go up ugh I loved. I need this adapted so badly I'm so obsessed with Neha and Ying you don't understand I need more of them "'Are you stalking me'
'Tell me to buzz off and I will, forever'
'Bitch you ain't going nowhere'" LITERALLY OBSESSED . The art at the beginning did kind of bother me but I really warmed up to it by story 3 or 4. I think this would transfer so well to a limited series and I am praying it does, I yearn for another sci-fi limited show on netlfix or smthn. I will be buying a physical copy, this was so good. I need another one right now desperately it was so good.


Thank you NetGalley and Image Comics for the ARC!

[Alicia Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa. This one is timely. It was intense to read this— we see a world where “unwanted” people are shipped off to homes in the sky to literally get rid of them. Some stories are more violent than others, but they are all poignant and emotional as they look into human nature and the ways we can twist things for selfish reasons. I’m not sure if there will be a continuation of this, but I would be curious to see anything else in this world, though it also doesn’t need anything else.

Themes/possible red flags: deportation & government control; LGBTQIA relationships; biracial relationships; robbery; arson; burglary; murder; people with various abilities/disabilities; capitalism; the rich getting richer at the expense of everyone else.

[Charleigh Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful and dark graphic novel paints a twisted tale of the invention and use of a technology called Dandelion- mobile homes for the sky. Through different art styles and snippets of different tales, the reader is left with a full picture of this speculative future. I recommended this one to any dystopic and graphic novel fans. Captivating.

[Amna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disjointed vignettes, each with a different artist, art ranging from bad to worse. The idea was intriguing enough, but execution was way off.

[P Roberge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting scifi concept, and I love that there are different chapters made by different artists, so they show their own visual and narrative spin on the idea.

[Amber Hutchison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this knowing the art was going to be phenomenal, just judging by the cover. I wasn't wrong. I finished having enjoyed both the art and the story, far m0re than anticipated. The way that this was comprised of small glimpses into the lives of those before, during, and after a life of Dandelions was captivating. Each one was different but connected which, to me, made the story special. It made it relatable, like you could connect all of the struggles to something that currently exists in the world today. I would certainly recommend this to others and have already.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

[Piskie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Violence, Abuse of Power, Military/Government Abuse

Review:

First, I'd like to send my thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for giving me access to the eARC of Crave. What follows is my true and honest opinion.

Dandelion is a dystopian anthology were the sky is filled with airborne 'trailer' homes. The anthology follows a diverse cast of characters, who fall into a variety of minorities such as BIPOC, LGBTQ, Elderly, disabled etc. It also shows a clear depiction of classism, and how power corrupts. A strong theme throughout is that a good idea, when in the wrong hands, could prove harmful or even catastrophic. The entire meaning of something csn change based on who is in control.

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started this, mostly choosing it based on enjoying previous things credited to the author. I did not expect to read such a hard hitting and serious book. I enjoyed it, the artwork is stunning, and I like that throughout each chapter there's different artstyles. I want to see this world developed further. Secrets have been half revealed leaving me feeling like a rabbit with a carrot on a stick dangles in front of and quite frankly I feel that it is cruel to not have a sequel one day.

Dandelion is an exploration of a critique about the culture and danger of capitalist globalisation and government policies that increasingly put profits over the people that they are supposed to serve, represent, and protect. Something which hits harder within modern day problems. The abuse of power by the government and military, and the fact that homelessness increased due to the displacement of workers due to post-labor automation, a very real problem and fear as technology increases, and then the Dandelions represent a bandage. Something that is shown to fix the problem, but in reality is just a way to get rid of anyone who doesn't fit into the status quo. Free housing and and never having a need to work? Who wouldn't sign up to that. It's an offer that seems to good to be true. And that theme follows through the stories.

[Tiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was fascinating. The melding together of artists and colorists to build this beautiful graphic novel was such an awesome thing to see. I loved the high concepts and how even though there was various art styles it all came together to form a singular cohesive story.

Every story within this graphic novel layered upon each other and added together to form something full of substance. Nothing was too much or out there everything felt like it worked together to make the story that much more rich.

The concept of having these floating cities where people could live and all their food and amenities were provided for them was fascinating. The touches of adding blueprints of what these pods were conceptualized to be by their creator and what the intentions behind the project were from the beginning. This story marries sci-fi and dystopia together beautifully to create something otherworldly yet wholly realistic.

This is a story I could read again and again to find more tidbits and things that add to the detail and think for myself what a world like that would be. My absolute favorite pieces of art in the whole graphic novel was a part that had no words at all. It told the story completely in its art work of a man’s murder, redemption, love, and partnership all the way to its end and it was absolutely breathtaking.

If you love dystopia as much as I do, Especially, if stories like The Giver (my all time favorite book) are stories that you rate very highly, you will absolutely adore this graphic novel. It’s such a cool mind meld that gives just enough of how the world is like to make you imagination take it even further and enough similarities to issues of our world to wonder what sort of horrors that we may be heading towards.

[SHANE ⋆.ೃ࿔* ⛓️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A huge thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this graphic novel’s ARC in exchange for an honest review !!

☆ ☆ ☆ [ 3 Stars ]

— “Dandelion” had such a good premise and such a cool set-up. In a dystopian world where the invention of sky pods where people could live - and later become exiled to - and free themselves of earth becomes polarized and popularized in society, “Dandelion” speaks of social and human issues. It was such a cool foundation, something I have not really seen in the dystopian, end of the world type genres and was super engaged with the summary.

But man did it fall short.

The art style was impeccable, I liked the range of diverse casting of characters we saw, but other than that — I feel like nothing really happened. We learn a few things about the history of the Dandelions and find out some secrets, but the varying different storylines ( and there are quite a few ) and the different pairings of characters, really make everything feel one-dimensional. I didn’t get connected to any of the characters or the storylines occurring, because after the first one ended and a new one began, I went into the next ones expecting the same thing ( and was right ). Henceforth it was hard to feel connected to the characters or really have them be memorable to me in any fashion, even the one who made the dandelions !!!!

Overall, the art style was great, and the premise was super cool, but the execution fell short of the promised outcome. I wish that there had been more fleshing out of one or two storylines rather than converging upwards of four - five different storylines of people. A cool read, though!

[Timothy Grubbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scifi dystopian anthology where humanity try has taken to the skies in floating mobile homes called Dandelions…what type of world would that result in?

Dandelion by Sabir Pirzada is a comic anthology that offers up a world where the unwanted of humanity have been sent into the sky to live apart from their “betters” on land.

Not sure of the economics of “exiling” unwanted people to self sufficient floating mobile homes, but it’s an interesting concept.

Basically folks that can’t find a place on a world with rising ocean levels (maybe migrants, maybe their counties no longer exist due to flooding, other things)…they are given the option to live in floating communities of dandelions…houses big enough for a family of 5 or so and with monthly drone deliveries to drop off supplies and collect waste.

Meanwhile there are still riches on earth, where the wealthy and governments send away they don’t want around…so they have the land for themselves.

It’s a weird idea but if you ignore that element and focus on the interesting scifi potential then it’s a decent set of yarns.

Follow vengeful dandelion hitman out for revenge on their former corporate bosses, travel with a pirate that prefers to rebuild his house into a ship rather than “flee” to the sky, see a modern scifi take on Santa Claus, observe a criminal’s tale of captivity, revenge, redemption, and solitude…along with others.

Fun…