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Vattu #1
Vattu: The Name & the Mark
The outer world knew it as year 855 of the Blue Age, but the nomads knew it unnumbered, in the midst of an age of river and grass with no beginning:
The year VATTU was born.
The Name & the Mark is the first book in the expansive story of Vattu, a girl from a nomadic tribe who is caught in the middle of a clash of cultures with an imperialistic civilization called Sahta.
This book contains the entire first book of Vattu as originally published online , and extra material.
The year VATTU was born.
The Name & the Mark is the first book in the expansive story of Vattu, a girl from a nomadic tribe who is caught in the middle of a clash of cultures with an imperialistic civilization called Sahta.
This book contains the entire first book of Vattu as originally published online , and extra material.
280 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2013
7 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Evan Dahm
35 books89 followersEvan Dahm is an artist who is currently living in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 28, 2020
Book one of Evan Dahm's long running webcomic. The setting is a sort of fantasy Imperial Rome, which centers on the life of Vattu, from her birth and childhood in a tribal society, to her enslavement in imperial civilization. Dahm does a wonderful job at creating a world that feels alive, and sets up a solid foundation for a long running narrative.
December 31, 2025
I do have trouble keeping some of the characters apart in sections but this series is just mesmerizing. I am anxious to keep reading to see how it all turns out! Love the artist's style and the incredible world-building.
September 16, 2014
It's hard to describe 'Vattu' as a graphic novel. Like his prior works 'Rice Boy' and 'The Order of Tales,' Evan Dahm takes his reader to a wholly original fantasy realm that is both unrecognizable through the lens of ordinary fantasy canons, but also immediately relatable from the way he envelopes his readers into the fold. Vattu is a bildungsroman of a young female member of a nomad tribe who gets whisked away by a commander of a slowly growing empire. It a simple premise, but the way that Dahm uses color, pacing, and, weirdly enough, silence is almost unmatched by any published webcomics author, or almost any graphic novel in the market. It's not surprising that the novel won the Ignatz award this past weekend in SPX either! I recommend it to all fans of the fantasy genre for anyone looking for an original work.
August 8, 2023
Vattu is an incredible fantasy webcomic (now sold as books) that has been ongoing for 12 years. I was lucky enough to only be aware of its existence after it ended earlier this year. I've just finished the series and will write this as a review of the entire thing.
Vattu tells the story of a nomadic tribe of people known as the Fluters that suddenly learn that the world is so much bigger than they thought, and get occupied by a Roman-esque empire. Vattu is then given as a child slave to said empire, which is pretty much where the story begins.
It's hard to explain why Vattu is such a compelling story. Vattu herself doesn't talk much, to the point where in some pages it feels like a wordless story. The story itself is slow paced, yet it's very interesting and nuanced. If you're expecting a fantasy epic with tons of action and blood-pumping excitement, this is NOT it. What you'll get is a slow rich fantasy with a massive variety of characters that'll make you constantly think about its world and where it's headed.
For a comic that is entirely free online, it trumps the vast majority of fantasy comics I've read. I wish there was more story in it, but for a free project that's been worked on for 12 (!!!) years, I can't really ask for more. Everyone should pick this up.
My only real problems are:
1) Why didn't anyone tell me about it sooner?
2) Why isn't it more popular!?
Vattu tells the story of a nomadic tribe of people known as the Fluters that suddenly learn that the world is so much bigger than they thought, and get occupied by a Roman-esque empire. Vattu is then given as a child slave to said empire, which is pretty much where the story begins.
It's hard to explain why Vattu is such a compelling story. Vattu herself doesn't talk much, to the point where in some pages it feels like a wordless story. The story itself is slow paced, yet it's very interesting and nuanced. If you're expecting a fantasy epic with tons of action and blood-pumping excitement, this is NOT it. What you'll get is a slow rich fantasy with a massive variety of characters that'll make you constantly think about its world and where it's headed.
For a comic that is entirely free online, it trumps the vast majority of fantasy comics I've read. I wish there was more story in it, but for a free project that's been worked on for 12 (!!!) years, I can't really ask for more. Everyone should pick this up.
My only real problems are:
1) Why didn't anyone tell me about it sooner?
2) Why isn't it more popular!?
September 18, 2014
Evan Dahm's Vattu: The Name & the Mark is an atypical fantasy graphic novel in that it presents a story we can easily follow, yet takes its time in conveying information, not immediately answering questions we raise after only a few panels. You might think such an undertaking frustrating, but that's not the case. You can tell just from the cover that this is a quest story that involves fighting, survival and determination. We don't need any words for the cover and actually the graphic novel itself doesn't contain all that many words. Dahm does a wonderful job of showing rather than telling (Oh, how I wish all graphic novel creators understood this....) and the things he shows are spellbinding.
Dahm just won the Ignatz Award for Best Online Comic at the 2014 SPX. You can read Vattu and his other work on Dahm's website.
Dahm just won the Ignatz Award for Best Online Comic at the 2014 SPX. You can read Vattu and his other work on Dahm's website.
August 30, 2020
So freaking adorable.
This is my first true webcomic. It is an ongoing series, that has not yet been completed, about a girl named Vattu who is ripped from her tribe and enslaved in an advanced, imperial civilization. While the story itself is so far alright, it's the stunning artwork and the incredible worldbuilding that is so captivating.
The dialogue itself is sparse and limited. This gives way to a greater focus on the facial expressions and detailed reactions to convey feelings and emotions and to set the scene. Due to limited dialogue and the fact that these panels were released days and weeks apart, the story is slow and is only gradually revealed. While I typically enjoy a faster pace, this story and its illustrations call for its reader to slow down and to remember that it's the adventure is in the journey, not the destination.
This is my first true webcomic. It is an ongoing series, that has not yet been completed, about a girl named Vattu who is ripped from her tribe and enslaved in an advanced, imperial civilization. While the story itself is so far alright, it's the stunning artwork and the incredible worldbuilding that is so captivating.
The dialogue itself is sparse and limited. This gives way to a greater focus on the facial expressions and detailed reactions to convey feelings and emotions and to set the scene. Due to limited dialogue and the fact that these panels were released days and weeks apart, the story is slow and is only gradually revealed. While I typically enjoy a faster pace, this story and its illustrations call for its reader to slow down and to remember that it's the adventure is in the journey, not the destination.
July 27, 2023
Beautiful illustrations, Fascinating storyline, Interesting characters!
"You have made your first turning-move...
You have earned your mark and your name.
Your mark is two parts... shaped like the wing of Shira.
You are one of those marked in white now...
VA... ...TU".
© http://www.rice-boy.com/vattu/ Vattu: The Name & the Mark is the story of a girl named Vattu, her tribe and the world around. A storybook with few words, some musical notes and gorgeous illustrations. The artwork and the design of the characters is very crisp and detailed.
The tribe of Vattu believes in Ata. Ata is the river that runs down the centre of the world... like a spine.
Vattu`s tribe plays the flute. The musical notes depicted in the book "sound" beautiful. Vattu`s home is known as Flutelands. The people (the tribe of dogs) of Sahta, actually call them 'Fluters'.
Those without a mark are no one. No Mark, No Name.
December 1, 2025
Absolutely loved this. The art style is amazing and the story is very engrossing. I will definitely be completing the series.
August 6, 2016
Someone left this book out on a table at the library and I'm so glad I was tidying up because I'd forgotten how much I love Evan Dahm. Rice Boy is still one of my favourite things ever, and I was following Vattu on the website until I lost track of what was happening and decided to come back to it when more was finished, and then forgot, because I forget everything. So thanks, stranger who decided not to check out this book although you really should have because it's really cool!
First and obviously, Dahm's illustrations are so so so good, that's just a fact that will be true forever. I wrote two so's at first and went back to add a third because I love them that much. The landscapes are so beautiful and real, the characters are equally adorable and terrifying, and I am endlessly fascinated by how well he can get them to express emotions with just their eyes.
Second...the story isn't over yet but I love Vattu and her place in this tale. Nothing is ever going to be the same for her or her people, but I can't wait to see how the world continues to change and what will become of the grand colonial powers and the civilizations they raze.
First and obviously, Dahm's illustrations are so so so good, that's just a fact that will be true forever. I wrote two so's at first and went back to add a third because I love them that much. The landscapes are so beautiful and real, the characters are equally adorable and terrifying, and I am endlessly fascinated by how well he can get them to express emotions with just their eyes.
Second...the story isn't over yet but I love Vattu and her place in this tale. Nothing is ever going to be the same for her or her people, but I can't wait to see how the world continues to change and what will become of the grand colonial powers and the civilizations they raze.
October 29, 2023
I'm tempted to tag this with some kind of tribal tag, but since it's not set on Earth (that I'm aware of...?), that might be disingenuous to why I'm using the tags.
Still, it focuses largely on the lives of a nomadic people who move with the wildlife, and how their lives are affected when "the Empire" comes to claim them for "trespassing" on Empire lands. The main character, Vattu, is given to the Empire representatives when a "tax" is requested from them in exchange for dubious Empire protections.
Evan Dahm is really good at worldbuilding, and portraying grand, expansive scenes, but I admit I have trouble following what's happening, particularly when members of each race look fairly identical. (Also not helped, the "War-Man" people do not speak or have faces.) Vattu's race is primarily distinguished by the "marks" on their large foreheads, which are applied with paint and must be reapplied as needed. Without the marks, they are "dead," and almost completely indistinguishable. Vattu is even mistaken for a boy when she is given to the Empire representative leader, and no one bothers to correct this, since her treatment would likely be worse for her as a girl than as a boy.
Otherwise, the only other real problem—if it really is one—is that this is only book 1, and it doesn't really end at a stopping point. This feels more like one very long chapter, and I desperately NEED the next one!
Still, it focuses largely on the lives of a nomadic people who move with the wildlife, and how their lives are affected when "the Empire" comes to claim them for "trespassing" on Empire lands. The main character, Vattu, is given to the Empire representatives when a "tax" is requested from them in exchange for dubious Empire protections.
Evan Dahm is really good at worldbuilding, and portraying grand, expansive scenes, but I admit I have trouble following what's happening, particularly when members of each race look fairly identical. (Also not helped, the "War-Man" people do not speak or have faces.) Vattu's race is primarily distinguished by the "marks" on their large foreheads, which are applied with paint and must be reapplied as needed. Without the marks, they are "dead," and almost completely indistinguishable. Vattu is even mistaken for a boy when she is given to the Empire representative leader, and no one bothers to correct this, since her treatment would likely be worse for her as a girl than as a boy.
Otherwise, the only other real problem—if it really is one—is that this is only book 1, and it doesn't really end at a stopping point. This feels more like one very long chapter, and I desperately NEED the next one!
October 30, 2025
Vattu has been at the top of my list for years now and I don't see it coming down from that spot any time soon. Evan Dahm's illustrative storytelling is some of the best I've seen and Vattu is, in my opinion, still the best he's done. While it does lack some of the things I usually look for in a comic, such as unique page and panel layouts, something to make it visually pop, but this never comes to its detriment. He keeps his pages clean, his dialogue in a handwritten font, his color palettes fairly limited, and his linework simple, all which help him convey the feelings he's trying to. Then there's the subtle details he switches up throughout, such as the color temperature shifts when we shift character perspectives or even just flashback scenes not having outlines of their panels. And then there's his character/creature design, with an emphasis on creature. The amount of "human" characters throughout Evan's works are extremely limited and Vattu is no exception. The amount of unique shapes and colors he brings to his characters is unreal and just another piece of the puzzle of the wonder his stories bring. Now, I was reading Vattu was it was being self-published online page by page, and that was an over a decade span which definitely adds to the warmth and fondness I have for it. That said, it's one of those stories that almost nothing good or happy is happening in and can be somewhat dry at times so if that's not your thing then fuck you read it anyway it's free.
10 outta 10 these'll be on my shelves til I'm dead.
10 outta 10 these'll be on my shelves til I'm dead.
July 6, 2018
Really enjoyed this and was surprised by it. Wasn't sure what to expect, and when I flipped through it, I wasn't crazy about the character designs. But graphic novels aren't all about pretty people, are they? I found this to be an interesting and more complex read than I anticipated. It was not uplifting, but it was nuanced and painstaking in its representation of the various (fictional) cultures portrayed.
If I have a critique, it is that the story verged at times on didacticism in its condemnation of imperialistic conquest. Perhaps also the fictional culture clash mirrored too exactly a simplified version of what has happened in our own world. There were points in the story when I wondered why I was reading this graphic novel about imperialist dog people instead of a history text about imperialistic human people.
If I have a critique, it is that the story verged at times on didacticism in its condemnation of imperialistic conquest. Perhaps also the fictional culture clash mirrored too exactly a simplified version of what has happened in our own world. There were points in the story when I wondered why I was reading this graphic novel about imperialist dog people instead of a history text about imperialistic human people.
March 17, 2024
I remember some of reading Vattu over a decade ago after Order of Tales had finished, and while it fell off my radar, I read all four books in one go. Unbelievably ambitious, gorgeously inked and colored, I'm ready to re-read it. The world, like all of Dahm's books, is solidly built and full of rich detail but Vattu herself grounds the fantastic world. I want to give little away - the story unfolds best on its own, but zeros in on colonial violence as it happens to the smallest and most vulnerable people. Crumbling empires stretched to their edges, histories that serve the living but not the truth, alienation of oneself in hand with the desire to understand the other - these books are bigger than you might assume. What a pleasure to read it all at once, and again a week later, when it was published page by page a decade ago. I can't recommend it enough.
February 2, 2018
I picked this book up from Evan Dahm at Comic Arts Los Angeles (CALA) festival. It was a very small intimate festival. I was drawn in by the posters he had up for Vattu. I picked up the book and was taken by the lush drawings! There is something about Evan's drawings and inking that reminds me of Bone.
The book is a quick read with few words, but I did take my time to drink in the gorgeous artwork.
The story is about nomadic tribes and their cultures. Vattu is a young girl that does not want to follow the traditional gender roles. She wants to hunt. She eventually gets caught up in a war between different tribes.
Lovely book.
The book is a quick read with few words, but I did take my time to drink in the gorgeous artwork.
The story is about nomadic tribes and their cultures. Vattu is a young girl that does not want to follow the traditional gender roles. She wants to hunt. She eventually gets caught up in a war between different tribes.
Lovely book.
May 13, 2017
Having one of your story's major secondary characters never speak and literally have no facial expressions, is that the sign of an ambitious or a crazy comic author...? This is, so far, a very slow-paced story with few words overall, and while the illustrations are great and the characters and setting interesting... Not a lot happens in this first book, honestly. Still curious to keep reading and see where it is going.
October 23, 2025
This story follows a young girl born into a primitive tribe who dreams of becoming a hunter. When her tribe is confronted by soldiers from the Empire claiming they are trespassing, the priest is forced to offer her up—disguised as a boy hunter—to satisfy their demands.
On her journey to the Empire’s town, she meets a new friend who teaches her how to fight with a sword. Once they arrive, the two are separated, and she is made to serve a new master, doing chores around his home. Over time, she learns more about the world beyond her tribe, and eventually, she escapes and reunites with her friend.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, leaving you eager to know what will happen next. The art and character designs are beautifully unique, adding depth to the storytelling and emotion to each scene.
On her journey to the Empire’s town, she meets a new friend who teaches her how to fight with a sword. Once they arrive, the two are separated, and she is made to serve a new master, doing chores around his home. Over time, she learns more about the world beyond her tribe, and eventually, she escapes and reunites with her friend.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, leaving you eager to know what will happen next. The art and character designs are beautifully unique, adding depth to the storytelling and emotion to each scene.
April 30, 2021
Such an interesting series!! I am reading the webcomic version, so I'm not quite sure which book I'm on, but I think I've finished books 1 and 2. I would die for Vattu; she's adorable. I also just love the world I accidentally just fell into. The art is enchanting and the story is sad but full of hope. I really wanted a graphic novel to read and this is what I got!
January 13, 2023
the story of vattu, a girl from a nomadic tribe, as she encounters and is brought into the empire of sahta (think imperial rome). slow-paced and primarily works with visuals over text. i liked it well enough but as a Wordy McWorderson person myself there was a part of me that was like uhhh...Am I Doing This Right whenever i hit multi-page stretches with no dialogue
3 stars
3 stars
January 10, 2018
I just caught up with the entirety of this series in a day. The world building is fantastic and expansive, without ever bridging into overdrawn or overbearing. It is a *whole new* world, not created from cultural tropes, and that is SO difficult to do. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
November 11, 2018
I'm not sure I've seen such world building before, and so implicit. I knew *nothing* about it going in, which is an amazing way of going into something so expertly done like this. Don't read anything about it, don't look at the online comic, just dive all the way in and luxuriate in it.
December 25, 2018
The art is beautiful!!! I'm really intrigued by the different tribes and civilizations which will no doubt be explored more in the later volumes. I found the story a bit hard to follow at first, just because the different characters (from the same tribe) are hard to differentiate.
April 26, 2022
Dahm has a wonderful way with his art, character, and world design. The text is almost background here: it's the illustrations that tell the stories. The first in the Vattu trilogy is a pleasure to behold and consume.
January 6, 2023
I just came across this quirky charmer. The interesting character designs and immersive backgrounds are very engaging. Don’t let that light, charming first impression fool you—things get dark fast. Looks like I need to chase down the rest of the series.
April 2, 2023
[this review covers the entirety of the Vattu series]
a beautiful story about names and homes and the power in violence. it's the fall of Rome with a better ending than empire after empire eating each other. idealistic, sure, but it's too heavy to be naïve.
a beautiful story about names and homes and the power in violence. it's the fall of Rome with a better ending than empire after empire eating each other. idealistic, sure, but it's too heavy to be naïve.
March 18, 2023
I'm such a sucker for anthropological explorations. Beautiful world and culture. Big "Things Fall Apart" vibes.
May 17, 2024
Great art. I hadn't realized this was the first in a tetralogy though, and this whole volume felt like exposition. To be continued...
December 22, 2024
Cool artwork, with few words at the beginning. Fun visual story telling.
October 27, 2025
A beautifully illustrated triumph that basically serves as an allegory for the problems with imperialism and expansion and subjugation of cultures.
December 9, 2025
Maybe the best fantasy epic of its time, full stop. All of Evan's work is really moving and smart and beautifully drawn of course, but Vattu stands out for me. I recommend this to everyone.
October 27, 2025
Part one of a 12 year long webcomic. It's a fantasy story about a nomadic tribe that come across a Roman type empire. The title character Vattu is given as tribute and taken to be a slave. I found it pretty enthralling even though it's slower paced, sometimes wordless for several pages. I enjoyed the art quite a bit and look forward to reading future volumes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews