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Singularity
How much loss can one soul endure?
Blue Eyes can’t stop being reborn. He tumbles from life to life, from one unthinkably strange universe to the next—the only constant that, one way or another, everything that he learns to love is lost. But when Blue Eyes finally catches up to a mysterious figure he’s seen recurring throughout his lives, he realizes he might just have a chance to escape his cursed immortality—or, at very least, exact revenge for it.
Inspired by, and a companion to, Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning composer BEAR McCREARY’s first-ever original concept album of the same name, THE SINGULARITY sees a cavalcade of comics’ greatest artists join with writer MAT GROOM (INFERNO GIRL RED) to tell a sweeping, cosmic story about the lessons that loss can teach us.
Blue Eyes can’t stop being reborn. He tumbles from life to life, from one unthinkably strange universe to the next—the only constant that, one way or another, everything that he learns to love is lost. But when Blue Eyes finally catches up to a mysterious figure he’s seen recurring throughout his lives, he realizes he might just have a chance to escape his cursed immortality—or, at very least, exact revenge for it.
Inspired by, and a companion to, Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning composer BEAR McCREARY’s first-ever original concept album of the same name, THE SINGULARITY sees a cavalcade of comics’ greatest artists join with writer MAT GROOM (INFERNO GIRL RED) to tell a sweeping, cosmic story about the lessons that loss can teach us.
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2024
2 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Mat Groom
87 books18 followersMat Groom is a writer from Sydney, Australia, where he works on branding and narrative development at the creative agency For The People and teaches open-to-the-public storytelling classes.
Self/Made is Mat’s solo comics writing debut.
Self/Made is Mat’s solo comics writing debut.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 14, 2024
The Singularity tells the story of one man’s journey through the multitude of universes, only to watch them die.
It’s also part of a multimedia endeavor by noted TV/movie composer, Bear McCreary.
There is a soundtrack that you can listen to that is pretty good.
The graphic novel itself is written fairly well. The artwork is good.
If there is any downside to the graphic novel, it’s that I never felt connected with the story. There were too many universes that came and went. You never really got a chance to feel invested in any of them.
It’s also part of a multimedia endeavor by noted TV/movie composer, Bear McCreary.
There is a soundtrack that you can listen to that is pretty good.
The graphic novel itself is written fairly well. The artwork is good.
If there is any downside to the graphic novel, it’s that I never felt connected with the story. There were too many universes that came and went. You never really got a chance to feel invested in any of them.
August 29, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Singularity by Mat Groom in exchange for my honest feedback.
Blue Eyes has a difficult journey through grief and loss to understanding and acceptance. He travels through countless worlds and lifetimes, trying to find answers about who he is and what is happening to him.
The Singularity's story concept was heartfelt and engaging, and the art was absolutely captivating. I deeply enjoyed getting to explore the multiverse through the creations of so many talented artists.
Blue Eyes has a difficult journey through grief and loss to understanding and acceptance. He travels through countless worlds and lifetimes, trying to find answers about who he is and what is happening to him.
The Singularity's story concept was heartfelt and engaging, and the art was absolutely captivating. I deeply enjoyed getting to explore the multiverse through the creations of so many talented artists.
August 12, 2024
So this is the official graphic novel to accompany a concept album composed by Bear McCreary with a myriad of collaborators, many of whom lean towards the hard metal scene. If there is a coherent throughline here, it's some chugging riffage. Some of these are in different languages, some are retellings of dialogue in the comic, and many jibe a little awkwardly against them. Each track has an appropriate matching chapter, which means that there are occasions when a four-minute song has a one-page story. I listen along as I read it, and certainly, once I got into the swing of things it was quite a fun combination - though I finished the book a good halfway through the album.
The story opens with apocalyptic mystery, a chapter title "The First Life (Part V)" with a man chatting to someone when suddenly a golden godess-like being comes out of nowhere followed by some sort of destructive red demon killing everything. We then get a gallery of heads, some human, some alien, enumerated anywhere between the 4th and 503rd life. But in case you don't quite get the hint, we join our protagonist in his 532nd Life finally trying to get answers from the golden goddess. And as befits a comic based on a concept album, the concept is huge. Our protagonist Blue Eyes (the one constant) is being constantly reincarnated into different universes, all of which die with him. Not before he struggles with whatever rebellion or nonsense he finds himself in. This allows the book to swap artists and styles constantly as we get small vignettes which are often fun short vignettes, but by the end when the grand role of entropy and the three eternal beings is explained, it's all rather pointless. Particularly when all the the mysteries are revealed in expositional dialogue which could have happened any time in the book or indeed previously in Blue-Eyes many lives.
It still manages to reach some sort of poignancy at the end, because the final entropic unraveling of everything should be a little poignant. And despite there being fifteen artists, there is a decent level of consistency across the book (I assume partially down to the colourists who do get to slather their reds, yellows and blues across the battle). It is a bit of a curio though, and in the scheme of things the album is probably a bit more chewy and satisfying than the graphic novel, though wouldn't make any sense as a narrative. It certainly ticks all the "concept album" boxes in ambition, self-regard and sincerity failing to mask the nonsense within. But surprisingly good fun when you get your lighter out at the end.
The story opens with apocalyptic mystery, a chapter title "The First Life (Part V)" with a man chatting to someone when suddenly a golden godess-like being comes out of nowhere followed by some sort of destructive red demon killing everything. We then get a gallery of heads, some human, some alien, enumerated anywhere between the 4th and 503rd life. But in case you don't quite get the hint, we join our protagonist in his 532nd Life finally trying to get answers from the golden goddess. And as befits a comic based on a concept album, the concept is huge. Our protagonist Blue Eyes (the one constant) is being constantly reincarnated into different universes, all of which die with him. Not before he struggles with whatever rebellion or nonsense he finds himself in. This allows the book to swap artists and styles constantly as we get small vignettes which are often fun short vignettes, but by the end when the grand role of entropy and the three eternal beings is explained, it's all rather pointless. Particularly when all the the mysteries are revealed in expositional dialogue which could have happened any time in the book or indeed previously in Blue-Eyes many lives.
It still manages to reach some sort of poignancy at the end, because the final entropic unraveling of everything should be a little poignant. And despite there being fifteen artists, there is a decent level of consistency across the book (I assume partially down to the colourists who do get to slather their reds, yellows and blues across the battle). It is a bit of a curio though, and in the scheme of things the album is probably a bit more chewy and satisfying than the graphic novel, though wouldn't make any sense as a narrative. It certainly ticks all the "concept album" boxes in ambition, self-regard and sincerity failing to mask the nonsense within. But surprisingly good fun when you get your lighter out at the end.
May 22, 2024
2,5/5. What started as a very unique and intriguing comic book, rather fall short for me. And maybe that’s exactly that, the format might have been too short for the story it wanted to tell. Maybe a longer comic or even a novel could have tell that story (which had a solid foundation) in a much stronger and emotional way. The potential was there, the execution not so much. I didn’t really enjoy it.
July 6, 2024
The artwork of this graphic novel was absolutely STUNNING.
As for the story honestly I did struggle to get into it at first but ended up really enjoying it and was surprised by how touching it ended up being.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC.
As for the story honestly I did struggle to get into it at first but ended up really enjoying it and was surprised by how touching it ended up being.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC.
December 27, 2024
Listening to the companion album as you read really enhances this experience. At first I found it a little hard to concentrate on the reading when the music had lyrics, but as I settled into the book, it became less of an issue. I really loved the sections where you could read and listen to a monologue concurrently.
4 stars on its own, 5 with the musical accompaniment.
4 stars on its own, 5 with the musical accompaniment.
October 26, 2024
This graphic novel is a companion to Bear McCreary's heavy metal concept album of the same name (which is fantastic). The two compliment each other very well, and make for a great experience. The idea of the novel is interesting and I love the artwork. However I'm not sure that the graphic novel could stand on it's own as it doesn't have a consistent enough tone and through line. In short, I would highly reccomend if you are also getting the album, would probably take a pass on the book on it's own.
November 13, 2025
Live, Die, Repeat. Sound familiar? Although unlike in most media with a similar setup, poor Blue Eyes lives several hundred lives without any idea of how or why this is happening to him. The disorientation extends to the reader, as the lives begin ending quicker and quicker without any answers. The only clue is a mysterious yellow woman that he keeps seeing towards the end of his life.
Where this comic really excels is in the world building. Every few pages, we're introduced to a new, wonderfully unique world. Unfortunately, because these lives are so short lived, each world ends up feeling woefully unexplored. Had we been given more than glimpses of these lives, we might have gotten to understand Blue Eyes a bit more. We're told that he's loved and lost over and over and we're told that he's been driven mad by his experiences, but by the time we catch up to him, it feels as though any personality has been burned away. By the start of our story, he's a blank slate whose entire personality boils down to "keeps dying" and "mad about it".
Each life lived by Blue Eyes is beautifully brought to life by a different artist, each with a different style that works to emphasize the differences between these lives. Again, I found myself wishing to see more of these worlds. If nothing else, each artist at least ended up with some excellent pages for their portfolios.
There's a lot to love about this comic: the concepts, the artwork, the worlds, etc. But ultimately, as much as I hate to say it, I just don't think it's as good as the sum of its parts.
Where this comic really excels is in the world building. Every few pages, we're introduced to a new, wonderfully unique world. Unfortunately, because these lives are so short lived, each world ends up feeling woefully unexplored. Had we been given more than glimpses of these lives, we might have gotten to understand Blue Eyes a bit more. We're told that he's loved and lost over and over and we're told that he's been driven mad by his experiences, but by the time we catch up to him, it feels as though any personality has been burned away. By the start of our story, he's a blank slate whose entire personality boils down to "keeps dying" and "mad about it".
Each life lived by Blue Eyes is beautifully brought to life by a different artist, each with a different style that works to emphasize the differences between these lives. Again, I found myself wishing to see more of these worlds. If nothing else, each artist at least ended up with some excellent pages for their portfolios.
There's a lot to love about this comic: the concepts, the artwork, the worlds, etc. But ultimately, as much as I hate to say it, I just don't think it's as good as the sum of its parts.
August 17, 2024
First thing first: Read the graphic novel first, then read AND listen to the album by Bear McCreary after. It will completely change the experience and make it ten times better.
5/5 stars, easy. When I had just read the book by itself, the story was a 3/5. It was cool with all the different artists, but nothing to claim it as one of the best graphic novels of the year (Comic Book Herald did so, which is how I initially found out about it). However, when I decided to give the album a listen, my thoughts immediately changed. I felt so immersed and the story was ten times more impactful. Then I proceeded to show my wife the album and the GN together, and now we are both big fans of McCreary. Such a cool experience.
5/5 stars, easy. When I had just read the book by itself, the story was a 3/5. It was cool with all the different artists, but nothing to claim it as one of the best graphic novels of the year (Comic Book Herald did so, which is how I initially found out about it). However, when I decided to give the album a listen, my thoughts immediately changed. I felt so immersed and the story was ten times more impactful. Then I proceeded to show my wife the album and the GN together, and now we are both big fans of McCreary. Such a cool experience.
March 19, 2025
I didn't even know this graphic novel existed, I had only heard about the music album, and then a few weeks ago I was with a friend at a comic book store and I saw it, I let out an audible gasp and I knew I had to buy it immediately!!
I really LOVE the story and format of this, the moving between the many lives - though I do feel we didn't spend enough time with anyone, but that was the point there -and I LOVE the vast number of lives, the imagination to create so many realities, and the different types of art blending to tell one concise story!!! I really like the message that relationships form our lives, being the one thing to push her forward, and to keep going!!
This was just really good - a fun and interesting read - and I really recommend it for an good sci-fi and really incredible art!!!
I really LOVE the story and format of this, the moving between the many lives - though I do feel we didn't spend enough time with anyone, but that was the point there -and I LOVE the vast number of lives, the imagination to create so many realities, and the different types of art blending to tell one concise story!!! I really like the message that relationships form our lives, being the one thing to push her forward, and to keep going!!
This was just really good - a fun and interesting read - and I really recommend it for an good sci-fi and really incredible art!!!
August 16, 2024
A break neck speed exploration of life, loss and redemption. Unfortunately, the pace, the way the book hits the ground running and never stops, works to the detriment of the story and the ideas it's trying to explore, instead just coming off as pretentious and vapid. The art is great, however, and showcases many different talents.
The book is meant as a companion piece to a Bear McCreary album, which i will confess, I didn't listen to. It could be this will enhance the experience, and in animated form, I could certainly see shades of something akin to Heavy Metal, but I doubt my reading would have changed much personally.
ARC provided by NetGalley & Image Comics
The book is meant as a companion piece to a Bear McCreary album, which i will confess, I didn't listen to. It could be this will enhance the experience, and in animated form, I could certainly see shades of something akin to Heavy Metal, but I doubt my reading would have changed much personally.
ARC provided by NetGalley & Image Comics
August 31, 2024
The Singularity is a beautifully illustrated, sweeping story that moves through one universe after another while the protagonist, "Blue Eyes," tries to figure out where he is and why he's living and dying through so many lives. He meets a golden entity that guides him, in ways he doesn't always like, through his awakening.
I read this book as an eGalley on my laptop and I don't think I really got it. I look forward to reading it as a printed book that I can flip back and forth to better savor the story and progression of Blue Eyes' experience.
Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the egalley copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I read this book as an eGalley on my laptop and I don't think I really got it. I look forward to reading it as a printed book that I can flip back and forth to better savor the story and progression of Blue Eyes' experience.
Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the egalley copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
October 13, 2024
Having been pleasantly surprised by the double concept album, I was hoping this would help make sense of the loose threads, but if anything it frays them further. There's a chapter for each track, but aside from the spoken word interludes there's little tying them together. The art is consistently good despite the broad mix of contributors, but the plot feels rushed and is a bit of a bummer. I think they're going for profound, but none of the characters seem to have any agency so it feels more like an existentialist lecture.
August 23, 2024
To be honest this seemed like a waste of time. It was created as a companion to Bear McCready's new concept album. It's about a person that keeps getting recreated and living lives that keep getting cut short by the Red and this golden woman only for it to start all over again. Just go read one of DC's many Crisis events instead. They've done all this much better. (Never thought I'd say that.)
July 24, 2024
This is a tripy story about a man who keeps dying and jumping multiverses. Every time he jumps worlds he can remember the past one and each one is ending sooner and sooner to tell there is nothing left. It's a fascinating outcome
September 5, 2024
Singularity by Mat Groom and a companion to Bear McCreary's album of the same name about a person that is born again, over and over.
Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the ARC.
November 3, 2024
This is incredibly deep and engaging sci fi with great artwork. I am not really sure I fully got the story but the artwork was great.
January 20, 2025
The art was hard to follow at times, and the conversation between characters was often cheesy/campy. The story was interesting though. Reminded me a lot of "The Fountain."
February 2, 2025
A good graphic novel.
June 12, 2025
Such a trip wow 🤯🤯 loved every second
August 23, 2024
An interesting trip through times and worlds as Blue Eyes keeps dying and being resurrected, until they learn who they really are. It’s a beautiful visual journey, vividly imagined. Thanks to Edelweiss and to Image Comics for DRC access.
July 29, 2024
Thanks to Net Galley for this. The art style changes depending on which life/universe we find ourselves and that is super, duper cool.
June 28, 2024
I don't have the words to describe this beautiful, crazy, wild, emotional, mind-blowing experience. (Ensue the word vomit of all the words I apparently don't have)
Experience is absolutely the right word to describe this ride. A comic/concept album pairing that when read and listened to together honestly blew my mind.
Bear Mcreary, the incredible music talent behind God of War, Percy Jackson, Black sails, Rings of Power, and more brings a completely unique experience (for me, at least). He created an incredible story, teamed up with incredible musicians, actors, and comic artists to tell it over both mediums.
I was excited for this the moment it was announce. I love Bear Mcreary and his work on PJO, GOW & LOTR ROP. And I'm a huge comic nut, so I was fascinated by the entire concept.
As excited as I was for it, I intentionally went into it not knowing too much, then I read the sample on Kindle, and I was immediately hooked. The art is gorgeous, the story instantly engaging, and with a new and interesting premise, I was desperate to learn more.
Then I started listening to the album, with some trepidation, im a huge music lover but metal wasn't something I ever got into (I know this is a book review app, not a music one) but gosh damn I love this album. Each song is dedicated to a chapter in the book with 3 additional songs/monologues read straight from the comic by Lee Pace, Daniel Gurira, and Ryan Hurst. With music appearances by Slash, Corey Taylor, Eivør and more.
I read each chapter in the book alongside the song in the album, getting to really get into the story and emotion of each beat of the book. The music in the album complements each chapter beautifully, creating such an epic and emotional and heartwarming experience that really makes you stop and think as the story develops.
Bear Mcreary is a mad genius for coming up with this idea and getting the crazy talent involved together to pull off what feels like an insane and brilliant project. I absolutely loved every minute of this epic experience.
Experience is absolutely the right word to describe this ride. A comic/concept album pairing that when read and listened to together honestly blew my mind.
Bear Mcreary, the incredible music talent behind God of War, Percy Jackson, Black sails, Rings of Power, and more brings a completely unique experience (for me, at least). He created an incredible story, teamed up with incredible musicians, actors, and comic artists to tell it over both mediums.
I was excited for this the moment it was announce. I love Bear Mcreary and his work on PJO, GOW & LOTR ROP. And I'm a huge comic nut, so I was fascinated by the entire concept.
As excited as I was for it, I intentionally went into it not knowing too much, then I read the sample on Kindle, and I was immediately hooked. The art is gorgeous, the story instantly engaging, and with a new and interesting premise, I was desperate to learn more.
Then I started listening to the album, with some trepidation, im a huge music lover but metal wasn't something I ever got into (I know this is a book review app, not a music one) but gosh damn I love this album. Each song is dedicated to a chapter in the book with 3 additional songs/monologues read straight from the comic by Lee Pace, Daniel Gurira, and Ryan Hurst. With music appearances by Slash, Corey Taylor, Eivør and more.
I read each chapter in the book alongside the song in the album, getting to really get into the story and emotion of each beat of the book. The music in the album complements each chapter beautifully, creating such an epic and emotional and heartwarming experience that really makes you stop and think as the story develops.
Bear Mcreary is a mad genius for coming up with this idea and getting the crazy talent involved together to pull off what feels like an insane and brilliant project. I absolutely loved every minute of this epic experience.
July 10, 2024
A really great end of the multiverse story. Definitely recommend pairing it with Bear McCreary's experimental rock album.
July 10, 2024
Bear McCreary’s album for this is so metal.
March 13, 2025
After spending SO long, trying to get my hands on this, it makes sense it would be at San Diego, comic con that I find it. Absolutely DEVOURED this book in a single sitting. Never mind that I was waiting in line at comic con. Well, the concepts put forward by this book were hardly new to me, it was… Comforting to read them this way. Hands-down, though I have to applaud the colorist involved in this project. Totally blown away by it and the use of color as a way of conveying symbolism. Then you add the music cues and on top from Bear McCreary, and it’s unlike any other comic I’ve ever read. It has heart, and it shines as a love letter to what McCreary loves: music, nerdy comics, the human capacity for love, and dystopian hope.
July 5, 2024
Really enjoyable
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews