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Soma
Maya is a comic book artist in the middle of a creative crisis. She’s constantly stressed about deadlines and feels like she’s not doing the type of work she loves. In between trying to fight her writer’s block and doling out advice to her best friend on how to finally land a date, Maya receives an unexpected visitor: Soma, an extraterrestrial alien who crashlands in Maya’s living room. Soma delivers a message to Maya, warning her that an alien invasion from his own kind is fast approaching, and he needs her help to stop it!
From writer Fernando Llor (Ojos Grises, Subnormal: Una Historia de Acoso Escolar) and writer/illustrator Carles Dalmau (Lucid Lucy, Cult of the Lamb) comes Soma, a science-fiction adventure about creativity and companionship during times of peril.
From writer Fernando Llor (Ojos Grises, Subnormal: Una Historia de Acoso Escolar) and writer/illustrator Carles Dalmau (Lucid Lucy, Cult of the Lamb) comes Soma, a science-fiction adventure about creativity and companionship during times of peril.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2025
15 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
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February 19, 2025
In a Nutshell: A scifi action graphic novel about a comic artist fighting an alien invasion. Wacky characters and wildly adventurous storytelling. Works in bits and pieces, but doesn’t come together in a cohesive whole. This is partly because the story went in a direction I don’t prefer reading.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
This graphic novel was originally published in 2023 under the same title in Spanish (Castilian). This English translation is due to be published in February 2025.
If I have to use one word to describe this entire reading experience, it would probably be “quirky.” From the characters to the plotline, there’s nothing ordinary about this story. But this isn't necessarily a good thing. The quirkiness is as much a strength as a weakness of the book.
Maya is an interesting character. It was fun to see her channelize her frustration with her work into anger against the invading aliens. Soma is a great extra-terrestrial addition to the plot. (Note that his name is revealed only after the 80% mark, which is quite strange considering the book is named after him. Even the blurb mentions his name clearly.) Juu is quite weird at first, and it is good to see him gain courage as the story progresses. However, if we strictly think about it, his arc isn’t vital to the main story at all, so he feels like a page filler at times. In addition to these three characters, there are also a few secondary characters who shine in their limited roles. That said, I couldn’t really get a clear idea of why most of the characters behaved the way they did.
The storyline of the book is good, not great. The alien invasion trope is fairly common in comics. The only differentiating factor here is the type of attack and the counterattack. I like the imaginativeness of the “weapon” that worked against the invaders. There are also some comic scenes to lighten the proceedings.
However, I am not that big a reader of action-adventure kind of storylines, so the moment this book diverged into that kind of narrative, I lost my interest. I might not have opted for this graphic novel had I known that at least a third of the book would involve action sequences. (The English cover simply doesn’t indicate that this would go into an actual Hollywood-style alien attack. ☹ The Spanish cover is more accurate in that respect, but I didn’t see it before getting the book.)
The plot is fairly fast-paced. It is divided into three distinct parts – before, during, and after the invasion. The Before section is quite interesting, but there’s a sudden segue into the actual invasion, during which things feel somewhat repetitive and chaotic. The invasion scenes could have benefited with some more detailing. The attack feels too rushed: nothing in one scene and total destruction in the next. The After section is decent, but again, it feels abrupt and too quiet after all the noise of the invasion pages.
The whole book reads like a children’s novel with an overly straightforward plot. But it is actually meant for adults, which leaves me slightly conflicted about how well it will work with the actual target audience.
The illustrations are decent but somewhat cluttered. There’s a lot happening on some pages, which ends up bombarding the eyes with an illustrative overload. Plus, the “invasion” pages are red-dominant, which saturates the eyes sooner. The scenes in the alien spaceships aren’t so clear in plot. The “snot dripping from the nose” expression is a bit too repetitive. That said, I love that the speech bubbles have coloured backgrounds to denote which character is speaking – a great idea.
All in all, not a bad story, but perhaps not a great option for adult graphic novel readers. The storyline is way too simplistic and rushed for adults. However, it might work better for teens and young adults. It might also click with those who enjoy action-adventure comics. Not my cuppa tea, though.
2 stars.
My thanks to Oni Press for providing the DRC of “Soma” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Maya is a comic book artist frustrated about deadlines and about not doing the kind of comics she loves. Her best friend Juu is also frustrated, but with his lacklustre love life.
One day, when Maya has just returned home after doling out dating advice to Juu, she receives an unexpected visitor: a tiny alien named Soma who has crashlanded in her living room to warn her that his people are planning an invasion against Earth However, as his spacesuit is destroyed, he needs Maya’s help to stop the attack. (He has his reasons for helping humankind.)
This graphic novel was originally published in 2023 under the same title in Spanish (Castilian). This English translation is due to be published in February 2025.
If I have to use one word to describe this entire reading experience, it would probably be “quirky.” From the characters to the plotline, there’s nothing ordinary about this story. But this isn't necessarily a good thing. The quirkiness is as much a strength as a weakness of the book.
Maya is an interesting character. It was fun to see her channelize her frustration with her work into anger against the invading aliens. Soma is a great extra-terrestrial addition to the plot. (Note that his name is revealed only after the 80% mark, which is quite strange considering the book is named after him. Even the blurb mentions his name clearly.) Juu is quite weird at first, and it is good to see him gain courage as the story progresses. However, if we strictly think about it, his arc isn’t vital to the main story at all, so he feels like a page filler at times. In addition to these three characters, there are also a few secondary characters who shine in their limited roles. That said, I couldn’t really get a clear idea of why most of the characters behaved the way they did.
The storyline of the book is good, not great. The alien invasion trope is fairly common in comics. The only differentiating factor here is the type of attack and the counterattack. I like the imaginativeness of the “weapon” that worked against the invaders. There are also some comic scenes to lighten the proceedings.
However, I am not that big a reader of action-adventure kind of storylines, so the moment this book diverged into that kind of narrative, I lost my interest. I might not have opted for this graphic novel had I known that at least a third of the book would involve action sequences. (The English cover simply doesn’t indicate that this would go into an actual Hollywood-style alien attack. ☹ The Spanish cover is more accurate in that respect, but I didn’t see it before getting the book.)
The plot is fairly fast-paced. It is divided into three distinct parts – before, during, and after the invasion. The Before section is quite interesting, but there’s a sudden segue into the actual invasion, during which things feel somewhat repetitive and chaotic. The invasion scenes could have benefited with some more detailing. The attack feels too rushed: nothing in one scene and total destruction in the next. The After section is decent, but again, it feels abrupt and too quiet after all the noise of the invasion pages.
The whole book reads like a children’s novel with an overly straightforward plot. But it is actually meant for adults, which leaves me slightly conflicted about how well it will work with the actual target audience.
The illustrations are decent but somewhat cluttered. There’s a lot happening on some pages, which ends up bombarding the eyes with an illustrative overload. Plus, the “invasion” pages are red-dominant, which saturates the eyes sooner. The scenes in the alien spaceships aren’t so clear in plot. The “snot dripping from the nose” expression is a bit too repetitive. That said, I love that the speech bubbles have coloured backgrounds to denote which character is speaking – a great idea.
All in all, not a bad story, but perhaps not a great option for adult graphic novel readers. The storyline is way too simplistic and rushed for adults. However, it might work better for teens and young adults. It might also click with those who enjoy action-adventure comics. Not my cuppa tea, though.
2 stars.
My thanks to Oni Press for providing the DRC of “Soma” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
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June 6, 2025
They say you should “write what you know,” but comic book artist Maya never expected to find herself learning the action and anxieties of a interstellar invasion in order to find inspiration for her work. Soma, the fast-paced and quirky graphic novel from Fernando Llor and artist Carles Dalmau is a feast for the eyes with cute, high energy action and emotions that have you holding on tight to a fast-paced story that unfortunately can’t carry its own weight. The ideas are fun, the artwork is really superb, yet the story ramps up at rapid speed only to reach an all-too-simple resolution before you ever feel all that invested in anything beyond recognizing that Maya kind of rules. It’s a fun one, and Dalmau’s art makes it worthwhile but it is altogether fairly forgettable.
That said, there’s still quite a bit of great things happening here. Maya just wants to work on her artwork and avoid the dating anxieties of her best friend when an actual alien comes crashing into her apartment. Turns out Earth is slated for a full scale invasion and little Soma needs her help in order to stop it. Or…at least end it while there is still some planet left to save…
There are some good themes here, such as the aliens having to find a new home because their corporations destroyed their environment and discovering that maybe following orders isn’t always a good thing to do, yet the story just sort of goes out to fast and comes to an end without feeling like it ever had a chance to breathe.
Altogether Soma was worth reading, even if just for the art, but I still wish there was more. It felt very undercooked despite reading as if it was wildly overcaffeinated the whole time. It is also relatively unclear who the target audience is here. But Maya was awesome and I kind of love how she is having her own adventure and kicking ass independent of everyone else in their survival horror plotline. Cute, but nothing special.
2.5/5
That said, there’s still quite a bit of great things happening here. Maya just wants to work on her artwork and avoid the dating anxieties of her best friend when an actual alien comes crashing into her apartment. Turns out Earth is slated for a full scale invasion and little Soma needs her help in order to stop it. Or…at least end it while there is still some planet left to save…
There are some good themes here, such as the aliens having to find a new home because their corporations destroyed their environment and discovering that maybe following orders isn’t always a good thing to do, yet the story just sort of goes out to fast and comes to an end without feeling like it ever had a chance to breathe.
Altogether Soma was worth reading, even if just for the art, but I still wish there was more. It felt very undercooked despite reading as if it was wildly overcaffeinated the whole time. It is also relatively unclear who the target audience is here. But Maya was awesome and I kind of love how she is having her own adventure and kicking ass independent of everyone else in their survival horror plotline. Cute, but nothing special.
2.5/5
July 17, 2025
A young chain-smoking artist gets pulled into a world-blasting alien invasion, bonding with one of the aliens who wants to stop its brethren.
Very cute art, but the story is merely okay.
(Thanks to Oni Press for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)
Very cute art, but the story is merely okay.
(Thanks to Oni Press for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)
November 21, 2024
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Oni press for providing me with this e-arc!!!
3.85 stars!! Round up to 4
Omg!! This is the first ever e-arc that I've received and I couldn't be happier. I've been a fan of Carles Dalmau for years now and and still remember reading Lucid Lucy as a teenager. So the fact that I was approved for this was really exciting and I got into it straight away. And it didn't disappoint!
This was so fun. I honestly liked all of the characters we met, the dialogue was relatable at times, the pacing was pretty fast but the book itself was long enough not to make it feel rushed, the plot was interesting and there was a lot of action. The art was fantastic, despite not being too big on sci-fi I found it to be quite enjoyable in a graphic novel/comic format, and I really really liked the ending and found it to be quite wholesome. I also really liked some of the commentary we got on human nature and the selfless kindness of others. And I liked the commentary on how life and working and relationships can be a drag and people need a break, or even to change the way they live to make their lives easier on themselves.
The biggest criticism that I have is that the translation was a bit off? Just in the sense that I could tell that it was kind if a *direct* translation or there were maybe a couple typos, so I just hope they'll fix that before the official release. There were also some scenes that I just didn't like and found to be a bit questionable (as in why did they decide to do this), and it just struck me personally as a bit offputing and took me out of it a little bit? Either way, I really enjoyed myself with this one. I would really really recommend this if you love alien sci-fi and graphic novels, or if you're just a fan of Dalmau I think you'll enjoy it too.
3.85 stars!! Round up to 4
Omg!! This is the first ever e-arc that I've received and I couldn't be happier. I've been a fan of Carles Dalmau for years now and and still remember reading Lucid Lucy as a teenager. So the fact that I was approved for this was really exciting and I got into it straight away. And it didn't disappoint!
This was so fun. I honestly liked all of the characters we met, the dialogue was relatable at times, the pacing was pretty fast but the book itself was long enough not to make it feel rushed, the plot was interesting and there was a lot of action. The art was fantastic, despite not being too big on sci-fi I found it to be quite enjoyable in a graphic novel/comic format, and I really really liked the ending and found it to be quite wholesome. I also really liked some of the commentary we got on human nature and the selfless kindness of others. And I liked the commentary on how life and working and relationships can be a drag and people need a break, or even to change the way they live to make their lives easier on themselves.
The biggest criticism that I have is that the translation was a bit off? Just in the sense that I could tell that it was kind if a *direct* translation or there were maybe a couple typos, so I just hope they'll fix that before the official release. There were also some scenes that I just didn't like and found to be a bit questionable (as in why did they decide to do this), and it just struck me personally as a bit offputing and took me out of it a little bit? Either way, I really enjoyed myself with this one. I would really really recommend this if you love alien sci-fi and graphic novels, or if you're just a fan of Dalmau I think you'll enjoy it too.
February 12, 2025
Soma follows the story of Maya a struggling and burnt out comic book artist as her world is turned upside down when an alien crash lands through her window.
I loved how the art style changed and adapted for the different circumstances Maya finds herself in. Be it the flashbacks from Soma's perspective, the different comics she is illustrating or the one off snippets of something different and unique. The art style in general was beautiful and kept me engaged.
Soma as a character is cute and funny and his story brought a tear to my eye. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a good graphic novel to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing an ARC copy for review. All opinions are my own.
I loved how the art style changed and adapted for the different circumstances Maya finds herself in. Be it the flashbacks from Soma's perspective, the different comics she is illustrating or the one off snippets of something different and unique. The art style in general was beautiful and kept me engaged.
Soma as a character is cute and funny and his story brought a tear to my eye. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a good graphic novel to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing an ARC copy for review. All opinions are my own.
October 31, 2024
i saw the cover of this graphic novel on netgalley and thought to give it a try. it was cute!
🦇 i liked the fact that maya didn't like kids lol so relatable.
🦇 maya also was a comic writer which i thought was unique, but at the same time, i did find it a bit boring when we got to see some pages of her work.
🦇 the artwork was really cute!
🦇 the story itself wasn't too unique since it's a typical alien invasion story but omg soma was so adorable!
🦇 i think it's safe to say my favourite characters were maya and soma. we had a pov of other characters but i didn't really manage to connect with them on a deeper level but maya and soma's friendship was everything.
🦇 i do recommend reading this if you want a quick and cute graphic novel that's about alien invasion!
🦇 i liked the fact that maya didn't like kids lol so relatable.
🦇 maya also was a comic writer which i thought was unique, but at the same time, i did find it a bit boring when we got to see some pages of her work.
🦇 the artwork was really cute!
🦇 the story itself wasn't too unique since it's a typical alien invasion story but omg soma was so adorable!
🦇 i think it's safe to say my favourite characters were maya and soma. we had a pov of other characters but i didn't really manage to connect with them on a deeper level but maya and soma's friendship was everything.
🦇 i do recommend reading this if you want a quick and cute graphic novel that's about alien invasion!
November 1, 2024
This was such a sweet story! The cover had me interested as soon as I saw it. I love the color pallet used through this whole GN, it has some of my favorite colors and its just really nice to look at. The art is beautiful very well done.
The story was really fun. I loved that it was really fast paced and full of action. I loved all the characters and got really attached to them to the point where this had me tearing up while reading it. Maya felt really relatable as a character. It was just really overall great. I absolutely would recommend it to anyone who loves reading graphic novels. It's a great time full of aliens what's not to love!
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Oni press for an ARC copy!! All opinions are my own 🫶🏻
The story was really fun. I loved that it was really fast paced and full of action. I loved all the characters and got really attached to them to the point where this had me tearing up while reading it. Maya felt really relatable as a character. It was just really overall great. I absolutely would recommend it to anyone who loves reading graphic novels. It's a great time full of aliens what's not to love!
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Oni press for an ARC copy!! All opinions are my own 🫶🏻
May 21, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for an eARC of this book to read and review.
Not sure if it is a cultural thing, but in the manga/manhwa I tend to read, when a character is stressed, they get a "sweat bubble/mark" on/by their face/head. In the world of this graphic novel, the character gets snot dripping out of their nose, which I found gross and kicked me out of the story each time it came up.
It also had the obligatory ecological screed, which I am starting to tire of seeing in the books I read to escape reality. I know we humans only seem to be able to kill everything around us, can I get back to the invading aliens and trying to kill them before they kill us please?
The artwork didn't blow me away and I liked the side stories enough to want to follow them more than they were present in this book. I wasn't a fan of the comics the MC h was drawing, though I know they were there for the parallel to the main storyline, it didn't do anything for me.
I'm reviewing this two months after I finished reading it (life happens, it's annoying), and the main thing I remember after reading this was not really liking it, but not hating it. Just kind of "meh".
It is very action-adventure and I can see this working for graphic novel readers who enjoy a fast paced movement-filled story. It wasn't my bag, but that's ok, not every book is for every reader.
2, it wasn't for me but it might be the perfect read for you, stars.
Not sure if it is a cultural thing, but in the manga/manhwa I tend to read, when a character is stressed, they get a "sweat bubble/mark" on/by their face/head. In the world of this graphic novel, the character gets snot dripping out of their nose, which I found gross and kicked me out of the story each time it came up.
It also had the obligatory ecological screed, which I am starting to tire of seeing in the books I read to escape reality. I know we humans only seem to be able to kill everything around us, can I get back to the invading aliens and trying to kill them before they kill us please?
The artwork didn't blow me away and I liked the side stories enough to want to follow them more than they were present in this book. I wasn't a fan of the comics the MC h was drawing, though I know they were there for the parallel to the main storyline, it didn't do anything for me.
I'm reviewing this two months after I finished reading it (life happens, it's annoying), and the main thing I remember after reading this was not really liking it, but not hating it. Just kind of "meh".
It is very action-adventure and I can see this working for graphic novel readers who enjoy a fast paced movement-filled story. It wasn't my bag, but that's ok, not every book is for every reader.
2, it wasn't for me but it might be the perfect read for you, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2024
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Likes
The best was the ending and what happened after it. The whole explaining how the comic was done and some images here and there was really cool. One could really see how much effort was done to make the comic perfect!
There were many scenes that were funny, for example, the church scene where the man just stole the donation money, it was hilarious.
The art style is quite stunning and I appreciate that the speech bubbles have different colours, so one can distinguish between the characters (who is talking).
I love the art style of Carles Dalmau, I previously read Cult of the Lamb, which was illustrated by him as well and it was so beautiful!!
Dislikes
Why the heck did Juu eat the burger when he said he is vegetarian. I don't get it. The girl knew it too so he didn't need to pretend. Why did he eat it??
Also how did Maya manage to speak under water several times!?
Only thing I noticed about the art style, was that one specific facial expression was used a bit too much. I mean the one where the snot from the nose was coming out, to symbolise fear in characters. Instead of just using this all the time one could use other facial expressions that have the same effect. I also think that using wide eyes or an open mouth to show shock or fear is much better than snot.
Thank you Oni Press for the advanced reader copy of Soma by Fernando Llor and Carles Dalmau
———————————————————————————
StoryGraph review
Started the book: 12. October 2024
Finished the book: 12. October 2024
Wrote the review: 12. October 2024
Likes
The best was the ending and what happened after it. The whole explaining how the comic was done and some images here and there was really cool. One could really see how much effort was done to make the comic perfect!
There were many scenes that were funny, for example, the church scene where the man just stole the donation money, it was hilarious.
The art style is quite stunning and I appreciate that the speech bubbles have different colours, so one can distinguish between the characters (who is talking).
I love the art style of Carles Dalmau, I previously read Cult of the Lamb, which was illustrated by him as well and it was so beautiful!!
Dislikes
Why the heck did Juu eat the burger when he said he is vegetarian. I don't get it. The girl knew it too so he didn't need to pretend. Why did he eat it??
Also how did Maya manage to speak under water several times!?
Only thing I noticed about the art style, was that one specific facial expression was used a bit too much. I mean the one where the snot from the nose was coming out, to symbolise fear in characters. Instead of just using this all the time one could use other facial expressions that have the same effect. I also think that using wide eyes or an open mouth to show shock or fear is much better than snot.
Thank you Oni Press for the advanced reader copy of Soma by Fernando Llor and Carles Dalmau
———————————————————————————
StoryGraph review
Started the book: 12. October 2024
Finished the book: 12. October 2024
Wrote the review: 12. October 2024
February 16, 2025
3.5☆
“Soma” nos cuenta la historia de Maya, una dibujante de cómics que lleva una vida monótona hasta que un extraterrestre llega a su vida.
Al inicio me parecía aburrido y tardé bastante en empezar a leerlo seriamente; leía una que otra página ocasionalmente. Al saber que era ciencia ficción, esperaba que fuera todo muy intenso desde el inicio.
Ahora que lo terminé y tuve mi tiempo de reflexión, me di cuenta de que construyeron el mundo demasiado bien; sentía aburrimiento porque era lo que Maya sentía en ese momento. Empaticé bastante con los personajes.
Las ilustraciones son hermosas; me encanta que el estilo de dibujo acompañe tan bien a la historia y se adapte a todos los momentos.
Disfruté mucho la lectura.
⭑ Gracias NetGalley por permitirme leer este libro.
“Soma” nos cuenta la historia de Maya, una dibujante de cómics que lleva una vida monótona hasta que un extraterrestre llega a su vida.
Al inicio me parecía aburrido y tardé bastante en empezar a leerlo seriamente; leía una que otra página ocasionalmente. Al saber que era ciencia ficción, esperaba que fuera todo muy intenso desde el inicio.
Ahora que lo terminé y tuve mi tiempo de reflexión, me di cuenta de que construyeron el mundo demasiado bien; sentía aburrimiento porque era lo que Maya sentía en ese momento. Empaticé bastante con los personajes.
Las ilustraciones son hermosas; me encanta que el estilo de dibujo acompañe tan bien a la historia y se adapte a todos los momentos.
Disfruté mucho la lectura.
⭑ Gracias NetGalley por permitirme leer este libro.
January 11, 2025
I had the pleasure of receiving a free arc from NetGalley !
I absolutely adored this comic.
I loveeedddd the art style so much
The sci-fi was so cute
It was such an easy read and I loved the character designs (Soma especially) a lottttttt !
I absolutely adored this comic.
I loveeedddd the art style so much
The sci-fi was so cute
It was such an easy read and I loved the character designs (Soma especially) a lottttttt !
May 31, 2025
En general me ha entretenido.
Creo que esperaba algo que me sorprendiera un poco más, pero es una de esas veces que siento que ya he leido esta historia antes.
El humor es uno de los puntos centrales y creo que mi problema ha sido que no es “mi tipo” de humor. Pero no creo que lo haga mal.
A pesar de eso es una historia entretenida y amena de leer, asi que he podido disfrutar la lectura.
Le doy las tres estrellas porque el dibujo y el color me parecen preciosos y es por eso que seguramente vuelva a ojearlo de vez en cuando.
Creo que esperaba algo que me sorprendiera un poco más, pero es una de esas veces que siento que ya he leido esta historia antes.
El humor es uno de los puntos centrales y creo que mi problema ha sido que no es “mi tipo” de humor. Pero no creo que lo haga mal.
A pesar de eso es una historia entretenida y amena de leer, asi que he podido disfrutar la lectura.
Le doy las tres estrellas porque el dibujo y el color me parecen preciosos y es por eso que seguramente vuelva a ojearlo de vez en cuando.
November 2, 2024
Soma is a interesting read. I like to challenge myself sometimes to read things that don't interest me based on cover/description and Soma is that. But under it all I enjoyed most of my time with it, even if it didn't blow me away.
The general idea the main author is struggling to write something is good. As someone who loves to write, I've went through that many times. However, the zanny weird story she begins to write is so over the top, and the humor a lot of the times didn't land for me. But the art itself is great, with some wacky designs I did really love (The little aliens!!!) but overall if want something a bit zanny and different, this one is pretty fun. A 3 out of 5.
The general idea the main author is struggling to write something is good. As someone who loves to write, I've went through that many times. However, the zanny weird story she begins to write is so over the top, and the humor a lot of the times didn't land for me. But the art itself is great, with some wacky designs I did really love (The little aliens!!!) but overall if want something a bit zanny and different, this one is pretty fun. A 3 out of 5.
October 22, 2024
Firstly a big thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) of SOMA by Fernando Llor.
First Impressions:
The cover art is beautiful, with an esthetically pleasing colour pallette of neon pinks and blue accents. The following blurb is from the publishers description:
'Maya is a comic book artist in the middle of a creative crisis. She’s constantly stressed about deadlines and feels like she’s not doing the type of work she loves. In between trying to fight her writer’s block and doling out advice to her best friend on how to finally land a date, Maya receives an unexpected visitor: Soma, an extraterrestrial alien who crashlands in Maya’s living room. Soma delivers a message to Maya, warning her that an alien invasion from his own kind is fast approaching, and he needs her help to stop it!'
Impressions after reading it:
After reading this over two weeks, but in two lone sittings, one each week, I really wish I had time to pick it back up and reread it because I really enjoyed it and would enjoy it more if it had stayed fresher in my head.
Absolutely stunning art and the plot proper consumed me. Filled to the brim with violence and adventure.
Probably good for teenagers up, rather than anyone younger as the themes are darker and kids just soak that sort of thing up.
Either way, I really enjoyed this graphic novel and highly recommend it.
First Impressions:
The cover art is beautiful, with an esthetically pleasing colour pallette of neon pinks and blue accents. The following blurb is from the publishers description:
'Maya is a comic book artist in the middle of a creative crisis. She’s constantly stressed about deadlines and feels like she’s not doing the type of work she loves. In between trying to fight her writer’s block and doling out advice to her best friend on how to finally land a date, Maya receives an unexpected visitor: Soma, an extraterrestrial alien who crashlands in Maya’s living room. Soma delivers a message to Maya, warning her that an alien invasion from his own kind is fast approaching, and he needs her help to stop it!'
Impressions after reading it:
After reading this over two weeks, but in two lone sittings, one each week, I really wish I had time to pick it back up and reread it because I really enjoyed it and would enjoy it more if it had stayed fresher in my head.
Absolutely stunning art and the plot proper consumed me. Filled to the brim with violence and adventure.
Probably good for teenagers up, rather than anyone younger as the themes are darker and kids just soak that sort of thing up.
Either way, I really enjoyed this graphic novel and highly recommend it.
January 27, 2025
Comic book artist Maya is stressing about her job when an alien blob crashes into her room. Together Maya and the alien have to try to stop the incoming alien invasion.
This was a fun story with endearing characters (especially Maya's friend Juu) and a zany, action-packed plot. I loved the art style and the meta-ness of seeing Maya's current project / drawings for her job.
While this was fun and action-packed with a ton of fight scenes, it didn't have a real emotional arc to keep me invested. The art/drawings were excellent, but the story lacked a little in heart and detail.
I'd recommend this to a younger audience - maybe young adult or middle grade. It was action-heavy in a way that I think a younger reader would appreciate.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.
This was a fun story with endearing characters (especially Maya's friend Juu) and a zany, action-packed plot. I loved the art style and the meta-ness of seeing Maya's current project / drawings for her job.
While this was fun and action-packed with a ton of fight scenes, it didn't have a real emotional arc to keep me invested. The art/drawings were excellent, but the story lacked a little in heart and detail.
I'd recommend this to a younger audience - maybe young adult or middle grade. It was action-heavy in a way that I think a younger reader would appreciate.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.
September 28, 2024
We are following Maya an artist in a creative crisis. She's overworked and can't finish any of her assignment .
But one day a weird creature burst out her window and introduce itself as an alien and show her that her world is about to end .
I like that some page have a different art stye for exemple page 172 have a retro game like design . I just realise that the illustrator also worked on the Cult of the Lamb comics.
Even if the situation is dramatic the design make it lighthearted and the Maya don't take it seriously even if people are dying. Thus creating that sensation of "hope", basically you know that it will end well.
In a way it remind me of Maliki, a comic that I think I've read in early 2010's. The character of Maya even look like Maliki and they are both artist.
I like Juu and his reaction to him having to go out at an other time . He prepared and now he have to change every thing. Very relatable.
He's character is pretty empty tho.
Soma was cute and have an interesting story . The moment about his former human family were really cute and when they met again was beautiful I like when stuff like that happen.
My only issues is that I didn't felt anything reading it, a good time but probably an unmemorable one.
But one day a weird creature burst out her window and introduce itself as an alien and show her that her world is about to end .
I like that some page have a different art stye for exemple page 172 have a retro game like design . I just realise that the illustrator also worked on the Cult of the Lamb comics.
Even if the situation is dramatic the design make it lighthearted and the Maya don't take it seriously even if people are dying. Thus creating that sensation of "hope", basically you know that it will end well.
In a way it remind me of Maliki, a comic that I think I've read in early 2010's. The character of Maya even look like Maliki and they are both artist.
I like Juu and his reaction to him having to go out at an other time . He prepared and now he have to change every thing. Very relatable.
He's character is pretty empty tho.
Soma was cute and have an interesting story . The moment about his former human family were really cute and when they met again was beautiful I like when stuff like that happen.
My only issues is that I didn't felt anything reading it, a good time but probably an unmemorable one.
February 3, 2025
I loved everything about this. The art style is STUNNING. I adored the colour palette and colour choices; from an artistic perspective, it's the kind of style I personally love.
The story is quite action-packed and fast-paced, which I didn't mind. Some moments could have probably benefitted from more page time, but it didn't affect how much I enjoyed the story. I love a reluctant hero and an unlikely friendship.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the eARC for review. All opinions my own.
The story is quite action-packed and fast-paced, which I didn't mind. Some moments could have probably benefitted from more page time, but it didn't affect how much I enjoyed the story. I love a reluctant hero and an unlikely friendship.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the eARC for review. All opinions my own.
September 28, 2024
This was a WILD ride! I did not expect this to go in the direction it did, but I am SO happy it did.
The action in this story was phenomenal, I loved the characters so much!
The alien invasion kept me on the edge of my seat. Soma was such a fun read. If you want a story to grab your attention and hold it to the end, this is for you.
Thank you, NetGalley for this advanced readers copy of Soma by Fernando Llor!
4⭐️
The action in this story was phenomenal, I loved the characters so much!
The alien invasion kept me on the edge of my seat. Soma was such a fun read. If you want a story to grab your attention and hold it to the end, this is for you.
Thank you, NetGalley for this advanced readers copy of Soma by Fernando Llor!
4⭐️
October 22, 2024
In Soma, by Fernando Llor, I immersed myself in a fun and vibrant world on the brink of alien invasion. The comic book takes place while Maya is trying to get out of a creative slump while feeling disconnected. After helping a friend with dating problems, she returns to work and finds an alien, Soma, crash-landing in her living room. Soma warns her of an imminent invasion, and together, Maya and Soma must try to save her neighborhood/city, which is the alien invasion's first stop before the rest of the world.
I thought this comic was super fun and fast-paced. Due to its easy-to-follow nature, this would be an excellent story for young adults and beyond. As someone firmly in adulthood, I find this a fun read to pass the time. The story kept me on my toes, and I enjoyed the straightforward nature of all the characters. I think the colors of the art and style matched the story.
I didn't give it five stars because I felt that because the story valued straightforwardness, it sacrificed a bit of depth. The most fleshed-out characters seemed to be Maya's friend, but we are asked to care a lot about Maya and Soma when we don't know as much as I'd like to know about them. Maya is a struggling artist, and I understand why Soma cares about humans, but what else? Regardless, I will still read a sequel in the future, and I am now a fan of Fernando Llor.
I received an advanced reader copy for free, but all thoughts are my own.
I thought this comic was super fun and fast-paced. Due to its easy-to-follow nature, this would be an excellent story for young adults and beyond. As someone firmly in adulthood, I find this a fun read to pass the time. The story kept me on my toes, and I enjoyed the straightforward nature of all the characters. I think the colors of the art and style matched the story.
I didn't give it five stars because I felt that because the story valued straightforwardness, it sacrificed a bit of depth. The most fleshed-out characters seemed to be Maya's friend, but we are asked to care a lot about Maya and Soma when we don't know as much as I'd like to know about them. Maya is a struggling artist, and I understand why Soma cares about humans, but what else? Regardless, I will still read a sequel in the future, and I am now a fan of Fernando Llor.
I received an advanced reader copy for free, but all thoughts are my own.
November 8, 2025
***I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review***
first off, ADORABLE! i am in awe of the gorgeous art style. sooo cute and cosy! plus, with the anime-like expressions, the character designs are amazing!!
as a wannabe artist, i related a lot to maya. i love that her personality wasn’t annoying which is a main issue i find these days.
as for the plot, it was fast paced and packed with action. i’m someone who looks for depth in stories which wasn’t exactly in this one. however, that is a me-problem so don’t judge by the rating!
again, kudos to the talented artists for the sweet design!
x
first off, ADORABLE! i am in awe of the gorgeous art style. sooo cute and cosy! plus, with the anime-like expressions, the character designs are amazing!!
as a wannabe artist, i related a lot to maya. i love that her personality wasn’t annoying which is a main issue i find these days.
as for the plot, it was fast paced and packed with action. i’m someone who looks for depth in stories which wasn’t exactly in this one. however, that is a me-problem so don’t judge by the rating!
again, kudos to the talented artists for the sweet design!
x
October 8, 2024
I enjoyed the book, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it. That said, the art style and intricate details are absolutely stunning, definitely the highlight!
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC
October 5, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised! Graphic novels are usually a hit or miss with me, even though I adore reading them. It's just that they're often so quick that I don't form attachments to the characters. This time, however, I did.
Soma is about Maya, an artist, who is going through a burn out. One day she gets an unexpected visitor: an alien warning her about danger. Together they try to save the world. Meanwhile Maya's friend Juu tries to survive with people he found on the street.
First of all I want to point out the AMAZING art that pulled me in from the first second I opened the book on my Netgalley shelf app. I am absolutely amazed by the talent. And everything looked beautiful put together. The style, the colors... everything. It is safe to say I found the art a masterpiece.
I really enjoyed the story as well. It immediately interested me while it normally takes me a couple of pages to get into a story. It was a perfect combination of humor and seriousness. It was fast-paced, but not too fast, you could still keep up with what was happening. I also adored the characters and started rooting for them.
You know what, I think it is safe to say this is the best graphic novel I have ever read. (And yes, that means higher than my previous favorites: Heartstopper). Obviously it's a different genre with this being sci-fi, but still.
I am VERY excited for this being released on February 25th and I am definitely going to try to get my hands on a physical copy. I can't wait to see other people reading it and share my love for it.
Thank you to Netgalley and everyone else who made it possible for me to read this ARC. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to read this absolutely masterpiece.
Soma is about Maya, an artist, who is going through a burn out. One day she gets an unexpected visitor: an alien warning her about danger. Together they try to save the world. Meanwhile Maya's friend Juu tries to survive with people he found on the street.
First of all I want to point out the AMAZING art that pulled me in from the first second I opened the book on my Netgalley shelf app. I am absolutely amazed by the talent. And everything looked beautiful put together. The style, the colors... everything. It is safe to say I found the art a masterpiece.
I really enjoyed the story as well. It immediately interested me while it normally takes me a couple of pages to get into a story. It was a perfect combination of humor and seriousness. It was fast-paced, but not too fast, you could still keep up with what was happening. I also adored the characters and started rooting for them.
You know what, I think it is safe to say this is the best graphic novel I have ever read. (And yes, that means higher than my previous favorites: Heartstopper). Obviously it's a different genre with this being sci-fi, but still.
I am VERY excited for this being released on February 25th and I am definitely going to try to get my hands on a physical copy. I can't wait to see other people reading it and share my love for it.
Thank you to Netgalley and everyone else who made it possible for me to read this ARC. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to read this absolutely masterpiece.
January 8, 2025
Thank you to Net Galley and Oni Press for access to the e-ARC.
Soma is a fun and fast paced apocalyptic sci-fi comic that follows Maya, a comic book artist, and Soma, an extra-terrestrial alien, as they try to stop an alien invasion. I loved this comic so much! The art is beautiful and as you can see in the cover art the colour work is especially amazing - I loved how colourful the comic was throughout, particularly the difference in the colour tones between the invasion and before/afterwards. The characters in Soma are very fun and feel realistic! I loved the side characters a lot (Juu I believe in you). The parallels between the plot of Soma and the comic that Maya is writing is also really fun to see.
Side note: I love when comics include extras for how the character designs progress and all the different versions of the cover art that were considered! It is so cool to see the thought process!
I highly recommend Soma to anyone who is a fan of comic art in general, sci-fi or just wants a fun fast paced comic to pick up!
Soma is a fun and fast paced apocalyptic sci-fi comic that follows Maya, a comic book artist, and Soma, an extra-terrestrial alien, as they try to stop an alien invasion. I loved this comic so much! The art is beautiful and as you can see in the cover art the colour work is especially amazing - I loved how colourful the comic was throughout, particularly the difference in the colour tones between the invasion and before/afterwards. The characters in Soma are very fun and feel realistic! I loved the side characters a lot (Juu I believe in you). The parallels between the plot of Soma and the comic that Maya is writing is also really fun to see.
Side note: I love when comics include extras for how the character designs progress and all the different versions of the cover art that were considered! It is so cool to see the thought process!
I highly recommend Soma to anyone who is a fan of comic art in general, sci-fi or just wants a fun fast paced comic to pick up!
October 19, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and oni press for this arc!💗
Wow! I didn’t expect this book to go in such a bizarre direction. We are following Maya who is falling out of love with her job as a comic artist. BOOM an alien crashed into her living room warning her of an impending alien invasion about to end the world and is requesting Maya’s help.
We also follow Maya’s friend - Juu who is panicking about a first date, the date turns out to be boring but okey until it gets cut short from THE ALIENS CAUSING ABSOLUTE CHAOS!
I have read other comics illustrated by the same artist who did this one and as always it was absolutely gorgeous, i loved that in certain scenes the art style would completely change.
There was multiple funny scenes but i found the action packed scenes a little too chaotic which lost me a bit.
The characters were pretty well fleshed out and lovable except Juu, he felt very bland and whiny.
My favorite part was the pigeons wearing scarfs on page 31/33!! THEY ARE SO CUTEEEE🥰
I really enjoyed that when the book ended we got to read about how it was created, the concept art and sketches were really cool to see <3
Wow! I didn’t expect this book to go in such a bizarre direction. We are following Maya who is falling out of love with her job as a comic artist. BOOM an alien crashed into her living room warning her of an impending alien invasion about to end the world and is requesting Maya’s help.
We also follow Maya’s friend - Juu who is panicking about a first date, the date turns out to be boring but okey until it gets cut short from THE ALIENS CAUSING ABSOLUTE CHAOS!
I have read other comics illustrated by the same artist who did this one and as always it was absolutely gorgeous, i loved that in certain scenes the art style would completely change.
There was multiple funny scenes but i found the action packed scenes a little too chaotic which lost me a bit.
The characters were pretty well fleshed out and lovable except Juu, he felt very bland and whiny.
My favorite part was the pigeons wearing scarfs on page 31/33!! THEY ARE SO CUTEEEE🥰
I really enjoyed that when the book ended we got to read about how it was created, the concept art and sketches were really cool to see <3
January 27, 2025
Soma is a captivating sci-fi graphic novel that follows Maya who is a comic writer herself and apparently has a role in the sudden alien invasion. Struggling with her talent, Maya is shocked to find a crashed alien in her house. And from there her life completes turn upside down. It was an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions, I laughed, shed a few tears and rejoiced with Maya. The art work is fantastic and the storyline is fast-paced and gripping. I was immediately immersed in the story and into the lives of Maya and Soma.
It's a must read and high priority recommendation from me.
It's a must read and high priority recommendation from me.
June 8, 2025
Alien octopus falls from earth and bonds with comic book artist she has trouble making friends so this is a first especially since aliens don’t come around here often… the war over the world’s resources begins will the aliens enemies destroy earth while an unlikely friendship tries to save the earth from doom…
June 23, 2025
I requested some alien books from the library and this was one that came in and I’m glad it did! The colors and illustrations are fantastic. So much action, chaos, drama, and friendship. Really enjoyed the intensity and survival. Sad she lost her hat.
October 14, 2024
This graphic novel is beautifully illustrated and is unputdownable! This cute but action back story is perfect for anyone looking for their next favorite graphic novel! Despite this graphic novel being 270 pages it felt like such a quick read! probably because it was so fun!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
May 22, 2025
the art was cute but the plot was...lacking. everything moved super fast and the stakes escalated QUICKLY and then just...were resolved immediately? i guess i just didn't feel super attached to anything that was happening. HOWEVER. the art was very very cute and i really enjoyed the process of reading just because i got to look at the art!
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