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Zaya #1-3
Zaya
Zaya tells the story of secret agent in the distant future who left her post to seek a normal life as an artist and mother. When a biomechanical threat destroys an orbiting colony station and former fellow agents start dying, she is called back into the field to find and stop the danger. Her investigation leads to many questions about her own past, filled with explosive revelations.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published August 26, 2014
4 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Jean-David Morvan
540 books73 followersJean-David Morvan is a French comic author, best known as the creator of the Sillage/Wake series.
After studying arts at the Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels, he first tried being a graphic artist, but eventually settled for writing instead.
His main series are 'Spirou and Fantasio', 'Sir Pyle' and 'Merlin', all with José Luis Munuera, and 'Sillage', with Philippe Buchet.
After studying arts at the Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels, he first tried being a graphic artist, but eventually settled for writing instead.
His main series are 'Spirou and Fantasio', 'Sir Pyle' and 'Merlin', all with José Luis Munuera, and 'Sillage', with Philippe Buchet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 29, 2015
A curvaceous super assassin with a set of twin daughters to take care of is pulled out of retirement by her former employers - a super secret organization, natch - to do one last job. Partnered with an A.I. illegally hacked to be sentient, our super hot anime heroine has to stop a maniac in a souped-up battle suit. But then a Twilight Zone twist suddenly puts our space babe in some dire alternate-reality straits that lead to a rushed ending that tries for a characteristically French flair. Bulbous but detailed artwork carries the first 2/3's of this comic's action-packed although somewhat incoherent momentum until the sudden shift to a more cerebral, plot-bloated third act creates an awkward meshing of sensibilities that take away from any real sense of conceptual heft that the author may have been striving for. All in all, a fast food snarf for the eyes à la Blade Runner.
February 7, 2015
Bullet Review:
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
I think this comic broke my head.
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
Whatdafuq?
I think this comic broke my head.
December 28, 2016
Picked this up randomly from the library to satisfy a Chaos Reading Treasure Hunt category. Quite pleasantly surprised. Drops you into the middle of the story and intense action immediately and never stops twisting and turning. The story sort of muddles its way along perhaps trying to do too much in too short a space, but the artwork is wonderfully chaotic and dense. I can't really mention too much about the plot without giving away surprises potential readers should enjoy themselves, so let's just say it's your typical sexy, kick-ass protagonist hopping about the universe to fulfill an obligation so she can get back to her normal life as a mom.
August 31, 2014
I really enjoyed the illustrations, they made the story come alive. Futuristic cyberpunk ? Zaya is sexy, bad ass and richly detailed in her movements. She is interesting as a retired mother and gent called back into duty but not as fascinating as she could have been. The artwork stole the show for me, I didn’t really care about the story much.
I think something was lost in the translation. It was originally in French. The dialog was at times confusing I found myself looking at the illustrations for clarification. There were several long descriptions of no interest to me on the how’s it done.
I wouldn’t buy the book but I’d love to have a few prints on my wall.
I think something was lost in the translation. It was originally in French. The dialog was at times confusing I found myself looking at the illustrations for clarification. There were several long descriptions of no interest to me on the how’s it done.
I wouldn’t buy the book but I’d love to have a few prints on my wall.
August 5, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This is the second Jean-David Morvan graphic novel I've read this year and it bears many similarities to that other, similarly eponymous title, Naja. Here, once again, we have lethal disaffected, disenfranchised female operatives, a final mission, and the mind games that result. But the difference here is telling: the artwork of Huang-Jia Wei, in the style of manhua (manga), can't keep up with the ideas and themes of Morvan. As a result, the art seems to be fighting the story and is puzzlingly inconsistent. It lets down the story completely.Plot: In the space faring future, Zaya is a spiral - a covert operative in early retirement, living the life of an artist and mother of young twins. But when someone begins killing off spirals, she is called back into action to assist with taking out the rogue assassin. Zaya commandeers a ship, reformats its personality, and sets off to a far resort planet where the killer is hiding. But things are about to go very wrong for Zaya on this last mission.
From the beginning, it was obvious that the mission was going to be a MacGuffin. A lot of time spent showing her happy normal life, especially with family - so much so that those family scenes are waving a reg flag saying, "We're the Chekhov's Gun, reader, look at us!" In any other writer's hands, they would have had tombstones over their head. But my experience with Morvan's works gave me confidence he wouldn't go down that easy path of obvious vengeance for Zaya. Instead, we have a twisty plot with very unexpected outcomes and a story that I honestly wasn't expecting.
And then we come to the art. We're promised bio-mechanical space age but honestly, it's a mess. I had a hard time following the plot this time and found myself going back and rereading and trying to figure out what the heck was happening. It was all over the place - and in some instances, features or body parts were very poorly drawn, as if done in a hurry and hoping no one would notice (one scene with Zaya boarding a ship had a leg so distorted as to look like jello).
As for the bio-mechanical aspects, the illustrations are very loose and lacking the symmetry and precision of manufacturing items. It didn't feel like any of the mechanical parts could possibly have worked if they were that far out of a coherent spec as to be bumpy and wavy in odd places. As well, the running motif of the story seemed to be eyeballs falling out of the head. If someone died, eyeballs popped out, even mechanical ones. It got old fast.
The one thing that really sabotaged this for me was the manga-inspired fan service perspectives. Up the skirt with butt hanging out, it felt as if the illustrator was trying to destroy all credibility of the story and characters. It doesn't happen often but there are 'those' type of panels that just make me cringe and take me out of the story. Morvan's characters are beautiful without needing large chests heaving out of straining material or buttocks resembling watermelons. If the artist doesn't take the character seriously, why should we? With the sophistication of this type of story, we really don't need to pander to prebuscent school boys who read fan service heavy manga while tittering in their mommy's basement.
I do love manga and even manhua; but this feels like a hybrid between European and Asian comics. For most of the time, that is. At odd panels, suddenly Zaya would look like a 12 year old Appleseed type character and then the next page she'd be the more European, older, serious manga influenced. It felt like a compilation of different artists or that the illustrator subbed out the work at times.
Zaya is very different from Naja. Heavy and plodding, with an older protagonist, where the other title had a young protagonist in an almost ethereal setting. Naja rewards with rereading but Zaya was a chore to reread - slogging through heavy, almost monochromatic panels with eyeballs popping out everywhere.
I do credit Morvan with yet another unique storyline, full of the mind games and twists that make the story interesting. As well, the girls are not (for the most part) fetishized, which for me gives his titles more maturity and legitimacy. It's just a shame the illustrator wasn't on board with the same concept.
This collects the series into one book and a complete story arc. Reviewed from an ARC.
August 5, 2014
3.5/5
Zaya è un tentativo dello scrittore francese JD Morvan e dell’artista Huang-Jia Wei di creare una sorta di "manga franco-cinese"
Originariamente pubblicato in tre fascicoli tra il 2012 e il 2013, ora viene proposta in un unico volume e tradotto in inglese dalla Magnetic Press.
Protagonista della storia è Zaya, agente segreto in un futuro lontano che ha lasciato il suo posto governativo per cercare una vita normale come artista (è una olo-scultrice) e come madre. Quando una minaccia biomeccanica distrugge una stazione orbitante colonia di ex agenti e vecchi compagni cominciano a morire, Zaya viene chiamata di nuovo in campo per trovare e fermare il pericolo. La sua indagine porterà molte domande anche sul suo passato, non senza rivelazioni inattese.
Il libro inizia abbastanza lentamente, ma dopo poche pagine ci si trova immersi nella storia grazie ad una sequenza di inseguimento, corredata da cyborg e teste che esplodono.
L’andamento narrativo è alquanto scostante, tuttavia. Benché le pagine ricche di azione non manchino e il ritmo si mantenga su buoni livelli, ho trovato diversi spunti gettati lì e non più spiegati né colti, cosicché una curiosa ambiguità è rapidamente diventata una sorta di confusione. Inoltre, alcune caratteristiche dei personaggi tendono a sfiorare troppo il cliché.
Il finale si districa nel difficile compito di racchiudere in poche pagine la soluzione di tutto quanto ordito in precedenza e ci riesce rocambolescamente fino a un certo punto.
Inoltre, parte del secondo volume sembra raccontare una storia piuttosto slegata dal resto.
I dialoghi non sono essenziali allo sviluppo della trama, ma in alcune pagine riescono a farti entrare maggiormente in empatia con quanto narrato e con i personaggi.
La componente davvero forte del fumetto sono senza dubbio le tavole dell’artista cinese, non a caso
noto per la sua opera, soprattutto per le illustrazioni bio-meccaniche, e insignito di diversi premi.
La grafica è eccellente ed è in grado di trasmettere tutte le emozioni della storia in modo diretto, dinamico, mozzafiato.
Le figure sono simili a una fusione tra tecnica fumettistica e realistica, arricchite da un contorno marcato e un riempimento di colore traboccante, denso, magmatico, che non lascia indifferenti.
Gli sfondi sono texture fluide e dinamica, capaci di aggiunge energia, atmosfera e dinamismo alle scene.
Alcune tavole sono al limite del claustrofobico, in quel mix di colori e aggregati uomo-macchina, forse non di immediata comprensione – se la storyboard fosse stata migliore, probabilmente sarebbero state più comprensibili.
Poteva sicuramente essere qualcosa di meglio.
Zaya è un tentativo dello scrittore francese JD Morvan e dell’artista Huang-Jia Wei di creare una sorta di "manga franco-cinese"
Originariamente pubblicato in tre fascicoli tra il 2012 e il 2013, ora viene proposta in un unico volume e tradotto in inglese dalla Magnetic Press.
Protagonista della storia è Zaya, agente segreto in un futuro lontano che ha lasciato il suo posto governativo per cercare una vita normale come artista (è una olo-scultrice) e come madre. Quando una minaccia biomeccanica distrugge una stazione orbitante colonia di ex agenti e vecchi compagni cominciano a morire, Zaya viene chiamata di nuovo in campo per trovare e fermare il pericolo. La sua indagine porterà molte domande anche sul suo passato, non senza rivelazioni inattese.
Il libro inizia abbastanza lentamente, ma dopo poche pagine ci si trova immersi nella storia grazie ad una sequenza di inseguimento, corredata da cyborg e teste che esplodono.
L’andamento narrativo è alquanto scostante, tuttavia. Benché le pagine ricche di azione non manchino e il ritmo si mantenga su buoni livelli, ho trovato diversi spunti gettati lì e non più spiegati né colti, cosicché una curiosa ambiguità è rapidamente diventata una sorta di confusione. Inoltre, alcune caratteristiche dei personaggi tendono a sfiorare troppo il cliché.
Il finale si districa nel difficile compito di racchiudere in poche pagine la soluzione di tutto quanto ordito in precedenza e ci riesce rocambolescamente fino a un certo punto.
Inoltre, parte del secondo volume sembra raccontare una storia piuttosto slegata dal resto.
I dialoghi non sono essenziali allo sviluppo della trama, ma in alcune pagine riescono a farti entrare maggiormente in empatia con quanto narrato e con i personaggi.
La componente davvero forte del fumetto sono senza dubbio le tavole dell’artista cinese, non a caso
noto per la sua opera, soprattutto per le illustrazioni bio-meccaniche, e insignito di diversi premi.
La grafica è eccellente ed è in grado di trasmettere tutte le emozioni della storia in modo diretto, dinamico, mozzafiato.
Le figure sono simili a una fusione tra tecnica fumettistica e realistica, arricchite da un contorno marcato e un riempimento di colore traboccante, denso, magmatico, che non lascia indifferenti.
Gli sfondi sono texture fluide e dinamica, capaci di aggiunge energia, atmosfera e dinamismo alle scene.
Alcune tavole sono al limite del claustrofobico, in quel mix di colori e aggregati uomo-macchina, forse non di immediata comprensione – se la storyboard fosse stata migliore, probabilmente sarebbero state più comprensibili.
Poteva sicuramente essere qualcosa di meglio.
November 3, 2014
I will admit that I knew nothing of this book until it was recommended to me by the shop assistant at Page45 (the mans knowledge and exuberance is amazing and certainly convinced me to pick up a totally unknown book and buy it), and I must admit I was not disappointed.
The artwork is amazing and each panel is brimming with details, it is the sort of book you want to go back and study time and time again the detail is exquisite.
I know that many people say that graphic novels and comics should be considered their own art form - well all I can say this is certainly a contender- and what is more is that the story is as compelling and as clever as the artwork - some stories are so obvious you keep reading just to see the art rather than wanting to know what happens next where this book really does make you invest in not only the story but also the characters too.
The book is the collection of all 3 parts so it is effectively just a single volume which is both good and bad. Good in that I do not have to collect a small army of titles to see it through bad in that I so enjoyed it I didnt want it to end.
So should you buy it - well i say look at the artwork - if you like it you love it - if not then I would say its an expensive title just to wade through - but really it is a pleasure and I am so grateful for buying it.
The artwork is amazing and each panel is brimming with details, it is the sort of book you want to go back and study time and time again the detail is exquisite.
I know that many people say that graphic novels and comics should be considered their own art form - well all I can say this is certainly a contender- and what is more is that the story is as compelling and as clever as the artwork - some stories are so obvious you keep reading just to see the art rather than wanting to know what happens next where this book really does make you invest in not only the story but also the characters too.
The book is the collection of all 3 parts so it is effectively just a single volume which is both good and bad. Good in that I do not have to collect a small army of titles to see it through bad in that I so enjoyed it I didnt want it to end.
So should you buy it - well i say look at the artwork - if you like it you love it - if not then I would say its an expensive title just to wade through - but really it is a pleasure and I am so grateful for buying it.
August 12, 2014
Well, Zaya seemed super familar as I was reading it. Not surprising since I had just finished reading and reviewing another effort by Jean-David Morvan, Naja.
The premise is almost identical: a female assassin with a weird name is being hunted down. Yawn. Snooze. BOOOOORED.
Full review posted to www.shutupandreadsomething.blogspot.com on 8/26/14
The premise is almost identical: a female assassin with a weird name is being hunted down. Yawn. Snooze. BOOOOORED.
Full review posted to www.shutupandreadsomething.blogspot.com on 8/26/14
February 11, 2022
Interesting world mixing futuristic sci-fi with some steam-punkish tones. Unique and unclear visual style. Too bad that whole books feels like prequel to bigger story, and when pieces start to fall in place suddenly it's over...
August 23, 2014
What a frustrating reading experience... JD Morvan has the elements of a good story here, but a huge chunk of the tale bogs down in action scenes that often make little visual sense, which is a real shame, since much of Huang-Jia Wei's art is absolutely gorgeous. Maybe a part of the problem with the text is in the translation from the French, but much of the dialogue is redundant and unnecessary. There's a good story here, and good art, but unfortunately they don't meet up very often in this book.
October 12, 2014
This book didn't work for me. I spent a lot of time trying to understand the plot, and when the "mystery" was finally solved, I was bored as hell. It was a shame, because the art is good.
*ARC provided by Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley.*
*ARC provided by Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley.*
July 3, 2021
Zaya, former SPIRAL operator gets activated again as unknown perpetrator stars killing off the SPIRAL agents worldwide. This will start events that will test Zaya both physically but also mentally - at one point she will start suspecting if she is going crazy.
To go any deeper would be ruining the story itself. I have not come across a story with so many twists and turns in a while.
On the art side while setting is SF, cyborgs and trans-humans roam the space, design of the spaceships is more steam than cyber=punky. Lots of exhausts and propellers :) This results in a very weird, Dali-like shots, you are always on the lookout to make sure spaceships don't contort to a breaking point and spill over the pages.
Art is excellent, highly detailed and it seems to be done by very thin black ink (or some detailed pencil work). I am fan of this style and this clicked with me immediately.
Some of the shots are truly beautiful pieces of art. If I had to describe the style I would say it is manga-sque but with some specific art choices that one usually does not find in Japanese manga (I am not familiar with Korean or Chinese comics but I think that respective styles definitely - due to interlocked culture and cultural interchange between all of these nations through centuries - share same inspiration and art style as that used in Japanese comics).
Recommended to fans of SF [and very interesting art styles :) ].
To go any deeper would be ruining the story itself. I have not come across a story with so many twists and turns in a while.
On the art side while setting is SF, cyborgs and trans-humans roam the space, design of the spaceships is more steam than cyber=punky. Lots of exhausts and propellers :) This results in a very weird, Dali-like shots, you are always on the lookout to make sure spaceships don't contort to a breaking point and spill over the pages.
Art is excellent, highly detailed and it seems to be done by very thin black ink (or some detailed pencil work). I am fan of this style and this clicked with me immediately.
Some of the shots are truly beautiful pieces of art. If I had to describe the style I would say it is manga-sque but with some specific art choices that one usually does not find in Japanese manga (I am not familiar with Korean or Chinese comics but I think that respective styles definitely - due to interlocked culture and cultural interchange between all of these nations through centuries - share same inspiration and art style as that used in Japanese comics).
Recommended to fans of SF [and very interesting art styles :) ].
December 11, 2020
This was... pretty good. The story was a pretty ordinary science fiction adventure story. It was well enough done, but there were very few surprises for anyone whose read a bunch of this genre before. Clash of super-competent super-assassins.
BUT the story is really just the hooks to hang Huang-Jia Wei's artwork on. And Wei's art is very, very pretty. His environments - especially his facility with architecture and with machinery - are just a pleasure to look at, rich with detail, drawn with soft lines and colors. Wei's figure drawings are solid and enjoyable to look at, but not as stand-out for me as his environments.
The visual storytelling is okay, although the action scenes are sometimes a little hard to follow.
As is pretty common in adult sci-fi comics, there's some t&a in the drawings; the main character spends a lot of time in low-cut or super-tight outfits, often with short skirts and a few truly gratuitous upskirt shots. As the genre goes, it's pretty mild.
The copy of the book I have is a nice big hardcover, about 9 x 11 inches, which showcases the detailed art nicely.
Bottom line, for me: Pretty artwork, fun violent adventure. I had fun reading it. But I probably won't remember it or pick up any sequels.
BUT the story is really just the hooks to hang Huang-Jia Wei's artwork on. And Wei's art is very, very pretty. His environments - especially his facility with architecture and with machinery - are just a pleasure to look at, rich with detail, drawn with soft lines and colors. Wei's figure drawings are solid and enjoyable to look at, but not as stand-out for me as his environments.
The visual storytelling is okay, although the action scenes are sometimes a little hard to follow.
As is pretty common in adult sci-fi comics, there's some t&a in the drawings; the main character spends a lot of time in low-cut or super-tight outfits, often with short skirts and a few truly gratuitous upskirt shots. As the genre goes, it's pretty mild.
The copy of the book I have is a nice big hardcover, about 9 x 11 inches, which showcases the detailed art nicely.
Bottom line, for me: Pretty artwork, fun violent adventure. I had fun reading it. But I probably won't remember it or pick up any sequels.
November 15, 2021
3.5 Stars. This was my favorite Morvan read so far but that's entirely due to the fantastically intricate art. I would equate this to a mindlessly entertaining sci-fi action movie that you enjoy but would only ever rewatch if it just happened to be on TV while you're flipping through channels.
It seems like it must be a somewhat standard writing technique for Morvan to wait until the end to have pages of exposition. Just like with Naja, I find this to be really silly. Either let the comic speak for itself or lightly explain throughout.
The plot of Zaya was pretty self-explanatory if you've ever read or watched sci-fi. The over explanation was completely unnecessary and really brought what was an otherwise fast paced story to a standstill just before the end.
It seems like it must be a somewhat standard writing technique for Morvan to wait until the end to have pages of exposition. Just like with Naja, I find this to be really silly. Either let the comic speak for itself or lightly explain throughout.
The plot of Zaya was pretty self-explanatory if you've ever read or watched sci-fi. The over explanation was completely unnecessary and really brought what was an otherwise fast paced story to a standstill just before the end.
January 26, 2017
While the art is fine, but most of the time I didn't understand what I saw. Dialog was fine, storytelling was okay, plot-wise... seems like it's too slow at the beginning that at the end of the story I felt like got left behind. Like there's this big hole of process got skipped just to show 'The End'. But the biggest problem I have is... it didn't answered the question what/ how it happened to Zaya. No answer, no explanation, no conclusion, no... whatsoever, just a happy ending (?). I felt.. wasted.
April 17, 2022
Magnetic Press can't seem to get more than two stars from me when everything's good. Sadly, this is not the case.
I recognize that the art in this volume is extremely personal and original. Still the plot starts good but in the end it gets too metaphysical, and I didn't really understand what the author wanted to say with it.
I backed two more project from them on Kickstarter, and they'll likely be the last ones.
I recognize that the art in this volume is extremely personal and original. Still the plot starts good but in the end it gets too metaphysical, and I didn't really understand what the author wanted to say with it.
I backed two more project from them on Kickstarter, and they'll likely be the last ones.
May 18, 2025
I liked some of the art style, but most of it is incomprehensible. The writing is very weak. Plotting and character development is just sort of thrown together. Definitely an example of style over substance. Like, maybe the artist just went in whatever direction they wanted and the writer tried to turn it into a story. I finally gave up at about two-thirds, three-fourths, When I started flipping pages because nothing interesting was happening.
January 7, 2019
A really unique story, which was refreshing...hard AT with a heart, told exceptionally well. The visual style is utterly different from anything else I've read. Although the tales and characters are not alike, I think Kabuki fans would dig this.
May 27, 2023
Nice images incomprehensible story.
June 22, 2015
This Advanced Reader's Copy was received from Netgalley
Science fiction has been a genre that I have been quite picky with for awhile. I'm not too interested in aliens and space ships, but when it comes to graphic novels, I'm quite fond of it. Science fiction in the YA section has been saturated and it all comes out the same thing, the graphic novel section has been keeping its stand in the Sci-Fi genre. There might be some books out there that would debate this though, but I'm trying not to buy too many. I'm not that hard to impress though, if it's something similar to 1984 or it involves some quirky characters, then it will hit me I guess.
Zaya is a graphic novel of a science fiction world, cyberpunk to be more accurate, there doesn't seem to be anything dystopian about it, everyone seems fine. The main character is a woman named Zaya, who was a former agent, trying to live a normal life again, with her kids and her works as an artist. Suddenly, she gets thrusted back into that job again, for a mission that seemed so simple at first, but soon gets thrown into a dilemma, from biomechanical threats destroying a colony, to fellow agents getting murdered, and eventually, after traveling through space for a bit, with an AI buddy, she decides to take a visit back at her home colony, to find that nobody remembers her.
In the first few pages, I was actually quite confused with what was going on at first. There wasn't much explanation, until maybe the second chapter. At first, I didn't really enjoy the first chapter and the the first half of the second chapter, because the movement was so slow, passages with too many words and parts with little explanation. It improved later on, as you develop feelings for the characters, especially the main ones, then some crazy stuff happens and I don't want to say. That would spoil everything. I didn't understand what all those robots were all about. I didn't know what all the chaos was coming from, until I read the synopsis. Maybe I'm reading too fast? This might be my own fault.
The artwork is the best thing in this volume. It's beautiful and detailed, delicate, yet rough enough to show off the edges. I will admit that the characters faces look sort of funny when half of their faces get blown off. I must be a sick person. Excellent imagery and scenes, the artwork is a real beauty, especially the characters themselves.
I will look forward to future issues of the comic, I will admit that the story isn't the most original or the most coherent. There is something that is telling me that the more the story stretches, it will be a pretty epic drama. So, cyberpunk fans, be on the lookout for this.
Rating: 4/5
Science fiction has been a genre that I have been quite picky with for awhile. I'm not too interested in aliens and space ships, but when it comes to graphic novels, I'm quite fond of it. Science fiction in the YA section has been saturated and it all comes out the same thing, the graphic novel section has been keeping its stand in the Sci-Fi genre. There might be some books out there that would debate this though, but I'm trying not to buy too many. I'm not that hard to impress though, if it's something similar to 1984 or it involves some quirky characters, then it will hit me I guess.
Zaya is a graphic novel of a science fiction world, cyberpunk to be more accurate, there doesn't seem to be anything dystopian about it, everyone seems fine. The main character is a woman named Zaya, who was a former agent, trying to live a normal life again, with her kids and her works as an artist. Suddenly, she gets thrusted back into that job again, for a mission that seemed so simple at first, but soon gets thrown into a dilemma, from biomechanical threats destroying a colony, to fellow agents getting murdered, and eventually, after traveling through space for a bit, with an AI buddy, she decides to take a visit back at her home colony, to find that nobody remembers her.
In the first few pages, I was actually quite confused with what was going on at first. There wasn't much explanation, until maybe the second chapter. At first, I didn't really enjoy the first chapter and the the first half of the second chapter, because the movement was so slow, passages with too many words and parts with little explanation. It improved later on, as you develop feelings for the characters, especially the main ones, then some crazy stuff happens and I don't want to say. That would spoil everything. I didn't understand what all those robots were all about. I didn't know what all the chaos was coming from, until I read the synopsis. Maybe I'm reading too fast? This might be my own fault.
The artwork is the best thing in this volume. It's beautiful and detailed, delicate, yet rough enough to show off the edges. I will admit that the characters faces look sort of funny when half of their faces get blown off. I must be a sick person. Excellent imagery and scenes, the artwork is a real beauty, especially the characters themselves.
I will look forward to future issues of the comic, I will admit that the story isn't the most original or the most coherent. There is something that is telling me that the more the story stretches, it will be a pretty epic drama. So, cyberpunk fans, be on the lookout for this.
Rating: 4/5
September 4, 2014
I took a long time to read and finish this thinking I would be savoring it afterwards like Naja. I thought Jean-David Morvan could do no wrong---and it isn’t that he necessarily did. I just started off enjoying this, and then was left with a weird aftertaste and nothing really to wash it down. After my whole Naja experience, I thought I would foresee and hopefully spot and assume terrible theories before I even made it to the end. What I ended up doing, is weird fixating on a lot of different illustrations and wording and wondering if I was indeed missing the obvious, Morvan was a genius, or did this not just sit right with *insert everyone else here.*
Partially, the art was not close to a harmoniously blended cadence with Morvan's writing. It was this distorted illustrated vibe of Ghost in the Shell, Neon Evangelical----or even a Shaun Tan lost things that wasn't necessarily a good mix. The story was already convoluted and the artwork just made everything more vague and meaningless. My final feelings are conflicted because I enjoy science fiction, and felt as if this book could have been more or maybe I was projecting more, but ultimately, I could not clearly share this story without confusing someone---or someone thinking I'm insane. I felt pretty good about my grasp on understanding the The Hypernaturals and Rocket Girl Times Squared, but I was constantly going, “WTF?!” and not in a good way either...
Thanks for the ARC NetGalley
September 12, 2014
Zaya is good--it's an interesting story, it flows along quickly, and it's entertaining. The issues I had with it, though, were rather frustrating. Throughout the first 1/2 to 2/3, the artistry is very sketchy--beautiful, in it's own right, in it's imaginative landscapes and vision of a futuristic space world--but very hard to interpret in many panels and some entire pages. Throughout, the illustrations are dark and busy, and when small details are important or faces need to be recognized (as an action comic, there are many fight scenes) it was really difficult to distinguish what was going on. By the "third act" it became clear that they illustrator had stopped filling the panels with so much business (both in object and in actual drawn lines and colors) and I felt like the comic could breathe a little more.
The other frustration I had with it was that so much of the story is told through dialog. Obviously, a graphic novel (usually fewer than 200 pages and containing less than a few thousand words) is going to need to lean on dialog a lot--to set up backstory, give the characters dimension, define plot, etc. In this case I felt the dialog leaned into the demonstrative. There was dialog included that operated from the standpoint of purely telling the audience something disguised as the characters talking. I prefer leaving more of that to the imagination, or finding creative ways to set up the world through the use of scenery and the arrangement of panels, with the dialog merging seamlessly to bring the story to fruition.
In really great graphic novels there's a fine balance to the efficiency of storytelling--illuminating the story completely without leaving in what amounts to unnecessary pieces (in both dialog and illustration). In this case, I felt like both could've used more editing. That begin said, I did enjoy it. It was intriguing and entertaining, it made me think. It fits solidly in futuristic sci=fi with a mix of French and Chinese influences, and I had a good time.
The other frustration I had with it was that so much of the story is told through dialog. Obviously, a graphic novel (usually fewer than 200 pages and containing less than a few thousand words) is going to need to lean on dialog a lot--to set up backstory, give the characters dimension, define plot, etc. In this case I felt the dialog leaned into the demonstrative. There was dialog included that operated from the standpoint of purely telling the audience something disguised as the characters talking. I prefer leaving more of that to the imagination, or finding creative ways to set up the world through the use of scenery and the arrangement of panels, with the dialog merging seamlessly to bring the story to fruition.
In really great graphic novels there's a fine balance to the efficiency of storytelling--illuminating the story completely without leaving in what amounts to unnecessary pieces (in both dialog and illustration). In this case, I felt like both could've used more editing. That begin said, I did enjoy it. It was intriguing and entertaining, it made me think. It fits solidly in futuristic sci=fi with a mix of French and Chinese influences, and I had a good time.
July 1, 2015
This review and more can be found at The A P Book Club!
*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I really enjoyed Naja, also by Jean-David Morvan, so I was really looking forward to reading Zaya. I was hoping for an exciting, multi-layered, sci-fi adventure, and that's pretty much what I got! There were a few things that didn't work for me, and a couple of times when things got really weird, but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel.
I think the basis of this story is very interesting. An ex-spy has settled down and is now the mother to twins. But in order to save the world, she has to go back in the field and risk everything she's worked so hard to build. The plot progressed predictably at first, and I felt like it was dragging for at least the first half. But then things get real weird and there are twists that I did not see coming at all! They hooked me, and kept me wanting more as I read on.
I really loved the artwork in this graphic novel. The art speaks for itself, and there are several passages when there's no dialogue at all and we get to see glimpses of Zaya's past go by almost like a photo album. Since the dialogue often didn't help progress the story as much as I would have liked, I really enjoyed these moments and thought they added quite a bit to the comic as a whole.
Zaya is a strong, independent, and sexy woman. She has some revealing outfits, but her spy gear and working outfits are sensible and not as ridiculous as many of the outfits women in comic books wear. It was a nice change of pace! There's still enough mature content that I'd say a younger crowd should probably not read this one, even though it is toned down quite a bit from something like, say, Well. This is an interesting comic, and I'll be looking for more of Jean-David's works in the future. 3/5!
*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I really enjoyed Naja, also by Jean-David Morvan, so I was really looking forward to reading Zaya. I was hoping for an exciting, multi-layered, sci-fi adventure, and that's pretty much what I got! There were a few things that didn't work for me, and a couple of times when things got really weird, but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel.
I think the basis of this story is very interesting. An ex-spy has settled down and is now the mother to twins. But in order to save the world, she has to go back in the field and risk everything she's worked so hard to build. The plot progressed predictably at first, and I felt like it was dragging for at least the first half. But then things get real weird and there are twists that I did not see coming at all! They hooked me, and kept me wanting more as I read on.
I really loved the artwork in this graphic novel. The art speaks for itself, and there are several passages when there's no dialogue at all and we get to see glimpses of Zaya's past go by almost like a photo album. Since the dialogue often didn't help progress the story as much as I would have liked, I really enjoyed these moments and thought they added quite a bit to the comic as a whole.
Zaya is a strong, independent, and sexy woman. She has some revealing outfits, but her spy gear and working outfits are sensible and not as ridiculous as many of the outfits women in comic books wear. It was a nice change of pace! There's still enough mature content that I'd say a younger crowd should probably not read this one, even though it is toned down quite a bit from something like, say, Well. This is an interesting comic, and I'll be looking for more of Jean-David's works in the future. 3/5!
September 3, 2014
'Zaya' is the new graphic novel from Jean-David Morvan, who also wrote 'Naja.' I enjoyed 'Naja,' but I think I might have liked 'Zaya' just a bit more, perhaps because of the SF theme and perhaps because of the art by Huang-Jia Wei.
Zaya is a secret agent and a killer, not unlike the main characters in 'Naja,' but the similarities end about there. Zaya hacks the spaceship she is given for a mission, and the ship becomes self-aware and helps her throughout. A funny moment happens when she's sent on a mission aboard a cruise ship, and just about everyone else on board is a secret agent. She carries out the job, but finds herself on the run which sends her and her ship into dangerous hyperspace where the story takes a strange turn.
The art is intricate and really cool. If I had one complaint, it's that every killing seems to be a bullet to the eye. The artist is good at drawing these exploded, deconstructed heads, but after a while it would be nice to see something different. Also, the action scenes where there is no dialogue can be a bit tough to decipher. The art seems to run together at these times and it's hard to tell what's happening. All that to say I really liked the story and thought the art was really different than what I usually see. I look forward to reading what's next from Jean-David Morvan.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this interesting graphic novel.
Zaya is a secret agent and a killer, not unlike the main characters in 'Naja,' but the similarities end about there. Zaya hacks the spaceship she is given for a mission, and the ship becomes self-aware and helps her throughout. A funny moment happens when she's sent on a mission aboard a cruise ship, and just about everyone else on board is a secret agent. She carries out the job, but finds herself on the run which sends her and her ship into dangerous hyperspace where the story takes a strange turn.
The art is intricate and really cool. If I had one complaint, it's that every killing seems to be a bullet to the eye. The artist is good at drawing these exploded, deconstructed heads, but after a while it would be nice to see something different. Also, the action scenes where there is no dialogue can be a bit tough to decipher. The art seems to run together at these times and it's hard to tell what's happening. All that to say I really liked the story and thought the art was really different than what I usually see. I look forward to reading what's next from Jean-David Morvan.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this interesting graphic novel.
August 3, 2016
Warning: it contains SPOILERS
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
I'm new to graphic novels, and I found this particular creation interesting, but it had some issues with it.
First the all, the drawing style. I loved it, but at times, particularly in the first two chapters, I could not understand the action. It felt that the characters were mingled with each other, and I couldn't differentiate them in some strips. Also, the first two chapters seem a bit too dark compared with the third one, which I have to say, was my favourite.
The second issue with the book was the plot. I think I have read a lot of sci-fi and I've seen a lot of films from this genre to understand where this was all going. However, I felt the author jumped over many opportunities that could have made this story good. For example, he could have told us more about Siegam, how he ended the way he ended, what happened to him to change his course of action (just like the chapter where Zaya's past is shown). Even though he is the "villain", he ends having an important role in chapter three.
And the last thing, the ending. It was ok, but chapter three could have been perfect. Morvan could have insisted more on Zaya's attempts to go back home, how the Agency formed (I know there is a brief summary, but I wanted to see other characters and read about their accidents), and more information on the "Anti-space".
It was a good read, but it could have been even better.
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
I'm new to graphic novels, and I found this particular creation interesting, but it had some issues with it.
First the all, the drawing style. I loved it, but at times, particularly in the first two chapters, I could not understand the action. It felt that the characters were mingled with each other, and I couldn't differentiate them in some strips. Also, the first two chapters seem a bit too dark compared with the third one, which I have to say, was my favourite.
The second issue with the book was the plot. I think I have read a lot of sci-fi and I've seen a lot of films from this genre to understand where this was all going. However, I felt the author jumped over many opportunities that could have made this story good. For example, he could have told us more about Siegam, how he ended the way he ended, what happened to him to change his course of action (just like the chapter where Zaya's past is shown). Even though he is the "villain", he ends having an important role in chapter three.
And the last thing, the ending. It was ok, but chapter three could have been perfect. Morvan could have insisted more on Zaya's attempts to go back home, how the Agency formed (I know there is a brief summary, but I wanted to see other characters and read about their accidents), and more information on the "Anti-space".
It was a good read, but it could have been even better.
August 8, 2014
Originally published in three volumes in French, Zaya, one of Magnetic Press’s recent acquisitions, will be released for the first time in English later this month in one hardcover compilation. The original release won a Silver honor from the 3rd International Manga Awards.
The story is simply amazing within the first two volumes. The character development was sound and the tech wasn’t overly descriptive making this an enjoyable read for everyone without the need for a scientific background. I was a bit disappointed in the third volume where they left the main character and I felt the final resolution was a bit rushed. But maybe that is just me wishing there was more to the story…
Being an artist I have been known to be overly critical of graphic novels and the artists that help weave the tales. I have completely ignored some fantastic stories simply because the art was not up to par. This isn’t the case with Zaya and I really enjoyed the traditional organic feel to the entire book. Of course any work of art can be picked apart panel by panel but that would not be giving the artist the credit of creating an atmosphere you want to delve right into.
Overall this is an amazing read and I am thankful to have been given a chance to read it prior to its release and it is one I will definitely recommend to everyone.
The story is simply amazing within the first two volumes. The character development was sound and the tech wasn’t overly descriptive making this an enjoyable read for everyone without the need for a scientific background. I was a bit disappointed in the third volume where they left the main character and I felt the final resolution was a bit rushed. But maybe that is just me wishing there was more to the story…
Being an artist I have been known to be overly critical of graphic novels and the artists that help weave the tales. I have completely ignored some fantastic stories simply because the art was not up to par. This isn’t the case with Zaya and I really enjoyed the traditional organic feel to the entire book. Of course any work of art can be picked apart panel by panel but that would not be giving the artist the credit of creating an atmosphere you want to delve right into.
Overall this is an amazing read and I am thankful to have been given a chance to read it prior to its release and it is one I will definitely recommend to everyone.
August 25, 2014
READ IN ENGLISH
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: September 1st 2014
I'd seen Zaya a few times on Netgalley and had always almost requested it, but something was holding me back. But when I saw some very positive reviews about it I changed my mind and decided this might just be something for me after all.
Zaya is a retired assassin and mother of two. But in her business retirement is never final (unless you're dead) so when The Spiral (the organization she worked for) asks/forces her to accept a final mission, she doesn't have much of a choice. However, that might not even be the most dangerous thing lurking in space.
I'm not completely sure how I feel about this book. There were parts that really interested me while with others I had a very hard time concentrating. The cover is very beautiful, if you ask me, but the rest of the art work was just okay for me. I've seen things I liked better. The story is interesting but a lot happens at once, making it sometimes hard to follow exactly what's going on. It's definitely original, though I'm not sure it's book for everyone.
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: September 1st 2014
I'd seen Zaya a few times on Netgalley and had always almost requested it, but something was holding me back. But when I saw some very positive reviews about it I changed my mind and decided this might just be something for me after all.
Zaya is a retired assassin and mother of two. But in her business retirement is never final (unless you're dead) so when The Spiral (the organization she worked for) asks/forces her to accept a final mission, she doesn't have much of a choice. However, that might not even be the most dangerous thing lurking in space.
I'm not completely sure how I feel about this book. There were parts that really interested me while with others I had a very hard time concentrating. The cover is very beautiful, if you ask me, but the rest of the art work was just okay for me. I've seen things I liked better. The story is interesting but a lot happens at once, making it sometimes hard to follow exactly what's going on. It's definitely original, though I'm not sure it's book for everyone.
August 6, 2014
What happens when a hyperspace jump is pushed to a limit? Zaya is the story if a retired agent that is hoisted back to duty for a very large organization. Her colorful job allows her to see different worlds that are part of an interplanetary system. But there is something fishy about this last assignment. For starters they haven’t given her the whole picture, and everything goes awry from that point on. Zaya’s eclectic world is turned upside down once she achieves an unimaginable hyperspace feat.
All in all I was satisfied. Personally I liked the illustrations way more than the story, but they work well together. The world created by Morvan and Wei is a mixture of different styles; there is steampunk, mecha and sci-fi all rolled into one. The story at times can be a little confusing, but once you get some momentum it becomes very enjoyable until you get to the horrible cliff hanger and have to wait for the next volume. Wei’s illustrations are intricate and profuse, therefore to really enjoy them and understand what’s going on you have carefully observe each panel.
I got this book from NetGalley.
All in all I was satisfied. Personally I liked the illustrations way more than the story, but they work well together. The world created by Morvan and Wei is a mixture of different styles; there is steampunk, mecha and sci-fi all rolled into one. The story at times can be a little confusing, but once you get some momentum it becomes very enjoyable until you get to the horrible cliff hanger and have to wait for the next volume. Wei’s illustrations are intricate and profuse, therefore to really enjoy them and understand what’s going on you have carefully observe each panel.
I got this book from NetGalley.
August 28, 2014
*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors and Magnetic Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
There are many similarities between Zaya and Jean-David Morvan's other work, Naja, but halfway through this graphic novel there's a twist that really grabbed my attention. I won't spoil it, but it involves twisting reality. I prefer Zaya to Naja, but that may be because I like space adventures more than spy thrillers.
The artwork in this graphic novel is different from what I've seen recently. The colors are quite muted, often very light or almost pastel. The details are incredible, but in some panels the details feel a little crowded. The technology blends really well into the overall aesthetic. The whole feel of the graphic novel reminded me of The Fifth Element.
I really enjoyed the second half of this comic. I thought it was leading a predictable path at first, but it took a far turn and I enjoyed the ride. I give this graphic novel a 4/5 and highly recommend it to fans of space adventures that play with your mind. This is a mature graphic novel with gore and some sexual situations.
There are many similarities between Zaya and Jean-David Morvan's other work, Naja, but halfway through this graphic novel there's a twist that really grabbed my attention. I won't spoil it, but it involves twisting reality. I prefer Zaya to Naja, but that may be because I like space adventures more than spy thrillers.
The artwork in this graphic novel is different from what I've seen recently. The colors are quite muted, often very light or almost pastel. The details are incredible, but in some panels the details feel a little crowded. The technology blends really well into the overall aesthetic. The whole feel of the graphic novel reminded me of The Fifth Element.
I really enjoyed the second half of this comic. I thought it was leading a predictable path at first, but it took a far turn and I enjoyed the ride. I give this graphic novel a 4/5 and highly recommend it to fans of space adventures that play with your mind. This is a mature graphic novel with gore and some sexual situations.
February 24, 2016
Zaya Oblidine lived peacefully and happily as an artist and a mother of her twin daughter. Suddenly, she called back on duty coz some places being attacked. Zaya is a retired SPIRAL agent. After she got her target, Siegam Csazami, she killed him and planned to be back for her children. But when she backed, both of her kiddos didn't recognized her, called her sister Carmen as "mother" and the man she already killed back to life. The worst of it, Zaya suddenly doesn't existed!
It's been a long time I didn't read any futuristic graphic novel which combined with action. The main character is a HOT (yes, Zaya totally hot) agent, but her face always looked calm (I pressume she was an Asian, but it just my thought) who already passed a hard life. The artwork, especially the human characters looks like in manga or anime. Zaya herself remained me to Yuna from FF X (Dunno why, just...like that) but the landscapes, the details of the ships, the explossions, the coloring, the total draws made me droll!! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-ly cool!!
*Thanks to NetGalley to gave me this copy in exchange for an honest review*
It's been a long time I didn't read any futuristic graphic novel which combined with action. The main character is a HOT (yes, Zaya totally hot) agent, but her face always looked calm (I pressume she was an Asian, but it just my thought) who already passed a hard life. The artwork, especially the human characters looks like in manga or anime. Zaya herself remained me to Yuna from FF X (Dunno why, just...like that) but the landscapes, the details of the ships, the explossions, the coloring, the total draws made me droll!! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-ly cool!!
*Thanks to NetGalley to gave me this copy in exchange for an honest review*
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