The UnChosen Volume 1: The Tower

by David Márquez

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

120 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 3, 2026

About the author

David Márquez was born in Córdoba, Andalusia, Southern Spain. Since 2008, he has collaborated with his acid, funny articles in different newspapers. He is said to be living in some part of South Andalusia, moving between Córdoba and Málaga (European California), where he gets in touch with all kinds of people, from different countries and behaviours, and writes about them and the "happenings" which seem to haunt him.

He loves and works with typewriters, drums, paper books and old computers, and is very proud of not having iPhones, Smartphones or whatever.

Previous, unpublished texts and new works are both coming soon... on paper, for sure.

Reviews

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

UGH, it's hard to rate this. I liked a lot of it. Kickass art that showcases some really badass designs and cool attacks. I love the main character, Aida, she's got spunk and she has a great design. The story opens with Aida waking up in a post-apocalyptic city that she, a 13-year-old girl, seemingly destroyed. The idea, the betrayal, and the twist are all very solid. She is immediately pursued by rival factions of superpowered beings, forcing her into a conflict she doesn't understand.

Really, its biggest negative is sometimes it doesn't trust the characters to tell the story at times, instead allowing itself to be consumed with exposition dumps here or there. It's really annoying and slows down the otherwise brisk-paced and very interesting story of a girl just trying to find her mother and caught in a war between magic users. Aida is rescued and enrolled in a mysterious boarding school for gifted children where they are trained to use a power called "The Word" connecting the initial post-apocalyptic timeline with the seemingly later, present-day one.

Overall, a 3.5, but I'll bump it to a 4 for the art alone.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Selling Pitch:
What if being a magic school’s chosen one was a bad thing? Gorgeous art, as nd while the plot leaves you hungry for more, it doesn’t stand on its own well.

Pre-reading:
The white haired lady on the cover looks like Manon.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Love the art style already.

Very dynamic poses

There’s a whiff of Winx Club and Harry Potter about this.

Is this setting them up to be enemies to lovers when they’re grown, because DOWN!

I love how he draws eyes.

Everyone in this is too hot. If evil, why hot? That’s golden mafia Barbie.

A stellar setup, but not a complete story arc that stands on its own.

Magic as stylized font is so cool but I would not have seen it without this post-comic explanation.

Post-reading:
This world is so interesting! I could’ve used a bit more concrete plot for an opening volume. This is all set up, and while it tosses a lot of balls into the air, we don’t really catch any. I’m super invested in finding out what happens next, but I think if you read this, you’re gonna be left wanting.

The art is gorgeous. Everyone’s hot. The panels have such dynamic poses and there’s so much detail to the costumes and hair. I love how the artist draws eyes and lashes. It’s got just enough humor, but is firmly a darker dystopian. The idea of magic being stylized text is absolutely incredible. I just wish I could read it. I don’t think there’s any way to figure that out unless you read the author’s note at the end of the volume. So much work clearly went into crafting sentences of power, but they’re lost on the audience since they’re in multiple different languages and then stylized to boot. You can’t exactly throw them into Google Translate.

The good guys are actually the bad guys is always a compelling plot, and even though it’s been done before, I’m still not tired of it. The characters are lacking a bit of personality and backstory to really endear them to the audience, but this book had a lot of ground to cover. The panel where they explain the shard’s dimensionality is a real standout. It’s pretty complex, yet super digestible, and the illustrations fit perfectly. I’m looking forward to reading more, but I wish this had a satisfying arc to stand on its own.

Who should read this:
Winx Club fans
Harry Potter fans
Dystopian superhero fans

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
Yes, the art is so pretty.

Would I buy this:
Yeah, I really like the art.

Similar books:
* The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw-horror, urban fantasy, dark academia, unreliable narrator
* Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma-YA urban fantasy, dark academia, romance, mystery, enemies to lovers
* The Longest Autumn by Amy Avery-fantasy, dark academia, mystery, romance
* Court of the Undying Seasons by A. M. Strickland-YA fantasy romance, dark academia, family drama, mystery, queer
* The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers-fairytale retelling, magical realism, family drama, romance
* Bytchcraft by Aaron Reese-urban fantasy, graphic novel, queer, family drama

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sertan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and iImage Comics for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Volume 1 collects issues 1-4 all of which very interesting. Got through them pretty quickly. Amazing setup for the future of the series. Loved the art style as well as the story.
Will definietly be waiting for what comes next!

[Kemery Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, David Marquez, and Image Comics for the eARC!

The Unchosen by David Marquez is a very uniquely premised story that definitely works in a graphic capacity that may have suffered in a traditional novel scenario. I really enjoyed this premise in that you aren't given a traditional world-building introduction and rather start with the story already going. The art is well-realized, fun, immersive, and vibrant in a way that really bolsters the story in the best sense. That being said, the characters oddly enough weren't super consistently drawn. I loved the art of most of the characters but Aida, Daniel, and a few others felt like they belonged in a younger story and were rounded and less-detailed in a way that broke immersion.

Regarding the story itself, the aspects that I appreciated most were two-fold: Firstly, I liked the mystery of those surrounding Aida and the twists that ensued worked for me. Secondly, I appreciated the non-cliche YA characterizations. While it wasn't anything mind-blowing, characters felt more real rather than "stupid" young people and, while definitely acting rash, were given a respectful amount of intelligence despite the young age.

Praise aside, flaws still could be found. While I enjoyed the less-traditional way of world-building, the world-building was pretty scattered, confusing, and felt a bit heavy compared to the level of plot that transpired. This was truly THE BEGINNING and does not move considerably for being 4 issues. By the end, I did not feel like I understood the overall plot very much. I appreciate Aida's progression by the end, but it felt like most of this took place right near the end.

Despite criticisms, the art looks good, the premise is unique, and it has a pretty satisfactory story all things considered.

[Maxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Image Comics for the ARC!

Wow! This was quite the introduction! We get to know a lot about the world building, about how Aida may be the key to solving everything, with people at all angles trying to win her on their side. The story gives backstory in Aida and how she only remembers fragments of what happened before being picked up by Alex and Vasha in order to protect her by her mothers orders.

I will say we don't get much about other characters backstories, or more moments of the characters bonding with one another. It would have been nice to see a bit more on how Ezra and Aida became enemies considering the twist at the end. Not to mention there are a lot of characters we get introduced to in this volume alone, I can understand why it became difficult to make their relationships more thought out.

Aside from that, the art is stunning and both the characters and backgrounds are very detailed through and through. Will definitely be waiting for the next volume!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently got the chance to read 'The UnChosen Volume 1: The Tower' that collects issues 1-4 of the miniseries drawn and written by David Márquez, whose art in the current Uncanny X-Men run I absolutely love.

At its core, it's a classic story about a girl discovering she has mysterious powers she cannot understand, who is taken to a special school so she can learn to control them. But even though this is hardly a new concept, the story takes a unique, interesting approach that breaks free of any tropes and creates a world and a mythology around how magic works in it that becomes very much its own thing.

The book starts by introducing Aida, finding herself amidst the aftermath of a massive explosion which she has seemingly somehow caused, shocked and confused, looking for her lost mother, as she is approached by two strangers with magical powers telling her they are here to help her. There's enough setup to get the reader invested without bombarding you with exposition. As the story unfolds, we get to discover things along with Aida, and start seeing the big picture through her eyes.

Cover for The UnChosen issue 2 showing four different characters in a dynamic attacking pose, each of them wielding a different magical glowing weapon.
Aida as a protagonist is both likeable and believable. She justifiably doesn't know who to trust. She is assertive and determined, and despite being overwhelmed by everything that has happened to her, her heart is in the right place. She is written in a very human and realistic way, especially with how she reacts to the new supernatural things she is discovering, but also in the way she wants to find answers. She is not too eager to fully trust certain characters and she questions their motives as they hide information from her while she tries to make sense of it all. In many stories involving young characters there is an issue of making things too obvious, or too black and white, but this is certainly not the case here. We don't get too much background on the other characters, so we slowly get to know them, discovering their true aims and whether or not they are trustworthy, along with Aida.

The art is simply stunning, striking an organic balance between superhero comic aesthetics and modern-day fantasy elements. The action scenes are gorgeous and immersive, and the way magical powers are visualised is beautiful, and also very clever, especially in how certain spoken words are shown to hold power. Overall, 'The UnChosen' makes for a short but definitely fun read. It's a fresh take on the teen with special powers plot that can be enjoyed by young adult readers, but I'd honestly recommend it to any fan of the genre, regardless of age.

A big thank you to Image Comics for the advance review copy.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is one of those odd titles where the adult side characters are FAR more interesting than the generic kids of the story. The plot is fairly generic - a protagonist trying to figure out who the good guys are when she's lost her memory. The magic at least tries to be original but is let down by the bratty kids.

Story: Aida is found in a giant crater with destruction all around her. But father O'Reilly comes to save her and bring her to the Tower, a school where she will be protected from those who are trying to kill her. But Aida begins to question things when a group of rebels contact her with a very different story than the one she's been told.

We have the usual bratty tween with unique snowflake power who spends all her time doing ill advised and impulsive actions rather than actually using her brains (such as they are). Of course she will be all powerful and everyone will want to get their hands on her - while she just runs around doing stupid things. She wants to find her mother but all that amounts to is a lot of demands and yelling - then running off. It's very hard to like her or want to follow her. The same with the other characters her age. Even the characters designs and illustration work of the kids felt generic.

The adult characters, however, were very interesting. The writing and illustration work were emotive and the scenes with the adults (both factions) were intriguing. I kept wishing we could take out the all the children and just have a story about the adults. Admittedly, by the end of this first volume I was feeling very sorry for the faction that would end up with Aida because she was so annoying. The scenes with the tweens were Scooby Doo while the scenes with the adults were The Watchmen.

There is a 'magic' system based on words of power that the authors did a good job of fleshing out. One of the better points of the book is a plot that isn't black and white about who is good and who is bad - and I am hoping that neither faction will be wholly rooted in one pole. But we have also seen this often and I didn't see enough signs of originality in that regard.

In all, I didn't enjoy the kids and since one of them is the crux of the story, I didn't find enough motivation to want to continue reading the series after this volume. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I'm so mixed on this story. I loved the idea of a magic system that utilizes ancient language, but the rest of the story is a bit stereotypical. But the ideas of "organization pretending to be for the good of the world is actually evil" and "evil organization is actually good" are a fairly tired trope. This first volume focuses HARD on the setup of the rest of the world, to the slight detriment of the character writing. They set up the characters on the "evil" side and the "good" side, and give just a bit of character building. Only the smallest amount, just enough to understand personality, but not much more. The art I really enjoyed, even though the art style changes with each chapter. The art makes the magic look bombastic, and it's very fun to read the fight scenes. I also really enjoyed the few pages after the volume that was finished, explaining how they created the magic system and the real-world elements they used to create it. They clearly researched a LOT to create the magic system, and I love it. Hopefully, in the next volume, the story gets a bit better.

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

[East of Reality · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an introduction to a new series, this volume — has a lot of setup, from the various sides, and the offshoots of the various sides, the hint at the big bad, the introduction to the magic system, as well as introducing various characters — and it’s got a lot of infodumping moments. It also has some really nice character designs, promising world building, and engaging writing.

However, because it’s mostly setup there’s not really much to latch onto character wise. On one side, a collection of adults and their students; on the other young adults and their teachers, each of whom are escapees or castoffs from the other side … and while there are nice hints about how these things are connected, they’re still mostly hints. And with over 12 characters, it’s a little hard for all of them to get enough screen time to decide if I like them or not.

If you’re on the fence about this collection, it might be better to either pick this up from the library or wait for the next installment to see if the story picks up. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Lucsbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially, I requested "The Unchosen" because it reminded me of X-Men in a more high-fantasy setting. Initially, I wasn't too impressed.

The first half of the book felt like a bunch of different tropes had been mashed together, and there was nothing original about the crumbs of a story. The only reason I didn't DNF it was that it was a short read, and the art was pretty.

The second half of the book, after the plot twist, was much better. The characters finally felt like they had an arc, the story started to make sense, and the art became even more amazing.

The explanation at the end of the book was the cherry on top of the cake, and I was happy to go back and look at the characters and story with new eyes, marvel at the details and how much thought went into it.

I'm taking away half a star because of the modern Hebrew mention.

Thank you to Edelweiss, Image Comics and Simon & Schuster for this DRC.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like an X-Men & Power Ranger Crossover!

The UnChosen by David Marquez is a wild, high-octane ride through a world where being “chosen” isn’t a blessing. It could very well be a death sentence. Aida, our main character, is trying to survive. Her journey hits hard, blending raw survival with the kind of moral gray areas that make you squirm in the best way. Marquez nails the tension between destiny and free will, all while serving up jaw-dropping visuals and a story that refuses to play it safe. It’s messy, it’s bold, and it asks the big questions without slowing down for breath. If you’re into stories that flip the chosen-one trope on its head and keep you guessing, this one’s a must.

I cannot wait to read more!

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The UnChosen” is the story of a young lady that seems to have some ability and is being protected by some superpowered beings. Or is she? One could be argued that she is being held against her will. And then of course, things are complicated by a group of younger superpowered beings. According to them, she is being lied to, and she is in danger. Who do you believe?

The artwork of The UnChosen is absolutely beautiful. The story is a little bit convoluted, but since it is just the beginning, things may become more clear as we continue the adventure.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The UnChosen: The Tower is a fast paced and engaging first volume in what will hopefully be a long run of YA appropriate action-forward urban fantasy graphic novels. Set in a school for the magically gifted that is a strange mish-mash of Hogwarts and Professor Xavier's academy this book is actually fairly original in its portrayal of magic and its linguistic roots. Additionally, the protagonist has a few tricks up her sleeve that the average magically gifted ingenue is lacking.

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

4.5 stars out of 5 rounded to 4.

[Nina Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved an ARC of this comic thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics. I am leaving a review voluntarily.

First off, the artwork and these characters are stunning. All of them.

Second, I enjoyed this story more than I expected. It threw us right in and let us connect to the characters, which I sometimes struggle with when it comes to Graphic novels. I am curious to see how the characters will develop and more about the power they wield.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

loving this series.
it is full of tropes but it is very well executed. the art and colours are excellent

brother reilly particularly his face has so much beautiful detail.

[Sarah]

Review to come.

[Kurt Lorenz · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with a lot of first stories by artists turned writer/artists, this was a gorgeous book with way too much exposition. Here's hoping a potential volume 2 shows improvements in writing and story.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in single issues