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Drones
Join pilots Stinger and Angel Eyes for a wild night in Las Vegas' finest terrorism-themed hotel. Collecting all five issues of the hit miniseries, this book is a satirical look at a world in which terror and entertainment have begun to blur.
136 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 1, 2015
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Initial reaction: WTF did I just read, and perhaps more importantly, why did I read this?
I believe it pretends to be a satirical take on terrorism, drones, and the entertainment industry, but it was an utterly confusing, uninteresting story that didn't make sense at all.
At first I believed I was the only one who didn't understand what was going on, but reading some other reviews, I found out I was not alone, which was in this case a relieve since it's been a long time since something confused me as much as this. It was extremely difficult to keep the different characters apart since they all looked alike.
I would try to explain the plot, but I've no idea what it was, so I just give up.
After reading this one, I'm not going to request graphic novels for a while.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Initial reaction: WTF did I just read, and perhaps more importantly, why did I read this?
I believe it pretends to be a satirical take on terrorism, drones, and the entertainment industry, but it was an utterly confusing, uninteresting story that didn't make sense at all.
At first I believed I was the only one who didn't understand what was going on, but reading some other reviews, I found out I was not alone, which was in this case a relieve since it's been a long time since something confused me as much as this. It was extremely difficult to keep the different characters apart since they all looked alike.
I would try to explain the plot, but I've no idea what it was, so I just give up.
After reading this one, I'm not going to request graphic novels for a while.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
September 29, 2020
1.5 Stars
I rarely give anything 1 star, but this was just bad. I did add an extra half star for the art as I didn't think it was terrible, but this could have been drawn by Neal Adams or (insert favorite artist here) and it still wouldn't have been enough.
I think this supposed to be satirical but I'm not entirely sure of the point. Maybe a satire of how terrorism has become entertainment? But has it really? This is just me guessing anyway, because honestly I have no idea what was really going on here. There was this hotel that sold terrorism experiences as a type of amusement, but then I lost track of what was real and what wasn't.
I see from the reviews most readers felt the same as I did, to the point I wonder how this got published?
My initial reaction would be not to recommend this to anyone, but then again, someone out there may be able to make sense of this? Maybe? Anyone? Anyone?
I rarely give anything 1 star, but this was just bad. I did add an extra half star for the art as I didn't think it was terrible, but this could have been drawn by Neal Adams or (insert favorite artist here) and it still wouldn't have been enough.
I think this supposed to be satirical but I'm not entirely sure of the point. Maybe a satire of how terrorism has become entertainment? But has it really? This is just me guessing anyway, because honestly I have no idea what was really going on here. There was this hotel that sold terrorism experiences as a type of amusement, but then I lost track of what was real and what wasn't.
I see from the reviews most readers felt the same as I did, to the point I wonder how this got published?
My initial reaction would be not to recommend this to anyone, but then again, someone out there may be able to make sense of this? Maybe? Anyone? Anyone?
November 23, 2015
Based on the description, I requested it on netgalley thinking that it would be a critique of society. It may be. I never made it that far. Nothing made sense, and I didn't care enough to keep reading to wait and see if it would come together. Also, I was intrigued by the gorgeous girl on the cover. I can't lie. Queer me was all about her and her hair. For a book with a cover featuring a fully clothed woman, it doesn't do women any justice. Maybe other people will like it, but based on the other reviews as well, no one else is liking it either.
January 3, 2020
What is this even satirizing?
October 11, 2015
Drones. Drones. Drones? Made no sense whatsoever and Lewis must have been on drugs (or drunk) when he made this and I surely have hard time believing that this was a hit series. The plot is supposedly that we have pilots Stinger and Angel Eyes, who sleep together, but don't date. They end up in a terrorism-themed hotel and then everything goes bat shit crazy. None of the characters are introduced and the most you know about some of them are their names and that applies to like the main pair and one other person. Why were they in the hotel? Who were all these people? I can understand the gun-waving soldiers, but the ladies in purple and the weird broad with white eyes and no hair? People are just killing each other and none of this makes sense at all. The premise was interesting, a hotel mixing terrorism and fun creating this theme park like setting. The possibilities with this could've been endless and now we have a massacre fiesta and pure nonsense. What a waste.
The art is so and so, since most of the characters are out of proportion and especially their heads. The colors are great though, and I like the portrayal of movement. Even the composition of the panels is appealing and interesting, but that's it. Drones is a messy waste of time that could've been great - I'd like to meet the publishing editor and ask him/her whether they were on drugs (or drunk) too. Not cool, not cool at all.
The art is so and so, since most of the characters are out of proportion and especially their heads. The colors are great though, and I like the portrayal of movement. Even the composition of the panels is appealing and interesting, but that's it. Drones is a messy waste of time that could've been great - I'd like to meet the publishing editor and ask him/her whether they were on drugs (or drunk) too. Not cool, not cool at all.
October 12, 2015
This book is trying to be a satirical look at terrorism in the Middle East and the drone technology used to target it, through the spectrum of western society's penchant for turning anything into gross entertainment. An interesting, thought-provoking, and challenging approach to a serious topic, but the execution is an utterly confusing failure. I spent a good chunk of my time trying to tell the characters apart, and ultimately failed to find the humour in the terrorist-themed hotel and the various antics that go on within it.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
www.BiblioSanctum.com
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
www.BiblioSanctum.com
October 16, 2015
I did not really care for this title.
I found the artwork fantastic, but distracting. To be fair, I read it on a tablet, and they don't always work well with graphic novels. I would be willing to give it a try in a physical format, but I'm not really holding my breath.
The story is broken and confusing, and to be honest, doesn't make much sense. It is all over the place with not much continuity or plot.
There is very little world building or character introduction, which is a huge drawback when most of the characters act and look similar.
The idea is a great one, but the execution was extremely poor.
I found the artwork fantastic, but distracting. To be fair, I read it on a tablet, and they don't always work well with graphic novels. I would be willing to give it a try in a physical format, but I'm not really holding my breath.
The story is broken and confusing, and to be honest, doesn't make much sense. It is all over the place with not much continuity or plot.
There is very little world building or character introduction, which is a huge drawback when most of the characters act and look similar.
The idea is a great one, but the execution was extremely poor.
July 4, 2021
stillborn jokes and cartoonish swords and i hate the characters.
June 13, 2016
'Drones' is just a mess of a graphic novel. The characters in the story run around and are confused, and I, as the reader, fully understand their confusion.
For some reason, in the near future, Las Vegas has decided to create a terrorism-themed hotel. A couple of drone pilots find themselves at this resort and can't tell who are the real terrorists and who are the actors. The confusion really starts at the beginning of the book where the soldiers conduct a real drone strike half a world away, then the people they thought they hit show up in Las Vegas. It's as if Afghanistan and Las Vegas are next to each other. That's just one of the problems with this book.
It's supposed to be satirical, but it just isn't very funny. It's crude in lots of ways. There are tourists re-enacting orgy scenes that look like Abu Ghraib. There are weapons that look like grotesquely sized sex toys. It all seems like it's supposed to be a joke, but no character is sympathetic enough to be the straight man, and the punchline gets lost in the overly confusing plot. I'm not actually sure why it's called 'Drones' except that there are some brief appearances by drones. The concept sounded interesting, but the execution just didn't work for me.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
For some reason, in the near future, Las Vegas has decided to create a terrorism-themed hotel. A couple of drone pilots find themselves at this resort and can't tell who are the real terrorists and who are the actors. The confusion really starts at the beginning of the book where the soldiers conduct a real drone strike half a world away, then the people they thought they hit show up in Las Vegas. It's as if Afghanistan and Las Vegas are next to each other. That's just one of the problems with this book.
It's supposed to be satirical, but it just isn't very funny. It's crude in lots of ways. There are tourists re-enacting orgy scenes that look like Abu Ghraib. There are weapons that look like grotesquely sized sex toys. It all seems like it's supposed to be a joke, but no character is sympathetic enough to be the straight man, and the punchline gets lost in the overly confusing plot. I'm not actually sure why it's called 'Drones' except that there are some brief appearances by drones. The concept sounded interesting, but the execution just didn't work for me.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
December 16, 2015
What on earth did I just read? I have no clue and am so confused. The graphic novel is a satire about terrorists, media, and the 'show must go on' mentality of the media and people in the world today - or at least that is what it seems to be.
I have to say that I stopped reading this about half way through and though about just not finishing it, I was confused about the plot and what was happening and even about who the characters were. There was a lot of action and not enough explanation, and even the when the time and place was listed on the pages it was not clear when things were occurring in the timeline of the story. All of this made the novel very difficult to follow.
I think that knowing that it was to be a satire and a critical look at terror and entertainment, as the synopsis states, made it easy to see that those things were in fact occurring, but it was a hard read for me.
The characters all kind of ran together and the drawing was at times more sketchy making it more difficult to distinguish between the numerous characters. Overall, even though I did finish the book, it was not a very enjoyable one for me. Sometimes that is just the case. Others may find this less confusing and actually very entertaining.
I have to say that I stopped reading this about half way through and though about just not finishing it, I was confused about the plot and what was happening and even about who the characters were. There was a lot of action and not enough explanation, and even the when the time and place was listed on the pages it was not clear when things were occurring in the timeline of the story. All of this made the novel very difficult to follow.
I think that knowing that it was to be a satire and a critical look at terror and entertainment, as the synopsis states, made it easy to see that those things were in fact occurring, but it was a hard read for me.
The characters all kind of ran together and the drawing was at times more sketchy making it more difficult to distinguish between the numerous characters. Overall, even though I did finish the book, it was not a very enjoyable one for me. Sometimes that is just the case. Others may find this less confusing and actually very entertaining.
September 30, 2015
I thought the art in Drones was pretty decent, and I'd be interested to see the artist work on a decent story.
It *could* just be that I'm not a fan of crude satires, but I honestly think that this was just bad. Unlike something like Borat or The Interview, which were at least intelligible, and somewhat intelligent, Drones is neither. It was confusing and didn't make sense, not aided by the fact that it was difficult to discern between the characters, due not only to how they're drawn, but because they often end up disguised as other characters, but because it was poorly written. Instead of providing intelligent, or at least amusing, political commentary about the war on terrorism, or social commentary about the public's appetite for entertainment rather than news, Drones read more like an excuse for Chris Lewis to make sophomoric sexual innuendo jokes ("double ententre" is too classy a term to use here) and include at least three pages of orgy drawings. I could have tried harder to figure out what was going on plot-wise, but this made me not want to.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advanced reader edition.
It *could* just be that I'm not a fan of crude satires, but I honestly think that this was just bad. Unlike something like Borat or The Interview, which were at least intelligible, and somewhat intelligent, Drones is neither. It was confusing and didn't make sense, not aided by the fact that it was difficult to discern between the characters, due not only to how they're drawn, but because they often end up disguised as other characters, but because it was poorly written. Instead of providing intelligent, or at least amusing, political commentary about the war on terrorism, or social commentary about the public's appetite for entertainment rather than news, Drones read more like an excuse for Chris Lewis to make sophomoric sexual innuendo jokes ("double ententre" is too classy a term to use here) and include at least three pages of orgy drawings. I could have tried harder to figure out what was going on plot-wise, but this made me not want to.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advanced reader edition.
May 15, 2016
This was not a good comic book (which is why I'm reviewing it here, instead of the blog).
There are many ways where a comic book can fail and this one managed to hit every single one: the art is so terrible you can't tell which character is which, except those with very obvious clothes or accessories -- the gorgeous cover is a massive tease and a misdirection; the plot is so convoluted and complicated you can't even tell what story is being told or what is happening; the characters seem to shift and change in motivations so much you can't understand what they want or what they're doing -- or why they are doing it.
I read the book twice - TWICE - and I still couldn't figure out what was going on.
I usually make a much bigger review for NetGalley books, but to be honest, I am still so baffled by this book that I don't know what to say about it other than I can't, even if my life depended on it, to tell you what is the actual story, and who the characters are.
Also, the art is terrible, and falls easily under some of the worst I've have seen in a long time.
There are many ways where a comic book can fail and this one managed to hit every single one: the art is so terrible you can't tell which character is which, except those with very obvious clothes or accessories -- the gorgeous cover is a massive tease and a misdirection; the plot is so convoluted and complicated you can't even tell what story is being told or what is happening; the characters seem to shift and change in motivations so much you can't understand what they want or what they're doing -- or why they are doing it.
I read the book twice - TWICE - and I still couldn't figure out what was going on.
I usually make a much bigger review for NetGalley books, but to be honest, I am still so baffled by this book that I don't know what to say about it other than I can't, even if my life depended on it, to tell you what is the actual story, and who the characters are.
Also, the art is terrible, and falls easily under some of the worst I've have seen in a long time.
November 6, 2015
The story is good and interesting, but the art style was something of a turn off. Drones is about drones, sort of, but really it's about the people behind the drones ... except it's not. It's a fantasy world where there's a terrorist themed hotel run by actors where you can buy acts of fake terrorism to be performed on you, your loved ones and/or your friends. But there are also real terrorists and some pretty bad ass ladies. Except they're drawn in a very sexually explicit way that it took away from the story and how great it could've been. I enjoyed it, but I wanted the artwork to be different. There is an audience for this, and the story is compelling enough, the artwork just wasn't my style.
Note: this book was provided as an arc by the publisher.
Note: this book was provided as an arc by the publisher.
November 7, 2015
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really just don't know what happened. First the main characters were in the middle of orchestrating a drone attack on a Taliban operative in Afghanistan. Then they went to Las Vegas where Lani was kidnapped and Stinger spend the rest of the comic trying to rescue her. In a twist of events, she was actually kidnapped by a hotel act where people pay to go through a terrorist experience. The man they killed at the beginning was not dead and apparently a main player in capturing the Queen Bee who was in charge of a harem of female operatives.
I just don't know... I reread and reread panels.
2 stars
I really just don't know what happened. First the main characters were in the middle of orchestrating a drone attack on a Taliban operative in Afghanistan. Then they went to Las Vegas where Lani was kidnapped and Stinger spend the rest of the comic trying to rescue her. In a twist of events, she was actually kidnapped by a hotel act where people pay to go through a terrorist experience. The man they killed at the beginning was not dead and apparently a main player in capturing the Queen Bee who was in charge of a harem of female operatives.
I just don't know... I reread and reread panels.
2 stars
October 24, 2015
Thank you, Goodreads. I turned here some way into this dross to see if it was defined as a comedy or was actually some kind of real drama regarding terrorists escaping drone strikes to retaliate in the USA, only to find nobody had a good word to say for it, beyond some grudging words regarding the artwork. This is a book to pick up if you want to watch every. single. character. go about their business not knowing what they're doing. Which is pretty much what the 'author' was doing. Possibly racist, definitely unfunny and clearly muddled, this is just rubbish.
October 22, 2015
In Drones, the War on Terror goes surrealistic. Two drone operators in Nevada think they are taking out a target in Afghanistan, but during the course of an adventure at a local casino/hotel that offers terrorism as a lure, they find out that their technology is not as omniscient as they thought. Plenty of whacked-out craziness with British drones saving the day as theater wins out in the end.
September 20, 2015
Comic collection about using drones in Afghanisatan
This collection deals with the issue of assassination with drones in Afghanistan alongside a terrorism-themed hotel in Las Vegas. Various groups vie for control but the whole thing is quite confusing and I do not recommend this in its present form.
The artwork adds to the confusion as most of the scantily-clad women are similar-looking. I prefer clearer artwork to make the story more evident. Disappointing.
This collection deals with the issue of assassination with drones in Afghanistan alongside a terrorism-themed hotel in Las Vegas. Various groups vie for control but the whole thing is quite confusing and I do not recommend this in its present form.
The artwork adds to the confusion as most of the scantily-clad women are similar-looking. I prefer clearer artwork to make the story more evident. Disappointing.
January 18, 2016
I couldn't finish this. I have a hard time reading graphic novels in general because I really hate the drawing style, but seriously, this was bad. I can draw better with my eyes poked out and using my right hand (I'm a southpaw). Drawings aside, as I'm (wo)man enough to weather that storm if the story is good, I just didn't like the writing style. This was a waste.
November 9, 2015
Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review.
This was both boring and confusing. Despite this being satire, it wasn't funny and the story didn't make any sense. I didn't finish reading this.
This was both boring and confusing. Despite this being satire, it wasn't funny and the story didn't make any sense. I didn't finish reading this.
December 17, 2015
I enjoyed the art and the dialogue. However the story was VERY confusing. It has potential, the twists and turns just need to be a little more clear.
November 9, 2015
I have no idea what the hell happened while reading this. The plot seems like it's got a big steam of consciousness bent to it, but man, I have no idea where it was going.
August 24, 2016
This book comes off as a satire on current world events and attitudes, but it comes off as too esoteric and "inside the game" for most readers.
December 31, 2015
Eurgh. Deserves nothing more than that
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews