What do you think?
Rate this book
Mara #1-6
Mara
Acclaimed creator BRIAN WOOD (The Massive, DMZ, X-Men) and brilliant newcomer MING DOYLE (Guardians of the Galaxy, Fantastic Four, Girl Comics) bring you MARA, the story of an especially gifted woman in a sports- and war-obsessed future. When she starts manifesting strange superpowers, the world that once embraced her turns against her, and for this young woman who once had it all, it's almost too much to bear. Both an intimate coming-of-age story and an epic superhero drama, MARA takes the genre to new places. Young adult friendly. Perfect for readers of WOOD's Demo, Local, and X-Men work.
Collects MARA #1-6.
Collects MARA #1-6.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2013
6 people are currently reading
601 people want to read
About the author
Brian Wood
1,174 books961 followersBrian Wood's history of published work includes over fifty volumes of genre-spanning original material.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
August 13, 2018
I feel like mine is not a very popular opinion, but I really enjoyed this! It was very unexpected.
Anyone remember that old show Galactic Football? Despite me being the least sports-driven person on earth I really used to like that, so when I saw this on sale I just grabbed it. That was a while back.
I expected this to be more like that, but really it's a story of an anti hero who is raised in a society that is so cold and emotionally detached that it turns our main character in this very robotic, distant person who then takes a look at humanity and simply doesn't like what she sees. I though it was a very refreshing and somewhat controversial look at the whole 'duty to your country' topic.
And the art work was stunning.
I can see why it's not for everybody, it has a very open ending, but I personally would highly recommend giving this a go.
Anyone remember that old show Galactic Football? Despite me being the least sports-driven person on earth I really used to like that, so when I saw this on sale I just grabbed it. That was a while back.
I expected this to be more like that, but really it's a story of an anti hero who is raised in a society that is so cold and emotionally detached that it turns our main character in this very robotic, distant person who then takes a look at humanity and simply doesn't like what she sees. I though it was a very refreshing and somewhat controversial look at the whole 'duty to your country' topic.
And the art work was stunning.
I can see why it's not for everybody, it has a very open ending, but I personally would highly recommend giving this a go.
August 4, 2016
I received an electronic copy of this graphic novel from Netgally in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars
I really wanted to like this, but I can't say that I actually did.
Mara is an interesting character - a young, athletic female in a broken world. I did like that she wasn't white (not that you can tell from that cover), and that she was (apparently) in a non-heterosexual relationship, although this was pretty low-key in the story.
However, the actual comic was somewhat boring and slow. There was narration and then there was story. The narrator made Mara out to be a lot more interesting and conflicted then she actually ever seemed. However, the omniscient narration also delivered a lot of plot without justifying it. It provided a convenient - this happened, here's what was being felt, here are the reactions of other people, etc. Very tell-based.
The actual story - where Mara interacted with people or they interacted with each other - was almost snapshots. It seemed like most of the plot developments had to be explained in narration. Character interaction was a little shallow in most cases. There was interesting depth to some of the artwork, but no space for speculation - the narration told the reader how to feel about everything.
The storyline didn't really hold my attention, and a lot of the actual happenings were fairly shallow. The most interesting elements of the graphic novel had nothing to do with the plot. It wasn't a slow read, but it felt that way at times. I kept waiting for something really interesting to happen, but it didn't. I couldn't really feel for any of the characters, even though the narrator told me that they were suffering. Because of this, I didn't really care what happened to them.
2.5 stars
I really wanted to like this, but I can't say that I actually did.
Mara is an interesting character - a young, athletic female in a broken world. I did like that she wasn't white (not that you can tell from that cover), and that she was (apparently) in a non-heterosexual relationship, although this was pretty low-key in the story.
However, the actual comic was somewhat boring and slow. There was narration and then there was story. The narrator made Mara out to be a lot more interesting and conflicted then she actually ever seemed. However, the omniscient narration also delivered a lot of plot without justifying it. It provided a convenient - this happened, here's what was being felt, here are the reactions of other people, etc. Very tell-based.
The actual story - where Mara interacted with people or they interacted with each other - was almost snapshots. It seemed like most of the plot developments had to be explained in narration. Character interaction was a little shallow in most cases. There was interesting depth to some of the artwork, but no space for speculation - the narration told the reader how to feel about everything.
The storyline didn't really hold my attention, and a lot of the actual happenings were fairly shallow. The most interesting elements of the graphic novel had nothing to do with the plot. It wasn't a slow read, but it felt that way at times. I kept waiting for something really interesting to happen, but it didn't. I couldn't really feel for any of the characters, even though the narrator told me that they were suffering. Because of this, I didn't really care what happened to them.
September 23, 2015
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Mara is the type of graphic novel that can be very hard to review and likely will polarize readers. It's a story that works in the format and yet also feels almost like a self referencing parody at the same time. But it is also beautifully illustrated with a distinct and interesting style.Mara is the most famous vollyball player in a future where sports are a world obsession. Children are taken away from their families in toddler-hood if they show a natural ability in any of the major sports and trained for most of their life in boot camps to become a world famous player. The perks are great but she's left very disaffected, living a listless sterile life traveling and playing, supposedly enjoying the adoring fans while her friend and lover/co player handles her corporate endorsements. But this all changes when she suddenly begins to develop supernatural powers and recognizes she wants no part of her human world any more. The adoration is hollow, her friendship/lover superficial, the world inhumane. So she leaves and lives in space - until a lonely astronaut forces her to reevaluate the roots of her discontent.
I can definitely see where the author was going with this. Mara is a thinly veiled Gabrielle Reese, abandoned by her family and turned into a sports-robot for the enjoyment of the masses. The 'poor little rich girl' is admittedly a bit hard to swallow, though, and once the weirdness of her suddenly morphing into Superman, complete with super speed, flying, and ability to live in space just fine, it just gets a bit odd. For the sake of the story and to emphasis Mara's disenfranchisement from humanity, she is made super-human. I can't say it isn't artfully done but at the same time, it feels like artifice and a rather heavy handed deus ex machina. As the powers allow/force Mara to rather unemotionally shed the trappings of her current life (betrayed by the public, abandoned by her lover, etc.) she starts to realize what she gave up at the behest of others and to try to figure out what she wants. Which, oddly, is to be alone in space (making no sense considering how alone and disenchanted she was already with her old life).
The heavy handedness comes in again at the end, with a lonely astronaut sent on a one-way exploration mission eavesdropped upon by Mara following his space ship to deep space as he communicates his last missives with his family. Tacked up on his bulletin board are pictures of Mara playing and a close up of her along with a photo of his family. It really wasn't necessary to put Mara into the pictures on his board to show that humanity doesn't always lack faith - just the words used when he communicates with his loved ones should have been enough to make Mara realize her exile was just another version of her previous life, no less one-dimensional for having made the choice herself this time. The "well, he believed in me so I guess humanity isn't all bad" was really shallow when it hit and lacked the punch it should have had.
The illustrations were very well done and suitability stylistic to create a unique and distinct feel. In fact, I felt the illustrations were better than the story they realized. I feel a less heavy handed, much more subtle approach to what feels like a self indulgent attempt at 'high concept' would have worked much better here. By no means terrible - but still leaving me feeling underwhelmed and unaffected by Mara's journey. Received as an ARC from the publisher.
January 8, 2014
I guess I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I was absorbed while I was reading it. That could partly be because it's a very fast read, with big panels and little text. The ending is pretty weak, though. It's kind of cheap, for Mara to regain her faith in humanity through somebody who had been one of her fans. It makes Mara's crisis of faith, and its resolution, look cheaper. And Mara herself is kind of a hard character to get attached to. Her affect tends to be very flat, even when she's experiencing extremes of emotion. I get why she'd be like that, considering, but it's distancing. Not that this isn't good, it is, but it could have been so much better.
February 11, 2016
I wasn't sure what I got myself into with this one. I'm not really a sports fan so when I discovered the title character was a volleyball star I wasn't sure I would like this. Her development of enhanced abilities and contemplation of just what makes us human had me hooked.
May 21, 2016
Book blurb: A gifted athlete and a mega-celebrity, Mara Prince is a global brand and the most famous girl alive. But when she starts to manifest superhuman traits, her world starts to crumble around her.
See that premise? That's what sucked me in. I'm disappointed with how this turned out. That Mara is an athlete, of color, and non-heterosexual are all pluses. The world building is interesting, but overall I was bored with this story. Mara suddenly realizes that she has super powers, and seems to take it all in stride. The text would suggest otherwise, but nothing about what the character says or does seems to suggest much angst about this turn of events. There is zero character development, and while the art is good, it is not good enough for me to continue with this graphic novel series.
See that premise? That's what sucked me in. I'm disappointed with how this turned out. That Mara is an athlete, of color, and non-heterosexual are all pluses. The world building is interesting, but overall I was bored with this story. Mara suddenly realizes that she has super powers, and seems to take it all in stride. The text would suggest otherwise, but nothing about what the character says or does seems to suggest much angst about this turn of events. There is zero character development, and while the art is good, it is not good enough for me to continue with this graphic novel series.
November 18, 2013
copy provided by Image Comics through Netgalley
I was so excited for this!
The main character is a highly successful woman of colour who is not in a heteronormative relationship! How awesome is that?
Those 2 stars are all for that, plus the absence of gratuitous sexualisation and the amazing art work.
The story was just too shallow for me - yes there are some heavy subjects approached like, alienation and empathy and what it means to be human, but Mara herself wasn't a particularly developed character. Nor was anyone else, come to think of it.
This just read like a stereotypical super hero origin story, with a distinct disconnection between characters - I suppose that's deliberate, to show how Mara was becoming more, but still...
It seemed like Watchman ultra-light, with Mara as a young adult female Dr. Manhattan. But with none of the grittiness of the position.
Even when we get flashbacks to her parents saying goodbye to her before she was turned over for training, it all seemed so... superficial and sanitized.
Also,
I get that they're trying to make the reader's focus shift to the philosophical implications of her new state, but really... this needed a why.
So, to summarise, awesome artwork, kudos for a character representing several minorities (not that any of these minorities' issues are ever approached...)... and not so great on the character development and cohesive narrative side of things.
It felt more like an exploration of philosophy 101. And I, personally, am not here for that.
January 25, 2018
I read Mara by Brian Wood. This graphic novel was absolutely amazing! The author did a phenomenal job of portraying Mara.
This book is amazing because of the author's use of a voice-over. Toward the end, you find out that Mara was doing a voice-over while showing how she matured in a matter of days. The actual maturity is a huge part of the graphic novel. Showing a lifetime of mistakes made and solved in a matter of days.
The graphic novel is also astounding because Mara was a volleyball player. I mean, how many graphic novels do you see with a volleyball playing superhero in it?
This book is amazing because of the author's use of a voice-over. Toward the end, you find out that Mara was doing a voice-over while showing how she matured in a matter of days. The actual maturity is a huge part of the graphic novel. Showing a lifetime of mistakes made and solved in a matter of days.
The graphic novel is also astounding because Mara was a volleyball player. I mean, how many graphic novels do you see with a volleyball playing superhero in it?
August 12, 2017
I was really disappointed that this turned into a superhero book. Once that part of the story kicked in the book became very derivative of other works. The entire ending sequence seemed like a rip-off of Alan Moore's
Dr. Manhattan going to Mars in Watchmen scene.
The first ~third of the book was quite intriguing. The world is blindly obsessed with sports, and Mara is the biggest star of them all. We see her living her daily life and her fall from fame.
Dr. Manhattan going to Mars in Watchmen scene.
The first ~third of the book was quite intriguing. The world is blindly obsessed with sports, and Mara is the biggest star of them all. We see her living her daily life and her fall from fame.
October 12, 2013
Mara is a book that’s easy to read and easy to follow but will remain mysterious and open-ended when you’ve finished reading and will leave you with questions about what it all means that’ll be up to you to answer - and that’s all to the good.
It starts out in the near future with Mara Prince as a superstar volleyball player - in the near future volleyball is insanely popular - which might make you think that this is a sports comic: and then Mara suddenly uses super-speed in the middle of a game! From that point on, it’s anyone’s guess where the story is headed as Mara develops more and more superpowers - flight, strength, resilience, psychic abilities - and the world around her reacts with fear and hostility.
It’s a story where you think at different points, as Mara discovers superpowers, that she might become a superhero, and then later you think she’s going to choose to become a supervillain, but by the end, like Mara’s powers growing by the chapter, the story eventually transcends the final barrier and becomes almost zen-like in its outlook and as enigmatic as a Kubrick film.
If I’m making it sound like a tricky read, I assure you it isn’t. Brian Wood is one of the finest writers working in comics today and he writes Mara in a highly accessible way so that even if this is a completely new character and world, you can get into it and understand it instantly. I’ve read a lot of his work recently and Mara is definitely the best thing he’s written this year.
The best part of the book by far - and both writer Brian Wood and colourist Jordie Bellaire do first class work, so this is saying something - is Ming Doyle’s artwork. It is absolutely gorgeous! You know those shots in movies/TV shows where a camera films traffic and then you see the sped-up footage that looks like a neon line of red or white? Doyle does this in the first panel of the book, making it look as vibrant and surreal as it does on film - in a comic! From there you’re treated to page after page of incredible illustration.
The fight sequences between Mara and the military are especially brilliant as Doyle brings the focus tight in on Mara and then pushes it back at just the right moments to give a perfect sense of timing and movement to the scene. Or the scenes where Mara is flying and to give the reader an idea of her power and speed, the panel remains earth-bound, looking up at Mara, is an utterly genius choice. Even a page-length shot of Mara meditating while listening to her MP3 player is ridiculously stylised and amazing. If nothing else, this book will make you a fan of Ming Doyle and make you seek out everything she’s ever worked on, and is reason enough to pick up this title.
Is Mara a superhero story told slightly differently? Is it a metaphorical story of a teenage girl’s journey to self-identity? Is it a spiritual comic retelling an ages-old story of gods? You can figure out the meaning of the book for yourself but the one answer I will give you is to definitely pick up this highly entertaining original superhero comic to read.
It starts out in the near future with Mara Prince as a superstar volleyball player - in the near future volleyball is insanely popular - which might make you think that this is a sports comic: and then Mara suddenly uses super-speed in the middle of a game! From that point on, it’s anyone’s guess where the story is headed as Mara develops more and more superpowers - flight, strength, resilience, psychic abilities - and the world around her reacts with fear and hostility.
It’s a story where you think at different points, as Mara discovers superpowers, that she might become a superhero, and then later you think she’s going to choose to become a supervillain, but by the end, like Mara’s powers growing by the chapter, the story eventually transcends the final barrier and becomes almost zen-like in its outlook and as enigmatic as a Kubrick film.
If I’m making it sound like a tricky read, I assure you it isn’t. Brian Wood is one of the finest writers working in comics today and he writes Mara in a highly accessible way so that even if this is a completely new character and world, you can get into it and understand it instantly. I’ve read a lot of his work recently and Mara is definitely the best thing he’s written this year.
The best part of the book by far - and both writer Brian Wood and colourist Jordie Bellaire do first class work, so this is saying something - is Ming Doyle’s artwork. It is absolutely gorgeous! You know those shots in movies/TV shows where a camera films traffic and then you see the sped-up footage that looks like a neon line of red or white? Doyle does this in the first panel of the book, making it look as vibrant and surreal as it does on film - in a comic! From there you’re treated to page after page of incredible illustration.
The fight sequences between Mara and the military are especially brilliant as Doyle brings the focus tight in on Mara and then pushes it back at just the right moments to give a perfect sense of timing and movement to the scene. Or the scenes where Mara is flying and to give the reader an idea of her power and speed, the panel remains earth-bound, looking up at Mara, is an utterly genius choice. Even a page-length shot of Mara meditating while listening to her MP3 player is ridiculously stylised and amazing. If nothing else, this book will make you a fan of Ming Doyle and make you seek out everything she’s ever worked on, and is reason enough to pick up this title.
Is Mara a superhero story told slightly differently? Is it a metaphorical story of a teenage girl’s journey to self-identity? Is it a spiritual comic retelling an ages-old story of gods? You can figure out the meaning of the book for yourself but the one answer I will give you is to definitely pick up this highly entertaining original superhero comic to read.
December 3, 2013
I could not wait to the end of the book before getting started on writing this review. I was reading through the first issue of this trade and I was so bored. I thought I was reading a trashy teen book about rich sporty kids, or more specifically about one who outshone all the others, Mara. At 17 she was a billionaire because of the craze for volleyball and this seemed to be descending into something like Saved by the Bell meets Hannah Montana. I was mentally preparing to write another review where I had to explain that I was not the target audience for this book, and I am sure that if I was a twelve year old girl I would very much enjoy it etc. Scrap all of that, rewind my brain and start again because the ending of the first issue totally rewrote all of my expectations and I definitely am the target audience.
As I mentioned, at first I thought I was going to have to say that this was a stunning looking book, but so shallow and boring that I could not recommend it. However I was suckered in by the low key opening issue which made the rest of the series so much better. If you have missed out the middle few paragraphs because you want to read this and enjoy the stories full evolution the way that I did, then rest assured you will not be disappointed. If you did read the middle section, please do not worry, I only spoke about things up to the middle of the second issue of this six issue trade, so you have a lot more of the book entirely unspoilt for you to enjoy. Before I close, I really want to mention the art again, because it is beautiful and really carefully and meticulously planned out. Unfortunately the worst bit of art work in the entire book is the front cover; I never understand why they let that happen, maybe they thought it looked striking.
If you are a fan of wonderful art, or of comics and comic tropes in general, then I would say this is a definite read. In fact it would be a great for anyone looking for a complete story to read in-between whatever ongoing series you are currently involved with. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
http://cmro.travis-starnes.com/blog/2013/12/mara-tpb-review/
As I mentioned, at first I thought I was going to have to say that this was a stunning looking book, but so shallow and boring that I could not recommend it. However I was suckered in by the low key opening issue which made the rest of the series so much better. If you have missed out the middle few paragraphs because you want to read this and enjoy the stories full evolution the way that I did, then rest assured you will not be disappointed. If you did read the middle section, please do not worry, I only spoke about things up to the middle of the second issue of this six issue trade, so you have a lot more of the book entirely unspoilt for you to enjoy. Before I close, I really want to mention the art again, because it is beautiful and really carefully and meticulously planned out. Unfortunately the worst bit of art work in the entire book is the front cover; I never understand why they let that happen, maybe they thought it looked striking.
If you are a fan of wonderful art, or of comics and comic tropes in general, then I would say this is a definite read. In fact it would be a great for anyone looking for a complete story to read in-between whatever ongoing series you are currently involved with. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
http://cmro.travis-starnes.com/blog/2013/12/mara-tpb-review/
December 7, 2018
The comic is a somewhat engaging read with a good premise, but is too fast-paced and dry to be enjoyable. I never got invested in the main character. Worse, the main character barely got invested in her own life.
Mara Prince is an exceptional young athlete idolized by the whole world. Her volleyball matches are broadcast worldwide and are worth billions. During an exhibition match she has a severe headach after apparently moving at superhuman speeds. This labels her a cheater and causes a world-wide backlash. Later on she is witnessed exhibiting superhuman strength, telekinesis, telepathy, flying into the sky and being shot in the chest with barely a scratch on her. All of this will end the life she has led thus far and put her above regular humans.
Mara Prince is an exceptional young athlete idolized by the whole world. Her volleyball matches are broadcast worldwide and are worth billions. During an exhibition match she has a severe headach after apparently moving at superhuman speeds. This labels her a cheater and causes a world-wide backlash. Later on she is witnessed exhibiting superhuman strength, telekinesis, telepathy, flying into the sky and being shot in the chest with barely a scratch on her. All of this will end the life she has led thus far and put her above regular humans.
December 8, 2014
I just wanted this to move more slowly - I love the character designs, color palette, even the font choices. I was into the whole global volleyball phenomenon, so I wanted to read more about that and get to know mara and ingrid and everyone more through their interactions on the job. Mara's transformation was so quick that there wasn't much change from when we first meet her to when she feels inhuman - I think slowing down the action could have made it easier to understand her feelings (not make her more likeable or unlikeable, I don't care if she's likeable or not, but I want to get in her head more.) And it was great that although everyone was generally beautiful they all looked like they had real faces, not ideas of faces.
re-read December 8, 2014: added a star because it's better than most other new superhero origin stories
re-read December 8, 2014: added a star because it's better than most other new superhero origin stories
February 27, 2016
Mara's biggest letdown is that there is no announced or implied continuation in a volume 2. Sure, you can argue Brian Wood intended for the story to be open ended and open to interpretation as to what was a metaphor for what and what kind of analogy is present, but everything felt like a build up to a conclusion that wasn't there. The pay off was not what I really wanted, BUT, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy taking a break from other long winded, attention demanding anti-hero comics by sitting down and flying through Mara in under 20 minutes. I even feel like I got my moneys worth! yay!
A very unique Image comic, worthy of your time.
A very unique Image comic, worthy of your time.
June 22, 2020
A veeeeer...
Parecía una historia futurista, pero no...
Parecía una historia de deportes, pero no...
Parecía una historia de superheroes, pero no...
Parecía una historia de venganza, pero no...
Es en sí una novela gráfica que habla de una chica llamada Mara que descubre que tiene superpoderes y no sabe cómo usarlos, esto afecta su vida personal y profesional, siendo abandonada por sus conocidos y reclutada por el estado, obviamente la usan como un arma, pero en el camino le hacen creer a todos que esta muerta, ella solo objeta por su hermano pero le se niegan a que tengan algún tipo de interacción, ella huye e intenta buscar a su hermano, mientras los militares aíslan a su hermano y terminan "matandole", esto le afecta y le da una "supuesta" lección a los habitantes de la tierra, tras ello huye y se va a vivir a la Luna, allí descubre que alguien de su pasado a sido enviado al espacio por 999 años, esto le causa alegría, decide regresar a la tierra, pero cuando está en camino decide que ni ella ni el planeta, están listos para la convivencia, así que se queda fuera e imagino que vuelve con ese personaje que encontró 🙈.
En sí es una historia interesante, pero tiene muchas tramas pero ninguna en sí es la definitiva, si tuviera que elegir creo que es una historia de autodescibrimiento y deserción de la sociedad.
Es intrigante e imaginativa, pero se queda en un proyecto que puede ser mucho más.
Parecía una historia futurista, pero no...
Parecía una historia de deportes, pero no...
Parecía una historia de superheroes, pero no...
Parecía una historia de venganza, pero no...
Es en sí una novela gráfica que habla de una chica llamada Mara que descubre que tiene superpoderes y no sabe cómo usarlos, esto afecta su vida personal y profesional, siendo abandonada por sus conocidos y reclutada por el estado, obviamente la usan como un arma, pero en el camino le hacen creer a todos que esta muerta, ella solo objeta por su hermano pero le se niegan a que tengan algún tipo de interacción, ella huye e intenta buscar a su hermano, mientras los militares aíslan a su hermano y terminan "matandole", esto le afecta y le da una "supuesta" lección a los habitantes de la tierra, tras ello huye y se va a vivir a la Luna, allí descubre que alguien de su pasado a sido enviado al espacio por 999 años, esto le causa alegría, decide regresar a la tierra, pero cuando está en camino decide que ni ella ni el planeta, están listos para la convivencia, así que se queda fuera e imagino que vuelve con ese personaje que encontró 🙈.
En sí es una historia interesante, pero tiene muchas tramas pero ninguna en sí es la definitiva, si tuviera que elegir creo que es una historia de autodescibrimiento y deserción de la sociedad.
Es intrigante e imaginativa, pero se queda en un proyecto que puede ser mucho más.
July 26, 2020
Mara is a world-famous athlete and celebrity icon who inexplicably develops superpowers. It’s an interesting premise, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to graduate beyond a premise. The story is choppy, jumping from one superpowered incident to the next with little exploration of the consequences of each one. The narrative does not give Mara room for introspection while her powers are developing. The final issue, however, is nothing but introspection on her part. It seems the story attempts to make some points about celebrity culture and war, but the points are muddled. And in the end, Mara feels like a slightly more empathetic Dr. Manhattan rather than a fully fledged character.
The art is the saving grace of the book. Mara is drawn gorgeously, but the art also avoids the more bizarre proportions that are often found in comic books. I’m looking forward to reading more graphic novels illustrated by Ming Doyle.
The art is the saving grace of the book. Mara is drawn gorgeously, but the art also avoids the more bizarre proportions that are often found in comic books. I’m looking forward to reading more graphic novels illustrated by Ming Doyle.
October 6, 2020
En realidad una decepción, confieso que la historia pintaba muy bien, el contexto, la idea en general me llamó mucho la atención, sin embargo, creo que no se supo manejar, se divaga mucho, para mi no tiene lógica el desarrollo de la historia, y el final queda medio abierto medio cerrado lo cual no me termina de cuadrar.
Mara bien pudo haber quedado entre mis heroínas predilectas pero no, fue una decepción total.
Mara bien pudo haber quedado entre mis heroínas predilectas pero no, fue una decepción total.
January 24, 2020
Loved the art, enjoyed the concept, loathed the pacing.
Okay, so “loathe” is a bit strong, but I definitely felt like there was room for more subtle exploration. The whole thing felt heavy-handed and forced, which was a disappointment.
It’s a pretty standard Superman-style origin story, so I’d like to have seen it handled with a bit more grace and narrative style.
Okay, so “loathe” is a bit strong, but I definitely felt like there was room for more subtle exploration. The whole thing felt heavy-handed and forced, which was a disappointment.
It’s a pretty standard Superman-style origin story, so I’d like to have seen it handled with a bit more grace and narrative style.
April 27, 2017
It was fine. I've seen better from Brian Wood, though. The art was a lot of fun, but the plot was . . . not amazing? It was a quick, fun read before I had to leave for work this morning, but I probably won't think much about it again.
March 1, 2019
A coming of rage story... Mara mükemmel bir çizgi romandı. Brian Wood en sevdiğim çizgi roman yazarlarındandır ve Mara sadece onun yazabileceği türden bir hikaye. Ayrıca yazarın genel stilinden farklı olarak oldukça eğlenceli.
November 5, 2018
I want to see Brian Wood take this story a little further, but I still really liked it. Oh and the PENGUINS!! They are super cute.
September 2, 2020
This graphic novel crams so much into its few pages that it felt I was reading the equivalent to a VHS fast forward, I could see all the images and characters, and there dialogue but all on fastfoward. The world Mara lives in is far more interesting than herself, who is an incredibly dull character becoming fully unlikeable. Following that trend every human in this book appears to be not the nicest with exception of the man in the space craft at the end, there to shoehorn in a monologue from Mara on how humans aren't all that bad. I feel it would have benefited from more pages and time to tell the story, the art was pretty and colourful. Despite this the book was still and entertaining enough read to switch off and consume.
October 5, 2016
Confusing combination of awesome and what the fuck is going on, with your usual dose of vague sexism throughout. The narration is sporadic and hard to follow, the plot is bizarre, but the artwork is great. Mara is powerful and angry and not taking anyone's shit, literally anyone on the planet. I love her. I have very little idea what is actually happening in this book, but I do love Mara.
November 10, 2013
Mara was an interesting story about a young girl who had it all. She was a star athlete, considered the very best, with all of the money and fame that anyone could ask for. Her talent was in volleyball and everyone knew her and wanted to be like her. But it was all taken away when strange supernatural powers began to emerge.
Mara suddenly becomes labeled a cheater and is shunned by her fans. And as the knowledge of her strange abilities spread, she is brought to the attention of the military who decide that she would be more useful as a weapon. But as her powers continue to grow and her body becomes less human, so does her mind.
This novel was a quick read with some entertaining moments, but I had high expectations after reading several glowing reviews and was left feeling a bit disappointed. It wasn't a particularly impressive or mind-blowing story and the artwork was average.
Also, since I began reading this story I've been bothered by Mara's image on the cover. She has a white complexion. I can't figure out why that is considering that throughout the story, Mara looks like this..
It's not something that necessarily affected my rating, but I would like to understand why her appearance is so different on the cover. I seem to be the only reviewer that has brought this up, as far as I can tell, so maybe there is some artistic angle I'm missing here.
I can't say I wouldn't recommend Mara, because it was a quick read and worth the time spent reading it. But if the series continued, I don't think I would be all that interested in following it.
January 16, 2014
We're in a world that holds soldiers and athletes in the highest esteem. Mara is the best of them all, an incredibly talented volleyball player, she is known the world over. Everyone loves her, no matter what side of the war they are fighting on. When Mara begins showing signs of superpowers, her fans turn on her. Now Mara isn't sure the world has a place for her any more.
This collects Mara #1-6. I didn't love it. I was kind of interested in the world, except there wasn't enough information to understand the world very well. It seems to be a world that's constantly at war but we don't know why. We don't know who's fighting who. There are special schools to groom athletes. Everyone is expected to do their duty to the country. But why? And how does it all work? No hints.
Mara is the perfect specimen. Physically, intellectually. She is perfect. She would be a perfect solider or athlete. Everyone loves her.
Mara essentially turns into superman. She can do everything. She can fly. She can move things with her mind. Bullets cannot harm her. She seems to know no weakness, which isn't very interesting. While she's been groomed for a secrete branch of the military, her brother is captured (by her own country) and tortured to see if he will manifest superpowers too. Mara goes rogue and easily breaks out of the training facility. When she discovers her brother has been tortured to death, Mara is done with humanity.
I'm not really sure where it's going. Mara has rejected the human race and now she's floating around in space. So what's next for her? There weren't really any clues. And is this series continuing? Or was that the end? If that was the end, it was a pretty weak ending.
This collects Mara #1-6. I didn't love it. I was kind of interested in the world, except there wasn't enough information to understand the world very well. It seems to be a world that's constantly at war but we don't know why. We don't know who's fighting who. There are special schools to groom athletes. Everyone is expected to do their duty to the country. But why? And how does it all work? No hints.
Mara is the perfect specimen. Physically, intellectually. She is perfect. She would be a perfect solider or athlete. Everyone loves her.
Mara essentially turns into superman. She can do everything. She can fly. She can move things with her mind. Bullets cannot harm her. She seems to know no weakness, which isn't very interesting. While she's been groomed for a secrete branch of the military, her brother is captured (by her own country) and tortured to see if he will manifest superpowers too. Mara goes rogue and easily breaks out of the training facility. When she discovers her brother has been tortured to death, Mara is done with humanity.
I'm not really sure where it's going. Mara has rejected the human race and now she's floating around in space. So what's next for her? There weren't really any clues. And is this series continuing? Or was that the end? If that was the end, it was a pretty weak ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2014
I liked Mara quite a lot: it's great that we've got a queer woman of colour in a comic like this, where neither of those things define her. I like the lead-in here: it doesn't come across like a superhero comic in the first issue or so; that had me wondering what the pace would be like and whether I'd want to stick with it. Normally, Carol Danvers or Steve Rogers would've punched something by now, after all. Still, I loved the look of the comic, aside from the slightly weird fact that Mara's white on the cover. The lines and colours all look great.
As the story develops, it becomes a bit more typical. Mara develops superhuman powers, the military gets interested, people want to experiment on her family to see if she's the only one, etc. I only vaguely remember the bit in >Watchmen that people compare Mara's reaction to, but I do agree that actually, it's a really similar character arc. What makes it different is the character. The origin stories of superheroes are often compared to adolescence; their secret identities to being 'in the closet'. But there's no mystique about that with Mara, so where does that take the superhero narrative, if it's an allegory?
I'd need to look at more of the literature and reread at least Watchmen for comparison to really talk about that, but it interests me nonetheless. Mara's story seems to tell us that for her, it's not adolescence or having a girlfriend or being a person of colour that sets her apart. Partly it's fame, as the first couple of issues show us, but characters like Ingrid share that spotlight. Worth pondering.
As the story develops, it becomes a bit more typical. Mara develops superhuman powers, the military gets interested, people want to experiment on her family to see if she's the only one, etc. I only vaguely remember the bit in >Watchmen that people compare Mara's reaction to, but I do agree that actually, it's a really similar character arc. What makes it different is the character. The origin stories of superheroes are often compared to adolescence; their secret identities to being 'in the closet'. But there's no mystique about that with Mara, so where does that take the superhero narrative, if it's an allegory?
I'd need to look at more of the literature and reread at least Watchmen for comparison to really talk about that, but it interests me nonetheless. Mara's story seems to tell us that for her, it's not adolescence or having a girlfriend or being a person of colour that sets her apart. Partly it's fame, as the first couple of issues show us, but characters like Ingrid share that spotlight. Worth pondering.
August 10, 2014
In the future, the world is torn apart by war. The only unifying force is sports and volleyball is one of the most popular while Mara Prince is the world's biggest star. Billions of dollars in endorsements, millions of adoring fans, everything handed to her on a silver platter. She is living the life. But it's not really her life, as she discovers. And when powers beyond her control start to manifest themselves, she finally tries to take her life back before it's too late.
I need to apologize to Brian Wood and Ming Doyle. I read issue 1 of Mara when it first came out a year and a half ago. It was good but nothing compelling enough to keep me reading. Then, while searching for Wood's DMZ at my library, I found the TPB of Mara and decided to check it out. Effin' love it. It's a superhero tale but without going all heroic. We don't even know if she's good or bad. Neither does she. All she wants is to use her powers to leave the planet that has betrayed her so badly. As she says, maybe she'll return but who knows. Maybe Mara, a limited six-issue arc as yet, will return but who knows. I can hope.
I need to apologize to Brian Wood and Ming Doyle. I read issue 1 of Mara when it first came out a year and a half ago. It was good but nothing compelling enough to keep me reading. Then, while searching for Wood's DMZ at my library, I found the TPB of Mara and decided to check it out. Effin' love it. It's a superhero tale but without going all heroic. We don't even know if she's good or bad. Neither does she. All she wants is to use her powers to leave the planet that has betrayed her so badly. As she says, maybe she'll return but who knows. Maybe Mara, a limited six-issue arc as yet, will return but who knows. I can hope.
June 30, 2014
En un futuro bélico y con grandes restricciones a la libertad personal, donde los padres deben entregar a sus hijos al estado antes de la adolescencia para no volverlos a ver, las mentes pensantes han potenciado los deportes como via de escape y control de las masas. Mara es una joven jugadora de volleyball, ídolo para todo el mundo y con una vida envidiada. La cosa se empieza a ir de madre cuando Mara empiece a demostrar unas capacidades y habilidades fuera de lo común.
El tema del autodescubrimiento de Mara y su perdida de fé en la humanidad según ella misma va trascendiendo esa definición, es el tema del cómic, pero en términos generales, me ha dejado bastante frío. No se si es que se planeaba hacer mas números y al final tuvieron que cortar un poco en falso, pero la buena premisa y el desarrollo de Mara como ser “Dr.Manhataniano” (toma palabro), quedan un poco vacías realmente. Si ya, como es mi caso, el dibujo de Doyle tampoco os mata, pues la cosa queda en un tebeo que se lee en un momentito, pero que sale caro para lo que ofrece.
El tema del autodescubrimiento de Mara y su perdida de fé en la humanidad según ella misma va trascendiendo esa definición, es el tema del cómic, pero en términos generales, me ha dejado bastante frío. No se si es que se planeaba hacer mas números y al final tuvieron que cortar un poco en falso, pero la buena premisa y el desarrollo de Mara como ser “Dr.Manhataniano” (toma palabro), quedan un poco vacías realmente. Si ya, como es mi caso, el dibujo de Doyle tampoco os mata, pues la cosa queda en un tebeo que se lee en un momentito, pero que sale caro para lo que ofrece.
November 14, 2013
#I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review#
"Mara" is an easy to follow story that unfolds in a future world obsessed by sport and war. In this story we follow the fall of a sports star, Mara. However, this comic is anything but simple. The pages of this book are filled with insight and some existentialism. It is more than a social critique, it seems an outburst of some disenchantment with human society.
I was sorry when I got to the end anstill didn't get why Mara changes. But I don't think that was the purpose of the book. The entire theme focused on the consequences of being a social outlier.
Graphically it's very good. I liked it very much.
"Mara" is an easy to follow story that unfolds in a future world obsessed by sport and war. In this story we follow the fall of a sports star, Mara. However, this comic is anything but simple. The pages of this book are filled with insight and some existentialism. It is more than a social critique, it seems an outburst of some disenchantment with human society.
I was sorry when I got to the end anstill didn't get why Mara changes. But I don't think that was the purpose of the book. The entire theme focused on the consequences of being a social outlier.
Graphically it's very good. I liked it very much.
August 30, 2015
Recibí una copia en Netgalley para leerlo y comentarlo y realmente me ha encantado lo que he encontrado.
Es un historia original, que a pesar de la limitación de páginas tiene un buen desarrollo.
Me ha gustado mucho el diseño de sus personajes, el colorido, el trazado y el orden de la historia.
Sin duda este es de esos comics que me gustaría que llegaran a España porque sé que hay gente que lo disfrutaría.
Podéis ver mi reseña completa en: http://chibiakasworld.blogspot.com/20...
Es un historia original, que a pesar de la limitación de páginas tiene un buen desarrollo.
Me ha gustado mucho el diseño de sus personajes, el colorido, el trazado y el orden de la historia.
Sin duda este es de esos comics que me gustaría que llegaran a España porque sé que hay gente que lo disfrutaría.
Podéis ver mi reseña completa en: http://chibiakasworld.blogspot.com/20...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews