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Ancestor
In rare lucid moments you see that you are enslaved. You tell yourself that The Service is a helpful interface providing your mind with continual aid and stimulation, but you know it's a lie. Patrick Whiteside can help you. He doesn't require much: An open mind. Determination. The ability to make sacrifices.
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First published October 25, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 16, 2017
I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this work, and hated the last section. It dropped my rating by a full point, all by itself.
The artwork is great, and the writing was interesting, but to me the last segment was like a really awkward add-on to the story...It didn't fit with the rest of the story in terms of either plot or style, and was too hard to believe. Just because someone is rich and charismatic doesn't mean he's really the genius he thinks he is, especially when so many of the plot threads leading up to that point suggest that he's just a loony. Thus, I found the last segment to be beyond annoying, all the way to offensive.
Visually, I thought that the portrayal of their in-head internet was outstanding. When the viewpoint zooms in and you see what options the user is being offered, at all times, it becomes a great entry point into the world being shown. The therapy session at the rich guy's house was incredibly creepy but believable.
So, I heartily recommend reading the first 3/4 of this book and stopping there. Unfortunately, that would actually leave no ending to the book, instead of a bad one, so it's a tough call. Or, if you're one of those people who thought that the Starchild was the best part of 2001, a Space Odyssey, maybe the last part won't seem as horrific as it did to me.
The artwork is great, and the writing was interesting, but to me the last segment was like a really awkward add-on to the story...It didn't fit with the rest of the story in terms of either plot or style, and was too hard to believe. Just because someone is rich and charismatic doesn't mean he's really the genius he thinks he is, especially when so many of the plot threads leading up to that point suggest that he's just a loony. Thus, I found the last segment to be beyond annoying, all the way to offensive.
Visually, I thought that the portrayal of their in-head internet was outstanding. When the viewpoint zooms in and you see what options the user is being offered, at all times, it becomes a great entry point into the world being shown. The therapy session at the rich guy's house was incredibly creepy but believable.
So, I heartily recommend reading the first 3/4 of this book and stopping there. Unfortunately, that would actually leave no ending to the book, instead of a bad one, so it's a tough call. Or, if you're one of those people who thought that the Starchild was the best part of 2001, a Space Odyssey, maybe the last part won't seem as horrific as it did to me.
May 11, 2017
A pretty standard technology meets humanity sci-fi comic, in many ways, with pretty interesting graphics. The Service is the internet hardwired into the brain, for everyone. Peter is anxious, though; The Service is taking his free will! (Like, duh, you just noticed this?!). A dude named Patrick Whiteside wants to move beyond The Service, so a lot of people agree to ear him make his pitch (in a locked room!) but it turns out he is a bad guy, a tyrant, a fascist, though it’s not really clear what he has in mind for a better future.
Not much actually happens, finally, it’s sort of atmospheric, and most of the dialogue is speechifying from Whiteside , with people pretty much standing around listening. It’s mostly exposition, an exposition of ideas, not really a fully fleshed out narrative. It’s kinda pretty to look at, I guess, though a little static-feeling, and it’s not clear what we are left with in the end. And it actually spans billions of years in one volume! Lacks substance, and coherence, and is too talky, eh.
Not much actually happens, finally, it’s sort of atmospheric, and most of the dialogue is speechifying from Whiteside , with people pretty much standing around listening. It’s mostly exposition, an exposition of ideas, not really a fully fleshed out narrative. It’s kinda pretty to look at, I guess, though a little static-feeling, and it’s not clear what we are left with in the end. And it actually spans billions of years in one volume! Lacks substance, and coherence, and is too talky, eh.
September 8, 2018
PKD, Kurzweil, and Clarke had a horrifying and beautiful baby with the cult of Ramtha and I am so about it.
Mr Ward always does stunning work, both in his comics career and music with The Denouement and I am always excited to see what he makes next.
Mr Ward always does stunning work, both in his comics career and music with The Denouement and I am always excited to see what he makes next.
May 5, 2017
Man meets technology but will technology boost man into the higher realms of human evolution?
May 14, 2017
I should not be allowed to drink alcohol and read comics
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December 9, 2019art was beautiful, story and characters amounted to nothing and im still frustrated by that like 12 hours later so uhhh Makes You Think
May 28, 2025
Stunning artwork—wish the story was better developed.
January 10, 2017
Certainly unique. Final chapter kinda went full sci fi weirdo without much buildup or explanation but I think it's cool that bigger publishers are starting to put out more experimental comics.
January 11, 2018
A very interesting read and the art work is phenomenal. Glad it was self contained. Appreciated the pacing in the first half. The plot in the second half felt rushed and less intentional. Has some cool concepts and depicts them well. Like I really enjoyed their take on post-humanism as well as “the Service,” which was essentially an internet that was fully integrated with the nervous system. It measured the main character’s neurochemicals and helped him manage his anxiety. That said, the plot seemed like it was culminating into something greater than what I got in the end. Feeling somewhat dissatisfied and left with a lot of questions.
April 14, 2025
The first 3 books reminded me of a more sinister version of the movie Ex-Machina but with gorgeous art. The 4th book went off the rails and was completely insane… and I loved it!!
A common theme in sci-fi is the attempt to comprehend the minds and motivations of super-intelligences or beings that can move billions of years. In reality, I think those beings would be completely incomprehensible to a human. Malachi and Matt did an amazing job creating something incomprehensible and I absolutely loved it.
The art was unique and unlike anything I’ve seen. Minimalist yet detailed bright yet dark, amazing colors throughout! I especially loved how the background pages changed along with the mood of the story.
This book is incredibly fun and WAY out there!
A common theme in sci-fi is the attempt to comprehend the minds and motivations of super-intelligences or beings that can move billions of years. In reality, I think those beings would be completely incomprehensible to a human. Malachi and Matt did an amazing job creating something incomprehensible and I absolutely loved it.
The art was unique and unlike anything I’ve seen. Minimalist yet detailed bright yet dark, amazing colors throughout! I especially loved how the background pages changed along with the mood of the story.
This book is incredibly fun and WAY out there!
June 26, 2018
uhhhhh... ok. Interesting concept but not fully realized. The story about 4 friends who go to meet some genius and experience drugs... wait not drugs...aliens? wait maybe not aliens, superior AI... oh forget it. The story starts strong but the ending is just so far out (like turn on a black light mannnnn). Supposedly everyone in the book is connected to the internet mentally but that's not fully explained or developed in the story, its almost a hindrance. Then they all experience some sort of transformation and boom we are 15 billion years in the future and its super weird and disconnected from the rest of the book for me and everyone is playing the computer game civilization or something... and then a breeze is blowing and he is relaxed.... (turn the black light off mannnn)
I see what the writer was trying to do... I get it, but its just not done very well. The art is cool though....
I see what the writer was trying to do... I get it, but its just not done very well. The art is cool though....
April 30, 2020
A beautiful, disturbing, and bizarre tale that rewards multiple re-readings. This one is really worth going in with as little foreknowledge as possible, as Ward and Sheean manage to pull the rug out from under the reader multiple times, not with plot twists so much as expansions or evolutions of thought. Each of the four chapters develops the plot into an often radically new form, what starts off as an exploration of a near-future evolution of the internet dubbed "The Service" soon transforms into something radically different. The result is nothing less than an overview of the vast potential of the sci-fi genre and the medium of comics. Fantastic stuff, literally.
November 14, 2016
Good Art & Coloring, Interesting story but felt rushed.
December 13, 2016
Good until after the meeting. Then nope.
June 17, 2017
Ancestor is classic sci-fi. Deep, complex and trips with some amazing artwork which elevates the narrative to all ten dimensions.
A true gem among an ocean of spandex and D&D.
A true gem among an ocean of spandex and D&D.
February 26, 2018
I picked up a copy of Ancestor, and was hooked after just a couple pages. The premise is timely and feels like a peek into the not too distant future -- technology has become integrated into every aspect of the characters' lives and social interactions, with all the benefits and problems that might pose.
The illustrations are dynamic, and pull you into the scene and along with the action. I found myself absorbed in the details of the technology (like social media on steroids), as well as beautiful depictions of nature that come later in the book. Ancestor definitely seems worthy of a second read for the details alone -- I'm fascinated by the artworks displayed between each chapter, which feel like more like Easter eggs with hidden meaning than just the grandiose art collection of a rich cult leader.
Ancestor digs deep into the possibilities and pain of reaching transcendence which makes this narrative an example of transhumanism. I love the color and character designs. I only wish they could have developed the characters and the story more, but that's understandable since it's a short read from the Image anthology series Island.
The general narrative style is very thoughtful and it makes me thankful to live a life that doesn't last forever. I though it would have been worthwhile to have explored Peter's race more. There's something intriguing about Peter being the only black man who Ascended and who had a say in humanity and the universe. We can identify with his moral outrage when he sees Patrick's indifference towards the slaves creating his art. We also get a glimpse of his anxiety, how even once he's Ascended you can sense his self-doubt, something that still makes him human.
The illustrations are dynamic, and pull you into the scene and along with the action. I found myself absorbed in the details of the technology (like social media on steroids), as well as beautiful depictions of nature that come later in the book. Ancestor definitely seems worthy of a second read for the details alone -- I'm fascinated by the artworks displayed between each chapter, which feel like more like Easter eggs with hidden meaning than just the grandiose art collection of a rich cult leader.
Ancestor digs deep into the possibilities and pain of reaching transcendence which makes this narrative an example of transhumanism. I love the color and character designs. I only wish they could have developed the characters and the story more, but that's understandable since it's a short read from the Image anthology series Island.
The general narrative style is very thoughtful and it makes me thankful to live a life that doesn't last forever. I though it would have been worthwhile to have explored Peter's race more. There's something intriguing about Peter being the only black man who Ascended and who had a say in humanity and the universe. We can identify with his moral outrage when he sees Patrick's indifference towards the slaves creating his art. We also get a glimpse of his anxiety, how even once he's Ascended you can sense his self-doubt, something that still makes him human.
April 11, 2024
So.. odd.
In general, I must confess that I am not an avid comic book reader and don't really get the appeal.
And yet, I gave it a try.
Ancestor is odd. I think the story jumps way too fast and gives no opportunity to know or care for any of the characters. It brings up some interesting concepts such as the integration of the internet into our bodies and evolving into higher-state beings, but the pathway to these vastly different states makes substantial jumps with no safe bridge to get there. I wanted more of some parts and less of many.
I think this would make a good movie.
I also found a lot of the artwork nonexpressive and incoherent. The facial expressions were flat, not matching the tone I imagined with the dialogue. Likewise, the color pallet is all over the place and to me, does not seem overly intentional and does not enhance the story.
It's quick to go through this so if you have some leisure time, you can give it a shot if you want. I don't regret it, but I am still lost as to why people spend so much money on these comics (I do agree with manga though hehe).
In general, I must confess that I am not an avid comic book reader and don't really get the appeal.
And yet, I gave it a try.
Ancestor is odd. I think the story jumps way too fast and gives no opportunity to know or care for any of the characters. It brings up some interesting concepts such as the integration of the internet into our bodies and evolving into higher-state beings, but the pathway to these vastly different states makes substantial jumps with no safe bridge to get there. I wanted more of some parts and less of many.
I think this would make a good movie.
I also found a lot of the artwork nonexpressive and incoherent. The facial expressions were flat, not matching the tone I imagined with the dialogue. Likewise, the color pallet is all over the place and to me, does not seem overly intentional and does not enhance the story.
It's quick to go through this so if you have some leisure time, you can give it a shot if you want. I don't regret it, but I am still lost as to why people spend so much money on these comics (I do agree with manga though hehe).
May 3, 2017
This just melted my brain and then exploded what was leftover.
Last week I read the first two installments and I liked them. I felt like it was just going to be a fun read commenting on our societies worsening dependency on technology, and what happens when we lose it. Maybe this was going to be a cautionary tale. This theme is very prevalent today. It's featured in "Hyperion", the "Children of the New World" story collection, and the "Black Mirror" television anthology to name a few. And it's relevant. For instance, have you every lost or destroyed your smart phone? It's maddening. I did once by walking into a swimming pool with mine in my pocket. I was left pretty helpless as, in its absence, I realized how much I had relied on that phone in my day to day.
But... that's not what this book was about. I finished the last three sections and holy shit, if the story didn't evolve into some insane post-humanism and weirdness.
I was left in awe of the lengths this book went to, the creativity, the scope. It was amazing. The story spans billions of years and I don't want to give away too much, but you get to see the creation of a pocket universe. Wtf? Yeah.
So good.
I can't recommend as this won't appeal to all. Not everyone will be pleased by the end of the story as it is a bit rushed. I was okay with it. The art is phenomenal, though.
Last week I read the first two installments and I liked them. I felt like it was just going to be a fun read commenting on our societies worsening dependency on technology, and what happens when we lose it. Maybe this was going to be a cautionary tale. This theme is very prevalent today. It's featured in "Hyperion", the "Children of the New World" story collection, and the "Black Mirror" television anthology to name a few. And it's relevant. For instance, have you every lost or destroyed your smart phone? It's maddening. I did once by walking into a swimming pool with mine in my pocket. I was left pretty helpless as, in its absence, I realized how much I had relied on that phone in my day to day.
But... that's not what this book was about. I finished the last three sections and holy shit, if the story didn't evolve into some insane post-humanism and weirdness.
I was left in awe of the lengths this book went to, the creativity, the scope. It was amazing. The story spans billions of years and I don't want to give away too much, but you get to see the creation of a pocket universe. Wtf? Yeah.
So good.
I can't recommend as this won't appeal to all. Not everyone will be pleased by the end of the story as it is a bit rushed. I was okay with it. The art is phenomenal, though.
December 19, 2018
What the hell did I just read? I really liked the first half, it seemed really intriguing and kind of mysterious. I really liked how you were starting to see Patrick for who you really wise did curtain was being pulled back slowly and you were seeing him as the villain he truly was. it started off as a slow burn and a story that was really building to something but then it really took a turn for the worst and it seemed like they rushed through to the end and came up with his really crazy way to explain godlike beings. It was really weird and didn't make sense to the rest of the story.I'm writing this really low because the end really loses momentum and takes you out of the story. The narrative is dawn and it never comes back it leaves you with so many questions and no answers there so many potholes that you end up just wondering what the heck happened.
January 22, 2019
Whoa.
To be more specific, this is a fascinating graphic novel that begins as a Black Mirror-style twist on our obsession with technology, becomes something else, and then transforms into something else entirely. Some readers will probably be annoyed by these veering zigs and zags. Those same readers will likely be annoyed by all the questions left unanswered in this brief story. For the rest of us, you'll be sucked into an acid-adventure of inventive writing and art that makes you pause and think long after the cover is closed.
To be more specific, this is a fascinating graphic novel that begins as a Black Mirror-style twist on our obsession with technology, becomes something else, and then transforms into something else entirely. Some readers will probably be annoyed by these veering zigs and zags. Those same readers will likely be annoyed by all the questions left unanswered in this brief story. For the rest of us, you'll be sucked into an acid-adventure of inventive writing and art that makes you pause and think long after the cover is closed.
May 5, 2017
Not half as profound or clever as it thinks it is, and much too short to really say much of substance. Plus there are a handful of hokey moments that took me out of it, like the thought bubbles where the main character's thinking in full sentences, and the giant superhero script announcing TO BE CONTINUED! at the end of each issue.
December 14, 2017
read this over the course of several 'Island' issues, and didn't want it to be left out of my year of reading since I felt a bit insane after reading each installment, which I like to feel like when it's coming from outside my skin.
May 6, 2017
This goes in a completely unexpected direction from what you would think, given the synopsis. I liked the surprise of it; I'd recommend this to other sci-fi fans. I can't say much more without spoilers, though.
June 17, 2017
Great concept. Even interesting characters. But I didn't like it.
The art work is amazing. And it almost makes me want to give the whole thing three stars, but, alas, I really didn't like the story. I'm feel like I wasted my time reading it. :/
The art work is amazing. And it almost makes me want to give the whole thing three stars, but, alas, I really didn't like the story. I'm feel like I wasted my time reading it. :/
January 5, 2019
High concept. So high it leaves the reader behind. It is like listening to someone describe their dream -- some of it is interesting but mostly inexplicable. The unfortunate result is a book that pushes you away rather than draw you in.
May 24, 2019
Bit weird. Rather strange with little consequences explored. Almost everything is removed... To a distance that it doesn't feel poignant. I felt it missed the mark, but belaboring how distant we are becoming with technology. Meh. It was fine.
August 15, 2017
This one's like an episode of Black Mirror on LSD.
October 2, 2017
Engaging concept and characters, beautiful art. One of my favorite graphic novels I've ever read.
October 18, 2018
Technically very good-- especially liked the opening sequence and I wish there was more of it
December 22, 2019
Initial premise was really interesting. Ending was... weird.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews