Kiss: The Elder, Volume 1

Kiss: The Elder #1

by Amy Chu, Kewber Baal (Artist)

KISS returns to comics in a futuristic, dark sci-fi adventure written by Amy Chu (Poison Ivy) and illustrated by Kewber Baal (Army of Darkness: Furious Road). In a world without sun and a world without heroes, four young friends embark on a dangerous mission - to uncover the truth about the mysterious Council of Elders and their underground home, the city of Blackwell. But first they need some help from the past...

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Young Adult

154 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2017

About the author

Winner Bram Stoker Award, Gold Anthem Award. Writer for DC, Vertigo, Marvel, IDW and more, including: Poison Ivy, Ant-Man, Deadpool, Red Sonja, Green Hornet, Sensation Comics Wonder Woman, X-Files. KISS and DMC Comics. Cofounded Alpha Girl Comics, publisher of Girls Night Out and other comics. Frequent comic-con panel speaker and moderator.

Follow me on amychu.bluesky.social, @theamychu tiktok, @amy_chu instagram

Reviews

[Chris Haught · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

When browsing through the available titles on NetGalley's website, was there reallly any chance that I'd see this:

and NOT press the "Read Now" button immediately?

Not so much.

I mean, I've been a Kiss fan for as long as I can remember...



So here's a bit of a reboot. That is, a new "version" of the story told on the 1981 album Music from the Elder



It featured hits such as....well...there really weren't any hits. The song "A World Without Heroes" is somewhat well known, but for the most part this was a concept album for the band and a huge departure from their signature sound.

That said, as I dug out my cd of the album and gave it a listen, I was reminded of how it's really not a bad album. Shocking to Kiss fans at the time, there was still some beauty there. This graphic novel captures some of that, telling the story from the perspective of four young folks that are unsatisfied with what their post-apocalyptic, dystopian society has told them life is all about.

As a story in and of itself, The Elder isn't anything remarkable. But what makes this memorable are the references to the band itself and its legacy, and the way that is all tied into the "history" of this tale.

The art is fantastic, both of the futuristic society and in the iconic images. It's definitely worth a read, especially by a Kiss fan.

Maybe only by a Kiss fan. But still...

[Lör K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Free copy provided by Netgalley in return for an honest review

Rating: 5 / 5

Publication Date: 25th April 2017 (Netgalley) // 16th May 2016 (Good Reads)
Review Date: 03rd April 2017

I was made for lovin’ this comic.

This was absolutely amazing. This dragged me in right from the start and did not let me go until the ultimate cliffhanger at the end and still has not let me go. I need to know what happens immediately. Like, right now. I need volume 2 in the next 10 seconds before I combust. No? Okay, I’ll just have to wait a while I guess. That’s fine.

I’ve never read the KISS comics before so when I saw the new volume of the new series up on Netgalley, I decided to request it and read it and give it a fair opinion. My parents raised me on KISS and so, this was a really new way for me to rediscover something about my childhood.

This was AMAZING. It was definitely worth taking the chance into this franchise for sure. I loved this story line, I loved the characters, and I love what KISS have been turned into, even if it felt a little Power Rangers to me. I love the warpaint idea (no spoilers), and I love everything about this. I feel that the artwork could have been done a little bit better for sure, and it wasn’t the best artwork I’ve ever seen in my life of reading comics, but it was damn good. The writing was amazing, and I am definitely going to be looking into the rest of Amy Chu’s work. She’s a brilliant comic writer.

This was one of the best comics I have read in a long time – maybe I’m biased because this was really nostalgic for me – but I fully recommend this to everyone and anyone.

[David Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in 1981 the rock band Kiss released Music From “The Elder” which was a concept album about the recruitment and training of a boy by a council of elders to become a hero in a world that needs one. The album was not successful but some fans loved it and looked at it as something original and different from one America’s greatest rock bands. Since its release there have been some independently produced movies and comics that tell the story of The Elder. In 2017 Dynamyte comics is publishing their version of the story called Kiss: The Elder, Volume One.

Written by Amy Chu and illustrated by Kewber Baal, The Elder Volume One is a beautifully illustrated 154 page graphic novel that tells the story of a world with no sun and no heroes. In order to find out more about their world, four young friends embark on a journey for answers. Together they will find the truth about the Council of Elders and the real history about their underground home, the city of Blackwell.

If you’re a fan of Kiss this is a must have book because of the beautiful art and how Kiss is worked into the story. The writing is excellent, it starts off simple and gets more complex as you read it. I like the idea that the four kids in search of answers discover that their world is not what they thought it was. They then find that they would have been better off not knowing the answers in the first place. In the beginning you get the feeling that they are in a city ruled by a dictator but as the story moves along, you see that this is not the case. I love it when I can’t predict where a story will go and the ending was a nice surprise. I’m looking forward to volume 2 in this series to see how the universe of The Elder will be expanded.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Kiss: The Elder' by Amy Chu with art by Kewbar Baal is a graphic novel based on a concept album by the band Kiss.

It's the future, and things are bad. There have been wars, and people live underground. They are protected by a robot army and told that someday they will get to leave the city. Some young kids question this and begin exploring the city. They find passageways with strange graffiti. They find an old computer that tells how the city got there. They find giant robots that looks like the band Kiss. Will the giant Kiss robots get to fight? You will have to read to find out.

I liked this story just fine. The art is ok too. I think genuine Kiss fans may be more out of it, but it wasn't a bad read.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this took a new approach to the band KISS in comics by creating a sci-fi story that features Kiss only very peripherally. It's set in the future and the world has been devastated by a great war. Everyone lives underground in a dystopian society. Or do they?

Kiss is used more as icons rather than actual characters in this story, which actually worked well. This reads more like young adult science fiction than anything else, but there's nothing wrong with that as it's a good story. I've always thought a comic about a rock band needs to find a new way to use the characters rather than use them literally, and this book has done that. The art isn't bad and the story is fresh. Kiss still plays a big enough part to interest Kiss fans, just in a new way.

[Stephen Abell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a life-long fan and proud army warrior, I couldn't wait to catch up on KISS' comic book adventures. This is the first stumbling block of The Elder storyline. Kiss is only there in spirit... and it doesn't quite work for me.

This review is for both Volumes in The Elder story - as you should read both.

I liked the concept of Blackwell - a character taken from The Elder soundtrack, though he's not so dark and evil in this incarnation, more detraction from the KISS mythos - a town named after its entrepreneur founder which is moved underground after an extinction event destroys the planet. For some reasons we don't find out until KISS: The Demon, Blackwell is governed by The Elders and has a very distinct KISS feel about it - especially the Icons, The Protectors, and the graffiti in the forgotten tunnels. Unfortunately, this smacks of trying too hard to get KISS into the story.

Now don't get me wrong, the story is pretty decent and has some nice twists and turns within. Amy Chu can tell an interesting and enjoyable tale and Kewber Baal's art is great to carry to story.

It's not the best KISS I've read but if you're a fan it's worth a read - not too bad a way to pass some time.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is excellent and so much fun for KISS fans. In this book, so far at least, KISS aren't real people. They are "protectors', robotic suits in which operators can enter. Think Power Rangers and Neon Evangelion. It is the not too distant future and people live underground because the world's atmosphere was destroyed by the last great war. This new world is a socialist utopia with the "elders" in charge, but some teens are getting sick of the limitations put on them and they start to explore the boundaries and go beyond the walls. What they discover by the end of this volume is wonderful and exciting until we are faced with the shock ending. Not exactly the best writing, but fun from an entertainment value. I give it full props.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Michael A. Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

KISS!

Big fun!🤩 if you are a KISS fan then this comic will take you for a ride! Lots of Easter eggs thru out

[Alri Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Después de una aparente guerra en el planeta la sociedad es protegida por un grupos de ancianos que no son lo que aparentan. Un Sci-Fi distopico básico inspirado en las canciones de Kiss y sus alter egos que sirven de inspiración para salvar al mundo de la opresión.
2.5/5

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a Kiss fan for the last 37 years I was delighted to discover their reappearance in comic books on Netgalley. Song lyrics, dystopian story line and great drawings - well come on, I was fated to love it! Looking forward to reading more of this adventure and adding this Vol,1 to my collection.

[Paul Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A world without heroes is like a world without sun.” Nice tag line, and lyric.
In a dystopian future where war has destroyed the surface of the planet, four kids explore where they’re not supposed to and change the course of history (there, got the requisite cliché out of the way).
What sets this apart from most other graphics is how well written it is. You know the government is up to no good when they call the society a “collective.” But once I saw how far in the future this was set, I wondered how the author was going to get KISS to be relevant. That worked out okay, though in the end I realized they didn’t need to be there at all to make the story work, so that was a little disappointing.
There’s some cool touches, like the Sphinx wearing sunglasses; just imagine how big those things must be. The “educational” (brainwashing) videos for the citizens remind me of the FedNet from Starship Troopers. Adi was my fave of the four main characters; the way she uses her butt to open the secret door is awesome. And most of all the dystopian story and setting were well made.
A couple of nitpicks, though. The robot battle was too confusing, couldn’t tell which side was which. And there’s an oopsie medical-wise; one of the characters sprains an ankle but is running fine a little later.
The artwork was okay in the old underground city, but once the story gets to the forbidden levels it really takes off. Much brighter in the garden, for example.
Bonus starts at 116 of 154, with the first two pages being congratulatory notes from two members of KISS. After that comes the expected early designs and alternate covers.
If only they could have worked Detroit Rock City into it. . .

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was weird. It's set in the far future after a war caused humanity to head underground. Our protagonists are 4 teenagers who are exploring the forbidden areas of their city. Here they come across a monastery devoted to Kiss and discover Kiss robot suits. They use them to battle the "protector" Kiss robots who come after them. Then they find some instruments and play them before the book ends on its big reveal. Like I said, the book is really odd. Kiss aren't really even characters in their own book

Received an advance copy from Dynamite and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes, this was not good, don't get me wrong I didn't expect this to be great or anything. In fact, I just wanted a dumb story about how metal saved the world, which admittedly might be the result in the future but right now its a mixed bag. The story isn't anything new, humanity had a HUGE war which lasted for decades ruining the surface and causing the rest of the survivors to start new completely underground. They were saved by this Mr. Blackwell who appointed these four elders to watch over the world and also they have these automated mechs call "The Protectors" that for some reason are designed after KISS.



Our main characters are four...teenagers? I think they goo to school but it's never really clarified just how old they are. The pacing in this felt really rushed, things started happening pretty quick, also at one point they talk about how they knew each other since they were kids but when a pretty important thing gets dropped they have no idea and are pretty calm about it.



Overall this is bland in every area, characters a generic with no real personalities, story is pretty average, there is a lot of spelling and grammatical errors, AND sometimes word bubbles go to the WRONG CHARACTER. The art was really unappealing to me too, the only reason I might continue this is to see what they do with the plot.