What do you think?
Rate this book
Reborn #1-6
Reborn, Book One
Where do you go when you die? Not heaven or hell; somewhere else. Somewhere you have to fight to survive. Somewhere the people from the past are waiting for you--the good and the bad.
Bonnie Black has no faith in an afterlife. Spending her last days in the stroke ward of a county hospital, she fears falling asleep in case she doesn't wake up.
When a final stroke ends her life, Bonnie is reborn in Adystria--a sci-fi fantasy world that's locked in a raging battle between good and evil. She's twenty-five again, there's a sword in her hand and she's ready to fight.
She meets her dad, Tom, and her childhood dog in Adystria, but there is no sign of Harry--her husband who was murdered over ten years before. With the help of her dad and loyal pet, Bonnie sets off on an epic quest to be reunited with the lost love of her life.
But it's not just her family that have been waiting for Bonnie. Her arrival has been prophesied, and there's a tremendous evil lying in wait.
An evil that will stop at nothing to destroy her. An evil that can only be sated with blood.
Superstar creators MARK MILLAR and GREG CAPULLO join forces to create the sci-fi story of the year, collecting issues 1-6.
Bonnie Black has no faith in an afterlife. Spending her last days in the stroke ward of a county hospital, she fears falling asleep in case she doesn't wake up.
When a final stroke ends her life, Bonnie is reborn in Adystria--a sci-fi fantasy world that's locked in a raging battle between good and evil. She's twenty-five again, there's a sword in her hand and she's ready to fight.
She meets her dad, Tom, and her childhood dog in Adystria, but there is no sign of Harry--her husband who was murdered over ten years before. With the help of her dad and loyal pet, Bonnie sets off on an epic quest to be reunited with the lost love of her life.
But it's not just her family that have been waiting for Bonnie. Her arrival has been prophesied, and there's a tremendous evil lying in wait.
An evil that will stop at nothing to destroy her. An evil that can only be sated with blood.
Superstar creators MARK MILLAR and GREG CAPULLO join forces to create the sci-fi story of the year, collecting issues 1-6.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2017
22 people are currently reading
714 people want to read
About the author
Mark Millar
1,514 books2,560 followersMark Millar is the New York Times best-selling writer of Wanted, the Kick-Ass series, The Secret Service, Jupiter’s Legacy, Jupiter’s Circle, Nemesis, Superior, Super Crooks, American Jesus, MPH, Starlight, and Chrononauts. Wanted, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and The Secret Service (as Kingsman: The Secret Service) have been adapted into feature films, and Nemesis, Superior, Starlight, War Heroes, Jupiter’s Legacy and Chrononauts are in development at major studios.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
December 3, 2020
(B) 73% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: An underdeveloped, incoherent mishmash, with characters seemingly plucked at random from a flea market toy bin.
Notes: An underdeveloped, incoherent mishmash, with characters seemingly plucked at random from a flea market toy bin.
August 10, 2017
Is there life after death? Bonnie Black discovers that the answer is yes – and it’s an afterlife littered with demons, dragons, barbarians, sorcerers, orcs, samurais, aliens, faeries, flying elephants, mythical creatures; in other words, a smorgasbord of genre clichés! But the lazy writing doesn’t stop there: Bonnie is The One that The Prophecy foretold would save everyone from The Evil One. Oh, so original!
Reborn is Mark Millar’s latest half-assed movie storyboard that’s as unimaginative, derivative, dull, and contrived as most of the books he’s churned out over the last ten years. Every important character is conveniently connected to Bonnie in some way, the villain is your generic devil-looking dude who, of course, literally bathes in the blood of the innocent because that’s the kind of shit the bad guy would do, and Bonnie going from a desiccated old woman in our world to a smoking-hawt 25 year old in the afterlife is completely arbitrary.
Why is her childhood dog suddenly giant-sized and looking like He-Man’s Battle Cat? Eh - because. That’s the overly simplistic level we’re at on this one. And I’m not sure if it’s meant to be funny but one of the villain’s henchmen being Bonnie’s childhood cat who wants to kill her for castrating him made me laugh for being so lame.
Batman artist Greg Capullo is the only reason I picked this up and his artwork has never looked better. The sheer number of character designs is a remarkable accomplishment in itself but numerous pages are absolutely stunning in their craftsmanship and vision. The story incorporating smooshed-together pieces taken from Alice in Wonderland, Star Wars, Tolkien and CS Lewis (among others) might be a mess to read but it allows Capullo to showcase his range and talent, so there’s that at least.
But between the cheaply sentimental flashbacks from Bonnie’s real life and the dumb archetype quest plot, I wasn’t the least bit engaged with this brainless garbage. Reborn might be worth flicking through if you’re a Greg Capullo fan but spare your mind Millar’s inane writing. And now Millar’s sold his Millarworld imprint to Netflix, soon there’s going to be even more flaming trash-heaps to avoid on that service in between Amy Schumer’s painfully unfunny “comedy” and Adam Sandler’s latest bowel movements. Why…
Reborn is Mark Millar’s latest half-assed movie storyboard that’s as unimaginative, derivative, dull, and contrived as most of the books he’s churned out over the last ten years. Every important character is conveniently connected to Bonnie in some way, the villain is your generic devil-looking dude who, of course, literally bathes in the blood of the innocent because that’s the kind of shit the bad guy would do, and Bonnie going from a desiccated old woman in our world to a smoking-hawt 25 year old in the afterlife is completely arbitrary.
Why is her childhood dog suddenly giant-sized and looking like He-Man’s Battle Cat? Eh - because. That’s the overly simplistic level we’re at on this one. And I’m not sure if it’s meant to be funny but one of the villain’s henchmen being Bonnie’s childhood cat who wants to kill her for castrating him made me laugh for being so lame.
Batman artist Greg Capullo is the only reason I picked this up and his artwork has never looked better. The sheer number of character designs is a remarkable accomplishment in itself but numerous pages are absolutely stunning in their craftsmanship and vision. The story incorporating smooshed-together pieces taken from Alice in Wonderland, Star Wars, Tolkien and CS Lewis (among others) might be a mess to read but it allows Capullo to showcase his range and talent, so there’s that at least.
But between the cheaply sentimental flashbacks from Bonnie’s real life and the dumb archetype quest plot, I wasn’t the least bit engaged with this brainless garbage. Reborn might be worth flicking through if you’re a Greg Capullo fan but spare your mind Millar’s inane writing. And now Millar’s sold his Millarworld imprint to Netflix, soon there’s going to be even more flaming trash-heaps to avoid on that service in between Amy Schumer’s painfully unfunny “comedy” and Adam Sandler’s latest bowel movements. Why…
August 3, 2017
Kind of disappointing. Incredible artwork, okay story. The dialog is often clunky, characterization and world-building aren't enough. Most importantly, I didn't connect with the characters and the story just wanders.
Right off the bat Millar seems to criticize faith, claiming it takes naivety to believe in something more. And yet there is something more. So there's legitimacy to faith? Well, I don't know about that. He also suggests that if you're a good person (not a Christian belief, by the way) you'll go to "heaven." Seems like Millar is just throwing out lines and seeing what sticks.
This is especially true when we see Adystria, i.e. Hell, and Bonnie's old pet cat Frosty turned General Frost. I don't know what the point of this character is, and he raises questions like: What did a cat do that was so evil to necessitate his going to hell? Is neutering actually abusive and, by extension, evil? I mean, is Millar really making such a stupid point in a book about life, death, and beyond?
By issue three I was getting bored. The existentialism takes a back seat to the "goodies vs. baddies," with Bonnie's powers conveniently and suddenly manifesting when she machine-guns an entire room in true hyperbole.
Then there's the whole Golgotha-Arimathea thing. How exactly does a demon fuck a lion-headed dragon, and why is this even in the story? It's just creepy.
I've always been a lukewarm fan of Millar and this is no exception. Too bad Capullo and FCO's spectacular artwork is wasted on this story.
August 8, 2017
With this book, Millar contends that when you die instead of going to Heaven or Hell, you go to a fantasy world with one realm full of good people and the other bad people. He only lightly touches on the existential aspects of this and never really goes into much detail about the aspect of faith and the afterlife.
The Good: Greg Capullo provides some of the best artwork of his career. His artstyle fits a fantasy setting perfectly.
The Bad: If Millar and Capullo had just made this a straight up fantasy story, people would have enjoyed this more. Instead, it makes a half-assed attack on people's faith which is never going to go over well. For the most part Millar blows off the whole spiritual ramifications and yet does his best to offend anyone of faith in an afterlife.
The Ugly: While we all know that cats are evil, that General Frost is evil just because he's understandably pissed about getting neutered is asinine.
Received an advance copy from Image and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Good: Greg Capullo provides some of the best artwork of his career. His artstyle fits a fantasy setting perfectly.
The Bad: If Millar and Capullo had just made this a straight up fantasy story, people would have enjoyed this more. Instead, it makes a half-assed attack on people's faith which is never going to go over well. For the most part Millar blows off the whole spiritual ramifications and yet does his best to offend anyone of faith in an afterlife.
The Ugly: While we all know that cats are evil, that General Frost is evil just because he's understandably pissed about getting neutered is asinine.
Received an advance copy from Image and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2019
Beautiful artwork highlights a so-so story about a woman who dies, only to be reborn into a fantasy-themed world where a perpetual war of good versus evil rages on.
I think the basic idea of this graphic novel is fascinating. What happens to us after we die? We have faith, religion and all sorts of near-death experiences to fall back on, but who can say with any certainty.
From an interview in the back of the book with Greg Capullo, one of the creators: "What I loved about the story is that it deals with all of our fears about what happens when we die, but amidst the fear and the sorrow, we have this spectacular adventure that takes place in a fantastic and exciting world — a world I got to invent."
Some of my quibbles with this story include that the good versus evil theme makes all of the characters seem so simplistic. You can predict almost exactly what they're going to do before they do it — no gray areas. Also, everything is based around Bonnie, one character, and she becomes the savior archetype for the entire tale.
But, on the other hand, if you take this book, as a whole, for a metaphor of what happens after death, it works. Like so many near-death experiences, it all boils down to one view point, that of the newly departed. If you consider it like that, of course the story would be based around one person. She is seeing the next world entirely from her point of view, everything is interpreted through that lens.
It's a curious phenomena, those who have had NDE's, generally describe imagery and a storyline that makes sense to them culturally and fits within their framework of faith. Bonnie didn't want to die, but when she does, she sees a world so similar to where she just came from, except it contains people who have died before she did.
Bonnie's relationships with the people she knew before her death determine so many of the other character's roles in the story. She has a curious relationship with the "faerie queen" which I found interesting.
I can't decide if I'm reading more into this story than is actually there, or if it was actually touching on some of the larger themes I mentioned. As I said, I got bogged down in the predictable characters.
At least the artwork is pretty...
I'm interested to see where Netflix goes with this, as I read in Variety that they're developing it into a film starring Sandra Bullock.
I think the basic idea of this graphic novel is fascinating. What happens to us after we die? We have faith, religion and all sorts of near-death experiences to fall back on, but who can say with any certainty.
From an interview in the back of the book with Greg Capullo, one of the creators: "What I loved about the story is that it deals with all of our fears about what happens when we die, but amidst the fear and the sorrow, we have this spectacular adventure that takes place in a fantastic and exciting world — a world I got to invent."
Some of my quibbles with this story include that the good versus evil theme makes all of the characters seem so simplistic. You can predict almost exactly what they're going to do before they do it — no gray areas. Also, everything is based around Bonnie, one character, and she becomes the savior archetype for the entire tale.
But, on the other hand, if you take this book, as a whole, for a metaphor of what happens after death, it works. Like so many near-death experiences, it all boils down to one view point, that of the newly departed. If you consider it like that, of course the story would be based around one person. She is seeing the next world entirely from her point of view, everything is interpreted through that lens.
It's a curious phenomena, those who have had NDE's, generally describe imagery and a storyline that makes sense to them culturally and fits within their framework of faith. Bonnie didn't want to die, but when she does, she sees a world so similar to where she just came from, except it contains people who have died before she did.
Bonnie's relationships with the people she knew before her death determine so many of the other character's roles in the story. She has a curious relationship with the "faerie queen" which I found interesting.
I can't decide if I'm reading more into this story than is actually there, or if it was actually touching on some of the larger themes I mentioned. As I said, I got bogged down in the predictable characters.
At least the artwork is pretty...
I'm interested to see where Netflix goes with this, as I read in Variety that they're developing it into a film starring Sandra Bullock.
October 4, 2017
Is it strange that I found this too safe for a Millar book? Like I expected a lot more twist and turns but this was just a gigantic safe fairy tale with some bloody moments.
So what happens when you die? Depending on if you're religious you might think you're going to heaven, or hell, or some crazy fairy tale place with demons and dragons. The later sounds pretty cool huh? Well that's what happens with the main character of this series. The first issue starts with her dying in her old age and by the time it ends she is transported to a new magical world with a mission! Find her husband in this afterlife universe after he was killed by a sniper.
Good: The art is really solid. There's some awesome moments especially with the fight scenes. I also thought the father/daughter moments were sometimes good and I liked all the real world stuff a lot actually.
Bad: The fairy tale stuff was so cliche I had to triple check this was written by Mark Millar. No stakes, no losses, no big surprises. It played out like a disney movie. Like a very bloody but safe disney movie. Which could be fine but the characters were all pretty forgettable. I'd say you won't remember anyone's name in this book in about a month or two. Also some cringe worthy moments such as the daughter (main character who I forgot the name her) telling her dad she's happy she got her period. LIke...I got the moment but just came off weird.
Overall it was just really meh. I was never excited reading it. I was expecting some big twist or turn half way through and when nothing came I questioned what the point of this story was. I wanted more and what I got was just okay. A 2/5.
So what happens when you die? Depending on if you're religious you might think you're going to heaven, or hell, or some crazy fairy tale place with demons and dragons. The later sounds pretty cool huh? Well that's what happens with the main character of this series. The first issue starts with her dying in her old age and by the time it ends she is transported to a new magical world with a mission! Find her husband in this afterlife universe after he was killed by a sniper.
Good: The art is really solid. There's some awesome moments especially with the fight scenes. I also thought the father/daughter moments were sometimes good and I liked all the real world stuff a lot actually.
Bad: The fairy tale stuff was so cliche I had to triple check this was written by Mark Millar. No stakes, no losses, no big surprises. It played out like a disney movie. Like a very bloody but safe disney movie. Which could be fine but the characters were all pretty forgettable. I'd say you won't remember anyone's name in this book in about a month or two. Also some cringe worthy moments such as the daughter (main character who I forgot the name her) telling her dad she's happy she got her period. LIke...I got the moment but just came off weird.
Overall it was just really meh. I was never excited reading it. I was expecting some big twist or turn half way through and when nothing came I questioned what the point of this story was. I wanted more and what I got was just okay. A 2/5.
July 19, 2018
Reborn was superb. Not only is the story sublime and poignant, but the overall quality of the story is matched by the beautiful artwork.
Bonnie Black is dying. She has lost her faith and she doesn't want to die of heart failure. But she does and finds that the "end" is just the "beginning". She awakens in Adystria as a 20-year-old girl. She meets old friends and family, but they have new forms. She meets her father and he tells her that she is the Prophesied One.
From here begins a grand adventure of Bonnie and her father, as they go on an epic adventure to not only find Bonnie's husband but to also fight against the evil overlord. I won't spoil any more of the plot, but the concept is very cool. The story also has an undercurrent of sadness, as you find that when people pass over they don't always stay the same. But I won't spoil it. You should read this. It is excellent. I was also tremendously amused by Frosty-who used to be Bonnie's cat and wants revenge for having his balls cut off. Heh. I guess if I had my balls cut off I'd want revenge too. But, it does make pet owners think. Great job Mark Millar!
Bonnie Black is dying. She has lost her faith and she doesn't want to die of heart failure. But she does and finds that the "end" is just the "beginning". She awakens in Adystria as a 20-year-old girl. She meets old friends and family, but they have new forms. She meets her father and he tells her that she is the Prophesied One.
From here begins a grand adventure of Bonnie and her father, as they go on an epic adventure to not only find Bonnie's husband but to also fight against the evil overlord. I won't spoil any more of the plot, but the concept is very cool. The story also has an undercurrent of sadness, as you find that when people pass over they don't always stay the same. But I won't spoil it. You should read this. It is excellent. I was also tremendously amused by Frosty-who used to be Bonnie's cat and wants revenge for having his balls cut off. Heh. I guess if I had my balls cut off I'd want revenge too. But, it does make pet owners think. Great job Mark Millar!
March 1, 2018
This involves a fantasy sci-fi afterlife scenario with a cat who wants revenge on his former owner for removing his testicles when he was nine months old. That alone is worthy of an automatic five star rating in my world and it just gets better from there. If you do graphic novels, you probably want to read this. A splendid tale, bursting with clever humor, and some killer artwork.
May 13, 2018
Just bonkers, start to finish.
Whether you want to view it all as allegorical, or as a near-death hallucination, or as a wish-fulfillment fairy tale about the hereafter, you can get a lot out of a pretty spare narrative (kind of like the New Testament I guess! *boom*) and the art by Capullo and co. is absolutely tremendous.
To an extent it feels a bit like Millar has read Saga and Monstress and said to himself, hey, I want in on that crazy train! but it's definitely its own beast.
I don't know if there will be a Part 2, but if so count me in to be (Re)Born Again!
Oh, yeah...I know one aspect of the Bonnie character's design in the Afterlife is how delighted she is to be young and "hot" again, but did the outfit really need to literally point the way to her erogenous zones? Made me laugh, anyway...
Whether you want to view it all as allegorical, or as a near-death hallucination, or as a wish-fulfillment fairy tale about the hereafter, you can get a lot out of a pretty spare narrative (kind of like the New Testament I guess! *boom*) and the art by Capullo and co. is absolutely tremendous.
To an extent it feels a bit like Millar has read Saga and Monstress and said to himself, hey, I want in on that crazy train! but it's definitely its own beast.
I don't know if there will be a Part 2, but if so count me in to be (Re)Born Again!
Oh, yeah...I know one aspect of the Bonnie character's design in the Afterlife is how delighted she is to be young and "hot" again, but did the outfit really need to literally point the way to her erogenous zones? Made me laugh, anyway...
July 28, 2018
Bonnie Black ist 78 Jahre alt, schwer schlaganfallgefährdet und blickt am scheinbaren Ende auf ihr bisherigen Leben und die vielen Verluste zurück. Als Atheistin glaubt sie nicht an Gott, den Himmel und die Hölle, hat aber auch gerade wegen dieser Ungewissheit Angst vor dem bevorstehenden Tod. Als sie an den Folgen eines letzten Schlaganfalls stirbt, warten weder Gericht, Fegefeuer, noch Himmelspforte, sondern die Wiedergeburt in Adystria, einer gewaltigen Welt, in der jeder Verstorbene zurückkehrt, ob gut oder böse.
Bonnie bleibt wenig Zeit, sich an die neuen Umstände zu gewöhnen. In dem Körper ihres fünfundzwanzigjährigen Ichs muss sie eine lang überlieferte Prophezeiung erfüllen, einen Krieg zwischen Gut und Böse entscheiden und ihren ermordeten Mann finden. Zusammen mit ihrem Vater Tom und ihrem Hund Roy-Boy macht sie sich auf, das blutige Abenteuer zu bestehen.
Mark Millar ist zwar einer der Namen in der Comic-Szene, ich hadere aber leider mit seinen Geschichten und wurde weder von Empress, Kingsman noch Kick-Ass wirklich überzeugt, die ich entweder schlecht (Empress) oder durchschnittlich (Kingsman) bis „okay“ (Kick-Ass) finde. „Reborn“ lässt sich grundsätzlich erst mal als klassischen Miller einordnen. Für manche wird das ein Grund zum Kauf sein, andere werden gleich dankend ablehnen.
Wir haben hier eine actiongeladene, sehr schnell erzählte Geschichte (deren Prämisse mich sehr an "die Brüder Löwenherz erinnert hat) mit einer Reihe an meistens oberflächlich ausgebauten Figuren. Entsprechend lesen sich die sechs Hefte sehr zügig, zum Schluss wartet ein krachendes Finale.
Es gibt wie z.B. bei Empress eine Reihe sehr interessanter Ideen, sei in Bezug auf Orte, Figuren, Designs im Allgemeinen, die aber nicht entwickelt werden und an denen sich der Leser nur ein, zwei Panels erfreuen kann. Geschuldet ist das wieder dem hohen, manchmal gehetzt wirkendem Erzähltempo, das gefühlt viele der Ideen einfach hinter sich lässt. Ich finde das sehr schade und frage mich manchmal, ob man für diese Ideen kein Konzept entwickeln konnte oder wollte. Es ist nicht so, als müsste jede Fantasy-Sci-Fi-Welt bis in die letzte dunkle Ecke ausgeleuchtet werden, aber der Geschichte hätte es m.E. gut getan, wenn die Serie auf mehr Ausgaben ausgelegt gewesen wäre. Reborn ist visuell sehr opulent, es bleibt aber das Gefühl, dass es wichtiger war, die Serie schnell zu Ende zu bringen, als etwas aus den ganzen Ideen zu machen.
Das gilt im Übrigen auch für die Charaktere. Bonnie Black lernen wir als alte Damen kennen, die nicht an Gott glaubt, nach dem Todes ihres Mannes verbittert ist und dann in Adystria zur Kämpferin für das Gute aufsteigt. Es sind immer wieder einzelne Dialoge und Monologe, denen zu entnehmen ist, dass da mehr unter der Oberfläche steckt oder zumindest stecken könnte, nur dringt der Autor nicht dahin vor. Ich schrieb es schon, ich wiederhole mich: Vor allen Dingen finde ich das schade.
Die Handlung selbst ist dabei einfach gestrickt. Millar vermeidet an einigen Stellen zwar den Fehler, Handlungswendungen zu vorhersehbar zu gestalten und das verdient auch eine positive Erwähnung, an anderen entscheidet er sich dann genau für das Gegenteil, vor allem zum Finale hin. Das würde ich an der Stelle jetzt einfach mal durchgehen lassen, dafür kam Millar die bescheuerte Idee, Bonnie ihren früheren Kater Frost gegenüberzustellen, der sie dafür töten möchte, dass sie ihn hat kastrieren lassen ...
Schlussendlich: Die Zeichnungen von Greg Capullo sind wie gewohnt von hoher Qualität, da lässt der Autor bei der Partnerwahl wieder mal nichts anbrennen.
Fazit: Wieder sehr viel Potential mit tollen Zeichnungen, aber mehr als einmal musste ich während des Lesens an das Schlagwort "lazy writing" denken.
Bonnie bleibt wenig Zeit, sich an die neuen Umstände zu gewöhnen. In dem Körper ihres fünfundzwanzigjährigen Ichs muss sie eine lang überlieferte Prophezeiung erfüllen, einen Krieg zwischen Gut und Böse entscheiden und ihren ermordeten Mann finden. Zusammen mit ihrem Vater Tom und ihrem Hund Roy-Boy macht sie sich auf, das blutige Abenteuer zu bestehen.
Mark Millar ist zwar einer der Namen in der Comic-Szene, ich hadere aber leider mit seinen Geschichten und wurde weder von Empress, Kingsman noch Kick-Ass wirklich überzeugt, die ich entweder schlecht (Empress) oder durchschnittlich (Kingsman) bis „okay“ (Kick-Ass) finde. „Reborn“ lässt sich grundsätzlich erst mal als klassischen Miller einordnen. Für manche wird das ein Grund zum Kauf sein, andere werden gleich dankend ablehnen.
Wir haben hier eine actiongeladene, sehr schnell erzählte Geschichte (deren Prämisse mich sehr an "die Brüder Löwenherz erinnert hat) mit einer Reihe an meistens oberflächlich ausgebauten Figuren. Entsprechend lesen sich die sechs Hefte sehr zügig, zum Schluss wartet ein krachendes Finale.
Es gibt wie z.B. bei Empress eine Reihe sehr interessanter Ideen, sei in Bezug auf Orte, Figuren, Designs im Allgemeinen, die aber nicht entwickelt werden und an denen sich der Leser nur ein, zwei Panels erfreuen kann. Geschuldet ist das wieder dem hohen, manchmal gehetzt wirkendem Erzähltempo, das gefühlt viele der Ideen einfach hinter sich lässt. Ich finde das sehr schade und frage mich manchmal, ob man für diese Ideen kein Konzept entwickeln konnte oder wollte. Es ist nicht so, als müsste jede Fantasy-Sci-Fi-Welt bis in die letzte dunkle Ecke ausgeleuchtet werden, aber der Geschichte hätte es m.E. gut getan, wenn die Serie auf mehr Ausgaben ausgelegt gewesen wäre. Reborn ist visuell sehr opulent, es bleibt aber das Gefühl, dass es wichtiger war, die Serie schnell zu Ende zu bringen, als etwas aus den ganzen Ideen zu machen.
Das gilt im Übrigen auch für die Charaktere. Bonnie Black lernen wir als alte Damen kennen, die nicht an Gott glaubt, nach dem Todes ihres Mannes verbittert ist und dann in Adystria zur Kämpferin für das Gute aufsteigt. Es sind immer wieder einzelne Dialoge und Monologe, denen zu entnehmen ist, dass da mehr unter der Oberfläche steckt oder zumindest stecken könnte, nur dringt der Autor nicht dahin vor. Ich schrieb es schon, ich wiederhole mich: Vor allen Dingen finde ich das schade.
Die Handlung selbst ist dabei einfach gestrickt. Millar vermeidet an einigen Stellen zwar den Fehler, Handlungswendungen zu vorhersehbar zu gestalten und das verdient auch eine positive Erwähnung, an anderen entscheidet er sich dann genau für das Gegenteil, vor allem zum Finale hin. Das würde ich an der Stelle jetzt einfach mal durchgehen lassen, dafür kam Millar die bescheuerte Idee, Bonnie ihren früheren Kater Frost gegenüberzustellen, der sie dafür töten möchte, dass sie ihn hat kastrieren lassen ...
Schlussendlich: Die Zeichnungen von Greg Capullo sind wie gewohnt von hoher Qualität, da lässt der Autor bei der Partnerwahl wieder mal nichts anbrennen.
Fazit: Wieder sehr viel Potential mit tollen Zeichnungen, aber mehr als einmal musste ich während des Lesens an das Schlagwort "lazy writing" denken.
May 3, 2018
Reborn: Book One was an entertaining read, but unfortunately it was marred by many flaws.
The book tells the story of a woman named Bonnie who, upon dying, finds herself in a fantastical world where she reunites with deceased family and embarks on a quest to find her husband who died many years earlier, and defeat a powerful evil.
First of all: the characters were kind of bland. The main character, Bonnie, is given some backstory, just enough to make her likable, but even then she encompasses little outstanding or distinctive traits to make her a truly great character. Unfortunately, in terms of characters, this is the most we are given. The other characters are extremely one note. The villain, who is emphasized as the ultimate, unstoppable evil was a very weak character and posed almost no threat to the main characters of the story. I feel that the big, epic plot of Bonnie being the prophesied one that must destroy evil could have had a little more time to breath and develop. The whole story felt rushed honestly, and more development could have increased my investment in the story.
Despite these flaws, the concept was inspired and interesting, and the whole book was a quick, entertaining read. The art was awesome, and so were the action sequences. The action was actually quite intense, not holding back on blood. This book, overall, was just a really fun read.
Overall, Reborn: Book One was a super entertaining read that could have benefited from more character and story development.
3/5
The book tells the story of a woman named Bonnie who, upon dying, finds herself in a fantastical world where she reunites with deceased family and embarks on a quest to find her husband who died many years earlier, and defeat a powerful evil.
First of all: the characters were kind of bland. The main character, Bonnie, is given some backstory, just enough to make her likable, but even then she encompasses little outstanding or distinctive traits to make her a truly great character. Unfortunately, in terms of characters, this is the most we are given. The other characters are extremely one note. The villain, who is emphasized as the ultimate, unstoppable evil was a very weak character and posed almost no threat to the main characters of the story. I feel that the big, epic plot of Bonnie being the prophesied one that must destroy evil could have had a little more time to breath and develop. The whole story felt rushed honestly, and more development could have increased my investment in the story.
Despite these flaws, the concept was inspired and interesting, and the whole book was a quick, entertaining read. The art was awesome, and so were the action sequences. The action was actually quite intense, not holding back on blood. This book, overall, was just a really fun read.
Overall, Reborn: Book One was a super entertaining read that could have benefited from more character and story development.
3/5
October 6, 2017
This was a pretty fun quick read that posits the afterlife as a huge and super complicated live action version of Dungeons and Dragons. Still when 78 year old retired school teacher Bonnie Black dies after a stroke and wakes up to find herself not only 25, dressed in super sexy warrior babe attire but also standing next to her long dead father and a Battle Cat sized version of her family dog she's, understandably I thought, a little confused.
Seems Bonnie is the long awaited empress who's going to save wherever the hell it is she's ended up from a giant albino version of Darkness from "Legend" (I love you Tim Curry) and a now human sized version of her long ago pet cat who's super pissed at her and out for revenge because she had him fixed.
This moves all over the damn place and characters jump from one gigantic revelation to another without seeming to even register what would be huge emotionally and psychologically draining trauma's for anyone else. I mean seriously I would have spent the first six issues just getting the woman used to the idea that she's now a weird cross between a Dothraki and Red Sonja rather than plunging her straight into a war but that's just me.
So there isn't a lot of substance here. Its certainly exciting and pretty to look at and it moves like lightening as character relationships change on a dime and Bonnie keeps encountering pieces and people from her old life that have been completely transformed in this bizarre new world she finds herself in.
I think the book might have benefited from just a tad of explanation into what in the hell is going on here. Why in the world is the afterlife an 80's fantasy movie? How the heck is it determined what you end up being in the after life? Why does everyone arrive at different ages? Why are you super conveniently dropped in the exact same spot as more or less everyone you knew in life?
But the authors traded world building and establishing stuff for guns, swords, homicidal eunuch cat generals and lion headed dragon sex.
Don't look at me like that. I didn't write it.
Seems Bonnie is the long awaited empress who's going to save wherever the hell it is she's ended up from a giant albino version of Darkness from "Legend" (I love you Tim Curry) and a now human sized version of her long ago pet cat who's super pissed at her and out for revenge because she had him fixed.
This moves all over the damn place and characters jump from one gigantic revelation to another without seeming to even register what would be huge emotionally and psychologically draining trauma's for anyone else. I mean seriously I would have spent the first six issues just getting the woman used to the idea that she's now a weird cross between a Dothraki and Red Sonja rather than plunging her straight into a war but that's just me.
So there isn't a lot of substance here. Its certainly exciting and pretty to look at and it moves like lightening as character relationships change on a dime and Bonnie keeps encountering pieces and people from her old life that have been completely transformed in this bizarre new world she finds herself in.
I think the book might have benefited from just a tad of explanation into what in the hell is going on here. Why in the world is the afterlife an 80's fantasy movie? How the heck is it determined what you end up being in the after life? Why does everyone arrive at different ages? Why are you super conveniently dropped in the exact same spot as more or less everyone you knew in life?
But the authors traded world building and establishing stuff for guns, swords, homicidal eunuch cat generals and lion headed dragon sex.
Don't look at me like that. I didn't write it.
May 2, 2018
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting to like or dislike this book and ya know… I was right, I feel mostly meh towards this book.
What’s it about?
A woman named Bonnie dies and ends up in the afterlife. So is she it all just darkness? Nope. Is she in Heaven? Not quite. Hell? Nope. Instead of Heaven or Hell, people who die end up in the fantasy world of… wait, did this place have a name? I think it did but I can’t remember it despite having just finished this book, not important. Anyways, when Bonnie ends up in this afterlife she ends up searching for her husband in this world.
Pros:
The story is pretty neat. It’s nothing too special but it’s fun and it kept me interested.
The art style is very cool and the whole book is well drawn. There are some great panels throughout this book.
The action is intense and there is lots of it. If you like fast paced and bloody action throughout the comic you’re reading, the action in this book will not disappoint.
The horror-esque elements of the story are pretty cool. I don’t think I would call this a horror book but it has some elements of horror in certain scenes that add a nice little touch.
I like the dog, he’s a good boy. I love dogs. Dog might be my favorite word in the English language. I LOVE DOGS SO MUCH, THEY'RE SO PRECIOUS AND MUCH BETTER THAN PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ending is a pretty good way to end this book. It’s one of those endings that could wrap up the entire thing but could also leave room for a sequel. I like those kinds of endings.
Cons:
The characters are bland. Bonnie is Bonnie, not much else to her. Bonnie’s dad is Bonnie’s dad, not much else to him. They’re pretty much all like that. The only character that wasn’t like that is the fairy queen but even she was just kinda okay (I mean giant woman who fights dragons is obviously pretty cool but she doesn't have a huge (no giant joke intended) role in this book).
I was kinda surprised by the “The Bible’s all fairytales”, “The idea of an afterlife is dumb”, etc. stuff in this book. It felt like it was kinda there, it did very little for the book and it confused me because of who this book is written by. For those of you who don’t know, Mark Millar is (or at least was at one point) a catholic who's very outspoken about his faith and a lot of his work had subtle faith based messages so for this to have such blunt messages that could be considered anti-faith... it’s odd unless he recently lost his faith or something. Also, it didn’t bring up interesting points and wasn’t even clever, I think commentary should always do at least one of those 2 things.
This book is kinda predictable. Sure, there were a few unexpected things but for the most part, I could tell how the whole story was gonna go very early in the book.
There's a bit too much plot convenience.
There’s a couple of plot holes. One was the cat thing. I get that the cat’s angry at Bonnie for getting him fixed but the dog (who is named Roy so I assume he would have at one point had nuts) seemed happy with Bonnie and it’s safe to assume that he was fixed too. WTF? The main one that confused me was that things can be killed in the afterlife. How? They’re already dead, it’s the AFTER-life. Where do things go when they die in the afterlife? Is it like that Robot Chicken skit where someone is killed in Heaven and goes to Super-Heaven? Millar should have been more clear about this and many other things that make this plot not make much sense.
Overall:
This is a decent book. I’m not gonna say it’s bad because I enjoyed a lot of it but I don’t think I’d bother recommending it to many people. The story’s a cool, fun fantasy story with good art and intense action but the bland characters, plot holes and weak commentary are definite problems for me. That being said, if a book two happens, I’ll read it.
3/5
What’s it about?
A woman named Bonnie dies and ends up in the afterlife. So is she it all just darkness? Nope. Is she in Heaven? Not quite. Hell? Nope. Instead of Heaven or Hell, people who die end up in the fantasy world of… wait, did this place have a name? I think it did but I can’t remember it despite having just finished this book, not important. Anyways, when Bonnie ends up in this afterlife she ends up searching for her husband in this world.
Pros:
The story is pretty neat. It’s nothing too special but it’s fun and it kept me interested.
The art style is very cool and the whole book is well drawn. There are some great panels throughout this book.
The action is intense and there is lots of it. If you like fast paced and bloody action throughout the comic you’re reading, the action in this book will not disappoint.
The horror-esque elements of the story are pretty cool. I don’t think I would call this a horror book but it has some elements of horror in certain scenes that add a nice little touch.
I like the dog, he’s a good boy. I love dogs. Dog might be my favorite word in the English language. I LOVE DOGS SO MUCH, THEY'RE SO PRECIOUS AND MUCH BETTER THAN PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ending is a pretty good way to end this book. It’s one of those endings that could wrap up the entire thing but could also leave room for a sequel. I like those kinds of endings.
Cons:
The characters are bland. Bonnie is Bonnie, not much else to her. Bonnie’s dad is Bonnie’s dad, not much else to him. They’re pretty much all like that. The only character that wasn’t like that is the fairy queen but even she was just kinda okay (I mean giant woman who fights dragons is obviously pretty cool but she doesn't have a huge (no giant joke intended) role in this book).
I was kinda surprised by the “The Bible’s all fairytales”, “The idea of an afterlife is dumb”, etc. stuff in this book. It felt like it was kinda there, it did very little for the book and it confused me because of who this book is written by. For those of you who don’t know, Mark Millar is (or at least was at one point) a catholic who's very outspoken about his faith and a lot of his work had subtle faith based messages so for this to have such blunt messages that could be considered anti-faith... it’s odd unless he recently lost his faith or something. Also, it didn’t bring up interesting points and wasn’t even clever, I think commentary should always do at least one of those 2 things.
This book is kinda predictable. Sure, there were a few unexpected things but for the most part, I could tell how the whole story was gonna go very early in the book.
There's a bit too much plot convenience.
There’s a couple of plot holes. One was the cat thing. I get that the cat’s angry at Bonnie for getting him fixed but the dog (who is named Roy so I assume he would have at one point had nuts) seemed happy with Bonnie and it’s safe to assume that he was fixed too. WTF? The main one that confused me was that things can be killed in the afterlife. How? They’re already dead, it’s the AFTER-life. Where do things go when they die in the afterlife? Is it like that Robot Chicken skit where someone is killed in Heaven and goes to Super-Heaven? Millar should have been more clear about this and many other things that make this plot not make much sense.
Overall:
This is a decent book. I’m not gonna say it’s bad because I enjoyed a lot of it but I don’t think I’d bother recommending it to many people. The story’s a cool, fun fantasy story with good art and intense action but the bland characters, plot holes and weak commentary are definite problems for me. That being said, if a book two happens, I’ll read it.
3/5
December 31, 2018
There's no God in the afterlife. The dead souls are resurrected based on how kind they were in life - good people in Adystria, bad people in the Dark Lands. Oh, animals get resurrected too. Dogs get a good nose for the people that cared for them, while cats get speech and magical powers - a bit unbalanced, really. The two sides fight a war that can only be ended by a savior who is dressed in such tight clothing you'd think it was painted on. Surely, this comic is a parody.
After a long and fruitful life, Bonnie's cycle of life ends with her dying of old age. At this point we are thrown into magic land. She is surprised to awake young again and head-splittingly hot in a fantasy world named Adystria where she is believed to be a savior. She meets her reincarnated father Tom who tells her of Adystria's foe, Golgotha, the leader of the Dark Lands. Bonnie accepts her role and starts a ridiculous journey with way too many childish twists.
After a long and fruitful life, Bonnie's cycle of life ends with her dying of old age. At this point we are thrown into magic land. She is surprised to awake young again and head-splittingly hot in a fantasy world named Adystria where she is believed to be a savior. She meets her reincarnated father Tom who tells her of Adystria's foe, Golgotha, the leader of the Dark Lands. Bonnie accepts her role and starts a ridiculous journey with way too many childish twists.
May 11, 2018
*I received this book as an eARC from Image Comics via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
What happens when you die? This is a question every human has wondered and there are many answers out there. In this story, our world is only the staging ground for the real deal. Your actions matter. You may become a giant queen of the elves if you're good or a monstrous demon with horns if you're bad, and of course everything in between. When you die, you wake up in this new world in a new body. You may be a child or you may be the same age you were when you died. In this fantasy world, it's the classic Good vs. Evil.
Bonnie has lived a fulfilling, long life. After a stroke, she finds herself in a youthful body in this new world where it has been prophesized that she will defeat the evil with amazing magical powers that are just beginning to develop. Her father is there. Her past pets have fantasy like powers. Although she wants to help, the first thing on her mind is finding her husband who had passed years ago.
I absolutely love the concept of this world. There are so many small details in the worldbuilding that I really found interesting. From the start, it seems like a big story and I was in for the ride. I was disappointed when it didn't turn out as big as I had hoped. There are a lot of things that make the world smaller. She seems to know or have a connection to all of the important characters. I wanted to see a much larger, more inclusive world. It is very white, straight American. There's one same-sex relationship and it is between the big bad demon and a dragon with a lion's head. I wanted more complexities to the good versus evil theme. When you die and find yourself in a new world and your past negative actions have turned you into some kind of monster, do you really just continue doing "evil" deeds? I wanted more subversions.
The story is quick moving and completes the arc in just this volume. For such a big concept and huge world, it is made to feel so small in this story. Overall, I thought this story was a great concept, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I wanted more modern storytelling. The good and bad ideals seemed so dated. I wanted something unexpected. I was disappointed in the queer representation. I give this story a 3.5/5. I would love to see this comic adapted into another media and given more depth and modernity.
What happens when you die? This is a question every human has wondered and there are many answers out there. In this story, our world is only the staging ground for the real deal. Your actions matter. You may become a giant queen of the elves if you're good or a monstrous demon with horns if you're bad, and of course everything in between. When you die, you wake up in this new world in a new body. You may be a child or you may be the same age you were when you died. In this fantasy world, it's the classic Good vs. Evil.
Bonnie has lived a fulfilling, long life. After a stroke, she finds herself in a youthful body in this new world where it has been prophesized that she will defeat the evil with amazing magical powers that are just beginning to develop. Her father is there. Her past pets have fantasy like powers. Although she wants to help, the first thing on her mind is finding her husband who had passed years ago.
I absolutely love the concept of this world. There are so many small details in the worldbuilding that I really found interesting. From the start, it seems like a big story and I was in for the ride. I was disappointed when it didn't turn out as big as I had hoped. There are a lot of things that make the world smaller. She seems to know or have a connection to all of the important characters. I wanted to see a much larger, more inclusive world. It is very white, straight American. There's one same-sex relationship and it is between the big bad demon and a dragon with a lion's head. I wanted more complexities to the good versus evil theme. When you die and find yourself in a new world and your past negative actions have turned you into some kind of monster, do you really just continue doing "evil" deeds? I wanted more subversions.
The story is quick moving and completes the arc in just this volume. For such a big concept and huge world, it is made to feel so small in this story. Overall, I thought this story was a great concept, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I wanted more modern storytelling. The good and bad ideals seemed so dated. I wanted something unexpected. I was disappointed in the queer representation. I give this story a 3.5/5. I would love to see this comic adapted into another media and given more depth and modernity.
May 17, 2018
Like most Millar books, this one has a great concept too but suffers from rushed plot and underdeveloped characters. This seems to be a pattern with his stories. Greg Capullo's gorgeous illustrations earn this book 3 stars.
July 12, 2021
Eh. Readable.. Nothing fancy...
January 9, 2021
(Zero spoiler review)
Well that was rather unpleasant. At least there was the wonderful artwork of Greg Capullo to drag this travesty of a story out of the gutter, making it somewhat bearable. In case you were wondering, I really, really disliked this book. This is the first Mark Millar story that I have read, and I'm lead to believe he is somewhat of a well known name in comics circles, although upon reading this ham fisted and lazy piece of horrible incompetence, I can't for the life of me figure out why. I was very much looking forward to read Kickass at some point, although any anticipation I had has been replaced with a deep seated sense of apprehension. I'm almost lost for words to describe how badly this is written. The first issue was the only thing coming within pissing distance of competence, and was unsurprisingly the only story with appropriate pacing. What followed over the next five issues was a shotgun tornado of vomit, rapidly sprayed against a wall for 100 or so pages until finally comes to a blessed end. Blessed in that I was glad it was over, and in no way as a positive comment on this story. Think The Rise of Skywalker, only worse, if you can imagine it. It's not the first time I've said this, although there was the potential for a rather entrancing story to be told here, if the author had either the will or the ability to let the story spread its wings. To slowly build upon the fundamental concept of the story through interesting and detailed lore. And Fleshing out the (forgettable) characters, who came and went faster than a fart in a stiff breeze. There is no tension, there is no atmosphere, there is no sense of something momentous unfolding. In fact all there is, is me trying to turn the pages quicker and quicker, wanting this to end as quick as humanly possible. I really would like to slow down and admire some of Greg Capullo's artwork, although I just can't bring myself to, when it shares the same pages as some of the most laughable fantasy writing ever committed to paper. Mark Millar should be publicly flayed for having wasted the talents of Capullo on this dreck. It really made me sad that I had spent money on this, even though it was discounted (nowhere near enough).
I urge you in the strongest possible sense, do not read this book, unless you are someone who can easily shut out terrible writing and just admire the pretty pictures. I am not one of those people. Now I'm off to read something better, to hopefully get this annoying taste out of my eyes and brain. Avoid. 1.5/5
OmniBen.
Well that was rather unpleasant. At least there was the wonderful artwork of Greg Capullo to drag this travesty of a story out of the gutter, making it somewhat bearable. In case you were wondering, I really, really disliked this book. This is the first Mark Millar story that I have read, and I'm lead to believe he is somewhat of a well known name in comics circles, although upon reading this ham fisted and lazy piece of horrible incompetence, I can't for the life of me figure out why. I was very much looking forward to read Kickass at some point, although any anticipation I had has been replaced with a deep seated sense of apprehension. I'm almost lost for words to describe how badly this is written. The first issue was the only thing coming within pissing distance of competence, and was unsurprisingly the only story with appropriate pacing. What followed over the next five issues was a shotgun tornado of vomit, rapidly sprayed against a wall for 100 or so pages until finally comes to a blessed end. Blessed in that I was glad it was over, and in no way as a positive comment on this story. Think The Rise of Skywalker, only worse, if you can imagine it. It's not the first time I've said this, although there was the potential for a rather entrancing story to be told here, if the author had either the will or the ability to let the story spread its wings. To slowly build upon the fundamental concept of the story through interesting and detailed lore. And Fleshing out the (forgettable) characters, who came and went faster than a fart in a stiff breeze. There is no tension, there is no atmosphere, there is no sense of something momentous unfolding. In fact all there is, is me trying to turn the pages quicker and quicker, wanting this to end as quick as humanly possible. I really would like to slow down and admire some of Greg Capullo's artwork, although I just can't bring myself to, when it shares the same pages as some of the most laughable fantasy writing ever committed to paper. Mark Millar should be publicly flayed for having wasted the talents of Capullo on this dreck. It really made me sad that I had spent money on this, even though it was discounted (nowhere near enough).
I urge you in the strongest possible sense, do not read this book, unless you are someone who can easily shut out terrible writing and just admire the pretty pictures. I am not one of those people. Now I'm off to read something better, to hopefully get this annoying taste out of my eyes and brain. Avoid. 1.5/5
OmniBen.
April 9, 2019
I wish this series was a 12 issues or is still an ongoing instead of 6 issues this Series has so much potential...Ugh! There were some amazing Ideas in this Series!!
August 31, 2017
The art was good and the book was put together very well. Not Millar's best work as parts of it felt clunky.
I wish Starlight had gotten a nice HC like this.
I wish Starlight had gotten a nice HC like this.
August 13, 2020
Reborn je strip koji bi meni prvom trebalo da se dopadne mimo svake razumne mere. Nažalost, nije tako.
Iako jaše na talasu isekai anima (jer su romani portalske fantazije mahom ostali u osamdesetima) i litRPG uradaka, Reborn je očito upravo to - ne plod neke bogznakakve ideje ili strasti, već u kreativnom smislu ono što bi se na narodnjačkim radio-stanicama zvalo "namenska pesma". Reborn je očito pisan tako da štiklira određene kućice i ispuni određene kriterijume i to na način naivniji i s više rupa u zapletu od ispodprosečne anime. Mogao bih da posvetim narednih nekoliko pasusa seciranju scenarističkih manjkavosti ovog stripa, ali nisam sklon jalovim rabotama.
Ovo ne znači da je Reborn strip koji ne zaslužuje da se pročita. Štaviše, naprotiv. Scenario je dovoljno dobar da može da prođe (premda nervira na nivou "psi su dobri, mačke su zle"), ali je crtež zato fenomenalan. Kapulo svojim ilustrativnim radom dočarava Milarov svet u jednakoj meri koliko Sana Takeda dočarava scenario Mardžori Liju (osim što Liju ipak nudi daleko bolje izgrađen svet i likove od Milara), tako da je crtež najblistavija tačka ovog stripa i glavni razlog zašto bi ga trebalo čitati.
Šteta je što je Milar potrošio ovu ideju i pristup na jedno u suštini površno delo. Bilo je tu materijala za najmanje onoliko trejdova koliko do sada ima recimo Birthright.
No i ovoliko je Milaru bilo dovoljno da Netfliks snima seriju po Rebornu - što valjda i jeste bila poenta celog poduhvata.
Nažalost,
3*
Iako jaše na talasu isekai anima (jer su romani portalske fantazije mahom ostali u osamdesetima) i litRPG uradaka, Reborn je očito upravo to - ne plod neke bogznakakve ideje ili strasti, već u kreativnom smislu ono što bi se na narodnjačkim radio-stanicama zvalo "namenska pesma". Reborn je očito pisan tako da štiklira određene kućice i ispuni određene kriterijume i to na način naivniji i s više rupa u zapletu od ispodprosečne anime. Mogao bih da posvetim narednih nekoliko pasusa seciranju scenarističkih manjkavosti ovog stripa, ali nisam sklon jalovim rabotama.
Ovo ne znači da je Reborn strip koji ne zaslužuje da se pročita. Štaviše, naprotiv. Scenario je dovoljno dobar da može da prođe (premda nervira na nivou "psi su dobri, mačke su zle"), ali je crtež zato fenomenalan. Kapulo svojim ilustrativnim radom dočarava Milarov svet u jednakoj meri koliko Sana Takeda dočarava scenario Mardžori Liju (osim što Liju ipak nudi daleko bolje izgrađen svet i likove od Milara), tako da je crtež najblistavija tačka ovog stripa i glavni razlog zašto bi ga trebalo čitati.
Šteta je što je Milar potrošio ovu ideju i pristup na jedno u suštini površno delo. Bilo je tu materijala za najmanje onoliko trejdova koliko do sada ima recimo Birthright.
No i ovoliko je Milaru bilo dovoljno da Netfliks snima seriju po Rebornu - što valjda i jeste bila poenta celog poduhvata.
Nažalost,
3*
March 15, 2018
Well that was... mediocre. Reborn has an interesting premise. When you die, you are reborn at a seemingly random age in a fantasy-style world. The more good (or evil) you are, the more powerful you are. Our protagonist was an old woman who died of a stroke when she reincarnates as a sexy 25 year old warrior queen, destined to take out the big bad. Yeah, the premise rapidly goes from interesting to not. Sexy warrior queen finds her father, but she has to track down her husband and stuff and I didn't really care. It's an oddly emotionless book despite all of the potential to play-up heartache and disappointment. Hell, even wonder! It feels a bit like a storyboard for a TV show where most of the emotive work would be added in with music and actors. As a comic, however, it falls rather flat.
Read
August 15, 20173.5 stars, sadly rounded down.
Interesting premise that fails on a number of levels.
Capullo's art is up to the task, but far from his best work. The story meanders, the characters are largely forgettable, and they definitely use the "Kitchen Sink" method of tossing a plethora of fantasy tropes at the wall to see what sticks.
With the plethora of amazing comics out there, this makes it doubly disappointing due to the pedigree of its creators.
Interesting premise that fails on a number of levels.
Capullo's art is up to the task, but far from his best work. The story meanders, the characters are largely forgettable, and they definitely use the "Kitchen Sink" method of tossing a plethora of fantasy tropes at the wall to see what sticks.
With the plethora of amazing comics out there, this makes it doubly disappointing due to the pedigree of its creators.
October 5, 2025
In this graphic novel when you die in this life you just go to another place. Depending on how you were in this previous life determines who you end up being in the second one. It was a fun concept and the storyline, for most part, was very interesting. There was a couple of times it was a bit too much but it didn't take away from the book. The artwork was done quite nicely as well. I enjoyed it enough that I would get volume 2.
August 2, 2021
Where do dying people on Earth really go?
They become a new and fantastic body in the war against good and evil.
A fun and fast read but nothing to take seriously. Very good artwork pushes it to four stars.
MY GRADE: B to B plus.
They become a new and fantastic body in the war against good and evil.
A fun and fast read but nothing to take seriously. Very good artwork pushes it to four stars.
MY GRADE: B to B plus.
December 14, 2017
The main problem with this series is that it fails to justify its own existence. It is about the afterlife, but has nothing interesting to say, if it has anything to say at all, about death or life after death. The death of the main character in the first chapter is just an excuse for a fantasy world that she finds herself awaking in after her death. If anything, Mark Millar is saying he believes in an afterlife, but that afterlife will be nothing like the concept of heaven or hell that many people might imagine.
Outside of that, there's a lack of a spark, a lack of life, in both the story and the characters. That Bonnie never really questions her new existence is either laziness on the author's part or a dullness on her part. While Bonnie proves herself to be a powerful warrior, as a character she lacks charisma. This goes for all characters, for that matter. All the heroes are sweet and all the villains are mean. That's all. To make matters worse is Millar's tonal issues. For the most part, he approaches the topic with seriousness. But there's the problem of the cat who used to belong to Bonnie whose source of anger towards her is the fact that she had him neutered in the previous life. Is this supposed to be funny, or a commentary on the treatment of cats, or something else? It's not clear.
That said, there are things to enjoy about this book. The artwork by Greg Capullo is great, except for maybe the ridiculous outfit provided Bonnie, the only purpose of which seems to be making her breasts more pronounced. The story is also pretty easy to follow. Since Millar doesn't go too in-depth into any big ideas, this leaves a story that is pretty clear and easy to follow. Where comics can sometimes cause confusion when the series of images don't show a clear picture, Millar and Capullo don't have that problem. Still, this is not a series I would recommend to anyone except fans of Millar, and I have no intention of continuing it if Millar ever plans to start it back up.
Outside of that, there's a lack of a spark, a lack of life, in both the story and the characters. That Bonnie never really questions her new existence is either laziness on the author's part or a dullness on her part. While Bonnie proves herself to be a powerful warrior, as a character she lacks charisma. This goes for all characters, for that matter. All the heroes are sweet and all the villains are mean. That's all. To make matters worse is Millar's tonal issues. For the most part, he approaches the topic with seriousness. But there's the problem of the cat who used to belong to Bonnie whose source of anger towards her is the fact that she had him neutered in the previous life. Is this supposed to be funny, or a commentary on the treatment of cats, or something else? It's not clear.
That said, there are things to enjoy about this book. The artwork by Greg Capullo is great, except for maybe the ridiculous outfit provided Bonnie, the only purpose of which seems to be making her breasts more pronounced. The story is also pretty easy to follow. Since Millar doesn't go too in-depth into any big ideas, this leaves a story that is pretty clear and easy to follow. Where comics can sometimes cause confusion when the series of images don't show a clear picture, Millar and Capullo don't have that problem. Still, this is not a series I would recommend to anyone except fans of Millar, and I have no intention of continuing it if Millar ever plans to start it back up.
September 1, 2017
Mark Millar is one of the most imaginative writers in comics. Whenever I read one of his titles he really brings some fresh ideas to the table. Even standard superhero fare feels fresh and new. Teaming him up with artist Greg Capullo is just awesome sauce. I was pleasantly surprise by the look and page size of this collected edition of the Reborn series. I mean the page size is large and the it is a well put together hardback. You can tell Image Comics knew this was going to be something special. Capullo hand's down is one of best artist drawing comics today. His style is unique and this book is just looks beautiful. The colorists are doing an excellent job on this series as well. So what is Reborn about exactly? I do not want to spoil this story for anyone so I will try to give my take on the plot of this book without given away any major details. Basically Millar is tackling a topic with a lot of wait. Where do we go when we die? In Reborn the decease Bonnie Black awakens upon her death in a fantasy world where she is destined to be queen and fight against dragons and monsters who are the the decease evil men & woman who have died. This a very unique concept for a sword and sorcery epic. Millar throws in some solid character moments for Bonnie and the many love ones she meets on the other side of death. I have to say I was a bit disappointed on Millar's take of a Christian character in this book. I am not sure it Millar is an atheist or not but it did feel like he was taking a bit of a jab at those who are believers. I'll admit being a Christian I may be a bit bias when analyzing that aspect of the story. This for me does not mean the story was not good. Millar is still one of my favorite comic book writers. Just for the pleasure of seeing new art by Capullo I would recommend this series. I still think is work with Scott Snyder on the Batman series for DC Comics was some of his best work. I am definitely interested to see where this series is going to move going forward. I also recommend the following Mark Millar gems as well: Starlight, Huck, Book 1: All-American, Chrononauts, Superior and Kick-Ass. When I get some time I will read Millar's run with the Fantastic Four.
October 2, 2021
Lá vem Mark Millar agraciar-nos com a sua criatividade. Admito que parece bem simples a premissa e a história lê-se de facto como um filme de acção. Mas é interessante e quem não gosta de happy simple endings?for now anyway ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2017
A good sort of high fantasy story about the after life. It could have used some more characterization though especially with the villains
Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews