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Descender #1-3
Descender: Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1
Young Robot boy TIM-21 and his companions struggle to stay alive in a universe where all androids have been outlawed and bounty hunters lurk on every planet. Written by award-winning creator, Jeff Lemire, Descender is a rip-roaring and heart-felt cosmic odyssey. Lemire pits humanity against machine, and world against world, to create a sprawling epic.
Collecting issues #1-16 of Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Trillium) and Dustin Nguyen's (Little Gotham) critically acclaimed, bestselling new science fiction series in deluxe oversized hardcover format featuring extensive never before seen behind the scenes material.
Collecting issues #1-16 of Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Trillium) and Dustin Nguyen's (Little Gotham) critically acclaimed, bestselling new science fiction series in deluxe oversized hardcover format featuring extensive never before seen behind the scenes material.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published December 19, 2017
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,512 books3,975 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
March 7, 2018
4.5 stars
Jeff Lemire is not one of those go-to authors for me.
It's not like I avoid what he writes, but I also don't actively seek him out. No offense to Mr. Lemire or his fans! It's just that he isn't a consistent author for me. Sometimes I love his stuff, sometimes I hate his stuff, and sometimes I'm just meh about it.
Decender falls firmly into the love it category, though.
The premise isn't anything new. What makes us human? But the storytelling was so lovely and touching that it felt fresh. I was really gripped by the characters - all of them. But, of course, Tim-21 stole my heart. I wanted to pinch his little android cheeks, tuck him in my purse, and take him home with me.
This is a complex story about love, war, & family told in a sci-fi setting through the eyes of an outlawed A.I. child and a group of interesting characters that (for various reasons) are on the journey with him. <--I think saying much more could ruin it for anyone who hasn't read this yet!
The art has a tendency to look a bit blurry and watercolor-y, and you'd think that wouldn't work in a 'robot' story, but it does! It sort of softened the edges of things in a pleasant way. Or at least, it did for me.
I'm sorry it took me so long to get around to this one, so thanks to all you guys that pushed this comic on me. Much appreciated!
Definitely Recommended
Jeff Lemire is not one of those go-to authors for me.
It's not like I avoid what he writes, but I also don't actively seek him out. No offense to Mr. Lemire or his fans! It's just that he isn't a consistent author for me. Sometimes I love his stuff, sometimes I hate his stuff, and sometimes I'm just meh about it.
Decender falls firmly into the love it category, though.
The premise isn't anything new. What makes us human? But the storytelling was so lovely and touching that it felt fresh. I was really gripped by the characters - all of them. But, of course, Tim-21 stole my heart. I wanted to pinch his little android cheeks, tuck him in my purse, and take him home with me.
This is a complex story about love, war, & family told in a sci-fi setting through the eyes of an outlawed A.I. child and a group of interesting characters that (for various reasons) are on the journey with him. <--I think saying much more could ruin it for anyone who hasn't read this yet!
The art has a tendency to look a bit blurry and watercolor-y, and you'd think that wouldn't work in a 'robot' story, but it does! It sort of softened the edges of things in a pleasant way. Or at least, it did for me.
I'm sorry it took me so long to get around to this one, so thanks to all you guys that pushed this comic on me. Much appreciated!
Definitely Recommended
December 15, 2019
5 fanfreakingtastic stars!! I bought myself the big hardback volume 1 for Christmas and I’m hoping to get volume 2 to finish out the series!! So damn good!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
January 8, 2018
A space opera at its finest, deepening the conversation on robots and artificial intelligence, it gives humanity to the inhuman and strips humanity from those who possess it. The watercolor takes adjustment, but its surrealism and style are highly immersive.
February 18, 2021
This is a bit of a re-read. I had initially read several of these issues but had never had a collected volume of them all. This Deluxe Edition, which includes all sorts of extra material, collects all 16 volumes into one massive HC. It is well worth your time.
Are you into sci-fi stories? Do you like large space operas similar to The Expanse? Then let me introduce you to Jeff Lemire's Descender. It is a great sci-fi story that is filled with deep and interesting characters. I have not enjoyed a good sci-fi story like this in awhile.
The gist? A Companion Robot (a lifelike android with emotions) named Tim-21 awakens from a "nap" to find the entire world has changed. His family is gone and he is all alone. Tim finds that an entire decade has gone by since he fell asleep and the entire universe has changed since then. The major worlds of a trans-galactic federation are devastated by the attack of Celestial-like Robots called "Harvesters". This led to anti-robot hatred and robots were nearly wiped out. The few that exist, like Tim, can be worth large bounties.
This starts of an amazing journey not only for Tim, but for all the major characters. The characters are also very interesting. Prepare for some surprises that certainly will make you see that this story is far more than it seems. As the volumes continue towards the end, like The Expanse, the micro stories of the individual characters always have the macro-story of Tim's relationship with the Harvesters and his role in the universe in the background. It's one of the best and most creative stories I've run across in a comic in a while. Tim-21 is a great character. But the other characters are also deep. Take into account Driller. His background story was very well done and I liked how Lemire brings it full circle to the end of this volume. I shall certainly be awaiting my being able to read the 2nd Deluxe Edition which I assume will finish this story.
The art is strange. At first, I didn't care much for it. But as the story continued it grew on me and it worked well enough. The story is exceptional though so the odd, though oddly appealing over time, artwork doesn't detract from this awesome sci-fi story.
Highly Recommended.
Are you into sci-fi stories? Do you like large space operas similar to The Expanse? Then let me introduce you to Jeff Lemire's Descender. It is a great sci-fi story that is filled with deep and interesting characters. I have not enjoyed a good sci-fi story like this in awhile.
The gist? A Companion Robot (a lifelike android with emotions) named Tim-21 awakens from a "nap" to find the entire world has changed. His family is gone and he is all alone. Tim finds that an entire decade has gone by since he fell asleep and the entire universe has changed since then. The major worlds of a trans-galactic federation are devastated by the attack of Celestial-like Robots called "Harvesters". This led to anti-robot hatred and robots were nearly wiped out. The few that exist, like Tim, can be worth large bounties.
This starts of an amazing journey not only for Tim, but for all the major characters. The characters are also very interesting. Prepare for some surprises that certainly will make you see that this story is far more than it seems. As the volumes continue towards the end, like The Expanse, the micro stories of the individual characters always have the macro-story of Tim's relationship with the Harvesters and his role in the universe in the background. It's one of the best and most creative stories I've run across in a comic in a while. Tim-21 is a great character. But the other characters are also deep. Take into account Driller. His background story was very well done and I liked how Lemire brings it full circle to the end of this volume. I shall certainly be awaiting my being able to read the 2nd Deluxe Edition which I assume will finish this story.
The art is strange. At first, I didn't care much for it. But as the story continued it grew on me and it worked well enough. The story is exceptional though so the odd, though oddly appealing over time, artwork doesn't detract from this awesome sci-fi story.
Highly Recommended.
July 12, 2018
Прекрасний зразок фантастики з гуманістичними посилами. Усі знають Леміра з двох сторін: як блискучого автора авторських робіт про одиноких людей і зовсім слабкого автора про супергероїв, особливо в команді. Як тільки у коміксі з'являється більше одного персонажа - у Леміра все виходить ну геть погано. Не скажу, що тут працює добре команда, але таку ціль ніхто навіть і близько не ставив. Та й комікс не про те.
Уявіть собі ситуацію, коли роботи стали причиною для ненависті й ксенофобії, особливо після атаки так званих Женців (Harvesters) в найбільш колонізованих сонячних системах. Звідки з'явились ці гіганстькі роботи й чому вони вирішили знищити все живе й неживе - невідомо. Немашинне життя розкидане околицями галактики, але перебуває досить таки в хиткому стані. Водночас є маленький робот Тім-21, створений для розваги дітей, який вижив після однієї з атак. Точніше, він був у сплячому режимі протягом десяти років. Коли він вмикається - навколо ні душі (literally). Далі виявляється, що Тім-21 містить схему чи код, де, за передбаченням, може бути відповідь на причину масового знищення. Зрозуміло, що тепер усі хочуть мати цей код. Люди й роботи, солдати й найманці полюють на наївного, щирого й...людського робота, який має, як не дивно, врятувати світ від чергової катастрофи.
Лемір створив цікавий, упізнаваний і досить таки свіжий світ, який будується на протистоянні людей і машин. Усе як у нас: одні підтримують права роботів, педалюючи думку про наявність життя в їхніх роботілах; інші навпаки ненавидять роботів, використовують їх для гладіаторських боїв чи рабської роботи, або й просто знищують, вважаючи основною причиною появи Женців. Словом, неоднорідне суспільство з людей, інопланетян і роботів перебуває у строго сегрегованих секторах, перекидаючи один на одного свою ненависть напалмом вогню чи стусанів. Катастрофа ще й у тім, що Лемір показує, яким чином людські риси зникають у їх природніх носіїв, перетворюючи homo sapiens на вбивчі машини. Водночас навіть безмовні роботи, як-от маленький песик Бандит, напарник Тіма-21, можуть проявляти людяність, симпатію і співчуття. Тім-21 немов поза цим конфліктом, адже в ньому органічно поєднується як людське, так і машинне. Важливий факт, що в одному з випусків йому привидівся так званий машинний рай, що суперечить законам роботів, адже, як відомо, андроїдам не можуть снитись електровівці.
Паралелі з Філіпом Діком неминучі, але Лемір, як на мене, створив свою унікальну галактику. Тут хочеться залишатись, досліджувати, вивчати клімат і культури. Зрозуміло, що без акварельного малюнку Дастіна Нгуєна ніколи б не було такого блискучого відчуття присутності й занурення у світ. Хоча мушу сказати, що батальні сцени не завжди доречно малювати аквареллю, бо в них важко розібрати що й до чого. Усе ж, я в захопленні від цього художника, його манери, ретельності нюансів і деталей на усіх етапах промальовування світу. Окремо зверніть увагу на обкладинки - вони не менш геніальні (до речі, секція додаткових матеріалів не менш багато варіантками до першого випуску, де версія Деклана Шелві - моя улюблена).
Загалом, мені б хотілося більше такої космо-опери в коміксах. Не в стилі вульгаризованої "Саги" чи зарозумного "Схід-Захід", а простої, доброї фантастики з гуманістичними ідеями. Краще Леміра, напевно, сьогодні з цим завданням ніхто не впорався б.
Уявіть собі ситуацію, коли роботи стали причиною для ненависті й ксенофобії, особливо після атаки так званих Женців (Harvesters) в найбільш колонізованих сонячних системах. Звідки з'явились ці гіганстькі роботи й чому вони вирішили знищити все живе й неживе - невідомо. Немашинне життя розкидане околицями галактики, але перебуває досить таки в хиткому стані. Водночас є маленький робот Тім-21, створений для розваги дітей, який вижив після однієї з атак. Точніше, він був у сплячому режимі протягом десяти років. Коли він вмикається - навколо ні душі (literally). Далі виявляється, що Тім-21 містить схему чи код, де, за передбаченням, може бути відповідь на причину масового знищення. Зрозуміло, що тепер усі хочуть мати цей код. Люди й роботи, солдати й найманці полюють на наївного, щирого й...людського робота, який має, як не дивно, врятувати світ від чергової катастрофи.
Лемір створив цікавий, упізнаваний і досить таки свіжий світ, який будується на протистоянні людей і машин. Усе як у нас: одні підтримують права роботів, педалюючи думку про наявність життя в їхніх роботілах; інші навпаки ненавидять роботів, використовують їх для гладіаторських боїв чи рабської роботи, або й просто знищують, вважаючи основною причиною появи Женців. Словом, неоднорідне суспільство з людей, інопланетян і роботів перебуває у строго сегрегованих секторах, перекидаючи один на одного свою ненависть напалмом вогню чи стусанів. Катастрофа ще й у тім, що Лемір показує, яким чином людські риси зникають у їх природніх носіїв, перетворюючи homo sapiens на вбивчі машини. Водночас навіть безмовні роботи, як-от маленький песик Бандит, напарник Тіма-21, можуть проявляти людяність, симпатію і співчуття. Тім-21 немов поза цим конфліктом, адже в ньому органічно поєднується як людське, так і машинне. Важливий факт, що в одному з випусків йому привидівся так званий машинний рай, що суперечить законам роботів, адже, як відомо, андроїдам не можуть снитись електровівці.
Паралелі з Філіпом Діком неминучі, але Лемір, як на мене, створив свою унікальну галактику. Тут хочеться залишатись, досліджувати, вивчати клімат і культури. Зрозуміло, що без акварельного малюнку Дастіна Нгуєна ніколи б не було такого блискучого відчуття присутності й занурення у світ. Хоча мушу сказати, що батальні сцени не завжди доречно малювати аквареллю, бо в них важко розібрати що й до чого. Усе ж, я в захопленні від цього художника, його манери, ретельності нюансів і деталей на усіх етапах промальовування світу. Окремо зверніть увагу на обкладинки - вони не менш геніальні (до речі, секція додаткових матеріалів не менш багато варіантками до першого випуску, де версія Деклана Шелві - моя улюблена).
Загалом, мені б хотілося більше такої космо-опери в коміксах. Не в стилі вульгаризованої "Саги" чи зарозумного "Схід-Захід", а простої, доброї фантастики з гуманістичними ідеями. Краще Леміра, напевно, сьогодні з цим завданням ніхто не впорався б.
May 22, 2018
Top class sci-fi from Lemire!
August 27, 2020
Nothing special here, a bit of classic space opera scenario with the anticipated cliches, basic characters with even more basic development. I'll admit, with my limited experience on sci-fi, the whole ethics-in-human/robot-relations theme is fresh, but not enough to hype me up. I'll finish it though, it's only one more dlx vol to see where it goes.
August 9, 2017
Reread Addendum:
Going through this again now that I have Volume 2 and I can appreciate more this time around. While I don't feel there is really anything new here, Lemire blends everything together so well. He touches on a lot of themes, many of them very common with stories involving robots: Do they have feelings? Are they "alive"? Do they have rights? What about humans with implants?
A few other things he brings up are:
The nature/nurture debate on whether a human (or robot) is a product of their genes or their upbringing?
What happens to children who are subject to severe trauma when they are young?
Lots of parent/child relationship stuff, like when do you stop guiding and let them discover and be their own selves?
Original Review:
Not bad. Nguyen's painted art is an improvement over Lemire's, although at times it almost looks unfinished. The central mystery is what has intrigued me the most but the rest of it dealing with hatred towards robots and the question of what is life in inanimate objects, feels a little overdone for me, a subject broached many times before.
After the 16 issues in this volume, the world building is complete and the readers has a good grasp of all of the characters and their motivations. Hope there is something new and intriguing at the end of this. If this goes past another 16 issues it'll feeling like it is wandering.
Going through this again now that I have Volume 2 and I can appreciate more this time around. While I don't feel there is really anything new here, Lemire blends everything together so well. He touches on a lot of themes, many of them very common with stories involving robots: Do they have feelings? Are they "alive"? Do they have rights? What about humans with implants?
A few other things he brings up are:
The nature/nurture debate on whether a human (or robot) is a product of their genes or their upbringing?
What happens to children who are subject to severe trauma when they are young?
Lots of parent/child relationship stuff, like when do you stop guiding and let them discover and be their own selves?
Original Review:
Not bad. Nguyen's painted art is an improvement over Lemire's, although at times it almost looks unfinished. The central mystery is what has intrigued me the most but the rest of it dealing with hatred towards robots and the question of what is life in inanimate objects, feels a little overdone for me, a subject broached many times before.
After the 16 issues in this volume, the world building is complete and the readers has a good grasp of all of the characters and their motivations. Hope there is something new and intriguing at the end of this. If this goes past another 16 issues it'll feeling like it is wandering.
March 21, 2021
Masterful characterization.
I'm super impressed with this first volume of Descender. The story telling begins with huge, cataclysmic events that draw the reader into an unfamiliar world but have you immediately engaged. Slowly, Lemire trickles in exposition in an expert way. One by one, each character gets a little back story which adds enormous context to what's going on presently. I was really impressed with how, just within a few panels of story, the reader suddenly understands a character much more in depth. All characters, including those I thought would just be ancillary, have depth and back story.
The plot is simple and easy to follow but with enough twists that it didn't feel unpredictable. I am a huge sucker for sci-fi stories that play on robot civil rights and the ambiguity of robotic personhood and Descender plays on these concepts masterfully. Many of the robot characters were incredibly compelling including Tim-21, Effie a little robot dog and wow, Driller. Driller was this character who I barely paid attention to until the end of this volume reveals that he/she is a very important character with a heart-breaking back story.
The artwork was absolutely stunning. Detail when needed, more abstract when the scenes were emotional. I could look at this artwork all day. Overall, I was very impressed with Descender and will definitely be buying the next volumes.
I'm super impressed with this first volume of Descender. The story telling begins with huge, cataclysmic events that draw the reader into an unfamiliar world but have you immediately engaged. Slowly, Lemire trickles in exposition in an expert way. One by one, each character gets a little back story which adds enormous context to what's going on presently. I was really impressed with how, just within a few panels of story, the reader suddenly understands a character much more in depth. All characters, including those I thought would just be ancillary, have depth and back story.
The plot is simple and easy to follow but with enough twists that it didn't feel unpredictable. I am a huge sucker for sci-fi stories that play on robot civil rights and the ambiguity of robotic personhood and Descender plays on these concepts masterfully. Many of the robot characters were incredibly compelling including Tim-21, Effie a little robot dog and wow, Driller. Driller was this character who I barely paid attention to until the end of this volume reveals that he/she is a very important character with a heart-breaking back story.
The artwork was absolutely stunning. Detail when needed, more abstract when the scenes were emotional. I could look at this artwork all day. Overall, I was very impressed with Descender and will definitely be buying the next volumes.
January 10, 2021
Imaginative art, original story, and characters that are fantastic and fantastical...really loved it.
June 6, 2023
I was expecting to like this but I was not expecting to love this. Descender had been on my radar for several years but the "blurry" watercolor art style threw me off so much that I didn't pick it up, that was how much I didn't like the art. Often times I can see past a mediocre art style if the story is good but for whatever reason the watercolor art just kept me away. Anyway, over the last few years I have been consciously putting more focus on scifi in my reading and discovering that I actually really love scifi also, there just so happen to be less scifi comics than other genres it seems (and I got a really cool Descender shirt from the comic book shop) so it seemed time to finally reevaluate and give Descender a true and fair shot.
It took no time at all for me to become endeared to the water color paintings. The story was the spectacular type that draws you in right off the bat. Comics have a different pacing than novels do and it tends to work best if the readers can be hooked right away. The pacing was perfect. The characters were well developed and believable in the world we were given. There was multiple story lines going and enough teasing out of information that just kept me flipping the pages to find out what happened next. Oh, and there were plenty of my heart and soul Dune references in there too to keep a twinkle in my eye.
It took no time at all for me to become endeared to the water color paintings. The story was the spectacular type that draws you in right off the bat. Comics have a different pacing than novels do and it tends to work best if the readers can be hooked right away. The pacing was perfect. The characters were well developed and believable in the world we were given. There was multiple story lines going and enough teasing out of information that just kept me flipping the pages to find out what happened next. Oh, and there were plenty of my heart and soul Dune references in there too to keep a twinkle in my eye.
September 20, 2024
Library 1
(4,8 of 5 for excellent adventure of one and many robots in not very forgiving space)
I have always been told how Descender is great. But I took my time to get into it. Then Ascender stared and I delayed it even more. And now I must say... it is awesome. I enjoyed the story a big time. The first half is great. Lemire is excellent at creating characters and morally complicated persons and giving them a lot of relationships. Also what I dislike about Lemire most is his "worldbuilding" skill. Most of his books, especially the ones he did himself, feel like interesting characters but their scenes are in stage set. But Descender's world almost feels like from Remender. It has its base, boundaries, and locations and something in between them. It doesn't feel like a theatre play like most Lemire stuff. If there would be "Remender & Lemire" on the cover, I would say yes, that's true.
Also, I feared Nguyen's art a bit. It's somehow both time-efficient and detail and that's disturbing for my "comics OCD". And it would only help Lemire's "stage set" feeling. But it works perfectly, and emphasises the main objects in a scene and still gives enough context to make it "whole". To connect the scenes. Hell yeah, Descender is an awesome comic.
(4,8 of 5 for excellent adventure of one and many robots in not very forgiving space)
I have always been told how Descender is great. But I took my time to get into it. Then Ascender stared and I delayed it even more. And now I must say... it is awesome. I enjoyed the story a big time. The first half is great. Lemire is excellent at creating characters and morally complicated persons and giving them a lot of relationships. Also what I dislike about Lemire most is his "worldbuilding" skill. Most of his books, especially the ones he did himself, feel like interesting characters but their scenes are in stage set. But Descender's world almost feels like from Remender. It has its base, boundaries, and locations and something in between them. It doesn't feel like a theatre play like most Lemire stuff. If there would be "Remender & Lemire" on the cover, I would say yes, that's true.
Also, I feared Nguyen's art a bit. It's somehow both time-efficient and detail and that's disturbing for my "comics OCD". And it would only help Lemire's "stage set" feeling. But it works perfectly, and emphasises the main objects in a scene and still gives enough context to make it "whole". To connect the scenes. Hell yeah, Descender is an awesome comic.
November 14, 2019
The visual half of the storytelling is utterly sublime. Sadly I'm not finding the writing half up to par with the art. This is Epic space Opera, very futuristic and imaginative, very accessible, and unfortunately... Not doing anything terribly original with this premise and world.
I NEED BOTH.
My hope is that this first half of the story is laying a solid foundation for a powerful conclusion.
Note from my future self: Second half is fantastic. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
I NEED BOTH.
My hope is that this first half of the story is laying a solid foundation for a powerful conclusion.
Note from my future self: Second half is fantastic. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
March 13, 2021
A touching and engaging story with great art (although this style of art will divide readers; I love it).
November 28, 2024
4.5 stars. If it weren’t for the predictability in this series, this one would be an easy 5 stars for me. I’m really enjoying this series halfway through!
December 17, 2017
Review from May 19th-20th, 2023
I highly enjoyed my reread of this wonderful graphic novel and cannot wait to finally finish this story. It has such beautiful watercolor illustrations that stand out throughout the entire volume. Even the most grotesque scenes, look great here. I loved the storyline with TIM-21 and the rest of the characters, especially how information is slowly revealed throughout the volume. I forgot some of the details and they hit hard again.
Review from December 13th, 2017
A young robot boy named TIM-21 is a companion robot of a boy named Andy. In a universe where androids have blown to pieces the way of life for many, the robots are outlawed and hunted by bounty hunters. The graphic novel follows Tim and his companions as they struggle to stay alive in a universe with so much war.
The first issue opens before the war when a group of planet-sized robots called the Harvesters come and destroy civilization's way of life. We skip ahead ten years and meet TIM-21, who has been asleep for the past ten years. He and "his family" lived in a mining development. He slowly discovers what has happened since he was "sleeping" and is trying to find his companion and mother. Bounty hunters come and attack him, and the adventure continues from there.
The writing style of each issue in this deluxe edition is quite interesting. I liked how the writer relieved information throughout the story. As we get introduced to more characters, we slowly learn more and more about their identities and backstories. As the series continues, more reveals come out in the writing. The story never feels bogged down with this information, and it all feels essential to get to know the characters and where they are coming from.
Another aspect of the writing that sticks out throughout is the characters. We follow along with TIM-21 throughout the entire piece but also his companions. Each is developed and has characteristics that make them intriguing to continue to read about. The characters range from humans to many sorts of alien races and many types of robots. Each has their own motivations in the wars and struggles that have been happening since The Harvesters came and destroyed many of their lives. An integral part of the overarching story is the fact there are both good and evil characters on both sides of the battle. Not all androids have done horrible things, and not all humans and aliens can be trusted at face value. The idea of grey areas of thinking can be seen throughout the entire story. Neither side can be considered either good or evil.
The magnificent illustrations drew me to this graphic novel from the first page. The art style is beyond stunning, even with some more grotesque scenes. Each panel has a simplistic painted background that helps each character and other details come alive over it. The watercolor feel of each panel makes a stunning story stand out even more.
Many characters get different types of lettering depending on who they are. The aliens and the humans have one kind, and then many of the androids will get a more synthetic font. The only android that seems not to is Tim. Tim is one of the androids that is humanized more; we are meant to symphonize with his character.
Overall, this is an incredibly made series that I cannot wait to continue with. I enjoyed reading about everything that has happened in this universe since The Harvesters started wreaking havoc. Each character was complex and brought different sides to this story, making it a joy to continue reading. With a great mixture of story development and stunning graphics, this is a graphic novel that I cannot recommend enough. If you are a science fiction fan, you should pick it up. I believe that you will be impressed by it.
*I was given a copy of this graphic novel for free for an honest review.*
I highly enjoyed my reread of this wonderful graphic novel and cannot wait to finally finish this story. It has such beautiful watercolor illustrations that stand out throughout the entire volume. Even the most grotesque scenes, look great here. I loved the storyline with TIM-21 and the rest of the characters, especially how information is slowly revealed throughout the volume. I forgot some of the details and they hit hard again.
Review from December 13th, 2017
A young robot boy named TIM-21 is a companion robot of a boy named Andy. In a universe where androids have blown to pieces the way of life for many, the robots are outlawed and hunted by bounty hunters. The graphic novel follows Tim and his companions as they struggle to stay alive in a universe with so much war.
The first issue opens before the war when a group of planet-sized robots called the Harvesters come and destroy civilization's way of life. We skip ahead ten years and meet TIM-21, who has been asleep for the past ten years. He and "his family" lived in a mining development. He slowly discovers what has happened since he was "sleeping" and is trying to find his companion and mother. Bounty hunters come and attack him, and the adventure continues from there.
The writing style of each issue in this deluxe edition is quite interesting. I liked how the writer relieved information throughout the story. As we get introduced to more characters, we slowly learn more and more about their identities and backstories. As the series continues, more reveals come out in the writing. The story never feels bogged down with this information, and it all feels essential to get to know the characters and where they are coming from.
Another aspect of the writing that sticks out throughout is the characters. We follow along with TIM-21 throughout the entire piece but also his companions. Each is developed and has characteristics that make them intriguing to continue to read about. The characters range from humans to many sorts of alien races and many types of robots. Each has their own motivations in the wars and struggles that have been happening since The Harvesters came and destroyed many of their lives. An integral part of the overarching story is the fact there are both good and evil characters on both sides of the battle. Not all androids have done horrible things, and not all humans and aliens can be trusted at face value. The idea of grey areas of thinking can be seen throughout the entire story. Neither side can be considered either good or evil.
The magnificent illustrations drew me to this graphic novel from the first page. The art style is beyond stunning, even with some more grotesque scenes. Each panel has a simplistic painted background that helps each character and other details come alive over it. The watercolor feel of each panel makes a stunning story stand out even more.
Many characters get different types of lettering depending on who they are. The aliens and the humans have one kind, and then many of the androids will get a more synthetic font. The only android that seems not to is Tim. Tim is one of the androids that is humanized more; we are meant to symphonize with his character.
Overall, this is an incredibly made series that I cannot wait to continue with. I enjoyed reading about everything that has happened in this universe since The Harvesters started wreaking havoc. Each character was complex and brought different sides to this story, making it a joy to continue reading. With a great mixture of story development and stunning graphics, this is a graphic novel that I cannot recommend enough. If you are a science fiction fan, you should pick it up. I believe that you will be impressed by it.
*I was given a copy of this graphic novel for free for an honest review.*
November 29, 2020
(spoiler free)
I started reading Descender completely blind. I knew it was a science fiction story, although apart from that, I knew nothing. I knew that Lemire didn't draw this one (which is a plus in my book as I prefer him to stick to writing and let other more accomplished artists handle the pictures, so I might actually start with the art for once. I found Nyugen's style very interesting and appealing. His washed out water colour like colours fit the art well and most panels were well drawn and helped to draw me into the story. It certainly made for a nice change from the more typical Western comic style and gave the story an added artistry that helped to flesh out an independent identity. Occasionally the quality of the panels dipped a little, which was disappointing, but it was mostly good to great throughout the run. Nyugen was the only artist used throughout the 32 issue arc. it would have been annoying to see a completely different style interspersed throughout the story, so I'm glad that didn't happen.
Lemire is often a case of substance over style for me. He has some well thought out, interesting idea's for stories, but he often just never quite lands them as strongly as I would have liked. The characters in this story should have been its greatest asset, although were it's biggest flaw, for me. Telsa, the main female protagonist is thoroughly unlikeable, and not in a good way. her motivations are very one note (I have to rebel against/impress my father) who also happens to be the leader of the galactic equivalent of the UN. Hardly the most original premise in the world, so to be executed in such an average way was disappointing. In fact, the robot characters are far more interesting, and I cared about them more than their human equivalents. On one hand, it could be looked at as a strength of Lemire's that he could make me care about machines. Though on the other, to make a balls of writing interesting, multi layered human protagonists at the expense of the robots in the story might not be such a cause for praise. the other major disappointment for me was the lack of attention given to major plot points in the story. When you would reach a crucial part of the story, either for character or plot development, it would be rushed and never given the appropriate time to be and to breathe. Interactions that should have been given a few pages at least are given a few panels at most. important discussions that should have been properly examined are over in a few sentences. As a writer and someone who deeply values these moments within a story, it left me feeling deflated and knowing so much more could have been achieved with a little more focus on these area's. The story runs across 32 arcs, so there was time to flesh this out. A better editor should have reigned Lemire in. It would have been all the better for it.
In the end, Descender is still quite decent. It's hard for me to overlook those few things I have mentioned. I would go into more detail, or discuss others, but I want to keep this spoiler free and relatively brief. a good story, competently, though not conclusively told, though one that isn't greater than the sum of its parts, despite looking rather nice. 3.5
OmniBen.
I started reading Descender completely blind. I knew it was a science fiction story, although apart from that, I knew nothing. I knew that Lemire didn't draw this one (which is a plus in my book as I prefer him to stick to writing and let other more accomplished artists handle the pictures, so I might actually start with the art for once. I found Nyugen's style very interesting and appealing. His washed out water colour like colours fit the art well and most panels were well drawn and helped to draw me into the story. It certainly made for a nice change from the more typical Western comic style and gave the story an added artistry that helped to flesh out an independent identity. Occasionally the quality of the panels dipped a little, which was disappointing, but it was mostly good to great throughout the run. Nyugen was the only artist used throughout the 32 issue arc. it would have been annoying to see a completely different style interspersed throughout the story, so I'm glad that didn't happen.
Lemire is often a case of substance over style for me. He has some well thought out, interesting idea's for stories, but he often just never quite lands them as strongly as I would have liked. The characters in this story should have been its greatest asset, although were it's biggest flaw, for me. Telsa, the main female protagonist is thoroughly unlikeable, and not in a good way. her motivations are very one note (I have to rebel against/impress my father) who also happens to be the leader of the galactic equivalent of the UN. Hardly the most original premise in the world, so to be executed in such an average way was disappointing. In fact, the robot characters are far more interesting, and I cared about them more than their human equivalents. On one hand, it could be looked at as a strength of Lemire's that he could make me care about machines. Though on the other, to make a balls of writing interesting, multi layered human protagonists at the expense of the robots in the story might not be such a cause for praise. the other major disappointment for me was the lack of attention given to major plot points in the story. When you would reach a crucial part of the story, either for character or plot development, it would be rushed and never given the appropriate time to be and to breathe. Interactions that should have been given a few pages at least are given a few panels at most. important discussions that should have been properly examined are over in a few sentences. As a writer and someone who deeply values these moments within a story, it left me feeling deflated and knowing so much more could have been achieved with a little more focus on these area's. The story runs across 32 arcs, so there was time to flesh this out. A better editor should have reigned Lemire in. It would have been all the better for it.
In the end, Descender is still quite decent. It's hard for me to overlook those few things I have mentioned. I would go into more detail, or discuss others, but I want to keep this spoiler free and relatively brief. a good story, competently, though not conclusively told, though one that isn't greater than the sum of its parts, despite looking rather nice. 3.5
OmniBen.
June 2, 2021
Descender is a science fiction graphic novel that primarily deals with the question of when an AI becomes human (or vice versa). There are many books and movies that cover this topic and many even do it well. Descender stands out amongst the graphic novels of this type with its gorgeous artwork and gutwrenching emotions.
to continue to the full review please visit https://amanjareads.com/2021/06/24/de...
to continue to the full review please visit https://amanjareads.com/2021/06/24/de...
February 29, 2020
Наукова фантастика в коміксах для мене таки новий жанр, бо знайомий тільки з "Сагою" Браяна Вона та "Чорною наукою" Ріка Рімендера. Тому "Descender" Джеффа Леміра - це той випадок, коли вибирати й не потрібно було, адже праці цього автора я люблю.
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Події коміксу відбуваються на дев'ятьох основних планетах, які формують Об'єднану Галактичну Раду, яка й керує усіма міжгалактичним питаннями. Біля планет ОГР, з'явилися невідомі гігантські роботи, які без ніякого поруху залишаються у невагомості. Доки всі намагаються зрозуміти причину їхньої появи, вони знищують майже усе органічне життя на планетах, через що отримали назву - Женці. Після цього усі роботи стали причиною ненависті й мисливці за головами, які почали з'являтися по усій галактиці, поклялися знищити їх усіх.
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Це така собі прелюдія, після якої ми переносимося на десять років вперед, де зустрічаємося із головним героєм коміксу Тімом-21, який перебував у режимі сну весь час після атаки Женців. Він єдиний, який вижив на планетоїді та не розуміє, що відбувається, й намагається знайти свою сім'ю. Тім-21 є роботом, який був створений для догляду за дітьми чи самотніми людьми.
⠀
Тільки очі робота відкрилися, усі отримали сигнал його місця перебування, серію якого пов'язують із появою женців. Тому знайшовши його, можна отримати відповіді цього масового знищення. Зрозуміло, що й мисливці за головами, й уряд будуть намагатися здобути цей скарб у свої руки.
⠀
Але як же Тімові-21 та його собачці-роботу на ймення Бандит, врятуватися від жаху, який насувається? Як він має зрозуміти, чому його хочуть схопити чи знищити? Адже Тім-21 потрапив у сім'ю, де він мав доглядати за маленьким хлопчиком, де його наївність щодо людей обмежена теплом і добротою зі сторони членів родини у якій він опинився.
⠀
Джефф Лемір зумів створити масштабну і динамічну історію, де він вміло поглиблює знання про світ в якому опинилися та минуле Тіма-21, яке має безпосередній вплив на його вчинки. Адже у центрі саме людяність, яку втратили люди, а проявляють розумні роботи.
⠀
Масштабно, глибоко, захоплююче! І це тільки початок 😎
⠀
Події коміксу відбуваються на дев'ятьох основних планетах, які формують Об'єднану Галактичну Раду, яка й керує усіма міжгалактичним питаннями. Біля планет ОГР, з'явилися невідомі гігантські роботи, які без ніякого поруху залишаються у невагомості. Доки всі намагаються зрозуміти причину їхньої появи, вони знищують майже усе органічне життя на планетах, через що отримали назву - Женці. Після цього усі роботи стали причиною ненависті й мисливці за головами, які почали з'являтися по усій галактиці, поклялися знищити їх усіх.
⠀
Це така собі прелюдія, після якої ми переносимося на десять років вперед, де зустрічаємося із головним героєм коміксу Тімом-21, який перебував у режимі сну весь час після атаки Женців. Він єдиний, який вижив на планетоїді та не розуміє, що відбувається, й намагається знайти свою сім'ю. Тім-21 є роботом, який був створений для догляду за дітьми чи самотніми людьми.
⠀
Тільки очі робота відкрилися, усі отримали сигнал його місця перебування, серію якого пов'язують із появою женців. Тому знайшовши його, можна отримати відповіді цього масового знищення. Зрозуміло, що й мисливці за головами, й уряд будуть намагатися здобути цей скарб у свої руки.
⠀
Але як же Тімові-21 та його собачці-роботу на ймення Бандит, врятуватися від жаху, який насувається? Як він має зрозуміти, чому його хочуть схопити чи знищити? Адже Тім-21 потрапив у сім'ю, де він мав доглядати за маленьким хлопчиком, де його наївність щодо людей обмежена теплом і добротою зі сторони членів родини у якій він опинився.
⠀
Джефф Лемір зумів створити масштабну і динамічну історію, де він вміло поглиблює знання про світ в якому опинилися та минуле Тіма-21, яке має безпосередній вплив на його вчинки. Адже у центрі саме людяність, яку втратили люди, а проявляють розумні роботи.
⠀
Масштабно, глибоко, захоплююче! І це тільки початок 😎
February 27, 2019
What a lovely, lovely comic book. Written by Jeff Lemire, and with art by Dustin Nguyen its a sci-fi tale about a robot boy, created as a companion for humans, who wakes up 10 years after being shutdown to find a semi-post-apocalyptic world and most of the people he knew (presumed) dead.
Lemire has always been pretty great at portraying young characters, not only here but also in the Vertigo series Sweet Tooth or even in DC's Animal Man where a lot of the focus was on the kids of the family. Lemire himself is also a pretty accomplished artist, and plenty of his other series feature his own art. Here, however we get Dustin Nguyen's very characteristic art.
Nguyen dies his pages in a watercolour style which is really refreshing in a landscape where a lot of comics are computer painted and digitally drawn. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but getting Nguyen's watercolour palette and style, down to the grain of the paper which you can see in the page is a special treat. Much like Lemire, Nguyen is also a specialist at portraying young characters, his Lil' Gotham all-ages comic being a particularly adorable example of this. So there is a feeling of an all-ages book to this comic, at least visually, which is appropriate to the main character, an innocent in a world turned upside down. Storywise things are much darker, and even if this volume only scratches the surface, this contrast between the art and the story real make this a unique work. Unmissable.
Lemire has always been pretty great at portraying young characters, not only here but also in the Vertigo series Sweet Tooth or even in DC's Animal Man where a lot of the focus was on the kids of the family. Lemire himself is also a pretty accomplished artist, and plenty of his other series feature his own art. Here, however we get Dustin Nguyen's very characteristic art.
Nguyen dies his pages in a watercolour style which is really refreshing in a landscape where a lot of comics are computer painted and digitally drawn. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but getting Nguyen's watercolour palette and style, down to the grain of the paper which you can see in the page is a special treat. Much like Lemire, Nguyen is also a specialist at portraying young characters, his Lil' Gotham all-ages comic being a particularly adorable example of this. So there is a feeling of an all-ages book to this comic, at least visually, which is appropriate to the main character, an innocent in a world turned upside down. Storywise things are much darker, and even if this volume only scratches the surface, this contrast between the art and the story real make this a unique work. Unmissable.
August 22, 2019
Story was 4.5 stars, art was easily 5.
This review is for the entire series, all 6 volumes of Descender.
The story is one of the best SF stories I've seen in comic form. One day massive robots appear over each of the 10 planets of humanoid civilization and destroy lots of things and kill lots of people. Then the "Harvesters" as they are called leave.
Ten years later the governing body has found some leads on what could have caused the appearance of the Harvesters. A small companion robot, Tim-21, has the exact same "codex" as the Harvesters and he is found on a far abandoned mining colony.
What follows is a wonderful peeling back of the layers of the universe that Lemire and Nguyen have created. There is a fascinating cross-section of races, political groups, and personalities. Most of it revolves around different groups chasing after Tim-21 in an attempt to uncover his secrets, destroy him, or use him to destroy others.
Overall the backstory was fascinating and the characters felt very real. The timeline was compressed but there was also good growth for them. Also have I mentioned the art is absolutely amazing? The only thing I didn't like was a trope that got used several times which I find breaks immersion if ever used more than once.
This review is for the entire series, all 6 volumes of Descender.
The story is one of the best SF stories I've seen in comic form. One day massive robots appear over each of the 10 planets of humanoid civilization and destroy lots of things and kill lots of people. Then the "Harvesters" as they are called leave.
Ten years later the governing body has found some leads on what could have caused the appearance of the Harvesters. A small companion robot, Tim-21, has the exact same "codex" as the Harvesters and he is found on a far abandoned mining colony.
What follows is a wonderful peeling back of the layers of the universe that Lemire and Nguyen have created. There is a fascinating cross-section of races, political groups, and personalities. Most of it revolves around different groups chasing after Tim-21 in an attempt to uncover his secrets, destroy him, or use him to destroy others.
Overall the backstory was fascinating and the characters felt very real. The timeline was compressed but there was also good growth for them. Also have I mentioned the art is absolutely amazing? The only thing I didn't like was a trope that got used several times which I find breaks immersion if ever used more than once.
May 16, 2018
This is totally, totally awesome. Jeff Lemire is a favourite author of mine and he gives us his all with this splendid space opera. A very intricate plot with depth and many arcs going in different directions and yet they all lead back to the same plot. The humanoids are trying to cull every robot in existence while at the same time the robots have a resistance which is ready to make its move by killing all humanoids. At the centre of it all is a boy companion robot, one who has feelings and misses his boy. His mission is to find Andy if he's still alive. The book is stunningly illustrated with exquisite watercolours which really bring the characters and settings to life. Love it. This deluxe edition contains the first three trade volumes in one edition.
April 7, 2019
Omnibus edition filled with the contents of the first three collected volumes of the series.
Enjoyed this one. Fascinating new worlds to explore and interesting characters. I'm really enjoying the depth into which the creators are developing the world in which the stories are set. There are also 5 chapters that give the reader background information (read: backstories) of some of the characters that didn't get introduced directly when they first appeared. This fleshes them out, giving them depth and makes the reader care about who they are and what happens to them in the coming stories. Great stuff. Solid stories and wonderful characterizations.
Enjoyed this one. Fascinating new worlds to explore and interesting characters. I'm really enjoying the depth into which the creators are developing the world in which the stories are set. There are also 5 chapters that give the reader background information (read: backstories) of some of the characters that didn't get introduced directly when they first appeared. This fleshes them out, giving them depth and makes the reader care about who they are and what happens to them in the coming stories. Great stuff. Solid stories and wonderful characterizations.
June 2, 2018
Epic cinematic storytelling. An incredible scifi journey about what it means to survive and be a life form in the galaxy. Jeff Lemire hits it out of the park with Descender. Dustin Nguyen's painted artwork gives an added sense of gravity and epicness to Lemire's writing. A must read.
July 3, 2018
A classic sci-fi story that still felt fresh. The watercolor art is beautiful and so unique.
April 21, 2020
Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 is a great adventure tale with twists! :D Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 takes the roles of A.I.'s and takes the concept of A.I. rebellion and fight for freedom and puts it into context of a changing civilization coming out of a severe conflict! :D This provides for a clever background that allows for the characters to be put though the wringer but at the same time have their preconceptions challenged! :D This makes for an sharp book that will keep you on your toes guessing from the start! :D
Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 art is top notch really supporting the script brilliantly! :D The use of water colours really balances the feel of the book with the colours tying into the crazy events of the script in a way that works perfectly with it! :D Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 has the feel of things changing throughout and this ties neatly into the crazy situations the characters find themselves in from the beginning! :D
Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 will keep you on your toes from the start! :D The creative use of flashbacks also fleshes out the story combining with the equally inventive ongoing forward story making for a tale that will keep you guessing from the beginning! :D Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 is full of Intrigue, World Building, Daring Do, Plot Twists, Agendas, Adventure and Action! :D Brilliant Crisp High Five! :D Get it When You can! :D
Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 art is top notch really supporting the script brilliantly! :D The use of water colours really balances the feel of the book with the colours tying into the crazy events of the script in a way that works perfectly with it! :D Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 has the feel of things changing throughout and this ties neatly into the crazy situations the characters find themselves in from the beginning! :D
Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 will keep you on your toes from the start! :D The creative use of flashbacks also fleshes out the story combining with the equally inventive ongoing forward story making for a tale that will keep you guessing from the beginning! :D Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 is full of Intrigue, World Building, Daring Do, Plot Twists, Agendas, Adventure and Action! :D Brilliant Crisp High Five! :D Get it When You can! :D
June 4, 2026
I was hooked from the start—the premise was intriguing and full of potential. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for things to start falling apart. Lemire clearly wants to tell a family drama, but for some reason he forces it into a space opera setting.
And that’s the main problem. In a different environment, this story might have worked really well. But when you build your narrative around a conflict between humanity and robots, you can’t simply treat it as a conflict between two human nations.
Machines would operate according to entirely different principles of existence, and any society they created would likely be fundamentally different from our own. Yet in Lemire’s vision, they behave just like humans: they live in similar cities, follow similar hierarchies, and exhibit familiar social behaviors. As a result, the whole premise feels difficult to believe.
If you’re writing a story centered on a human–AI conflict, some effort should be made to explore what truly distinguishes artificial beings from people. Here, it often feels as if the robots are merely humans with a different label attached to them.
Some of the dialogue, twists, and character motivations come across as simplistic, and the world itself feels more like a stylish backdrop for a completely different story. It’s essentially the same issue I had with Sentient.
I’ll probably read the second volume just to see how it ends, but since the visual style isn’t really my thing either, it may feel more like an obligation than a pleasure. 2.5*
And that’s the main problem. In a different environment, this story might have worked really well. But when you build your narrative around a conflict between humanity and robots, you can’t simply treat it as a conflict between two human nations.
Machines would operate according to entirely different principles of existence, and any society they created would likely be fundamentally different from our own. Yet in Lemire’s vision, they behave just like humans: they live in similar cities, follow similar hierarchies, and exhibit familiar social behaviors. As a result, the whole premise feels difficult to believe.
If you’re writing a story centered on a human–AI conflict, some effort should be made to explore what truly distinguishes artificial beings from people. Here, it often feels as if the robots are merely humans with a different label attached to them.
Some of the dialogue, twists, and character motivations come across as simplistic, and the world itself feels more like a stylish backdrop for a completely different story. It’s essentially the same issue I had with Sentient.
I’ll probably read the second volume just to see how it ends, but since the visual style isn’t really my thing either, it may feel more like an obligation than a pleasure. 2.5*
June 2, 2020
**Descender Deluxe HC v1 | 85%** | #1-16, Lemire, sci-fi, space, robots, post-apocalypse | A special companion robot is at the center of an intergalactic war/tragedy/mystery. Heart-felt friends/family moments, faction politics, man vs machine. Love Nguyen's wispy/minimal/watercolor art, though it's sparse and could've used more detail in some places (which is sometimes excused/cleverly-obfuscated by being set among simple/white architecture). Characters are mostly well-developed so far (each getting little pace-jerking flashbacks). However, some archetypical chars in conjunction with an unoriginal plot (e.g. prophesized "the one" destined to save or destroy the world based on their experience/judgment) and A.I.=life? theme make parts of the story feel too familiar/overdone. It still has plenty of time to show me something new/exciting, though (e.g. Harvesters mystery), and I'll always appreciate decent sci-fi.
June 20, 2021
The first half of the series was great, though whether or not I find the story good will be a matter of how well the second one works. It's not the most inventive story ever conceived but that hardly matters in the larger scheme of things, it doesn't stop Lemire from writing a good tale... of identity? Yeah, I guess this is a story on identity. And yeah, identity could be seen as a gateway topic for such things as the human identity, and its clash with other life forms of our creation (artificial intelligence). So it's a story about robots (duh).
I don't think I've talked about the art style, but Nguyen's aquarelles are stunning and immersive. Definitely has a unique look to it that stands out both in comparison to other comic books as to the science fiction genre in general.
So yeah, Descender is a great science fiction comic book! I'll have to read more Lemire in the future...
I don't think I've talked about the art style, but Nguyen's aquarelles are stunning and immersive. Definitely has a unique look to it that stands out both in comparison to other comic books as to the science fiction genre in general.
So yeah, Descender is a great science fiction comic book! I'll have to read more Lemire in the future...
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