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Blackbird #1
Blackbird #1
An all-new ongoing series from fan-favorite writer SAM HUMPHRIES (Harley Quinn, Nightwing) and red-hot artist JEN BARTEL! In this neo-noir fantasy, Nina Rodriguez is positive that a secret magic world ruled by ruthless cabals is hiding just beneath the veneer of Los Angeles. The problem: everyone thinks she’s crazy. The bigger problem: she’s not crazy—she’s right. Can she unravel the mystery before the Great Beast catches up with her?
30 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2018
53 people are currently reading
2545 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
February 10, 2019
A very interesting start of a new comic series. The graphic work is great. And the plot is upto my liking. Yay! 😁
It starts with an incident of earthquake where everyone along with Nina, the only one who believes in magic, sees a great turquoise loin. (Wow! How beautiful it was!). But a magical being, also called paragon, removes everyone's memory but Nina still remembers the incident.
Now after ten years, she again sees that creature but...
--There are places where we see Nina being selfish. But I don't think she can help it. No one believes what she says! But her behaviour with her sister is not good at all. She cares for her. But Nina isn'tunderstanding it.
I liked this issue. Hope the rest would be as good. ^^
It starts with an incident of earthquake where everyone along with Nina, the only one who believes in magic, sees a great turquoise loin. (Wow! How beautiful it was!). But a magical being, also called paragon, removes everyone's memory but Nina still remembers the incident.
Now after ten years, she again sees that creature but...
--There are places where we see Nina being selfish. But I don't think she can help it. No one believes what she says! But her behaviour with her sister is not good at all. She cares for her. But Nina isn'tunderstanding it.
I liked this issue. Hope the rest would be as good. ^^
October 27, 2018
Mini review:
Spoilers ahead!
Trigger warning: Earthquake, death, mention of car accident, and drug addiction.
I heard about this comic series via Twitter. I love magic and sister relationships. Blackbird was on my list off highly anticipated series. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it.
I found this first chapter to be rushed and sort off choppy. The beginning was decent and did a good job portraying the relationships between the characters. I also think Nina's drug addiction is done well. When Nina finds out that magic is real the entirety off those scenes were rushed.
I really sympathized and felt for Marissa. I didn't like Nina at all. She was very frustrating to read about and just rude. I understand that she is traumatized has a drug addiction. Regardless that is no reason to disrespect her sister. Blackbird also follows Nina's point of view, which at times made it hard to read.
However I will continue to read the series. Partly because off the magic system. Also I hope to see Nina grow. Another perk is the art. It's seriously fantastic! I can't wait to see the actual magic because of that.
I do still recommend as I have high hopes for this series.
Spoilers ahead!
Trigger warning: Earthquake, death, mention of car accident, and drug addiction.
I heard about this comic series via Twitter. I love magic and sister relationships. Blackbird was on my list off highly anticipated series. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it.
I found this first chapter to be rushed and sort off choppy. The beginning was decent and did a good job portraying the relationships between the characters. I also think Nina's drug addiction is done well. When Nina finds out that magic is real the entirety off those scenes were rushed.
I really sympathized and felt for Marissa. I didn't like Nina at all. She was very frustrating to read about and just rude. I understand that she is traumatized has a drug addiction. Regardless that is no reason to disrespect her sister. Blackbird also follows Nina's point of view, which at times made it hard to read.
However I will continue to read the series. Partly because off the magic system. Also I hope to see Nina grow. Another perk is the art. It's seriously fantastic! I can't wait to see the actual magic because of that.
I do still recommend as I have high hopes for this series.
November 11, 2018
Very strong first issue!
Blackbird is a story about Nina, who had predicted an earthquake when she was a teen, she saw a ghost/magic creature save her and her sister but everybody forgot it, expect for Nina. Ten years later, Nina is searching for magic and magic people while working deadend job in the bar, until one day things change.
The art is absolutely gorgeous, I love the character designs and the coloring, the panel composition is also excellent, I inhaled the issue in a breath, I'm looking forward to keeping up with this comic.
CW: drug addiction, parent's death
Blackbird is a story about Nina, who had predicted an earthquake when she was a teen, she saw a ghost/magic creature save her and her sister but everybody forgot it, expect for Nina. Ten years later, Nina is searching for magic and magic people while working deadend job in the bar, until one day things change.
The art is absolutely gorgeous, I love the character designs and the coloring, the panel composition is also excellent, I inhaled the issue in a breath, I'm looking forward to keeping up with this comic.
CW: drug addiction, parent's death
October 21, 2019
Overall 3.5. Story: 3, Art: 5.
August 8, 2019
Is something wrong with my cbr copy or is the book too short?
I thought it's called graphic 'novel'😐 like novel as in 250-300 pages long.
Honestly I've no idea about these things, heck I don't even go to the graphic novel or comic section in my library😂😂😂
I thought it's called graphic 'novel'😐 like novel as in 250-300 pages long.
Honestly I've no idea about these things, heck I don't even go to the graphic novel or comic section in my library😂😂😂
October 9, 2018
It’s got the potential to be a good story.
October 24, 2018
Let's be clear: Jen Bartel is a goddess. Obviously, the cover for this series is fantastic and the interior art (for the most part) matches it as well. This first issue is a lot of flashback and setup so it's hard to make a judgement call on the writing just yet. Feels very YA-ish, also picking up some The Wicked + The Divine vibes.
Interested to see where this goes and will keep picking it up.
Interested to see where this goes and will keep picking it up.
January 13, 2020
beautiful art work. reminds me a lot of wicked and the divine storywise. the pacing was bit off.
July 27, 2019
Los colores que maneja y las ilustraciones son muy lindos, respecto a la historia no se que esperar porque no fue lo que esperaba, ya quiero ver que pasa en el siguiente.
August 14, 2019
The novel is actually great!!!
April 14, 2020
#StripoviTokomIzolacije
Image Comics (https://imagecomics.com/comics/read-f...) sada nude besplatno čitanje prvih izdanja nekih od njihovih stripova. Kako nemam pametnija posla trenutno, izabrala sam 20 stripova po vrlo jasnom kriterijumu zvanom "dopala mi se naslovna".
Prvi koji mi je zapao za oko bio je Blackbird. Nažalost, iako je prelepo ilustrovan u nekom neo-noar fazonu, radnja nema apsolutno nikakvog smisla. Sve se toliko brzo odvija da ne stignete ništa ni da shvatite i sve nekako deluje natrpano.
Nina Rodrigez je predvidela zemljotres. Tad se pojavilo neko ogromno stvorenje. Nestala joj je mačka u zemljotresu. Niste još ni svarili priču o svemu tome kada saznajete da joj je otac varao majku. Majka je zatim poginula u saobraćajki.
Deset godina kasnije, Nina radi u nekom baru, živi kod sestre i veruje u magiju. Jedne večeri nakon posla nalazi nekakvu ogrlicu, neki magični portal se otvara, pojavljuju se nekakvi čarobnjaci, sestru joj kidnapuje ono ogromno stvorenje s početka priče, i na kraju se pojavljuje njena davno izgubljena mačka koja sada izgleda kao da je izašla iz Sailor Moon-a.
Ako ste išta pohvatali, svaka čast. Ovo bih više nazvala YA stripom. Tu je i gomila "OMG!" oblačića i sam način na koji je napisano ne dozvoljava vam da ozbiljno shvatite ovu priču.
Image Comics (https://imagecomics.com/comics/read-f...) sada nude besplatno čitanje prvih izdanja nekih od njihovih stripova. Kako nemam pametnija posla trenutno, izabrala sam 20 stripova po vrlo jasnom kriterijumu zvanom "dopala mi se naslovna".
Prvi koji mi je zapao za oko bio je Blackbird. Nažalost, iako je prelepo ilustrovan u nekom neo-noar fazonu, radnja nema apsolutno nikakvog smisla. Sve se toliko brzo odvija da ne stignete ništa ni da shvatite i sve nekako deluje natrpano.
Nina Rodrigez je predvidela zemljotres. Tad se pojavilo neko ogromno stvorenje. Nestala joj je mačka u zemljotresu. Niste još ni svarili priču o svemu tome kada saznajete da joj je otac varao majku. Majka je zatim poginula u saobraćajki.
Deset godina kasnije, Nina radi u nekom baru, živi kod sestre i veruje u magiju. Jedne večeri nakon posla nalazi nekakvu ogrlicu, neki magični portal se otvara, pojavljuju se nekakvi čarobnjaci, sestru joj kidnapuje ono ogromno stvorenje s početka priče, i na kraju se pojavljuje njena davno izgubljena mačka koja sada izgleda kao da je izašla iz Sailor Moon-a.
Ako ste išta pohvatali, svaka čast. Ovo bih više nazvala YA stripom. Tu je i gomila "OMG!" oblačića i sam način na koji je napisano ne dozvoljava vam da ozbiljno shvatite ovu priču.
February 6, 2019
Pretty interesting first issue! Reminds me a bit of Wicked + The Divine, the artwork is amazing! Will definitely check this out in trade!
April 7, 2024
Not off to a bad start; I really like this comic series, so far. Beautiful digital art and a great idea for plot. I cannot wait to read more.
June 10, 2019
The cover art pulled me to read this and so far good. I like the art but the story seems like all the YA books. Let's see how the second issue goes
July 25, 2021
The art style is stunning, the storytelling is a little clunky.
November 25, 2021
I almost didn't finish Blackbird, but it seemed silly to DNF a comic. They're too short not to finish, you know? I also kept hoping the story would improve, but Nina was an incredibly frustrating character. She remembers magic that no one else does, and it quickly becomes an obsession.
I feel like the first issue of a new comic has to be informative, which Blackbird was not. Nina was able to predict a natural disaster before it happened, but it never tells you why. Mysterious, magical beings erase everyone's memory, but Nina managed to trick them into thinking she had forgotten. Again... how?
Fast forward (potential spoilers ahead)… she's doing drugs and abusing her prescriptions. She starts living with her sister after nearly dying, and promised to stop taking pills. Unsurprisingly, Nina is still taking pills and does a poor job of hiding it. Her life is a mess, her thoughts make zero sense (which might have something to do with how it was presented), and she still behaves liked a spoiled child.
I have no idea how she "stumbled" across a magical bracelet and knew exactly what it was. The language and magic were knew to me, but none of it was explained. At the end, she proves to be selfish and immature. Oh, and there's a cat with three eyes. I loved his name: Sharpie. This will not be a comic I continue reading in the future.
I feel like the first issue of a new comic has to be informative, which Blackbird was not. Nina was able to predict a natural disaster before it happened, but it never tells you why. Mysterious, magical beings erase everyone's memory, but Nina managed to trick them into thinking she had forgotten. Again... how?
Fast forward (potential spoilers ahead)… she's doing drugs and abusing her prescriptions. She starts living with her sister after nearly dying, and promised to stop taking pills. Unsurprisingly, Nina is still taking pills and does a poor job of hiding it. Her life is a mess, her thoughts make zero sense (which might have something to do with how it was presented), and she still behaves liked a spoiled child.
I have no idea how she "stumbled" across a magical bracelet and knew exactly what it was. The language and magic were knew to me, but none of it was explained. At the end, she proves to be selfish and immature. Oh, and there's a cat with three eyes. I loved his name: Sharpie. This will not be a comic I continue reading in the future.
December 31, 2019
This is so hard to rate. The artwork? Stunning! Like maybe the most beautiful I’ve read. The plot? So cool, like out of this world awesome, I want more. The DIALOGUE seems like it was written by a child...one with no ambition to write. It was so juvenile and choppy ): I admit because of the things I loved about it, I’m picking the next volume up and praying for improvement. But damn, what a bummer.
TW: grief, loss of parent, drug addiction and car accident.
TW: grief, loss of parent, drug addiction and car accident.
July 25, 2019
Complete garbage. Trying to rip off Wicked+Divine, even down to the art, but the writing is the absolute worst ever.
March 22, 2020
Art was really nice, but the story? Not so much. I know with issues of comics it can be hard to develop the story because of the limited pages, but this was still a bit of a mess. Nina was pretty annoying, I know she’s going through a lot but I still couldn’t really connect with her. I found the storyline to be a bit jumbled as well and wish it was a bit more cohesive. Luckily for me this issue was available to read for free though Image so I didn’t spend money (or much time) on it. The ending does have me a bit interested to see how the story goes and if it gets better so would possibly read another issue from the library or something.
March 14, 2021
As the very first issue in the series, I suppose it's not surprising how rushed and choppy it feels. The writing also felt very forced and unnatural. That said, the art is absolutely stunning and I AM interested in what the magical world will bring, so might continue reading these!
December 13, 2018
Çizimlere BA-YIL-DIM 😍
March 13, 2021
I would have given this 2 stars for the story. It was really just meh. The writing and plot could be better. But I am still giving this 3 stars mainly for the beautiful art.
April 13, 2021
The artwork in this graphic novel is gorgeous! I wish I can have a physical copy of it! I also love how fast-paced it is but without leaving important details!
January 23, 2021
Stunning. The illustrations are so absolutely breathtaking. I really like the magical aspects of the story and the broken family dynamics and familial relationships
October 3, 2018
First, can we just talk about how amazing the cover for this issue is? I’ll be honest with you and say that it’s the main thing that caught my attention and made me want to read this series. Totally not ashamed to admit that. Everything about this cover (and the alternates I’ve seen as well) is perfect.
This was a decent start to a new series. It had some show/tell issues, as well as some pacing issues, but on the whole it was really interesting. I think the next few issues are where we’ll really get to dig our teeth into the series though. Now that the backstory is out of the way, they’ll be freer to explore the parts of the story that you can tell they’ve been really looking forward to. So while I wasn’t blown away with the start of this series, I have no doubt that I’ll continue reading it.
The character designs are striking, but the characters themselves are still a little flat. This would be one of the show/tell issues I was talking about. We know all about the main characters hopes, dreams, and regrets…but I still don’t feel connected to her at all. I think with time we could see her develop more, giving us more of a chance to care about her.
The artwork has been amazing so far. Especially the more ethereal parts. I don’t want to ruin any of them by trying to describe them – but part of me wishes that one particular scene had been on the cover (though that would have been a spoiler, so I understand the decision not to do that).
This was a decent start to a new series. It had some show/tell issues, as well as some pacing issues, but on the whole it was really interesting. I think the next few issues are where we’ll really get to dig our teeth into the series though. Now that the backstory is out of the way, they’ll be freer to explore the parts of the story that you can tell they’ve been really looking forward to. So while I wasn’t blown away with the start of this series, I have no doubt that I’ll continue reading it.
The character designs are striking, but the characters themselves are still a little flat. This would be one of the show/tell issues I was talking about. We know all about the main characters hopes, dreams, and regrets…but I still don’t feel connected to her at all. I think with time we could see her develop more, giving us more of a chance to care about her.
The artwork has been amazing so far. Especially the more ethereal parts. I don’t want to ruin any of them by trying to describe them – but part of me wishes that one particular scene had been on the cover (though that would have been a spoiler, so I understand the decision not to do that).
October 4, 2018
Had High hopes for this, mediocre at best.The story is rushed, and a bit cringe around in the beginning when she arrives at the oasis cafe, that part just felt very random.
When she found the paragon Cirque bracelet thing, the rest of the story was just...a big no.The character is very sassy, the story and narration is just bad.But a two stars instead of one because Jen Bartel is amazing.
Not the best comic I have read, and may possibly be the worst as there is barely any character development and the plot is very cliche, but the art is pretty good.
When she found the paragon Cirque bracelet thing, the rest of the story was just...a big no.The character is very sassy, the story and narration is just bad.But a two stars instead of one because Jen Bartel is amazing.
Not the best comic I have read, and may possibly be the worst as there is barely any character development and the plot is very cliche, but the art is pretty good.
January 6, 2019
This was a pretty strong first issue! I picked this up since I love Jen Bartel's art, and I'm intrigued by the story. I like the main character, Nina, and I liked the relationship between her and her sister.
There are a lot of questions brought up that aren't answered, but since it's a first issue, it doesn't bother me. I'll definitely be picking up future issues or the collected volume in the future.
content warnings: earthquake, parent death, drug use/addiction
I read the physical edition, not the Kindle edition, but whatever.
There are a lot of questions brought up that aren't answered, but since it's a first issue, it doesn't bother me. I'll definitely be picking up future issues or the collected volume in the future.
content warnings: earthquake, parent death, drug use/addiction
November 1, 2019
Vaya ilustraciones tan preciosas, la paleta de colores que usa me tiene enamorada.
Y la historia promete bastante.
Me ha encantado!
Y la historia promete bastante.
Me ha encantado!
May 28, 2024
I tried to like this book, okay?
To be fair, I think this book is aimed towards the "Young Adult Fiction" genre, in which case it kinda fits the theme (young-adult-me would still be confused).
The plot was too quick (on one page the MC calls a guy a creep and on the next page she's close to kissing him). Even worse, only some of the plot is explained within the story, and you have to fill in the rest on your own. I actually thought the book's pages got stuck together in some places because the story talked about one idea and then jumped to another without any kind of transition or explanation.
The characters also read like Young Adult characters; they made impulsive decisions, they had minor cursing and cringey one-liners, and everyone (especially the adults) withheld information that could have easily and reasonably been explained to deescalate conflict.
I appreciated the art-style, the effects of substance abuse portrayed through different characters, and the one or two plot-twists, but those aren't enough to save this Swiss-cheese-sandwich-of-a-story.
This is only Volume 1, and hopefully it picks up/more things are explained within the books following this one, but this will be my first and last read in this series
To be fair, I think this book is aimed towards the "Young Adult Fiction" genre, in which case it kinda fits the theme (young-adult-me would still be confused).
The plot was too quick (on one page the MC calls a guy a creep and on the next page she's close to kissing him). Even worse, only some of the plot is explained within the story, and you have to fill in the rest on your own. I actually thought the book's pages got stuck together in some places because the story talked about one idea and then jumped to another without any kind of transition or explanation.
The characters also read like Young Adult characters; they made impulsive decisions, they had minor cursing and cringey one-liners, and everyone (especially the adults) withheld information that could have easily and reasonably been explained to deescalate conflict.
I appreciated the art-style, the effects of substance abuse portrayed through different characters, and the one or two plot-twists, but those aren't enough to save this Swiss-cheese-sandwich-of-a-story.
This is only Volume 1, and hopefully it picks up/more things are explained within the books following this one, but this will be my first and last read in this series
Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews