What do you think?
Rate this book
Excellence #1-6
Excellence, Vol. 1: Kill the Past
Spencer Dales was born into a world of magic. His father belongs to the Aegis, a secret society of black magicians ordered by their unseen masters to better the lives of others-of higher potential-but never themselves.
Now it's time for Spencer to follow in his father's footsteps, but all he sees is a broken system in need of someone with the wand and the will to change it. But in this fight for a better future...who will stand beside him?
KHARY RANDOLPH and BRANDON THOMAS ignite a generational war in this action-fantasy series, made entirely by creators of color, and committed to one truth above all others-Excellence is Real.
Collects EXCELLENCE #1-6.
Now it's time for Spencer to follow in his father's footsteps, but all he sees is a broken system in need of someone with the wand and the will to change it. But in this fight for a better future...who will stand beside him?
KHARY RANDOLPH and BRANDON THOMAS ignite a generational war in this action-fantasy series, made entirely by creators of color, and committed to one truth above all others-Excellence is Real.
Collects EXCELLENCE #1-6.
160 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2019
19 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Thomas
221 books37 followersBrandon Thomas is the writer and co-creator of critically-acclaimed comics series EXCELLENCE (Skybound/Image), HORIZON (Skybound/Image) and THE MANY ADVENTURES OF MIRANDA MERCURY. Previous work includes the comics series NOBLE (Lion Forge), VOLTRON (Dynamite), and FANTASTIC FOUR TALES (Marvel).
NOBLE #1 was awarded the Fist Award for Best International Comic by the 2017 Lagos Comic-Con, in recognition of best usage of characters/stories based on persons of African descent. NOBLE was also nominated for 2019 Glyph Comics Awards in six categories: Story Of The Year; Best Cover (winner); Best Writer; Best Artist (winner); Best Male Character (winner); and Best Female Character.
Since 2003, Brandon has written comics for several publishers, including Marvel, Lion Forge, Arcade, Dynamite, and DC Entertainment, and has published over 300 original columns as part of the Ambidextrous series. His first creator-owned project THE MANY ADVENTURES OF MIRANDA MERCURY shipped from Archaia Entertainment to widespread critical success, leading to his biggest comics projects to date — the sci-fi conspiracy thriller HORIZON (co-created with artist Juan Gedeon), and the action fantasy series EXCELLENCE (co-created with artist Khary Randolph) — both published by Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment.
Brandon also hosts The Two Brandons podcast with Eisner-Nominated writer Brandon Easton (Transformers: War For Cybertron, Star Trek: Year Five, Vampire Hunter D: The Series).
He lives and writes in Southern California with his wife and son.
NOBLE #1 was awarded the Fist Award for Best International Comic by the 2017 Lagos Comic-Con, in recognition of best usage of characters/stories based on persons of African descent. NOBLE was also nominated for 2019 Glyph Comics Awards in six categories: Story Of The Year; Best Cover (winner); Best Writer; Best Artist (winner); Best Male Character (winner); and Best Female Character.
Since 2003, Brandon has written comics for several publishers, including Marvel, Lion Forge, Arcade, Dynamite, and DC Entertainment, and has published over 300 original columns as part of the Ambidextrous series. His first creator-owned project THE MANY ADVENTURES OF MIRANDA MERCURY shipped from Archaia Entertainment to widespread critical success, leading to his biggest comics projects to date — the sci-fi conspiracy thriller HORIZON (co-created with artist Juan Gedeon), and the action fantasy series EXCELLENCE (co-created with artist Khary Randolph) — both published by Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment.
Brandon also hosts The Two Brandons podcast with Eisner-Nominated writer Brandon Easton (Transformers: War For Cybertron, Star Trek: Year Five, Vampire Hunter D: The Series).
He lives and writes in Southern California with his wife and son.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
March 13, 2021
In modern-day New York City, Black fairy godfathers use their magic to help White schmucks achieve their full potential. If they do not follow the generations-old racist and sexist rules of using magic, they are punished by a white-hooded Overseer.
A very provocative set-up stumbles in the execution as I had difficulty following the story panel-by-panel and the protagonist is so obsessed with his father and spends so much time in internecine struggles that the plot gets bogged down in introspection and emotional noodling instead of movement toward rebellion against the status quo. But there are several intriguing characters and things started to come together toward the very end, so I'll probably pick up the next volume to see where this is going.
A very provocative set-up stumbles in the execution as I had difficulty following the story panel-by-panel and the protagonist is so obsessed with his father and spends so much time in internecine struggles that the plot gets bogged down in introspection and emotional noodling instead of movement toward rebellion against the status quo. But there are several intriguing characters and things started to come together toward the very end, so I'll probably pick up the next volume to see where this is going.
April 30, 2020
I absolutely love that this pokes at the "magical negro" trope! This volume did a pretty decent job of building the world, explaining the basic structure of the magic system, and setting up the characters. The artwork was absolutely fantastic as well!
However, once all the initial set up was done, it got a bit bogged down with an unsteady plot progression and odd narration choices. I'm slightly unsure of the how and why of the conclusion to volume 1 and while I'm hoping that volume 2 will provide some clarity I'm not getting my hopes too high up.
However, once all the initial set up was done, it got a bit bogged down with an unsteady plot progression and odd narration choices. I'm slightly unsure of the how and why of the conclusion to volume 1 and while I'm hoping that volume 2 will provide some clarity I'm not getting my hopes too high up.
December 4, 2019
The plot was way too jumbled for me. Plus neither character really interested me
April 1, 2021
Magic theme stories normally aren't my thing. But this one's setting was different enough to be intrigued. Solid art throughout as well but the jumping of time periods was jarring to say the least.
September 10, 2020
While there's an obvious colour scheme and style going through the book, I would not say that the volume is heavily stylised or anything. It does come across as a bit cold, but that does fit with the theme of estranged father son relationships I guess?
Gender was a pretty big theme in the book. As I said, the plot line is about an estranged father son relationship. Mother cares but is often pushed to the side because of "the blood line" overtones. While I certainly didn't hate the book for it, this ongoing very pseudo traditional idea of the chosen one, blood and father headship really did rub me the wrong way throughout. It also didn't help that I felt like these things were more told to me, rather then shown. Like how much longer it took Spencer to come into his own, for example, is apparently a huge rift between him and his father, but we jump right through that and only briefly reference it later. I guess in pursuit of the "big" plot points? I don't know.
Race is also an obvious point of focus for the book.
Class isn't really discussed, because everyone seems pretty well off. Not a chosen one story about a journey to the top, it's more about the risk that Spencer may be on a journey downward. But then he challenges the status quo.
Ability and disability is perhaps flirted with, given that Spender's potential to not have the magical ability his father is looking for would place him beneath perfectly able. But, as I said, that's brushed over somewhat inexplicably.
Couldn't help seeing all the connections between this and Monday's review, Bitter Root. Ultimately, Bitter Root was a bit more for me but there's plenty of people out there who also enjoy this title. If this sounds like something you might enjoy, do not hesitate to pick it up. Two out of five stars is pretty low for some people, but in my book OK is still a decent rating.
Gender was a pretty big theme in the book. As I said, the plot line is about an estranged father son relationship. Mother cares but is often pushed to the side because of "the blood line" overtones. While I certainly didn't hate the book for it, this ongoing very pseudo traditional idea of the chosen one, blood and father headship really did rub me the wrong way throughout. It also didn't help that I felt like these things were more told to me, rather then shown. Like how much longer it took Spencer to come into his own, for example, is apparently a huge rift between him and his father, but we jump right through that and only briefly reference it later. I guess in pursuit of the "big" plot points? I don't know.
Race is also an obvious point of focus for the book.
Class isn't really discussed, because everyone seems pretty well off. Not a chosen one story about a journey to the top, it's more about the risk that Spencer may be on a journey downward. But then he challenges the status quo.
Ability and disability is perhaps flirted with, given that Spender's potential to not have the magical ability his father is looking for would place him beneath perfectly able. But, as I said, that's brushed over somewhat inexplicably.
Couldn't help seeing all the connections between this and Monday's review, Bitter Root. Ultimately, Bitter Root was a bit more for me but there's plenty of people out there who also enjoy this title. If this sounds like something you might enjoy, do not hesitate to pick it up. Two out of five stars is pretty low for some people, but in my book OK is still a decent rating.
November 20, 2019
If the majority of superheroes are built on science-fiction (most notably the Marvel characters), the fantasy equivalent to them would be magicians, some of the most iconic of which have appeared in the pages of DC. Nowadays, at least in popular culture, the common idea towards wizardry would be Harry Potter and since then, numerous creators have put their own spin on J.K. Rowling’s coming-of-age fantasy. A great example is Excellence, the latest title from Brandon Thomas and Khary Randolph for Image.
Please click here for my full review.
Please click here for my full review.
January 26, 2021
2.5 stars
An interesting high-concept fantasy premise, but the allegorical story ends up way too didactic. The message it delivers is a worthwhile one about racial oppression and generational conflicts around how to best overthrow it, with the young and righteously angry looking to burn it all down now whatever the consequences and an older generation more scarred with experience and interested in working from within the system. Unfortunately it feels like the characters and world were reverse-engineered to deliver a thesis Thomas was set on before he started writing rather than writing a story and letting nuanced interpretations arise from it more organically. It’s also just very on the nose at times, with the apparent big bad literally at the top of the system being a luminous white figure with no face in a hooded robe, like a magical Klansman. There are still some interesting character moments here, but not nearly enough to care about these characters themselves beyond the symbols they exist as to support the broader thesis.
The art is well done and definitely not bad, but it’s in the Dragonball anime meets hip hop style of early 2000s Toonami that has never appealed to me. That’s a matter of taste though, and I’m sure plenty of people will love it. Less a matter of taste is how boring the magic infrastructure tends to look, often just plain geometric shapes in a single color. For such a fantastical concept, those visuals should be much more imaginative. The covers are all really great, though.
An interesting high-concept fantasy premise, but the allegorical story ends up way too didactic. The message it delivers is a worthwhile one about racial oppression and generational conflicts around how to best overthrow it, with the young and righteously angry looking to burn it all down now whatever the consequences and an older generation more scarred with experience and interested in working from within the system. Unfortunately it feels like the characters and world were reverse-engineered to deliver a thesis Thomas was set on before he started writing rather than writing a story and letting nuanced interpretations arise from it more organically. It’s also just very on the nose at times, with the apparent big bad literally at the top of the system being a luminous white figure with no face in a hooded robe, like a magical Klansman. There are still some interesting character moments here, but not nearly enough to care about these characters themselves beyond the symbols they exist as to support the broader thesis.
The art is well done and definitely not bad, but it’s in the Dragonball anime meets hip hop style of early 2000s Toonami that has never appealed to me. That’s a matter of taste though, and I’m sure plenty of people will love it. Less a matter of taste is how boring the magic infrastructure tends to look, often just plain geometric shapes in a single color. For such a fantastical concept, those visuals should be much more imaginative. The covers are all really great, though.
April 22, 2020
I reallyyy wanted to like this one and was so disappointed to have to set it aside midway through, admitting to myself that it just didn't make any sense. It's black Harry Potter, set in modern times, with some twists (magic wielders must protect others, can't attack each other, etc). The rules are hard to comprehend, though, and the characters are ciphers. Somehow Brandon Thomas both drops the reader into the middle of the story and provides a numbing, confusing amount of backstory. The artwork makes Excellence all the more confusing, with lots of zippy zappy lightning splashes that obscure what's going on.
When I set the book down, the main character was fighting and/or teaming up with his brother to save his Grandma and/or destroy the Aegis and/or retrieve his magical abilities. Like, I should be certain in at least one of those plot points! Such a disappointment.
When I set the book down, the main character was fighting and/or teaming up with his brother to save his Grandma and/or destroy the Aegis and/or retrieve his magical abilities. Like, I should be certain in at least one of those plot points! Such a disappointment.
June 29, 2020
The heart of the story is a family drama - a son who wants his father's recognition. This is all told in a world of magic controlled by a secret order of black magicians. This world is full of rules on when, how, and who can perform magic. Spencer is in a mission to revolutionize the magic using world.
The art in this series is great. The magic spells really pop off the pages and captures a lot of action. I had trouble following all the magic rules. And the rules are just kind of there with no explanation as to why. For example, women are not allowed to use magic but no reason as to why. The writer does an excellent job of capturing Spencer's anger at the world - you can almost feel every action coming from that anger and wanting.
While the family drama aspect of the story is good, I was left wanting more knowledge of how the magic world works. I'm debating if I will continue the series.
The art in this series is great. The magic spells really pop off the pages and captures a lot of action. I had trouble following all the magic rules. And the rules are just kind of there with no explanation as to why. For example, women are not allowed to use magic but no reason as to why. The writer does an excellent job of capturing Spencer's anger at the world - you can almost feel every action coming from that anger and wanting.
While the family drama aspect of the story is good, I was left wanting more knowledge of how the magic world works. I'm debating if I will continue the series.
March 26, 2023
Taking the Magical Negro trope (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...) and making it literal, then subverting it, is fodder for this Fantasy story that critiques society. It gets a bit lost in the weeds, though, especially when it plays the Daddy Issues trope straight, undercutting its message. Decent overall, though.
June 25, 2022
Awesome story about brotherhood, coming of age, love, family and fighting for liberation. The drawings are... fabulous !
A lot of cursing that didn't always feel necessary / justified but aside from that, it was great !
A lot of cursing that didn't always feel necessary / justified but aside from that, it was great !
March 9, 2022
Overall a good read but a few story elements felt like something was missing
November 9, 2021
I'm in love with this series. I'm just getting back into comics after a few years of not following any ongoing series, and Excellence exemplifies everything I love about the medium. The series presents a clear creative vision born of a close partnership between Thomas and Randolph, and their absolute passion for the project shows through on every single page.
Thomas and Randolph craft a rich, imaginative world and deliberately reveal details about that world in each issue. Rather than explain everything all at once, the creators depict the fantasy setting of the story through carefully designed panels and perfectly paced narrative choices. The series follows Spencer Dales, a burgeoning magician who is born into a powerful organization of Black wizards, the Aegis. These wizards operate underneath an alternate version of our present world, aiding White (i.e. "deserving") people through all stages of their lives and careers.
The fantasy world operates more as an extended metaphor for privilege and racial inequality than an allegory, and this is done expertly -- neither overly didactic nor too obscuratory. The creators have a message albeit a nuanced and complicated one. "Excellence is Real" is the tagline for the book -- Spencer and the other characters of color that populate the series are fully realized and fully real, with shortcomings and warts not dimming their deserved excellence a bit.
The aspect of the book that has me most hooked, though, is the central focus of Spencer's relationship with his father. Not many comics (this side of Saga) delve into complex, realistic relationships between parents and their children. Though the relationship between Spencer and his father at first seems a bit one-dimensional, with Spencer angry at his father for pushing him (to the point of outright abuse) in his magical training, Thomas reveals more complexities to their relationship in each issue. I'm very much looking forward to following this series as it continues.
Thomas and Randolph craft a rich, imaginative world and deliberately reveal details about that world in each issue. Rather than explain everything all at once, the creators depict the fantasy setting of the story through carefully designed panels and perfectly paced narrative choices. The series follows Spencer Dales, a burgeoning magician who is born into a powerful organization of Black wizards, the Aegis. These wizards operate underneath an alternate version of our present world, aiding White (i.e. "deserving") people through all stages of their lives and careers.
The fantasy world operates more as an extended metaphor for privilege and racial inequality than an allegory, and this is done expertly -- neither overly didactic nor too obscuratory. The creators have a message albeit a nuanced and complicated one. "Excellence is Real" is the tagline for the book -- Spencer and the other characters of color that populate the series are fully realized and fully real, with shortcomings and warts not dimming their deserved excellence a bit.
The aspect of the book that has me most hooked, though, is the central focus of Spencer's relationship with his father. Not many comics (this side of Saga) delve into complex, realistic relationships between parents and their children. Though the relationship between Spencer and his father at first seems a bit one-dimensional, with Spencer angry at his father for pushing him (to the point of outright abuse) in his magical training, Thomas reveals more complexities to their relationship in each issue. I'm very much looking forward to following this series as it continues.
May 22, 2023
I didn’t love this. I fully expected to, based on the premise, but the execution was lacking. It was more confusing than it needed to be, and that’s such a shame because the story had good bones.
I’ll probably still read the next volume, but I’m not in a rush to do so. I’m more than a little disappointed, to be honest.
I’ll probably still read the next volume, but I’m not in a rush to do so. I’m more than a little disappointed, to be honest.
April 7, 2023
Read Harder 2023 - Task #22 ALT {comics team}
November 25, 2020
Excellence carves out its own space in the coming-of-age magical hero genre. It features a main cast of black characters who presumably live in some city in the US during modern times, possibly New York, but it features no captions or obvious imagery tying it to that place. It features a narrative that leans heavily on one character’s narration, and from that close-up view of someone living out the story, not in its raw state, but in a reflective and contemplative observation of various interlocking parts working in conjuction, comes a deeply personal story of one person, protagonist Spencer Dales. He deals with self inadequacy and the constant threat of being put to the test in a world that is constrictive and abusive, forcing Dales into enmity with those he should be close to, namely his dad and his old friend. This is is a story of control and patriarchy and family and friends, but its scope is limited to those people that Spencer Dales comes across, and there are hardly scenes without some consequence on his life.
The art features characters with bold facial details without looking cartoony and fluid action scenes of people running and punching and zapping others with spells. It has magic that looks striking and vivid, whenever the characters use offensive magic it somehow transforms the whole screen into a twisted version of normal reality through a series of small tweaks, and not anything as exaggerated as it looking visually distorted with spaces shrinked or expanded. Sometimes the artist manipulates perspective to show something with exaggerated shape, like a man striding through jail looking tall and unconquered, or a large hand gripping a razor, looking powerful and precise. The coloring is a variable thing in terms of what effect it conveys rather than in terms of quality.
This is not a straightforward tale, time is bent and secrets are withheld, it does not tell you what to think about the story, but Dales himself tells you what to believe about the things he undergoes. What he does say is always in his voice, never being a simple plot device instead of a character-defining example of who he is. This story is one of the more abstract comic stories I have read, and there is lot of subtext around the journey Dales takes from being young and naïve and ready to please to older and willing to rebel to make the system better, not just let the institution remain an overriding force to keep people in check with promises of incremental change.
The world building in Excellence is very good, as it is unobtrusive and characters do not spend long amounts of time standing around and explaining everything, and instead it is shown piece by piece. Some of it cannot be so easily shown, so the characters do indeed tell, but usually on their own terms and charged with their own identity instead of being raw synopsis of what is happening.
Excellence by writer Brandon Thomas and Artist Khary Randolph is not just an adventure book for fun and magic, but seemingly an allegory for greater things, a deeply personal tale with universal themes. That being said, I read this broken up over a three weeks and I had some trouble piecing it all together, it is just so dense and nuanced and broken up across time.
The art features characters with bold facial details without looking cartoony and fluid action scenes of people running and punching and zapping others with spells. It has magic that looks striking and vivid, whenever the characters use offensive magic it somehow transforms the whole screen into a twisted version of normal reality through a series of small tweaks, and not anything as exaggerated as it looking visually distorted with spaces shrinked or expanded. Sometimes the artist manipulates perspective to show something with exaggerated shape, like a man striding through jail looking tall and unconquered, or a large hand gripping a razor, looking powerful and precise. The coloring is a variable thing in terms of what effect it conveys rather than in terms of quality.
This is not a straightforward tale, time is bent and secrets are withheld, it does not tell you what to think about the story, but Dales himself tells you what to believe about the things he undergoes. What he does say is always in his voice, never being a simple plot device instead of a character-defining example of who he is. This story is one of the more abstract comic stories I have read, and there is lot of subtext around the journey Dales takes from being young and naïve and ready to please to older and willing to rebel to make the system better, not just let the institution remain an overriding force to keep people in check with promises of incremental change.
The world building in Excellence is very good, as it is unobtrusive and characters do not spend long amounts of time standing around and explaining everything, and instead it is shown piece by piece. Some of it cannot be so easily shown, so the characters do indeed tell, but usually on their own terms and charged with their own identity instead of being raw synopsis of what is happening.
Excellence by writer Brandon Thomas and Artist Khary Randolph is not just an adventure book for fun and magic, but seemingly an allegory for greater things, a deeply personal tale with universal themes. That being said, I read this broken up over a three weeks and I had some trouble piecing it all together, it is just so dense and nuanced and broken up across time.
February 10, 2020
A lot of people don't like to have politics in the stuff they read. But there is something that can be done right when it shows up. You have African-Americans who are given magic by this higher power for generations, but it's exclusive to men. What do they do it for? To help improve the lives of people with more quality life potential than them; all of which are more or less white people.
Spencer Dale however won't have it. Born without any natural talents and his father nurturing him to be a weapon causes a rough upbringing. All because being under the thumb of some oppressive magic overseers forces him to. Both Spencer and his dad want to change things for the better. The father however plays it too safe and takes steps to have his way. A lot of people like to say that love is the only way to make real change and save the world. Unfortunately, that same love can become toxic and sometimes it's just more appropriate to get angry. Because even though you love something or someone, that doesn't always mean they deserve forgiveness or trust if it's not under circumstance. Circumstances can be changed, people's nature however can't. It's not a friendly story by any means, but it's not supposed to be and that's a good thing.
Spencer Dale however won't have it. Born without any natural talents and his father nurturing him to be a weapon causes a rough upbringing. All because being under the thumb of some oppressive magic overseers forces him to. Both Spencer and his dad want to change things for the better. The father however plays it too safe and takes steps to have his way. A lot of people like to say that love is the only way to make real change and save the world. Unfortunately, that same love can become toxic and sometimes it's just more appropriate to get angry. Because even though you love something or someone, that doesn't always mean they deserve forgiveness or trust if it's not under circumstance. Circumstances can be changed, people's nature however can't. It's not a friendly story by any means, but it's not supposed to be and that's a good thing.
August 21, 2020
Great artwork, and an interesting setting full of promise, but I couldn't get into the plot itself. The writing is probably my biggest problem- the moments that I enjoyed most from this volume are without words. Sometimes they over-explain what the art is already perfectly able to convey, sometimes it starts to be cliche, usually it's over-bearing. I dig the idea of this series, and what it's doing, but I don't think it's executed well enough for me to want to continue reading it.
March 25, 2022
First off this Kickstarter edition is fantastic looking. The cover art is incredible and the metallic red edges make me happy to look at.
I was not familiar with this story but it sounded pretty cool so I backed this version. I was not disappointed in my decision. The artwork throughout is incredible and the concept of their magical organization is pretty great. I am looking forward to reading more in the story.
I recommend this to anyone who likes magic in their comics.
I was not familiar with this story but it sounded pretty cool so I backed this version. I was not disappointed in my decision. The artwork throughout is incredible and the concept of their magical organization is pretty great. I am looking forward to reading more in the story.
I recommend this to anyone who likes magic in their comics.
June 18, 2020
Promising start, with some very intriguing world building and interesting characters, this volume very much felt like and intro / prologue and I look forward to seeing where they take the story next.
March 10, 2020
Όταν είχα δει το τεύχος #1 του Excellence στον κατάλογο προπαραγγελιών της Diamond είχα εντυπωσιαστεί απ' το σχέδιο των δειγμάτων που είχε και η ιστορία μου φάνηκε αρκετά ενδιαφέρουσα τότε.
Έξι τεύχη μετά, θεωρώ ότι το οπτικό κομμάτι της σειράς είναι εκπληκτικό. Το σχέδιο του Randolph είναι υπέροχο και οι χρωματισμοί του Lopez είναι πάρα πολύ καλοί. Αρκετά πολύχρωμο για να σε εντυπωσιάζει αλλά οχι τόσο ώστε να κουράζει ή να τραβά περισσότερο το ενδιαφέρον από όσο χρειάζεται.
Μακάρι να μπορούσα να πω το ανάλογο για την ιστορία. Η κεντρίκη ιδέα (ή τουλάχιστον ό,τι κατάφερα να καταλάβω από αυτήν) έχει ενδιαφέρον. Πραγματεύεται ζητήματα όπως η σχέση ενός παιδιού με τους γονείς του, η καταπίεση και άλλα. Ο κόσμος της μαγείας που φαίνεται να τρέχει παράλληλα με το δικό μας κόσμο χωρίς εμείς, οι απλοί άνθρωποι, να το αντιλαμβανόμαστε επίσης είναι καλό σαν σύλληψη, αλλά ακόμα δεν αναπτύσσεται και πολύ καλά σε αυτό το πρώτο story arc.
Το μεγάλο πρόβλημα είναι ότι η υπόθεση είναι πάρα πολύ μπλεγμένη και ο κόσμος του Excellence είναι αρκετά περίπλοκος, χωρίς να μας εξηγούνται πολλά πράγματα. Και όσο προχωράει η ιστορία αντί να απαντώνται ερωτήματα δημιουργούνται συνεχώς νέα. Υποτίθεται ότι τα 6 πρώτα τεύχη αποτελούν ένα ενιαίο story arc, αλλά στην πραγματικότητα μέχρι το τέλος αυτού έχουν εξηγηθεί πολύ λίγα πράγματα. Μόνο λίγες σκόρπιες πληροφορίες δίνονται από εδώ κι από κει, αλλά δεν φτάνουν για να κατανοήσουμε τον κόσμο του.
Αυτός είναι κι ο λόγος που δεν θα αγοράσω τον δεύτερο τόμο, αν δεν διαβάσω πρώτα κριτικές που να με πείσουν ότι στη συνέχεια το σύμπαν της σειράς αναλύεται καλύτερα.
Έξι τεύχη μετά, θεωρώ ότι το οπτικό κομμάτι της σειράς είναι εκπληκτικό. Το σχέδιο του Randolph είναι υπέροχο και οι χρωματισμοί του Lopez είναι πάρα πολύ καλοί. Αρκετά πολύχρωμο για να σε εντυπωσιάζει αλλά οχι τόσο ώστε να κουράζει ή να τραβά περισσότερο το ενδιαφέρον από όσο χρειάζεται.
Μακάρι να μπορούσα να πω το ανάλογο για την ιστορία. Η κεντρίκη ιδέα (ή τουλάχιστον ό,τι κατάφερα να καταλάβω από αυτήν) έχει ενδιαφέρον. Πραγματεύεται ζητήματα όπως η σχέση ενός παιδιού με τους γονείς του, η καταπίεση και άλλα. Ο κόσμος της μαγείας που φαίνεται να τρέχει παράλληλα με το δικό μας κόσμο χωρίς εμείς, οι απλοί άνθρωποι, να το αντιλαμβανόμαστε επίσης είναι καλό σαν σύλληψη, αλλά ακόμα δεν αναπτύσσεται και πολύ καλά σε αυτό το πρώτο story arc.
Το μεγάλο πρόβλημα είναι ότι η υπόθεση είναι πάρα πολύ μπλεγμένη και ο κόσμος του Excellence είναι αρκετά περίπλοκος, χωρίς να μας εξηγούνται πολλά πράγματα. Και όσο προχωράει η ιστορία αντί να απαντώνται ερωτήματα δημιουργούνται συνεχώς νέα. Υποτίθεται ότι τα 6 πρώτα τεύχη αποτελούν ένα ενιαίο story arc, αλλά στην πραγματικότητα μέχρι το τέλος αυτού έχουν εξηγηθεί πολύ λίγα πράγματα. Μόνο λίγες σκόρπιες πληροφορίες δίνονται από εδώ κι από κει, αλλά δεν φτάνουν για να κατανοήσουμε τον κόσμο του.
Αυτός είναι κι ο λόγος που δεν θα αγοράσω τον δεύτερο τόμο, αν δεν διαβάσω πρώτα κριτικές που να με πείσουν ότι στη συνέχεια το σύμπαν της σειράς αναλύεται καλύτερα.
July 30, 2022
Boys and their magic wands ...
There was some good here and some not so good. The setting is: A secret society of African American magicians with the writ to secretly protect people who will be important to history and keep them on their best path. But that part is never really explained or explored.
Instead, the story primarily follows Spencer Dales, the son and heir to one of the ten prominent magic families. Spencer is a late bloomer with regards to magic and his father never misses a chance to let him know how much of a disappointment he is. His father has a prize apprentice, a young man who doesn't come from a magical family, and the apprentice and the son develop a rivalry while they're both chafing against the social system.
The world building could have been better. The magic is pretty undefined. Everybody just points their magic wands and zaps each other. The background scenario of protecting and guiding the world could have been developed more. The art was stylish and pretty good at times, but sometimes it was difficult to follow what was happening. The teenage rebellion, idealism versus establishment, and what that would be like with people at this power level was done well. There was some graphic design pages, kind of like a Jonathan Hickman book, but not as excessive. In fact, I would say the story structure had a bit of Hickman influence as well, where sometimes what was happening wasn't really what was happening.
There was some good here and some not so good. The setting is: A secret society of African American magicians with the writ to secretly protect people who will be important to history and keep them on their best path. But that part is never really explained or explored.
Instead, the story primarily follows Spencer Dales, the son and heir to one of the ten prominent magic families. Spencer is a late bloomer with regards to magic and his father never misses a chance to let him know how much of a disappointment he is. His father has a prize apprentice, a young man who doesn't come from a magical family, and the apprentice and the son develop a rivalry while they're both chafing against the social system.
The world building could have been better. The magic is pretty undefined. Everybody just points their magic wands and zaps each other. The background scenario of protecting and guiding the world could have been developed more. The art was stylish and pretty good at times, but sometimes it was difficult to follow what was happening. The teenage rebellion, idealism versus establishment, and what that would be like with people at this power level was done well. There was some graphic design pages, kind of like a Jonathan Hickman book, but not as excessive. In fact, I would say the story structure had a bit of Hickman influence as well, where sometimes what was happening wasn't really what was happening.
January 8, 2020
Excellence is a story about political and cultural manipulations in a fictional magical society. It focuses on a family embroiled in keeping their "great" legacy and the lengths the patriarch goes to in making that happen, even at the risk of alienating his only son.
WHY I LOVE THE BOOK
The colour scheme of the art is attractive. The worldbuilding is solid and makes you want to know about its world. The fact that the writers and artists are from minority ethnic groups is personally a plus and I am happy to see their talent on display. I cannot wait to see how the story progresses.
DISLIKES
Excellence has all the makings of a classic graphic novel classic - great art, intriguing plot, believable protagonist, etc. However, it falls short (in my view) due to one thing - dialogue. The dialogue does not measure up to the high standards set by other parts of the work. Some sections of the protagonist's internal monologue do not make sense. There are also a few typos.
WHO IS IT FOR
Fantasy fans would like this series. The dynamics and motivations of each character (especially between the protagonist and his father) is a highlight of the story - this would please those who love complex personal relationships in their fantasy tales.
Many thanks to Diamond Books for a review copy.
WHY I LOVE THE BOOK
The colour scheme of the art is attractive. The worldbuilding is solid and makes you want to know about its world. The fact that the writers and artists are from minority ethnic groups is personally a plus and I am happy to see their talent on display. I cannot wait to see how the story progresses.
DISLIKES
Excellence has all the makings of a classic graphic novel classic - great art, intriguing plot, believable protagonist, etc. However, it falls short (in my view) due to one thing - dialogue. The dialogue does not measure up to the high standards set by other parts of the work. Some sections of the protagonist's internal monologue do not make sense. There are also a few typos.
WHO IS IT FOR
Fantasy fans would like this series. The dynamics and motivations of each character (especially between the protagonist and his father) is a highlight of the story - this would please those who love complex personal relationships in their fantasy tales.
Many thanks to Diamond Books for a review copy.
August 29, 2022
I picked this one up on the basis of the artwork. Both the cover and the interior artwork were intriguing, at least at a glance. The artwork loses a little bit in terms of telling the actual story, but is still very good as artwork. It's like watching a film one frame at a time, sometimes, which is frustrating when it happens. The artwork's weakness seemed to be in terms of conveying continuity from one panel to the next, which it did well most of the time, but not always.
Same thing with the writing, unfortunately. I was really looking forward to some serious development of the characters, but that rarely happened, even with the main ones. The back story is sketchy, and the weird side story about the main character's grandmother is not resolved in this volume.
That said, it was mostly a page turner, because I kept wanting to find out what happened next, and to learn more about the characters. That's part of why NOT learning about them was so frustrating. By the end of this book, we know very little about the background of the world, or why the powers that be have limited magic use to men [officially], but allow women to use magic when it suits their purposes.
So, a few too many questions are set up but not resolved, but the writing and art were good enough to get me to finish this volume. I'm truly not sure I will buy volume two, which apparently took years to come out.
Same thing with the writing, unfortunately. I was really looking forward to some serious development of the characters, but that rarely happened, even with the main ones. The back story is sketchy, and the weird side story about the main character's grandmother is not resolved in this volume.
That said, it was mostly a page turner, because I kept wanting to find out what happened next, and to learn more about the characters. That's part of why NOT learning about them was so frustrating. By the end of this book, we know very little about the background of the world, or why the powers that be have limited magic use to men [officially], but allow women to use magic when it suits their purposes.
So, a few too many questions are set up but not resolved, but the writing and art were good enough to get me to finish this volume. I'm truly not sure I will buy volume two, which apparently took years to come out.
July 28, 2022
I'm getting old: angry teen clashing with his obviously wrong father? I definitely read the father as more sympathetic than was warranted. (Given the book's real topic, there's probably more to unpack in the previous sentence than I'm willing to do in this venue.) Regardless, it was a lot of fun trying to piece together the rules of this world.
Spoilers follow.
The quote about "bullshit incremental progress" during the history session near the end was striking.
After the cover art that follows the main story, there's a translation for the alphabet that appears throughout the book. The first passage I decoded (Spencer and Aaron updating the Aegis history) was a Sir Mix-a-Lot reference. Everything else I attempted was either gibberish (it used the alphabet, but translating did not give English words) or used magic rune characters as opposed to the alphabet (I'm curious if the runes can be decoded, but not curious enough to try, especially given the prior point). A cursory internet search did not provide any clarification.
my favorite quote: "Only the unreasonable change the world."
Spoilers follow.
The quote about "bullshit incremental progress" during the history session near the end was striking.
After the cover art that follows the main story, there's a translation for the alphabet that appears throughout the book. The first passage I decoded (Spencer and Aaron updating the Aegis history) was a Sir Mix-a-Lot reference. Everything else I attempted was either gibberish (it used the alphabet, but translating did not give English words) or used magic rune characters as opposed to the alphabet (I'm curious if the runes can be decoded, but not curious enough to try, especially given the prior point). A cursory internet search did not provide any clarification.
my favorite quote: "Only the unreasonable change the world."
November 22, 2019
Warnings: violent physical assault, sick family member, child abuse
Rep: Black main characters
With the setting of a secret magicians' society, and a generation war with a young Black magician out to challenge the system, this book was already something I was quite excited to read. The story is about Spencer, who comes from one of the 10 elite families who make up the Aegis' tree of magicians; only the male members of the family are allowed to learn magic, and even then only for the purpose of approved causes. Each of the young men who advance are assigned a target - they are essentially unseen guardian angel magicians who make sure that these 'targets' have no speedbumps on their road to greatness. When Spencer wants to use the magic to instead help his ailing grandmother, he is punished by the Aegis and his father, until the time comes that he start to take matters into his own hands.
Spencer's arc is a complicated one, filled with insecurity, daddy issues and poor impulse control. His journey is shown through his childhood and teenage years, as he continues to labor under a demanding father who manipulates him because of the former being late to come into his power. With a burden of family name warring with the privilege it provides, Spencer walks a thin line between being cautious and impulsive. His even more complicated relationship with his father's protege, who should be like a brother to him, but was pitted against him, is a significant character arc that was explored quite well in this first volume.
The artwork is a vibrant chaos of colors, with dramatic lighting that sometimes helps and sometimes hinders the emotional value of the scene. The magic and action scenes, however, are perfect in their composition and coloring! The expansive world constructed into this story is shown splendidly by the art, and character design is so cool, I'm quite in love with the style!
Overall - an expansive story with attention to character arcs, combined with eye-catching artwork.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Image Comics, via Edelweiss.
Rep: Black main characters
With the setting of a secret magicians' society, and a generation war with a young Black magician out to challenge the system, this book was already something I was quite excited to read. The story is about Spencer, who comes from one of the 10 elite families who make up the Aegis' tree of magicians; only the male members of the family are allowed to learn magic, and even then only for the purpose of approved causes. Each of the young men who advance are assigned a target - they are essentially unseen guardian angel magicians who make sure that these 'targets' have no speedbumps on their road to greatness. When Spencer wants to use the magic to instead help his ailing grandmother, he is punished by the Aegis and his father, until the time comes that he start to take matters into his own hands.
Spencer's arc is a complicated one, filled with insecurity, daddy issues and poor impulse control. His journey is shown through his childhood and teenage years, as he continues to labor under a demanding father who manipulates him because of the former being late to come into his power. With a burden of family name warring with the privilege it provides, Spencer walks a thin line between being cautious and impulsive. His even more complicated relationship with his father's protege, who should be like a brother to him, but was pitted against him, is a significant character arc that was explored quite well in this first volume.
The artwork is a vibrant chaos of colors, with dramatic lighting that sometimes helps and sometimes hinders the emotional value of the scene. The magic and action scenes, however, are perfect in their composition and coloring! The expansive world constructed into this story is shown splendidly by the art, and character design is so cool, I'm quite in love with the style!
Overall - an expansive story with attention to character arcs, combined with eye-catching artwork.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Image Comics, via Edelweiss.
June 2, 2020
The world-building is incredible, and the characters are incredibly distinct. This first arc did a great job of consistently twisting and raising stakes, and setting the table for what promises to be an explosive second arc.
Impossible to say enough about the work Khary Andrews is doing in the lineart. Really creative layouts, fantastic visual pacing, wildly expressive characters, and of course the incredibly dynamic poses and action we've all come to expect from him.
Paired with Emilio Lopez's striking and imaginative colors, Deron Bennett's perfectly executed letters, and Andres Juarez's distinct evocative book design, this is a work that is wholly original, and unlike anything else you'll find on shelves. Can't wait for more.
Impossible to say enough about the work Khary Andrews is doing in the lineart. Really creative layouts, fantastic visual pacing, wildly expressive characters, and of course the incredibly dynamic poses and action we've all come to expect from him.
Paired with Emilio Lopez's striking and imaginative colors, Deron Bennett's perfectly executed letters, and Andres Juarez's distinct evocative book design, this is a work that is wholly original, and unlike anything else you'll find on shelves. Can't wait for more.
March 26, 2023
I had this recommended to me by my LCS during the pandemic but just now got around to reading it. It's OK. There's not enough worldbuilding in it for me. There's rules for magic that all seems very arbitrary. There is no why. It just is. Thomas does a great job of writing about a son angry at his father but that's all there is. The rest is all very vague even though the inner monologue goes on and on. Hopefully the back half of this will have more answers.
Khary Rhandolph's artwork is good. It just has that manga trope of very few backgrounds hidden behind magical effects in the panels. It drives me nuts. I'm a little more old school in that I want more than a figure or two in a panel. I want the figures located in space instead of just floating around.
Khary Rhandolph's artwork is good. It just has that manga trope of very few backgrounds hidden behind magical effects in the panels. It drives me nuts. I'm a little more old school in that I want more than a figure or two in a panel. I want the figures located in space instead of just floating around.
September 3, 2023
This is a comic book anthology with an intriguing premise. As far as I can tell it’s that magic exists but it’s secret, only black people have it, and there are ten founding families who have or are the most powerful as it relates to magic though other (black) people have magic too. These people are manipulating the lives of a bunch of white people so they turn out the way the Aegis (whoever or whatever that is) wants.
One guy, Spencer Dales, starts questioning the system and resisting.
The art is great. The fashion is interesting. The story is off to a good start. (This is the first six comics in the series.) There is a LOT of angst and it bounces around a bit, but the artists include markers to help keep everything straight.
One guy, Spencer Dales, starts questioning the system and resisting.
The art is great. The fashion is interesting. The story is off to a good start. (This is the first six comics in the series.) There is a LOT of angst and it bounces around a bit, but the artists include markers to help keep everything straight.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews