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Science! The Elements of Dark Energy
Science! is the story of a young scientist desperate to find out the dark truth of their father's untimely death. But along with murderous robots and world-ending technology, Tamsin must also navigate the worlds of first crushes and burgeoning friendships.
108 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2019
2 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Victoria Robinson
13 books34 followersAshley Victoria Robinson is a Canadian hobbit now living in the United States. She was a winner of the 2013 Top Cow Talent Hunt and her first published comic book was Witchblade #175. Since then her comic book writings have been published through DC Comics, IDW, Top Cow, Action Lab Comics, Bedside Press, Not Forgotten Comics, and Colonial Comics.
Follow her antics on Twitter & Instagram @AshleyVRobinson
Follow her antics on Twitter & Instagram @AshleyVRobinson
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 22, 2020
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from author
★★★✬☆ 3.5 stars
This was a delightful, quick read. I only wish it was a little longer!
Tamsin is a young scientist at a cutting-edge school for teenage scientists. It’s a pretty cool futuristic school, the type you’re used to seeing in cartoons – in fact, the whole graphic novel had a pleasant, cartoonish style which I enjoyed. The kids talk in sciencey ways and it makes reading it fun – truly did remind me of the cartoons I watched in my childhood and my teens, because this is exactly the kind of stuff I enjoyed then. I only wish there were more stories like this back then!
There are a few reasons why I say this – first of all, it’s a very good read for girls – girls are scientists in this story, they’re very empowered and strong and they do all sorts of stuff – prepare to colonize uninhabited planets, run labs, do experiments and are just generally being mad scientists! There’s only one boy in the flock and he’s a secondary character, and there are a few men as teachers – the headmaster and others, but that’s all. The young generation is all girls and that was delightful.
Another reason is because the cast is so diverse! Pretty much every character is of a different heritage, and the two main characters are girls who fall in love. So in this regard, it’s a very refreshing read.
In this story, Tamsin learns that you may not always trust the people closest to you, as sad as it is, and you should always trust your own thinking and your decisions. It was a lovely read and I definitely want to read the next issue! The only drawback for me was that everything seemed to happen a little too quick, and for a graphic novel it felt a bit short – a lot of moments could have been fleshed out a little bit more, things could have been a little less rushed. It would have certainly been good for the novel to have more “bulk” – and I hope this will be the case in the new issues of the story. Other than that, it’s a delightful read that sparks your fantasy and keeps you interested. Definitely give it a go!
I thank the author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
★★★✬☆ 3.5 stars
This was a delightful, quick read. I only wish it was a little longer!
Tamsin is a young scientist at a cutting-edge school for teenage scientists. It’s a pretty cool futuristic school, the type you’re used to seeing in cartoons – in fact, the whole graphic novel had a pleasant, cartoonish style which I enjoyed. The kids talk in sciencey ways and it makes reading it fun – truly did remind me of the cartoons I watched in my childhood and my teens, because this is exactly the kind of stuff I enjoyed then. I only wish there were more stories like this back then!
There are a few reasons why I say this – first of all, it’s a very good read for girls – girls are scientists in this story, they’re very empowered and strong and they do all sorts of stuff – prepare to colonize uninhabited planets, run labs, do experiments and are just generally being mad scientists! There’s only one boy in the flock and he’s a secondary character, and there are a few men as teachers – the headmaster and others, but that’s all. The young generation is all girls and that was delightful.
Another reason is because the cast is so diverse! Pretty much every character is of a different heritage, and the two main characters are girls who fall in love. So in this regard, it’s a very refreshing read.
In this story, Tamsin learns that you may not always trust the people closest to you, as sad as it is, and you should always trust your own thinking and your decisions. It was a lovely read and I definitely want to read the next issue! The only drawback for me was that everything seemed to happen a little too quick, and for a graphic novel it felt a bit short – a lot of moments could have been fleshed out a little bit more, things could have been a little less rushed. It would have certainly been good for the novel to have more “bulk” – and I hope this will be the case in the new issues of the story. Other than that, it’s a delightful read that sparks your fantasy and keeps you interested. Definitely give it a go!
I thank the author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
March 1, 2022
I love everything Jason and Ashley do. This is a smart, witty and fun book, which I would recommend to any young reader in a heartbeat.
I, older, thoroughly enjoyed it too. The emotional moments were so strong and it was such an enjoyable experience. Hope there's more to come!
Español: gran cómic para todas las edades. Emocionalmente poderoso si bien con un par de detalles al final con los que no conecté. Recomendado porque además está hecho por un par increíble de artistas independientes
I, older, thoroughly enjoyed it too. The emotional moments were so strong and it was such an enjoyable experience. Hope there's more to come!
Español: gran cómic para todas las edades. Emocionalmente poderoso si bien con un par de detalles al final con los que no conecté. Recomendado porque además está hecho por un par increíble de artistas independientes
March 29, 2023
4 ⭐
Science! The Elements of Dark Energy is a graphic novel written by Ashley V. Robinson and Jason Inman, and illustrated by Desiree Pittman and Becka Kinzie. This was a light, fun scifi read that uses real science! We get a genius South Asian sapphic girl for an MC!
We follow Tamsin Khun Trakroo, a new student at the Prometheus Institute, a school full of teen science geniuses, as she tries to help her dead, holographic father get revenge on the school. When the girl Tamsin is crushing on gets exposed to Dark Matter in a secret lab under the school, Tamsin has to decide what is more important: saving her friends and the girl she likes or avenging her father.
I loved learning about all the real science that went into this! Ashley and Jason really did their homework. Of course, there are a ton of Star Trek references, and Garyn gives me strong Gary Seven vibes. I want a S.T.A.T bot for a friend! As with all graphic novels, I just wish there was more! So Ashley and Jason better get working on book two. Can't be leaving me on a cliff hanger like that!
Science! The Elements of Dark Energy is a graphic novel written by Ashley V. Robinson and Jason Inman, and illustrated by Desiree Pittman and Becka Kinzie. This was a light, fun scifi read that uses real science! We get a genius South Asian sapphic girl for an MC!
We follow Tamsin Khun Trakroo, a new student at the Prometheus Institute, a school full of teen science geniuses, as she tries to help her dead, holographic father get revenge on the school. When the girl Tamsin is crushing on gets exposed to Dark Matter in a secret lab under the school, Tamsin has to decide what is more important: saving her friends and the girl she likes or avenging her father.
I loved learning about all the real science that went into this! Ashley and Jason really did their homework. Of course, there are a ton of Star Trek references, and Garyn gives me strong Gary Seven vibes. I want a S.T.A.T bot for a friend! As with all graphic novels, I just wish there was more! So Ashley and Jason better get working on book two. Can't be leaving me on a cliff hanger like that!
December 2, 2019
I've been a reader of comic books for a long time, yet no comic has surprised me like Science! has in a very long time. Ashley and Jason masterfully craft a world where a Hogwarts or Xavier's like school exists, but dedicated to the pursuit of science. The characters introduced are all memorable and there are several plot twists in the story that kept me wanting to turn the page even faster. The art by Desiree Pittman and Becka Kinzie is also a highlight, for its a pretty unique style and I particularly found the panel layout to be interesting. Taylor Esposito's lettering is very well done as well. All in all, if you are looking for a comic that's not about the usual super hero shenanigans, and want to step into a magical new world, how about you put on your labcoats and step into the school of Science!
May 9, 2020
Truly a masterclass in how not to write dialog. This comic has everything! Evil lesbian powers, a vengeful ghost AI that lives in Google glass, random gratuitous use of boldface for emphasis, plot-stopping flashbacks, and three different types of narration. The authors have clearly never met a teenager—all the characters speak like they stepped off the set of the Big Bang Theory. The awful use of AAVE for the sassy black friend (TM) is the absolute worst. Oh, and the Puerto Rican girl has a Welsh name. Because of course she does.
June 21, 2020
I've always been drawn to projects by Ashley Victoria Robinson (and Jason Inman) by virtue of being fans of their YouTube content. So, I was excited to finally get my hands on Science! The read was light with some fun twists along the way. So generally, it was fine. In a minor way, there were two things that I'm torn about as to how much they helped the story versus how much they distracted away from the story. First, while I love the science "asides" that were inserted into the panels explaining the IRL science behind various things in the story, the real estate they took up was so big that it felt like a euphemism to call them "asides". This is probably more an art/design problem than anything. Secondly, I'm thankful for the diversity that is portrayed in the book. Again, knowing a little bit about the author through her YouTube presence, I know she's an advocate and champion for diverse voices and stories. However, in this case, I felt like the introduction or revelation (to the reader) of a character's diversity sometimes felt clunky and again more a speed bump in the storytelling. Again, I appreciate the diversity in the story, but possibly it could be woven into the story a little better. These are minor concerns and ultimately don't take away this to be an easy recommendation for a middle school to early high school age demographic.
January 9, 2020
Science! is spectacular! Ashley and Jason are an amazing creative team. Tamsin is an awesome main character. I would love to see her and the rest of the supporting characters in more stories about Dark Energy. Once I entered the world of Science! I wanted to see where Ashley and Jason we’re taking me as the reader. Desiree’ Pittman and Becka Kinzie’s art took me a while to get used to, but by the end of the story I was hooked. A shout out to Taylor Esposito for lettering.
June 3, 2021
I like how much research Ashley and Jason put into this comic before writing it. It is a really good story that definitely keeps you on your toes. Yams in is a very likable character that experiences some great character development as the story goes on. I don’t know a lot about science personally but I feel as though I did learn some things while reading this. I really hope they continue with this story!!!
December 21, 2024
Loved all the Easter eggs and now I want a S.T.A.T. of my very own!
April 18, 2020
Libro bien lindo, por dos creadores que me gustan mucho. ¿Creo yo que apresuraron el final y que hay un deus ex machina grosero? Sí. ¿Me divertí? También.
August 12, 2020
Perfect for Curious and Sci-Fi Loving Kids - and Adults!
I really enjoyed this graphic novel, it was fun to read, and I totally didn't see the twists and turns coming. I think this would be a perfect book to give to a young person who enjoys STEM subjects and/or fantasy, particularly girls as it is full of great, strong and diverse female characters.
I particularly like the method of exposition in Science!, via the S.T.A.T.s, which also contains fun real science facts along the way. I also love the artwork style as I think it captures the fun and adventure of the book perfectly.
I will definitely be buying this for my younger cousins, nieces and nephews and look forward to future instalments.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel, it was fun to read, and I totally didn't see the twists and turns coming. I think this would be a perfect book to give to a young person who enjoys STEM subjects and/or fantasy, particularly girls as it is full of great, strong and diverse female characters.
I particularly like the method of exposition in Science!, via the S.T.A.T.s, which also contains fun real science facts along the way. I also love the artwork style as I think it captures the fun and adventure of the book perfectly.
I will definitely be buying this for my younger cousins, nieces and nephews and look forward to future instalments.
May 29, 2020
I've adored all of their books, but Ashley and Jason blew this one out of the water! Like the forward said, there's a lot about this book that feels familiar, but then it definitely goes in unexpected directions!
I also want to give them a huge shout out because even though Jason and Ashley are a white, cis-gender, married couple, they showed a lot of representation in this book, especially of awesome women of color!
Now when does the next volume come out? Point me towards the Kickstarter - I'm there!
I also want to give them a huge shout out because even though Jason and Ashley are a white, cis-gender, married couple, they showed a lot of representation in this book, especially of awesome women of color!
Now when does the next volume come out? Point me towards the Kickstarter - I'm there!
November 10, 2019
Excellent comic - really enjoyed the story and the characters.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews