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Shutter #1

Shutter #1

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INDIANA JONES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY! Marvel Knights: Hulk and GLORY writer JOE KEATINGE teams up with artist extraordinaire LEILA DEL DUCA for her Image Comics debut in an all-new ongoing series combining the urban fantasy of Fables and the globe-spanning adventure of Y: The Last Man. Kate Kristopher, once the most famous explorer of an Earth far more fantastic than the one we know, is forced to return to the adventurous life she left behind when a family secret threatens to destroy everything she spent her life protecting.

Unknown Binding

First published April 9, 2014

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Joe Keatinge

212 books91 followers
Likes Wu Tang Clan.

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5 stars
114 (29%)
4 stars
135 (35%)
3 stars
98 (25%)
2 stars
26 (6%)
1 star
8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Jeannette.
796 reviews191 followers
February 25, 2017
Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.

Now this comic book has great art and lots of potential!

From the vert first page I knew this is different than the other things I read until I got to it. I really enjoyed the art as well as the concept, or what I got from it.

My problem with Shutter is not what I did find in it, it’s what I didn’t. For a comic book set in a world so much different than ours, there should have been a bit more introduction, and there was none. I just got the major idea that this is not our world, at least not our world today, and that the main character and her father used to be adventurers. Aside from that, it still remains a mystery to me.

However, I would say that if you are a fan of Saga, this might be a good comic book for you!
Profile Image for Luke Burrage.
Author 5 books663 followers
June 15, 2014
Free comic!

This is really good fun. The mix of weird humans and animals in world of adventure reminded me of Saga, though this is much more family friendly. I loved the single frame flashbacks to Kate's childhood going on exploring expeditions with her father. The detailed art is beautiful too.

It's a pity then that the story kicks off too soon! I mean, the art and the backstory and the hints at the relationship between Kate and her father were enough to suck me in, no problem. But then it seems like the author felt nervous about finishing issue #1 without an action scene, so SUDDENLY PURPLE GHOST NINJAS AND FIRE BREATHING ROBOTS!

What is this? Why this?

Also, what is it about the pages at the end of each issue? Why do the authors feel the need to tell us stuff or ask us stuff outside the scope of the comic itself? Why is that so important? Can't we at least have a single empty page so we can know we're at the end and can start processing the story without being asked, and I quote "That was an enjoyable life experience, right?"

Sorry, Mr./Mrs. Author, but I like to feel I can ask myself that question on the conclusion of a piece of fiction.

Still, of all the free comics so far in the Comixology Summer Reading List, this one is the one I'm most likely to pay for issue #2. This one and Letter 44.





Profile Image for Audry.
Author 0 books45 followers
May 5, 2014
Setup: A young woman from a family of adventurers wants to take a different path. I admit I want to see the little girl's adventures with her father more than I want to see her grown-up self as a struggling photographer, but there's an action-packed cliffhanger that suggests she's in for some explosive fun. A couple of short-short comics are included by other artists, as well, but I bought this to see the primary artist's work: Leila del Duca.
Profile Image for The Sapphic Nerd.
1,107 reviews47 followers
June 9, 2015
Interesting! The art looks great, with great colours and lines. It's cartoonish, but with a rough appeal. With Kate being an explorer, there's a fun-and-serious Indiana Jones-y promise to it. There are sci-fi and fantasy elements mixed in with the adventure and mystery feel that I'm looking forward to reading more of.
Profile Image for Hector.
362 reviews3 followers
April 16, 2014
es como Saga pero para fotógrafos
Profile Image for E.S. Wesley.
Author 2 books72 followers
December 20, 2014
Shutter #1: Wanderlost by Joe Keatinge and Leila del Duca is a comic with a lot of potential--an interesting and fun alternate world, engaging yet not over-the-top artwork, and a story that has promise.

Kate used to go on great adventures with her father, but lately her real life has gotten in the way. Now, bounty hunters are bringing Kate's past into full view, and with it the secrets her father kept from her all those years.

Throughout the book, I found myself alternately engaged and frustrated. Engaged, because this world that exists in Shutter: Wanderlost is rich and full of anachronisms, magic, dinosaurs, and animal people. Frustrated, because even though there is a rich and wonderful story to be found here, most of what I was most interested in was hidden in flashbacks and hints at the future of the series.

In the end, I found that I would rather have seen Kate's adventures with her father than the admittedly interesting adult Kate story. The future of this series looks promising, though I would have liked to have seen more of that promise realized sooner.

Still, Shutter #1: Wanderlost is worth a read. There are some truly fun characters (my favorite being the not-quite-dead butler Harrington, and Kate's old nanny, the "General"). Though I couldn't quite put my finger on why, I also got some hints of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book here and there, which is always a good thing.

Bottom line?

Read Shutter #1 if you like interesting and unique worldbuilding, solid art, and a story that takes a bit of investment. It might take a bit, but there's something worth finding in there.

Do not read Shutter #1 if you get frustrated easily by plots that take a bit of wind-up, have problems with alt-worlds, or take issue with being kept on the hook for figuring anything out. There's a worthwhile story here, but you'll likely be too annoyed by the time you get to it to enjoy yourself.
Profile Image for Tiara.
464 reviews64 followers
March 10, 2015
Kate was an explorer. She came from a long line of explorers. She explored an earth far more fantastic than our own with her father. She’s faced alligator men, large sea fish, dragons, and tentacle-y, er, things. She’s even walked on the moon which was so boring for her. However, now, at 27-years-old, Kate has stopped exploring. There’s no reason given why at this point, but a couple of possibilities do come to mind while reading this book. While visiting her father’s grave, Kate is given interesting information about her family, information that will bring her out of retirement.

This was a very fast paced story. I felt like I blinked and it was over. I liked the premise of it with earth being this wonderful placed filled with strange things just asking to be explored. It made me wish there were just a couple of more pages to reveal just a little bit more to me. It ended right when I was really starting to connect with the story. Also, the art in this book is amazing.

I’m intrigued, but I kind of feel like this is the type of story I’ll have to pick up its volumed edition. Some stories, like the next one I’ll be talking about, have that pacing that makes you want to pick up each book as its released. However, some stories I know I won’t be able to truly enjoy until a whole arc is completed even if I think it’ll be very good. There’s something about the pacing that tells me this is one of those books. Since volume one is already out, I’ll be picking it up soon.

Read more reviews at The Bibliosanctum.
Profile Image for Sherry.
745 reviews12 followers
December 14, 2014
I’ve been on the hunt for some new graphic novel series to get interested in, now that some of my favorites--Unwritten, Fables--are ending. While Shutter doesn’t measure up to either of those series for me yet, I’m intrigued enough by the premise to keep reading.

Kate Kristopher comes from a family of explorers. She took part in her father’s adventures, but she’s retired since his death, which left her the last of her family. Or so she thinks, until she becomes a target for violent acts and learns that the siblings she never knew she had are behind them. Why did her beloved father never tell her about their existence? And in addition to that betrayal, why is there evidence that he didn’t actually die 10 years ago, like Kate always believed?

So, I’m hooked by the mystery surrounding Kate’s father and siblings and will definitely be picking up the next volume in the series to find out more. Kate’s world is also fascinating; it seems like our world, but fantastical creatures like a minotaur commuter or a skeleton butler don’t cause anyone to bat an eye. I loved the way all of the fantasy elements were incorporated into the colorful, eye-catching artwork, too.

Recommended for anyone in search of a fantastical graphic novel series featuring a strong female lead.

An ARC of this graphic novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Alan.
2,050 reviews15 followers
June 13, 2015
Part of the reason for the four star review, which arguably is a little high, is that this was a good enough read that I am very likely to come back for the following volume. Shutter is for those who enjoy YA books that are meant to be enjoyed by adults too, old-fashioned pulp with a new fashion sensibility, and...

Fun

Because even with the darkness lurking around the edges of Kate Kristopher's adventures, this is a fun read. How can it not be with a talking cat clock, a butler who is a skeleton, a nanny named the General, phantom ninjas, and a transgender best friend?

Yes, it sounds like Keatinge threw the kitchen sink and everything in it against the wall to create a Jackson Pollock painting. On the surface sure, but underneath is the story of 27 year old Kate, once one of the world's most famous adventurers along with her father. Now she gets by as a photographer since her father's disappearance 10 years ago.

Then she finds out she has siblings (she though she was an only child), and people are trying to kidnap and harm her.

Fast paced, and with everything going on Keatinge does get in some small bits of characterization. Much better than most of the so-called new pulp, and just about all of the revived old pulp (I mean really enough with the revivals already).
Profile Image for Fantasy Literature.
3,226 reviews165 followers
December 29, 2014
Shutter is another fairly recent Image title that is a five-star read, and it’s further evidence that science fiction fans should keep their eyes on this publisher. Shutter opens up with a father-daughter outing . . . on the moon! After that quiet, peaceful moment, the story picks up pace in the first issue, and starting in the second, the action almost never lets up. It’s about family, growing up, and getting to know more about our parents than we ever wanted to know, attempting to reconcile our gilt-edged memories with our realizations that those memories may be less golden than we thought. The heroine of this story is kept so busy, however, that she has little time to deal fully with the emotional impact of her new-found ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Profile Image for Yolanda Sfetsos.
Author 78 books235 followers
April 18, 2016
OMG. This is SO interesting!

Kate Kristopher and her father were explorers. She's now 27 and her father's been dead for a while. Plus it looks like she no longer writes books about her adventures and finds life boring. But on her birthday, when she's visiting her father's gravesite, she's attacked. And it looks like Kate is going to be dragged into adventure again!

Wow. The art was gorgeous and colourful. The world super fascinating, because it's filled with all kinds of people, creatures and hybrids. The story has me intrigued. And I really like Kate. I would love to get to know more about her AND her world.

Very cool!
Profile Image for Brad.
122 reviews1 follower
February 8, 2015
To say this comic is wildly inventive is an understatement. The setting is a multiverse where the variety of creatures and settings is seemingly endless. Into this, throw a story where one amazing revelation after another is par for the course, and the visuals keep getting bigger and bolder. I got hooked into this via a $.99 reprint of issue one, and the art, as well as the story, hooked me from pretty much the first frame. Volume one gets bigger and wilder chapter by chapter, until I can't wait to see volume 2.
Profile Image for Steven Shinder.
Author 5 books18 followers
April 2, 2015
This was a great introductory issue. The ending left me wanting to know more about Kate Kristopher's family. She is the daughter of an explorer who has taken her around the world and apparently to the moon. Ten years after his death, she lives on a futuristic Earth where there are anthropomorphic animals, apparently. And she has apparently faced a Cthulu-like monster at some point. I just may consider following this series.
Profile Image for Catherine.
491 reviews
April 18, 2015
This is a 3.5 star rating. I wasn't sure through the first two issues if I even wanted to finish the first volume. I'm not a fan of a lot of graphic violence and blood and this has it. I do think that the story picks up after the second volume.
Profile Image for Eric Stellrecht.
43 reviews
June 18, 2014
Really enjoyed this book! Great character and world set up, excited to see where this story goes.
Profile Image for Nic.
138 reviews30 followers
December 22, 2014
4 Biscuits. Excellent, can't wait for more.
Profile Image for kaitlphere.
1,980 reviews40 followers
March 14, 2015
Exciting exposition, intriguing back story, great art and world ideas. Will likely read more of this series.
Profile Image for Oliver.
390 reviews2 followers
May 12, 2015
Schlicht grandiose Abenteuergeschichte, bzw. deren Auftakt. Unbeschreibliche Atmosphäre.
Profile Image for Lynda.
2,497 reviews121 followers
August 6, 2015
Probably 3.5. Would nave liked to see more of her and her father.
Profile Image for J MaK.
349 reviews5 followers
October 27, 2015
The first volume seems quite promising. And is filled with action. Looking forward to reading the 1st vol.
Profile Image for Ty Wilson.
269 reviews45 followers
November 17, 2015
I'm not totally sure where this one is going, and that isn't a bad thing. The artwork is very good and the character of Kate Kristopher intrigues me. I'm more than willing to follow her adventures.
Profile Image for Melissa Renee.
54 reviews
December 26, 2015
Artwork was great. I found the dialogue to be pretty cheesy but I feel that way about a lot of the comics and graphic novels I read so that might be just me!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

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