What do you think?
Rate this book
Explore the world of Remnant through the eyes (fists, swords, etc.) of the huntress team RWBY !
Get combat ready, RWBY fans! A new spin on the wild, action-packed anime series is painting the town red like roses!
Follow Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long (a.k.a. Team RWBY) as they protect their world of Remnant from a plague of fearsome monsters called Grimm. After a devastating tragedy shatters the once-mighty Beacon Academy, Team RWBY is pulled apart, with each member undergoing a grueling journey of self-discovery. Can they find the strength to face their inner demons and reunite against an imminent evil assembling a growing army of Grimm?
RWBY Vol. 1 expands on the events of Volume 4 from the award-winning animated series, unveiling more in-depth storylines and backstory that couldn't make it to the screen. With acclaimed writer Marguerite Bennett ( Batwoman, DC Comics: Bombshells ) and artists Mirka Andolfo ( DC Comics: Bombshells, Hex Wives, Wonder Woman ) and Arif Prianto ( Deathstroke ) leading the charge, this exciting new adventure will give new and existing RWBY fans plenty of high-flying entertainment!
Get combat ready, RWBY fans! A new spin on the wild, action-packed anime series is painting the town red like roses!
Follow Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long (a.k.a. Team RWBY) as they protect their world of Remnant from a plague of fearsome monsters called Grimm. After a devastating tragedy shatters the once-mighty Beacon Academy, Team RWBY is pulled apart, with each member undergoing a grueling journey of self-discovery. Can they find the strength to face their inner demons and reunite against an imminent evil assembling a growing army of Grimm?
RWBY Vol. 1 expands on the events of Volume 4 from the award-winning animated series, unveiling more in-depth storylines and backstory that couldn't make it to the screen. With acclaimed writer Marguerite Bennett ( Batwoman, DC Comics: Bombshells ) and artists Mirka Andolfo ( DC Comics: Bombshells, Hex Wives, Wonder Woman ) and Arif Prianto ( Deathstroke ) leading the charge, this exciting new adventure will give new and existing RWBY fans plenty of high-flying entertainment!
160 pages, Paperback
Published August 11, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 11, 2020
Introduction:
I really wanted to like this comic, but it did not stay true to the character's personalities. Thier was a distinct brooding DC twist to all of team Rwby. The art style was very inconsistent. And their was small plot inconsistencies from the main story. The format of the comic is numerous stories from the perspectice from team Rwby after the fall of beacon.
Team Rwby personalities:
All of team Rwby seemed to be very brooding in this comic. It is true these stories take place after the fall of beacon, which was the lowest point for many of the characters. But that said Ruby stayed very optimistic while in minsteral even throught in private she was quit depressed. Seeing Ruby angery at the villager was very out of character for her.
The art style:
The first story's art style remined be of early 90's comics, which fouced on ruby. Then next two stories the style was towards the manga side. Weiss's story at the end seemed to have strong disney influanceds. Very hyper realistic version of the charaters where the cover art for each issue.
In total four very different art style where used to draw this comic. It's true these are seperate stories, but they are supposed to be taking place at the same time. The very different art styles in each issues makes reading the whole comic at once alittle jarring.
Minor plot inconsistencies:
When I say very minor plot differance I am refering to flash backs. Like the flash back for how Yang lost her arm was different in this comic then the show. In this comic Yang lost her arm sheilding blake from Adam, reather then jumping him from behind. It's a minor change but it makes me think the auther did not watch the show since it was a very dramtic momant in the show and a point of hight tension.
Conclusion:
I wanted to like this and to recomand this comic to people who are new to Rwby. But it fails to capture the depths of the character's personalities.
I really wanted to like this comic, but it did not stay true to the character's personalities. Thier was a distinct brooding DC twist to all of team Rwby. The art style was very inconsistent. And their was small plot inconsistencies from the main story. The format of the comic is numerous stories from the perspectice from team Rwby after the fall of beacon.
Team Rwby personalities:
All of team Rwby seemed to be very brooding in this comic. It is true these stories take place after the fall of beacon, which was the lowest point for many of the characters. But that said Ruby stayed very optimistic while in minsteral even throught in private she was quit depressed. Seeing Ruby angery at the villager was very out of character for her.
The art style:
The first story's art style remined be of early 90's comics, which fouced on ruby. Then next two stories the style was towards the manga side. Weiss's story at the end seemed to have strong disney influanceds. Very hyper realistic version of the charaters where the cover art for each issue.
In total four very different art style where used to draw this comic. It's true these are seperate stories, but they are supposed to be taking place at the same time. The very different art styles in each issues makes reading the whole comic at once alittle jarring.
Minor plot inconsistencies:
When I say very minor plot differance I am refering to flash backs. Like the flash back for how Yang lost her arm was different in this comic then the show. In this comic Yang lost her arm sheilding blake from Adam, reather then jumping him from behind. It's a minor change but it makes me think the auther did not watch the show since it was a very dramtic momant in the show and a point of hight tension.
Conclusion:
I wanted to like this and to recomand this comic to people who are new to Rwby. But it fails to capture the depths of the character's personalities.
September 13, 2020
I have to admit I have no relationship to this series from before. I saw the comic and thought it looked cool - and I am a fan of Mirka Andolfo - so I thought I would give it a shot. After all, the buffer-text hint that we should be able to read this comic without knowing anything about the original show.
Unfortunatly, that's not how it worked.
The whole comic seem to be reactions to the series - Beacon Academy falling - and how the characters deal with their loss and sorrow. Some of the stories are interesting - especially from a disabled POV - but most of the stories seems thrown in at random. There are clearly things happening ''behind the scenes'' that we don't get to see, but that I wish we got to share with them.
So, yeah. As a stand alone intro to the series, it didn't do anything for me - the art is nice, though - but as an added spice to the original series, I can imagine it's a pretty good comic. I am considering checking out the official manga, though, so guess it did it's job!
Unfortunatly, that's not how it worked.
The whole comic seem to be reactions to the series - Beacon Academy falling - and how the characters deal with their loss and sorrow. Some of the stories are interesting - especially from a disabled POV - but most of the stories seems thrown in at random. There are clearly things happening ''behind the scenes'' that we don't get to see, but that I wish we got to share with them.
So, yeah. As a stand alone intro to the series, it didn't do anything for me - the art is nice, though - but as an added spice to the original series, I can imagine it's a pretty good comic. I am considering checking out the official manga, though, so guess it did it's job!
June 21, 2025
I'm not sure how to rate this.
First of all: this is not for people unfamiliar with the series! It also spoils the first three (and a half) seasons of the show. Just know that going in.
On top of that, I personally think it chose the worst season to show RWBY: with all four members being apart. It's also a weird amalgamation of filling in gaps and just showing parts of season four. I don't know...
The art is truly beautiful, especially the cover pages in-between chapters. That's probably what I liked best about this.
Other than that, there were few things I could truly enjoy.
Points of criticism:
- characters being out-of-character (one very instant was a super cynic Ruby, spewing some "gotcha"-words at some townspeople with little empathy to why they are behaving the way they do... at this point in the story? Just no; that's not Ruby); also Weiss's mother...I know that at the end of season 4, we don't know terribly much about her...but this really wasn't it; I know the story did this to prove a point/ tell a message, but why use a character that doesn't portray the things you want to tell?)
- it added little to the existing story (not nothing but also not much)
- the constant place jumping and consequent headings in the individual panels. Just a personal preference: I really didn't like the look (and again: why tell a story about team RWBY, if the team isn't together?)
- there were some plotpoints that made no sense whatsoever and then just fizzle out - what the hell was that book Weiss apparently won at a school challenge? It does not appear in the original series, but it also has no further relevance in the comic, even if there were hints that this was an important book. That made not sense to me! Why even bring it up? She could just have won a trophy or something, it would not have changed the story of the comic...
All in all: this is the third RWBY comic from Marguerite Bennet and co. I'm reading and I'm just wondering: how closely did they work with the original RWBY creators? Do they even like the series?
Maybe I was hoping for something else, but I just don't think these comics deliver...
First of all: this is not for people unfamiliar with the series! It also spoils the first three (and a half) seasons of the show. Just know that going in.
On top of that, I personally think it chose the worst season to show RWBY: with all four members being apart. It's also a weird amalgamation of filling in gaps and just showing parts of season four. I don't know...
The art is truly beautiful, especially the cover pages in-between chapters. That's probably what I liked best about this.
Other than that, there were few things I could truly enjoy.
Points of criticism:
- characters being out-of-character (one very instant was a super cynic Ruby, spewing some "gotcha"-words at some townspeople with little empathy to why they are behaving the way they do... at this point in the story? Just no; that's not Ruby); also Weiss's mother...I know that at the end of season 4, we don't know terribly much about her...but this really wasn't it; I know the story did this to prove a point/ tell a message, but why use a character that doesn't portray the things you want to tell?)
- it added little to the existing story (not nothing but also not much)
- the constant place jumping and consequent headings in the individual panels. Just a personal preference: I really didn't like the look (and again: why tell a story about team RWBY, if the team isn't together?)
- there were some plotpoints that made no sense whatsoever and then just fizzle out - what the hell was that book Weiss apparently won at a school challenge? It does not appear in the original series, but it also has no further relevance in the comic, even if there were hints that this was an important book. That made not sense to me! Why even bring it up? She could just have won a trophy or something, it would not have changed the story of the comic...
All in all: this is the third RWBY comic from Marguerite Bennet and co. I'm reading and I'm just wondering: how closely did they work with the original RWBY creators? Do they even like the series?
Maybe I was hoping for something else, but I just don't think these comics deliver...
October 2, 2020
Although they say otherwise, you really need to be a fan of the show to follow this. Even being a fan of the show the story is a mess and usually quite dull. The art is all over the place raveling from okay to bad. Feels like the colorist didn’t communicate much with the illustrator. If you’re a fan of the show and want to consume everything RWBY, go for it. Otherwise skip this one and go watch the show.
March 8, 2021
Very nearly five stars.
This DC series based on the Rooster Teeth show of the same name should be on your TBR for the artwork alone. This is honestly some of the best art I have seen in a comic to date. The colouring, in particular, was stunning and the perfect fit for a vibrant anime adaptation.
Obviously, I am a massive fan of the show, and I went into this book already being familiar with the story. I do not think you will enjoy it much if you are not familiar with its source. These comics occur between Volumes 3 and 4 and do casually spoil critical moments in the show. I am not really sure who these comics are aimed at. From the setting and the subject matter, it seems like it should be fans of the show, but it treats readers like newcomers from the start. The comics do also diverge from the canon of the series, although this did not bother me.
Ultimately where the book fails is in its story. I am not sure what I was expecting, but this is more of an anthology of similar, loosely connected stories. In a main running comic series with the same writers and artists, they could have done more of a linear narrative than a collection. Having already read the manga anthologies, I can say that there is not much to differentiate between them and this. The manga may even be more favourable because at least the stories are different. Marguerite Bennett was clearly trying to convey the theme of loss present in the show's fourth volume. There just wasn't enough time in five-page stories to honestly give that, though, and I was never invested in any of them as I should have been, nor could I pick a favourite if asked.
Overall I would recommend RWBY (this book) to any fan of the show. It is a great addition to fill the space between volumes with. Unless you need to see some great artwork, however, this book most likely won't entertain you.
This DC series based on the Rooster Teeth show of the same name should be on your TBR for the artwork alone. This is honestly some of the best art I have seen in a comic to date. The colouring, in particular, was stunning and the perfect fit for a vibrant anime adaptation.
Obviously, I am a massive fan of the show, and I went into this book already being familiar with the story. I do not think you will enjoy it much if you are not familiar with its source. These comics occur between Volumes 3 and 4 and do casually spoil critical moments in the show. I am not really sure who these comics are aimed at. From the setting and the subject matter, it seems like it should be fans of the show, but it treats readers like newcomers from the start. The comics do also diverge from the canon of the series, although this did not bother me.
Ultimately where the book fails is in its story. I am not sure what I was expecting, but this is more of an anthology of similar, loosely connected stories. In a main running comic series with the same writers and artists, they could have done more of a linear narrative than a collection. Having already read the manga anthologies, I can say that there is not much to differentiate between them and this. The manga may even be more favourable because at least the stories are different. Marguerite Bennett was clearly trying to convey the theme of loss present in the show's fourth volume. There just wasn't enough time in five-page stories to honestly give that, though, and I was never invested in any of them as I should have been, nor could I pick a favourite if asked.
Overall I would recommend RWBY (this book) to any fan of the show. It is a great addition to fill the space between volumes with. Unless you need to see some great artwork, however, this book most likely won't entertain you.
April 5, 2021
In the introduction for the Maze Runner graphic novels that were set between the movies, the author made a specific point that when IP stretches between different media (prose < > comic < > screen), there is always the joy of "hanging out" with your favorite characters in their universe and always a chance that continuity is disrupted, especially when you share that universe with multiple creators. With that in mind, I appreciated the Maze Runner graphic novels without any pretense. I think that same can be said of this run of RWBY by Marguerite Bennett. I love this Rooster Teeth animated series, and thoroughly enjoyed stepping back into Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang's lives after the fall of Beacon, the stories told felt a little out of place to what I remember in the animated series--without the Maze Runner warning.
I wouldn't say that it was a "bad" series because for all the quirkiness of the storytelling (with its shortened vignettes and slight overlap into the animated series), the stories eventually (not immediately, mind you) got around to deepen various aspects of the persona of each character. Ruby had to learn about being her own moral compass. Yang learned about being an agent of her own healing. Weiss learned to define herself apart from those around her. And Blake learned about forgiveness. We didn't need these stories necessarily to have made these points. However, and this is where my rating comes mostly from, I'm not sure this enhances the overall story much. I realize that maybe the Maze Runner caveat was a rare one and since this is "based on the hit animated series", I should give it the benefit of the doubt, but the ping-pong feeling of the mini-vignettes , the sometimes out-of-charater moments (like Ruby lashing out at the villager), this is a book I would only recommend to die-hard fans and completists of RWBY.
I wouldn't say that it was a "bad" series because for all the quirkiness of the storytelling (with its shortened vignettes and slight overlap into the animated series), the stories eventually (not immediately, mind you) got around to deepen various aspects of the persona of each character. Ruby had to learn about being her own moral compass. Yang learned about being an agent of her own healing. Weiss learned to define herself apart from those around her. And Blake learned about forgiveness. We didn't need these stories necessarily to have made these points. However, and this is where my rating comes mostly from, I'm not sure this enhances the overall story much. I realize that maybe the Maze Runner caveat was a rare one and since this is "based on the hit animated series", I should give it the benefit of the doubt, but the ping-pong feeling of the mini-vignettes , the sometimes out-of-charater moments (like Ruby lashing out at the villager), this is a book I would only recommend to die-hard fans and completists of RWBY.
November 1, 2020
This was 110% fantastic, amazing, I loved it SO much!! I think this is my favourite thing to come out of the show.
First of all: the art. If the story has been meh, I still would have had no regrets because the art in this comic is next-level gorgeous. *insert heart eyes*
As for the actually storytelling; I think they did an excellent job. How they explored the characters was very well done, particularly Yang’s struggle with her dis-ability & Blake’s toxic relationship with Adam - things the show touched on but the comic was able go into greater depth. My highlight was Blake’s conversation with her Mum.
It was very introspective, & I loved the contrast of then & now.
6/5 Stars. I loved it so much.
Note: This actually contains all 14 Issues of this run. This TP contains the entire comic series. It is complete.
First of all: the art. If the story has been meh, I still would have had no regrets because the art in this comic is next-level gorgeous. *insert heart eyes*
As for the actually storytelling; I think they did an excellent job. How they explored the characters was very well done, particularly Yang’s struggle with her dis-ability & Blake’s toxic relationship with Adam - things the show touched on but the comic was able go into greater depth. My highlight was Blake’s conversation with her Mum.
It was very introspective, & I loved the contrast of then & now.
6/5 Stars. I loved it so much.
Note: This actually contains all 14 Issues of this run. This TP contains the entire comic series. It is complete.
August 21, 2020
Meh. Wanted to like this a whole lot more. I really like the author and artist in other books, so I was expecting great things here, but I just started reading the RWBY manga and that flows so much better than the story here. I was hoping this graphic novel would be a good place for a newer reader to dive in, but it felt like it started in the middle of a story.
February 6, 2021
A friend of mine raves about this anime, so I thought I would pick this up, not realizing that there is an official manga as well, and without watching the anime.
The story was good, the art was solid and the characters were pretty good as well. I was a bit confused at times, or at least felt there was more to it, so I do recommend watching the anime or reading the manga first.
The story was good, the art was solid and the characters were pretty good as well. I was a bit confused at times, or at least felt there was more to it, so I do recommend watching the anime or reading the manga first.
May 22, 2021
This was such a nice surprise - and in all honestly, this was better than the show? It's a joy to see the main cast actually have both definable character traits AND character development within the space of these shorter stories. This is a luxury they don't get often, so it was incredible to see it happen.
October 12, 2020
I wanted to like these short stories but they were poorly written. The stories were internally inconsistent and they were non-canon compliant and retconned elements of the show. At least they edited out stolen fan art for the compilation.
January 26, 2021
A wonderful addition the the Rwby lore abs story, there was some continuity issues but when using other writers that is to be expected. They are minor at best, I did love the additional story and look forward to more.
3.5/5
3.5/5
March 20, 2021
Since there are lots of story lines and they switch a lot, I found it kind of hard to follow the story on a first read. I also wasn't familiar with it at all when I first picked it up. But it got easier as I read and reread :) the art is beautiful and it's a very wholesome story.
March 20, 2021
3.5
If you're a fan of the show, this adds some more info and scenes of what happens mainly between volumes 3 and 4. Nothing extraordinary, just some short stories focusing on each character, but it's always nice to get more RWBY content!
If you're a fan of the show, this adds some more info and scenes of what happens mainly between volumes 3 and 4. Nothing extraordinary, just some short stories focusing on each character, but it's always nice to get more RWBY content!
October 7, 2022
At first I was a little put off because this assumes you know the characters (which I don't), but then the writing is nice and delves into their backstories and connections/relationships with each other and I was on board. Also, nice fantasy elements in here.
September 16, 2020
The art is so beautiful!! I love Blake with all my heart ;-;
May 22, 2021
Great side stories between RWBY volumes 3 and 4.
June 3, 2021
A fun read filling in some gaps in the story from the screen.
January 24, 2022
Lot's of colour in this size manga but more profound than I thought it would be. A lesson, or lessons to pick up and move on...
March 10, 2024
Ironically started reading this the day of RT's shutdown announcement, so that's something.
January 10, 2021
As a fan of the show, I absolutely loved this comic! The idea behind it is to add some side stories in between seasons of the show, which give a bit of insight into how the characters change during a stage where they are going through difficult times.
Whilst reading this isn’t necessary to enjoy the show, I really liked the positive messages it gave about how each character overcame adversity and learned lessons about themselves and their situation - which really fit the vibe of the show and is one of the major reasons I enjoy it!
So, tldr: Fits the vibe of the show nicely, gives a nice insight into the characters, and has some positive messages about dealing with struggles. Pick it up if you already enjoy the show, as the stories won’t mean anywhere near as much if you don’t already know the characters.
Whilst reading this isn’t necessary to enjoy the show, I really liked the positive messages it gave about how each character overcame adversity and learned lessons about themselves and their situation - which really fit the vibe of the show and is one of the major reasons I enjoy it!
So, tldr: Fits the vibe of the show nicely, gives a nice insight into the characters, and has some positive messages about dealing with struggles. Pick it up if you already enjoy the show, as the stories won’t mean anywhere near as much if you don’t already know the characters.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews