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Gray
A contemporary reimaging of the classic Oscar Wilde novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," Gray is a supernatural revenge thriller about an alluring but violent woman, Dorian Gray, who seeks vengeance on a cabal of powerful men who wronged her years ago; and of the straight-laced African American detective with a past of his own, who is tasked with stopping her.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's only novel and one of the classics of gothic literature, is the tale of the most beautiful man of his age, who sells his soul and his conscience in exchange for eternal youth, beauty and power - and who spends his life murdering, raping and corrupting. All the time in his attic, his picture degrades and rots.
GRAY takes that basic idea but flips its moral framework and gender archetypes: our DORIAN GRAY is a Millennial social media princess who drifts through the coolest cliques of NYC, breaking hearts and turning heads wherever she goes. But Dorian has secrets. For one thing, she's a violent criminal. For another, she's an immortal creature of magic, who commits violent burglaries and assaults some of New York's most powerful men.
30 years ago, whilst an innocent student, Dorian was sexually assaulted by these men. In that moment that she became something both more and less than human. 30 years later, but not a day older, she's ready for her revenge. Then Dorian meets Detective HANK WUTAN, the African-American NYPD detective assigned to stop these crimes, struggling with his own loyalties as a Black cop in the era of Defund the Police. Despite the fact that Dorian is his suspect number one, and he is effectively working for her abusers, they fall for each other, hard.
GRAY takes Wilde's classic novel and reinvents it as a tale of cathartic revenge for the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter era, a violent fantasy about how powerful, super-rich white men don't always win, how the powerless can find justice, and about how a murderous demon and a law-abiding detective can be soul mates.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's only novel and one of the classics of gothic literature, is the tale of the most beautiful man of his age, who sells his soul and his conscience in exchange for eternal youth, beauty and power - and who spends his life murdering, raping and corrupting. All the time in his attic, his picture degrades and rots.
GRAY takes that basic idea but flips its moral framework and gender archetypes: our DORIAN GRAY is a Millennial social media princess who drifts through the coolest cliques of NYC, breaking hearts and turning heads wherever she goes. But Dorian has secrets. For one thing, she's a violent criminal. For another, she's an immortal creature of magic, who commits violent burglaries and assaults some of New York's most powerful men.
30 years ago, whilst an innocent student, Dorian was sexually assaulted by these men. In that moment that she became something both more and less than human. 30 years later, but not a day older, she's ready for her revenge. Then Dorian meets Detective HANK WUTAN, the African-American NYPD detective assigned to stop these crimes, struggling with his own loyalties as a Black cop in the era of Defund the Police. Despite the fact that Dorian is his suspect number one, and he is effectively working for her abusers, they fall for each other, hard.
GRAY takes Wilde's classic novel and reinvents it as a tale of cathartic revenge for the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter era, a violent fantasy about how powerful, super-rich white men don't always win, how the powerless can find justice, and about how a murderous demon and a law-abiding detective can be soul mates.
124 pages, Hardcover
Published July 13, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 14, 2022
"Gray" is a loose reimagination of Oscar Wilde's "Dorian Gray" story, with a lot of interesting twists. This story's Dorian Gray is a violent woman that has kidnapped some rich and powerful men in order to fight for women's and minorities (e.g. black people) rights. I liked the pace of the story and I'm waiting for the second volume to see how it will conclude.
As far as the art is concerned, our "own" Eugenia Koumaki, has done an excellent job with her pencils. The art style and the colors are great, too. The one thing I didn't like was the font that was used for the narrator's words, on the one hand it's calligraphic and very eye-pleasing, on the other hand it made the narrator's words hard to understand at times.
As far as the art is concerned, our "own" Eugenia Koumaki, has done an excellent job with her pencils. The art style and the colors are great, too. The one thing I didn't like was the font that was used for the narrator's words, on the one hand it's calligraphic and very eye-pleasing, on the other hand it made the narrator's words hard to understand at times.
October 25, 2023
This unusual update of The Picture of Dorian Gray was a lot bloodier than I expected. Maybe I should reread the original, because I barely remember what happened in it. Was it this just-desserts vengeful?
But to make up for bloodiness, the artwork is gorgeous. And the story kept me flipping the pages to both find out what would happen next and where this was going. The relationship between the two cops investigating a series of murders was nicely fleshed out, and the pacing of the story was excellent.
But argh! Where the story was going was to a final page that says to stay tuned for Book Two. And who knows when that will show up?
But to make up for bloodiness, the artwork is gorgeous. And the story kept me flipping the pages to both find out what would happen next and where this was going. The relationship between the two cops investigating a series of murders was nicely fleshed out, and the pacing of the story was excellent.
But argh! Where the story was going was to a final page that says to stay tuned for Book Two. And who knows when that will show up?
May 24, 2021
NOTE: I received a free preliminary, and likely unedited copy of this book from Netgalley for the purposes of providing an honest, unbiased review of the material. Thank you to all involved.
Inspired by the classic 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Gray by Arvind Ethan David takes queues from many revenge thrillers and brings them into the modern age by touching on many social topics such as #metoo and Black Lives Matter. In many ways, the story (at least with book one) is one part Saw, and one part The Count of Monte Christo in many ways. We don’t know much about Ms. Dorian Gray in the first volume, but we can assume she was sexually assaulted by a group of powerful men that ultimately became powerful men in various government and political positions. She has some sort of network that is collecting these men and getting revenge on them one by one. A couple of detectives are assigned to the case, but ultimately appear to have more in common with Gray than the powerful men they work for.
“A contemporary reimaging of the classic Oscar Wilde novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Gray is a supernatural revenge thriller about an alluring but violent woman, Dorian Gray, who seeks vengeance on a cabal of powerful men who wronged her years ago; and of the straight-laced African American detective with a past of his own, who is tasked with stopping her.”
While the story, so far, is fairly removed from the original novel the book is inspired by, its an interesting story full of thrills and shocking ends to some very despicable men. I have a feeling that we’ll learn more about Ms. Gray in book two, and what exactly happened to her that caused her to apparently dabble in some sort of magic (as with the original, she hasn’t aged for years) and set her plan in motion. With the introduction of an artist from her school towards the end of the book, I’m assuming the infamous painting itself comes into play at some point.
This book is very well done, and held my attention. Despite being a book about social issues, it’s not as “preachy” as one would assume it would be. Rather than trying to prove to the reader that whatever these men have done was wrong, Gray does away with the subtleties and just gets down to business. As you can surmise from my description above, this book could very well have triggers for people that don’t want to read such an intense story, so be warned.
Inspired by the classic 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Gray by Arvind Ethan David takes queues from many revenge thrillers and brings them into the modern age by touching on many social topics such as #metoo and Black Lives Matter. In many ways, the story (at least with book one) is one part Saw, and one part The Count of Monte Christo in many ways. We don’t know much about Ms. Dorian Gray in the first volume, but we can assume she was sexually assaulted by a group of powerful men that ultimately became powerful men in various government and political positions. She has some sort of network that is collecting these men and getting revenge on them one by one. A couple of detectives are assigned to the case, but ultimately appear to have more in common with Gray than the powerful men they work for.
“A contemporary reimaging of the classic Oscar Wilde novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Gray is a supernatural revenge thriller about an alluring but violent woman, Dorian Gray, who seeks vengeance on a cabal of powerful men who wronged her years ago; and of the straight-laced African American detective with a past of his own, who is tasked with stopping her.”
While the story, so far, is fairly removed from the original novel the book is inspired by, its an interesting story full of thrills and shocking ends to some very despicable men. I have a feeling that we’ll learn more about Ms. Gray in book two, and what exactly happened to her that caused her to apparently dabble in some sort of magic (as with the original, she hasn’t aged for years) and set her plan in motion. With the introduction of an artist from her school towards the end of the book, I’m assuming the infamous painting itself comes into play at some point.
This book is very well done, and held my attention. Despite being a book about social issues, it’s not as “preachy” as one would assume it would be. Rather than trying to prove to the reader that whatever these men have done was wrong, Gray does away with the subtleties and just gets down to business. As you can surmise from my description above, this book could very well have triggers for people that don’t want to read such an intense story, so be warned.
May 6, 2022
I enjoyed reading this but I wasn't sure why it needed to be linked to The Picture of Dorian Gray. I feel like this could have stood on its own and barely had anything to do with the original story. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if it was its own story. That being said, it was an enjoyable little story and I may even read the second story. I really like the detective characters and really like that the story is talking about what women deal with in the world and America.
April 1, 2022
Content Warning: Abortion, Abusive Relationships, Castration, Female Genital Mutilation, Gun Violence, Referenced Drug Use and Overdose, Characters being Drugged, Kidnapping, References to Prostitution, Racism, Torture, Transphobia, and the one thing that is implied by the content warning Sexual Assault.
Heads up! This Book is also 1 of 2!
Let's start from the beginning, I think that they did themselves a disservice with the cover design, especially as it doesn't really represent the art style that is contained within the book. Which I guess is also a boon as this book is in no way marketed for anything other then a Mature Audience.
I liked the premise of this book, I haven't read A Picture of Dorian Gray, but lines in Net Galley's synopsis like "white men don’t always win, how the powerless can find justice, and about how a murderous demon and a law-abiding detective can be soul mates." had me hooked. what I took for granted was the "violent fantasy" part earlier in that same sentence.
This gave me the same feeling that watching clips from Saw does, violence for violence sake. Especially later in the book, upon my initial read through my brain unconsciously had me skim over a page, but I ended up going back having realized I didn't know what happened to that dude. I have REGRETS, that image will be haunting me at least for the rest of the day, quite possibly for the rest of my life. (Additional Content Warning for Possible Animal Abuse? Like what the fuck was that.)
I am all for Morally Gray characters, this crossed that line. It didn't even really feel cathartic in the way that revenge stories often do. And I have to wonder if some of that comes from the fact that this is a man writing a story about Women's Revenge.
Heads up! This Book is also 1 of 2!
Let's start from the beginning, I think that they did themselves a disservice with the cover design, especially as it doesn't really represent the art style that is contained within the book. Which I guess is also a boon as this book is in no way marketed for anything other then a Mature Audience.
I liked the premise of this book, I haven't read A Picture of Dorian Gray, but lines in Net Galley's synopsis like "white men don’t always win, how the powerless can find justice, and about how a murderous demon and a law-abiding detective can be soul mates." had me hooked. what I took for granted was the "violent fantasy" part earlier in that same sentence.
This gave me the same feeling that watching clips from Saw does, violence for violence sake. Especially later in the book, upon my initial read through my brain unconsciously had me skim over a page, but I ended up going back having realized I didn't know what happened to that dude. I have REGRETS, that image will be haunting me at least for the rest of the day, quite possibly for the rest of my life. (Additional Content Warning for Possible Animal Abuse? Like what the fuck was that.)
I am all for Morally Gray characters, this crossed that line. It didn't even really feel cathartic in the way that revenge stories often do. And I have to wonder if some of that comes from the fact that this is a man writing a story about Women's Revenge.
June 30, 2021
**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of Gray by Arvind Ethan David through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this opportunity.
Gray by Arvind Ethan David is a Dorian Gray retelling set in a modern era in a graphic novel format. It's set to be published on July 13th, 2021. I rated it three stars on Goodreads.
Here's the summary from Goodreads:
A contemporary reimaging of the classic Oscar Wilde novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," Gray is a supernatural revenge thriller about an alluring but violent woman, Dorian Gray, who seeks vengeance on a cabal of powerful men who wronged her years ago; and of the straight-laced African American detective with a past of his own, who is tasked with stopping her.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's only novel and one of the classics of gothic literature, is the tale of the most beautiful man of his age, who sells his soul and his conscience in exchange for eternal youth, beauty and power - and who spends his life murdering, raping and corrupting. All the time in his attic, his picture degrades and rots.
GRAY takes that basic idea but flips its moral framework and gender archetypes: our DORIAN GRAY is a Millennial social media princess who drifts through the coolest cliques of NYC, breaking hearts and turning heads wherever she goes. But Dorian has secrets. For one thing, she's a violent criminal. For another, she's an immortal creature of magic, who commits violent burglaries and assaults some of New York's most powerful men.
30 years ago, whilst an innocent student, Dorian was sexually assaulted by these men. In that moment that she became something both more and less than human. 30 years later, but not a day older, she's ready for her revenge. Then Dorian meets Detective HANK WUTAN, the African-American NYPD detective assigned to stop these crimes, struggling with his own loyalties as a Black cop in the era of Defund the Police. Despite the fact that Dorian is his suspect number one, and he is effectively working for her abusers, they fall for each other, hard.
GRAY takes Wilde's classic novel and reinvents it as a tale of cathartic revenge for the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter era, a violent fantasy about how powerful, super-rich white men don't always win, how the powerless can find justice, and about how a murderous demon and a law-abiding detective can be soul mates.
I will admit that I haven't read The Picture of Dorian Gray, however, I am a sucker for a retelling. I was intrigued by the premise of this graphic novel, and it seemed like it was going to do a lot. I was really exciting about all of what it was promising.
It was a really interesting story. I did enjoy the way that the art was drawn and the way there were details layered and revealed slowly and subtly. It was a little confusing at first as to what was going to happen and what exactly was going on. However, it did pretty quickly become clear in some aspects, though not in others.
This was clearly on it's way to being a series, and so while it had huge promises in the summary on Goodreads, it didn't really live up to all of those because it's the first in the series. There's nothing really wrong with that, but the Goodreads summary/page was misleading because it doesn't indicate that it's going to be a series. I wanted more to happen, and was left disappointed with the cliff hanger ending.
I liked the main detective character, and I was intrigued by the character of Dorian Gray. However, there wasn't enough time to build up their characterization. I just really wanted more.
That being said, I will definitely want to continue with the series. I like the premise a lot and I really want to see how the mystery turns out.
If you're at all intrigued, definitely check it out. However, remember that it's the first in a series and there will be more to come with it.
Gray by Arvind Ethan David is a Dorian Gray retelling set in a modern era in a graphic novel format. It's set to be published on July 13th, 2021. I rated it three stars on Goodreads.
Here's the summary from Goodreads:
A contemporary reimaging of the classic Oscar Wilde novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," Gray is a supernatural revenge thriller about an alluring but violent woman, Dorian Gray, who seeks vengeance on a cabal of powerful men who wronged her years ago; and of the straight-laced African American detective with a past of his own, who is tasked with stopping her.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's only novel and one of the classics of gothic literature, is the tale of the most beautiful man of his age, who sells his soul and his conscience in exchange for eternal youth, beauty and power - and who spends his life murdering, raping and corrupting. All the time in his attic, his picture degrades and rots.
GRAY takes that basic idea but flips its moral framework and gender archetypes: our DORIAN GRAY is a Millennial social media princess who drifts through the coolest cliques of NYC, breaking hearts and turning heads wherever she goes. But Dorian has secrets. For one thing, she's a violent criminal. For another, she's an immortal creature of magic, who commits violent burglaries and assaults some of New York's most powerful men.
30 years ago, whilst an innocent student, Dorian was sexually assaulted by these men. In that moment that she became something both more and less than human. 30 years later, but not a day older, she's ready for her revenge. Then Dorian meets Detective HANK WUTAN, the African-American NYPD detective assigned to stop these crimes, struggling with his own loyalties as a Black cop in the era of Defund the Police. Despite the fact that Dorian is his suspect number one, and he is effectively working for her abusers, they fall for each other, hard.
GRAY takes Wilde's classic novel and reinvents it as a tale of cathartic revenge for the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter era, a violent fantasy about how powerful, super-rich white men don't always win, how the powerless can find justice, and about how a murderous demon and a law-abiding detective can be soul mates.
I will admit that I haven't read The Picture of Dorian Gray, however, I am a sucker for a retelling. I was intrigued by the premise of this graphic novel, and it seemed like it was going to do a lot. I was really exciting about all of what it was promising.
It was a really interesting story. I did enjoy the way that the art was drawn and the way there were details layered and revealed slowly and subtly. It was a little confusing at first as to what was going to happen and what exactly was going on. However, it did pretty quickly become clear in some aspects, though not in others.
This was clearly on it's way to being a series, and so while it had huge promises in the summary on Goodreads, it didn't really live up to all of those because it's the first in the series. There's nothing really wrong with that, but the Goodreads summary/page was misleading because it doesn't indicate that it's going to be a series. I wanted more to happen, and was left disappointed with the cliff hanger ending.
I liked the main detective character, and I was intrigued by the character of Dorian Gray. However, there wasn't enough time to build up their characterization. I just really wanted more.
That being said, I will definitely want to continue with the series. I like the premise a lot and I really want to see how the mystery turns out.
If you're at all intrigued, definitely check it out. However, remember that it's the first in a series and there will be more to come with it.
April 5, 2022
Jesus!! WTF!!
Trigger Warnings:
Sexual assault, assault & battery, abortion, DMV/abusive relationships, castration/FVM, gun violence, kidnapping, transphobia, roofied drinks, rape; References to: gang violence, drug use & ODs, prostitution, racism, torture
BIG NOTE
This book is not for the faint of heart, it's not for naïve people, a lot of people will probably shit on it because of it's contents. If any of the triggers mentioned above apply to you, be careful.
The Review
Where to start...
Well let us start with that it is. Gray is a "retelling" of Dorian Gray . I put the quotation marks just because:
1. I haven't actually read Dorian Gray (I've only watch the movie -- I know 😭😭)
2. From what I saw in the movie, this seems too far stretched, although I do see the sense of the "bad life" lead by Dorian and the new Gray in this graphic novel.
3. The subtitle clearly state: "Inspired by;" which to me means it's sprinkled in there.
So this is a tough one. The crazy in me is like
while the reasonable, logical, proper & civilized me is going
I love me some good
vibes, and honestly, at some point in my life, I was like these characters. You hate the world, and just want everything to go up in flames! At the same time, I know that that's not the way to go about things, which sucks because there is sooo much corruption in the world.
To me, this graphic novel does a great job of depicting the hardships women go through in life, as well as depicting how easily women's issues are just brushed off. It's definitely something to talk about and it's sad that I just now found out about this one.
Highly recommend, but as I mentioned earlier, take note of the warning triggers.
September 16, 2021
Can't quite work out how I feel about this one, but I like that it's a bit different.
I like interesting/charming anti-heroes who you don't want to like but kind of can't help liking anyway and Dorian Gray falls into that category. In my mind she was played by Hayley Atwell or Rachael Stirling.
I like the diversity even if it does come at you with the subtlety of a brick to the face. I'm fine with how unapologetically diverse it is.
I'm not a big fan of morbidly excessive violence for the sake of it, it always seems to me like a cheap trick akin to killing off a great character, or a random sex scene... so I'm a little wary of the Saw-like aspect of this. I do appreciate the avoidance of making the violence or sex excessively crude/ graphic though.
Another reviewer mentioned the Count of Monte Cristo, and that's a book I detested so the parallel there is also troubling. I don't like attempts to justify revenge, I don't know if we're expected to get some secret, grim satisfaction from it but I don't.
I enjoy the references and homage to Wilde, yeah ok it's easy but come on, many of his quotes - like Dorian - never grow old.
I'm trying to avoid comparisons with Dirk Gently but I don't know why - the presence of Estevez and Zimmerfield make it almost impossible not to. I love those guys and it's good to see them alive and well again, though their banter isn't quite as quirky in this. It certainly does not shake the foundations of my enduring love for Dirk Gently, who is almost the exact opposite of Dorian Gray in almost every respect.
(Also difficult not to see this book as a kind of direct response to the problematic Max Landis situation.)
I'm looking forward to the audio book but that's partly just because Samuel Barnett is in it so I know it will be worth listening to just for him :)
I like interesting/charming anti-heroes who you don't want to like but kind of can't help liking anyway and Dorian Gray falls into that category. In my mind she was played by Hayley Atwell or Rachael Stirling.
I like the diversity even if it does come at you with the subtlety of a brick to the face. I'm fine with how unapologetically diverse it is.
I'm not a big fan of morbidly excessive violence for the sake of it, it always seems to me like a cheap trick akin to killing off a great character, or a random sex scene... so I'm a little wary of the Saw-like aspect of this. I do appreciate the avoidance of making the violence or sex excessively crude/ graphic though.
Another reviewer mentioned the Count of Monte Cristo, and that's a book I detested so the parallel there is also troubling. I don't like attempts to justify revenge, I don't know if we're expected to get some secret, grim satisfaction from it but I don't.
I enjoy the references and homage to Wilde, yeah ok it's easy but come on, many of his quotes - like Dorian - never grow old.
I'm trying to avoid comparisons with Dirk Gently but I don't know why - the presence of Estevez and Zimmerfield make it almost impossible not to. I love those guys and it's good to see them alive and well again, though their banter isn't quite as quirky in this. It certainly does not shake the foundations of my enduring love for Dirk Gently, who is almost the exact opposite of Dorian Gray in almost every respect.
(Also difficult not to see this book as a kind of direct response to the problematic Max Landis situation.)
I'm looking forward to the audio book but that's partly just because Samuel Barnett is in it so I know it will be worth listening to just for him :)
May 23, 2021
I picked this one up, since it was placed under teen/YA category. But this is not a young adult novel. It's not even a new adult novel. This one is pure adult in every way. That said, I'm reviewing this one as an adult novel.
As a fan of Dorian Gray, I was curious to see this rewrite, and a graphic novel form is, of course, an even more interesting twist. The story is grabbing and pulls right into the action and mystery. A criminal is at large, one who seems to be targeting rich men. A detective is on their trail but isn't having much luck until finally something clicks. Taking the lead, he tries to lure the criminal in but ends up in the last place he expected or should be. Now, catching the criminal isn't his only worry.
This one has a very interesting criminal, and I enjoyed the high tension and well done mystery aspect. This is definitely original and takes a hard look at the treatment of women and other social questions, which are often heard in today's society. So, it is timely too. I did find that some things bounced around a bit and some of the dialogue and characters didn't quite resonate with me completely, but to say this wasn't done fairly well would be wrong too. It will grab the right person.
The graphic end of it is well done, and I found the scenes and characters nicely portrayed. It brought over the personalities well and added just the right quirks and twists to make every frame sit.
While this wasn't what I'd hoped it'd be from the Dorian Gray rewrite side and not all of the characters were quite my thing, the graphics were well done and the story is intriguing. So, it's a decent read.
I received an ARC through Negalley.
As a fan of Dorian Gray, I was curious to see this rewrite, and a graphic novel form is, of course, an even more interesting twist. The story is grabbing and pulls right into the action and mystery. A criminal is at large, one who seems to be targeting rich men. A detective is on their trail but isn't having much luck until finally something clicks. Taking the lead, he tries to lure the criminal in but ends up in the last place he expected or should be. Now, catching the criminal isn't his only worry.
This one has a very interesting criminal, and I enjoyed the high tension and well done mystery aspect. This is definitely original and takes a hard look at the treatment of women and other social questions, which are often heard in today's society. So, it is timely too. I did find that some things bounced around a bit and some of the dialogue and characters didn't quite resonate with me completely, but to say this wasn't done fairly well would be wrong too. It will grab the right person.
The graphic end of it is well done, and I found the scenes and characters nicely portrayed. It brought over the personalities well and added just the right quirks and twists to make every frame sit.
While this wasn't what I'd hoped it'd be from the Dorian Gray rewrite side and not all of the characters were quite my thing, the graphics were well done and the story is intriguing. So, it's a decent read.
I received an ARC through Negalley.
April 22, 2021
Clumsy. What we have here is something loosely tied to Oscar Wilde – characters use his phrases and names quite regularly – but definitely its own thing. Two women, one of Chinese appearance, the other from the Indian subcontinent, seem to be snatching the rich philanderers of the town and giving them a hard, blood-letting lesson in decorum between the genders. A very rich woman's ex-husband has been snatched, perhaps in a related crime, and then there's Dorian Gray, clipped, English, deadly, bitchy. She can't deny being a "me-too Batwoman" when accused. And, er, that's it. We have two cops trying to solve all the cases, because, natch, "the best police force in the country" always gets by on a maximum of two cops for every crime spree that comes along. What we have is a mediocre flashback to those mediocre films of the late '80s and '90s, that featured women characters getting revenge on sexual slights, because whatever wave of feminism that was around in those days thought that was a good thing. What we get is a cameo from a camel that just about steals the show, and a lame walk to an alleged cliff-hanger, which is where a lot of people realise that well-meant does not mean entertaining, and part company with this series. I certainly did. Two stars, and there's a bonus in that for the camel.
May 28, 2021
Finally, revenge against rapists!!!!!! (Or assumed sexual predators, this is just part 1 of 2, I CANNOT WAIT to finish this cliffhanger...) From a preview copy...
For one, this is based on Oscar Wilde's DORIAN GRAY, but let me be clear in saying this is entirely unique. It takes the themes of the OG but updates them in ways that feels relevant to Gen Z - note this is NOT for children! (There is at least 1 hilarious pic w/ a giant strap-on dil***).
AND an all-female artist team!! Koumaki (pencils) & Greenhalgh (inks) & Lafuente (colors) really get the serious tone right when needed - and an incredible sense of humor to break up heavy subject matter.
The piece is highly intellectual but never unapproachable, issue-based but not pandering. It explores female issues within politics, policework, including even female genital mutilation. Yes! FGM in a graphic novel! (Honestly a bit surprising this was written by a man.)
And THIS Dorian Gray is a BOSS! Ugh, I love the cliffhanger here but I hate that I have to wait for volume 2! You're either gonna love this or hate it... but I'm obsessed. 10/10 would recommend.
You can actually check out the "look inside" now on Amazon, I'd highly encourage checking it out.
For one, this is based on Oscar Wilde's DORIAN GRAY, but let me be clear in saying this is entirely unique. It takes the themes of the OG but updates them in ways that feels relevant to Gen Z - note this is NOT for children! (There is at least 1 hilarious pic w/ a giant strap-on dil***).
AND an all-female artist team!! Koumaki (pencils) & Greenhalgh (inks) & Lafuente (colors) really get the serious tone right when needed - and an incredible sense of humor to break up heavy subject matter.
The piece is highly intellectual but never unapproachable, issue-based but not pandering. It explores female issues within politics, policework, including even female genital mutilation. Yes! FGM in a graphic novel! (Honestly a bit surprising this was written by a man.)
And THIS Dorian Gray is a BOSS! Ugh, I love the cliffhanger here but I hate that I have to wait for volume 2! You're either gonna love this or hate it... but I'm obsessed. 10/10 would recommend.
You can actually check out the "look inside" now on Amazon, I'd highly encourage checking it out.
May 9, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Gray is a gender-bent retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray for the modern age. It's really hard to give a description beyond that as this honestly felt more like a prequel/precursor rather than a graphic novel all of it's own. My biggest gripe is that we only got bits and pieces of Dorian. I would have loved more time with her, but perhaps that's part of the allure to read book 2. Other than that one gripe this serves as a great foundation for what could be a gripping and compelling series. I will definitely be looking for book 2 so that I can continue unraveling all these characters have to offer.
I recommend this graphic novel for anyone 16+ as it has some adult themes that I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending it to a younger age group. Nothing super graphic, but enough that a warning should be stated.
Gray is a gender-bent retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray for the modern age. It's really hard to give a description beyond that as this honestly felt more like a prequel/precursor rather than a graphic novel all of it's own. My biggest gripe is that we only got bits and pieces of Dorian. I would have loved more time with her, but perhaps that's part of the allure to read book 2. Other than that one gripe this serves as a great foundation for what could be a gripping and compelling series. I will definitely be looking for book 2 so that I can continue unraveling all these characters have to offer.
I recommend this graphic novel for anyone 16+ as it has some adult themes that I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending it to a younger age group. Nothing super graphic, but enough that a warning should be stated.
March 25, 2024
TW: rape, sexual assault, gore, drug use/abuse, suicide, basically... most of the things.
This was not a 5 star read, but it was 5 stars for the vibes I needed today.
I think more than anything I'd say to approach this book as firmly under the 'horror' genre and not much else. I'm also curious to know, as someone who is only loosely aware of source material, where if any the parallels can be found. Aside from the single obvious. I'll have to bump that up my reading list this year.
Anyway, I read both this and book 2 today (which isn't on goodreads yet). The series didn't do anything I hadn't seen before but sometimes I like to see a vengeance plot succeed when it's earned. And this was earned.
This was not a 5 star read, but it was 5 stars for the vibes I needed today.
I think more than anything I'd say to approach this book as firmly under the 'horror' genre and not much else. I'm also curious to know, as someone who is only loosely aware of source material, where if any the parallels can be found. Aside from the single obvious. I'll have to bump that up my reading list this year.
Anyway, I read both this and book 2 today (which isn't on goodreads yet). The series didn't do anything I hadn't seen before but sometimes I like to see a vengeance plot succeed when it's earned. And this was earned.
May 8, 2021
Definitely an interesting take on the classic, it does flip the original and does take on more of a different approach. The story follows Dorian Gray, but as a gender bent version, and instead of living life in sin, this Dorian Gray is a criminal and is also hunting down men that had assaulted her when she was in college. This story is drastically different than the classic and is mostly a revenge story.
*Thanks Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
*Thanks Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
August 9, 2021
It’s been a long time since I’ve read Dorian Gray, so I’m sure I’ve forgotten some details, but at this point, I wouldn’t have recognized this as a gender flipped modern revenge version if I hadn’t known from the description. This volume 1 is interesting, but doesn’t resolve anything. But thankfully it doesn’t really end on a cliffhanger either (or at least, not one I care about), so I can look forward to volume 2 without being annoyed at the chosen breakpoints between volumes.
May 13, 2021
3 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the arc. I don't really have a lot of opinions on this one. I loved the art style. The story was hard to follow (I haven't read Dorian Gray). There will be a sequel, doubt I will read it.
May 26, 2021
I loved reading this! I was invested from page one and read it all in one sitting. I can see the nods to the Oscar Wilde novel, and by making Dorian Gray a woman, it adds a unique element to the modern-day retelling.
June 1, 2021
A great modern reinterpretation of Dorian Gray, this story takes you on a journey where important moral questions and timely issues dominate the page. Great art and a diverse cast of characters to fall in love with.
June 1, 2021
A compelling feat and revolutionary reimagining. You will never think of Dorian Gray the same again!
August 3, 2021
Interesting story so far. If I didn't know what the story was very loosely inspired by, I wouldn't have known. I'm very intrigued in volume 2!
June 8, 2023
Kind of not what I was expecting from the blurb and the cover. More modern day noir than what I was hoping for. 3 1/2 stars.
February 19, 2022
No. Just... no.
I can't easily articulate everything that I disliked or found uncomfortable about this work, but there were definitely a lot of aspects that were either poorly executed or articulated in a very messy way. I can kind of understand where "Gray" was trying to go in its political commentary, but I think it tried to cover too many complex subjects in a short period of time, and instead of coming across as witty, groundbreaking, or at the very least educational, it just felt messy and occasionally offensive.
The absolute worst part of the entire book is when Gray has Detective Wutan stripped naked and tied down and Gray explains that she's not valued under the constitution, but he is because he's at least seen as "three-fifths of a man". This was awful - I can't tell if it's supposed to be a sarcastic comment reminding the reader of the three-fifths clause or if it's actually played completely straight as a statement of fact, but either way it feels messy and offensive. Invoking the Three-Fifths Compromise as a witty gotcha moment feels deeply tone-deaf for a book that is trying so hard to be completely "woke." There were quite a few moments that read similarly to this one, and they all left me with the same gross feeling.
Even ignoring all of this, "Gray" isn't even a good adaptation of Wilde's works. It sure isn't an apt adaptation of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and if it's supposed to emulate his other works it's too messy to make any meaningful sense.
It was frustrating because I was actually pretty excited for this book - the premise sounded both intriguing and promising, and I pre-ordered my copy. All that being said, the potential of the premise was wasted. Though I was trying to like this book the entire time I read it, the more I read, the more I hated this book.
Overall, this was an insulting mess. The art wasn't that good, either.
I can't easily articulate everything that I disliked or found uncomfortable about this work, but there were definitely a lot of aspects that were either poorly executed or articulated in a very messy way. I can kind of understand where "Gray" was trying to go in its political commentary, but I think it tried to cover too many complex subjects in a short period of time, and instead of coming across as witty, groundbreaking, or at the very least educational, it just felt messy and occasionally offensive.
The absolute worst part of the entire book is when Gray has Detective Wutan stripped naked and tied down and Gray explains that she's not valued under the constitution, but he is because he's at least seen as "three-fifths of a man". This was awful - I can't tell if it's supposed to be a sarcastic comment reminding the reader of the three-fifths clause or if it's actually played completely straight as a statement of fact, but either way it feels messy and offensive. Invoking the Three-Fifths Compromise as a witty gotcha moment feels deeply tone-deaf for a book that is trying so hard to be completely "woke." There were quite a few moments that read similarly to this one, and they all left me with the same gross feeling.
Even ignoring all of this, "Gray" isn't even a good adaptation of Wilde's works. It sure isn't an apt adaptation of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and if it's supposed to emulate his other works it's too messy to make any meaningful sense.
It was frustrating because I was actually pretty excited for this book - the premise sounded both intriguing and promising, and I pre-ordered my copy. All that being said, the potential of the premise was wasted. Though I was trying to like this book the entire time I read it, the more I read, the more I hated this book.
Overall, this was an insulting mess. The art wasn't that good, either.
June 14, 2021
This book is not complete on its own. Part 2 would make it complete probably.
Graphics were good.
The story seemed to alternate between timelines, but the switch was not made obvious to the reader.
Technology – wise, the book was slow to scroll through, thus the reading experience was not great.
Can be recommended to young adults who can relate better with graphics.
Graphics were good.
The story seemed to alternate between timelines, but the switch was not made obvious to the reader.
Technology – wise, the book was slow to scroll through, thus the reading experience was not great.
Can be recommended to young adults who can relate better with graphics.
November 27, 2021
I was sent an Advance Reader's Edition of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
As someone who hasn't read many graphic novels before, this was a pleasant surprise for me! I enjoyed the retelling aspect of this story (Gray is a retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray, one of my favourite classics) and I loved the range of interesting characters.
This retelling has a strong feminist slant, with much of this first Volume focused on two women's antics of revenge. A supernatural revenge thriller, Gray takes the original story and reinvents it for the modern era of #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter. I enjoyed it greatly and recommend visiting the Kickstarter page to anyone who wants to read this too, or is interested in the audio version currently being produced.
As someone who hasn't read many graphic novels before, this was a pleasant surprise for me! I enjoyed the retelling aspect of this story (Gray is a retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray, one of my favourite classics) and I loved the range of interesting characters.
This retelling has a strong feminist slant, with much of this first Volume focused on two women's antics of revenge. A supernatural revenge thriller, Gray takes the original story and reinvents it for the modern era of #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter. I enjoyed it greatly and recommend visiting the Kickstarter page to anyone who wants to read this too, or is interested in the audio version currently being produced.
November 9, 2021
When readers hear the name Dorian Gray, they likely think of the protagonist in the classic story by Oscar Wilde. This new story in the form of a graphic novel turns Wilde’s initial vision on its head; Dorian is a woman scorned on a quest for revenge in GRAY by Arvind Ethan David. Just think of the worst thing you could do to get back at someone who wronged you – I guarantee our new Dorian takes it much, much further.
Read my entire review on The Nerd Cantina website.
Read my entire review on The Nerd Cantina website.
June 30, 2024
Amazing art driven by an intriguing twist on the classic tale of Dorian Gray. The author reimagines the story, bringing it into modern times (the 2020s), juxtaposing the main character's gender, and providing different motivation. While Volume 1 works well on its own, be sure to finish out the series by reading Volume 2. Much is revealed, along with a few more twists. This is yet another Kickstarter project (2021) that eventually panned out well—I enjoy supporting independent artists.
January 25, 2023
that was certainly...something
January 3, 2024
Interesting premise. It's a little disappointing that only the male characters in this graphic novel have any intellect.
December 16, 2024
What an awesome retelling of one of my fav stories, The Picture of Dorian Gray!!
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